Hello all. Need some opinions and help with this. Got ok to do a basic 2" lift with some new bigger tires. My new rims are 15x8. Have a 97 v6 runner. I don't think we will ever go offroading. Our family vehicle so on-road is pretty much all we do. So Im basically looking for an inexpensive way to lift just 2-3" inches, no higher than that. Looking to get a similar to stock ride and if possible better than stock ride. Also would like it to be safe since my kids will be in there all the time. And what size and brand tire would be good for our setup. Am looking for a nice looking and good for street tire. Kind of new to all this. Thanks for helping us out.
Help with small lift and tire size options....
- Thread starter hdoggie24
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In my opinion, I'd go with a budget boost. Daystar makes great coil spacers:
http://www.daystarweb.com/productli...selYear=1997&txtPartNo=&search.x=5&search.y=7
The advantage of a coil spacers is that you already know what the ride will feel like since you will not be swapping in new coils.
Ill be installing a set of these spacers on my '98 T4R this weekend.
I've been running coil spacers on my Jeep for quite a few years and have never had any failures...and it is wheeled hard.
http://www.daystarweb.com/productli...selYear=1997&txtPartNo=&search.x=5&search.y=7
The advantage of a coil spacers is that you already know what the ride will feel like since you will not be swapping in new coils.
Ill be installing a set of these spacers on my '98 T4R this weekend.
I've been running coil spacers on my Jeep for quite a few years and have never had any failures...and it is wheeled hard.
theizzardking
New member
yeah but she's also got to keep in mind that the ride will change regardless
as you move the center of gravity up from the ground the you induce body roll
and other driving issues, there is a reason people say avoid spacers and that's the reason, becuase as you go higher with a spacer the coil is already preloaded to a certain extent with the coil spacer. which can cause problems.
why are you trying to lift it if your never going to go off road? i'd just get some 1" longer coils and throw on there with some 31's check this thread going on right now, they look pretty cool close to stock and or just nice tires.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=55313
you'll get the look your after without sacrificing anything,
just saying you want a 2-3 inch lift for the sake of it doesn't make sense
there are better ways.........i don't know.. do what you want, these sort of posts start to bug me, don't take it personal it's just me, anyways welcome to the forum and don't worry the others are far nicer than i am ;-)
here is a good example.
as you move the center of gravity up from the ground the you induce body roll
and other driving issues, there is a reason people say avoid spacers and that's the reason, becuase as you go higher with a spacer the coil is already preloaded to a certain extent with the coil spacer. which can cause problems.
why are you trying to lift it if your never going to go off road? i'd just get some 1" longer coils and throw on there with some 31's check this thread going on right now, they look pretty cool close to stock and or just nice tires.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=55313
you'll get the look your after without sacrificing anything,
just saying you want a 2-3 inch lift for the sake of it doesn't make sense
there are better ways.........i don't know.. do what you want, these sort of posts start to bug me, don't take it personal it's just me, anyways welcome to the forum and don't worry the others are far nicer than i am ;-)
here is a good example.
Of course as you change ride height you'll change COG, but that is inevitable when you lift a vehicle.....I assumed the OP knew this. Increasing the ride height with a spacer will not change the COG any more than it will when you lift with a new coil of the same value. I was simply referring to the fact that the OP already has experience with how the current coil feels and purchasing a new coil could result in stiffer or softer ride, depending on the manufacturer (spring rate, progressive springs, etc). How does placing a spacer above the coil place any sort of preload on the coil? Like I said before, I've been running coil spacers on my dedicated wheeling rig for quite some time and have never had an issue with anything like premature coil failure or spacer failure...
BTW, there's no need to discourage someone from putting a mild lift on a vehicle for looks only...that is something that is done all of the time. Sometimes people want form over function...
BTW, there's no need to discourage someone from putting a mild lift on a vehicle for looks only...that is something that is done all of the time. Sometimes people want form over function...
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theizzardking
New member
you preload the coil by compressing the height of it with the spacer, and i've ran spacers on all of my jeeps as well with and without some of the problems i was mentioning. and as she was saying stock over and over again i was just making sure she was aware of what she was doing, which was getting away from stock, i pretty much retracted my statement there at the end as like i said, do what you want just be informed of what all is going on, think about it 3 inches is the limit before you need to start worrying about drive angles and such and even some have had problems with as little as 2 inches, stock is stock is stock, i know you can get close but i was just pointing out the basics of lifting your vehicle as she sounds like a soccer mom who wants "a big truck with nice wheels" sort, you know, we have no way of determining what her level of understanding of all of this is,
she may also need new shocks if she's going with a taller lift as well, which again is going to change that stock feel, not discouraging her just making sure she's not getting into something she's not going to like.
I guess we'll just have to disagree on that one. IMO, there is no additional load placed on a coil by placing the spacer on top...in fact, that's what provides the lift....the fact that the coil is not additionally compressed and yet, the upper coil mount is pushed away from the lower mount by the spacer. The only way that you are going to compress the coil is to load down the vehicle with quite a bit of weight.
Now, it is possible to overcompress a spring (either a stock spring and spacer or a longer coil) when you lift if you dont properly extend your bumpstops. However, for most applications, especially one that is only for looks, this shouldn't be much of an issue.
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thanks for help.....by the way, i am not the "soccer mom" tho. i don't think what what i posted turned me into a woman. haha. this setup is though for both of us. me and my wife.... but my wife will be the one driving it mostly. and i see small lifts all the time from people who don't wheel at all. for the most part i would just like an aggressive stance cause i think it looks great. on the other hand, i myself have a nissan hardbody truck airbagged to the ground on 20s. and it rides great and my main reason i did it is because i love the way it looks slammed. overall, many people out there lower and lift their vehicles because they love the look of it so thats what i am talking about here. take it easy guys, love the conversation tho. cya, ryan
Haha....I was thinking the same thing. Are you planning on installing the lift yourself or having a shop do the work?
Agreed. Body lifts have their place. I needed one on my Jeep to fit a different transfercase that was larger than stock. It was either add a body lift or cut the tub...
plan on installing the lift myself. i've never done it before but it doesn't seem that hard to do this when its pretty basic parts. ive done basic fixing of a vehicle so im not clueless when it comes to how things work. so the daystar spacers would be my best best? will give me a similar to stock feel. thanks
Well, like mentioned above, it also depends on what shocks you plan to run, but yeah, they should give you the most "stock" ride.
I'll be installing the spacers along with a new set of Bilstein shocks on my 98 this coming weekend and can snap a few install photos for you if you'd like. I've installed lifts (body and suspension) on quite a few different vehicles and they are all basically the same. I do them all in my driveway with basic handtools. The most important things you'll need are some jackstands and a good floorjack. I've never really had the need for a spring compressor....I just usually droop the axle enough to fit the spring.
I'll be installing the spacers along with a new set of Bilstein shocks on my 98 this coming weekend and can snap a few install photos for you if you'd like. I've installed lifts (body and suspension) on quite a few different vehicles and they are all basically the same. I do them all in my driveway with basic handtools. The most important things you'll need are some jackstands and a good floorjack. I've never really had the need for a spring compressor....I just usually droop the axle enough to fit the spring.
vol4runner
New member
Great idea! Install photos would help some of us for sure.
Well, to tell the truth, the vehicle that I have was used as a survey crew vehicle for a while and then was given to me. I believe that the springs have sagged (and the ride is quite rough from contacting the bumpstops) which is why I purchased the spacers (cheaper than new springs) and new shocks. With that said, the shocks that I purchased are of stock length. So, I am unsure of the lenghts you would need. You might take a ride height measurement of your current shock and then figure out what ride height, extended and compressed lengths would be after you added your spacers. If the current shocks fell within those parameters, then they could be reused. Most manufacturers produce shocks that meet certain ranges of ride heights (meaning, for example, they sell the same shock for 2" lift as they do for 3" lift).
Yeah, the spacers are going on each corner. I purchased a kit from Daystar. I cant remember the part number, but they are in my T4R and can check when I leave work in a bit.
Yeah, the spacers are going on each corner. I purchased a kit from Daystar. I cant remember the part number, but they are in my T4R and can check when I leave work in a bit.
Well hell, it sounds like I have a fun photography project for the weekend then. BTW, I am combining projects....the spacers and shocks are going in and I'll also be swapping in new upper and lower ball joints on the front end. I needed to include a brake job, but I've only got Saturday to work on this so the brakes were put off until another weekend...
theizzardking
New member
ok maybe i didn't elaborate all the way, your right the spring it's self doesn't compress but it does mess with the coils and preload was the wrong word for it.
sorry for that just trying to dumb it down a bit.
a spacer by itself does not make the suspension stiffer, however, the orientation of the A-arms and coilover change, and that changes the leverage on the coil spring.
spacers can cause premature sag in the springs when the suspension is completely compressed down to its bumpstops and a spacer is used, the spring is compressed more than it normally would. This can cause the spring to permanently deform, depending on how much, how often, and how long the spring is compressed.
but i digress apparently he know what he's doing and can make his own decisions.
lol thought you were a soccer mom just because of the way it was asked kiddios and all of that nothing about the wifey, lol sorry for that buddy!
sorry for that just trying to dumb it down a bit.
a spacer by itself does not make the suspension stiffer, however, the orientation of the A-arms and coilover change, and that changes the leverage on the coil spring.
spacers can cause premature sag in the springs when the suspension is completely compressed down to its bumpstops and a spacer is used, the spring is compressed more than it normally would. This can cause the spring to permanently deform, depending on how much, how often, and how long the spring is compressed.
but i digress apparently he know what he's doing and can make his own decisions.
lol thought you were a soccer mom just because of the way it was asked kiddios and all of that nothing about the wifey, lol sorry for that buddy!
Agreed. If you dont properly extend your bumpstops then you can overcompress your spring and permanently damage the coil. However, this can also be done with regular lift coils. They are not immune to overcompression.
However, under normal driving circumstances, most folks will not regularly overcompress their springs enough to damage them, IMO.
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Well, I got started on the install this evening after work. I first got out my supplies:
(new shocks, coil spacers [1.5" rear and 1" front], liquid fuel)
and my tools:
(4-way, heavy duty jack stands, floor jack....a creeper is helpful if you've got one)
Here is a "before" shot.
I will first install the rear spacers and new shocks. First thing you need to do is chock the front wheels:
Then I loosened the wheel lug nuts and remove the lower shock mount bolts (on both sides of the axle). I also unhooked the anti-sway bar (again, on both sides of the axle). It's best to do this at ride height so that there is no tension on any of the mounts. Here's an after pic:
You want to raise the vehicle high enough so that you can rest the frame on your jackstands and be able to remove the wheels and floor jack from the axle. Just let the unhooked (sway bar and shocks) axle droop.
Now, the reason I unhooked the sway bar is because you need to be able to easily articulate the axle to remove the spring. The easiest way to droop the side of the axle that I am working on is to jack up the other end (everyone remembers the principle of leverage). I just put my floor jack under the shock mount and start raising:
Now you can pop out the coil spring and install the spacer between the top of the bumpstop and the coil:
Before you reinstall the coil/bumpstop/spacer, it's easiest to install your new shocks (if you are going to do so) at this time:
Just install the upper shock mount for now.
Then reinstall the coil/bumpstop/spacer:
Make sure to rotate the coil so that it sits properly in the spring perch.
A side note here, in the above picture you can see that my bumpstop was actually contacting the spring perch pad (in the middle of the coil at the axle). It should be noted that this vehicle is and always has only been driven on the street. The rear axle should see nothing but normal use...no extreme articulation. The bumpstop should NOT be contacting the lower spring perch on a regular basis, but it seems that it is. This is why I believe that my coils have sagged and why the ride was so rough and the reason why I chose to add the spacers.
After you have installed the upper shock mounts and reinstalled the coil/bumpstop/spacer on both sides, you want to put your floorjack back under the diff and raise the entire axle until your lower shock mounts meet the end of the shocks. If you are using gas charged shocks, they'll be difficult to compress, so it's easiest if you bring the axle up to meet the shocks. Install the lower shock mounts. Then reinstall the wheels (just tighten the lug nuts by hand) and remove the jackstands from under the frame so that you can lower the vehicle back to it's wheels. Tighten the lug nuts, reinstall the anti-sway bar links and tighten/check all bolts that you removed.
The rear end is done:
(new shocks, coil spacers [1.5" rear and 1" front], liquid fuel)
and my tools:
(4-way, heavy duty jack stands, floor jack....a creeper is helpful if you've got one)
Here is a "before" shot.
I will first install the rear spacers and new shocks. First thing you need to do is chock the front wheels:
Then I loosened the wheel lug nuts and remove the lower shock mount bolts (on both sides of the axle). I also unhooked the anti-sway bar (again, on both sides of the axle). It's best to do this at ride height so that there is no tension on any of the mounts. Here's an after pic:
You want to raise the vehicle high enough so that you can rest the frame on your jackstands and be able to remove the wheels and floor jack from the axle. Just let the unhooked (sway bar and shocks) axle droop.
Now, the reason I unhooked the sway bar is because you need to be able to easily articulate the axle to remove the spring. The easiest way to droop the side of the axle that I am working on is to jack up the other end (everyone remembers the principle of leverage). I just put my floor jack under the shock mount and start raising:
Now you can pop out the coil spring and install the spacer between the top of the bumpstop and the coil:
Before you reinstall the coil/bumpstop/spacer, it's easiest to install your new shocks (if you are going to do so) at this time:
Just install the upper shock mount for now.
Then reinstall the coil/bumpstop/spacer:
Make sure to rotate the coil so that it sits properly in the spring perch.
A side note here, in the above picture you can see that my bumpstop was actually contacting the spring perch pad (in the middle of the coil at the axle). It should be noted that this vehicle is and always has only been driven on the street. The rear axle should see nothing but normal use...no extreme articulation. The bumpstop should NOT be contacting the lower spring perch on a regular basis, but it seems that it is. This is why I believe that my coils have sagged and why the ride was so rough and the reason why I chose to add the spacers.
After you have installed the upper shock mounts and reinstalled the coil/bumpstop/spacer on both sides, you want to put your floorjack back under the diff and raise the entire axle until your lower shock mounts meet the end of the shocks. If you are using gas charged shocks, they'll be difficult to compress, so it's easiest if you bring the axle up to meet the shocks. Install the lower shock mounts. Then reinstall the wheels (just tighten the lug nuts by hand) and remove the jackstands from under the frame so that you can lower the vehicle back to it's wheels. Tighten the lug nuts, reinstall the anti-sway bar links and tighten/check all bolts that you removed.
The rear end is done:
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