How many regret lifting their T4R?

[smallfry]

No regrets lifting mine.

 

[Jetboy]

hmmm, something ain't right here. according to Toyota, 4Runner TRD Pro springs remain stock in rear.

i'm really not trying to give you a hard time!

The part numbers are the same. He's just mistaken. Or he got springs for something else. Trd pro 4runners use the same rear springs.

 

[AINOMOATACO]

Just got done with lift/alignment and now starting to regret it....on a KDSS btw. Now i have to figure out how to level out the KDSS lean.

 

[shrub1]

The part numbers are the same. He's just mistaken. Or he got springs for something else. Trd pro 4runners use the same rear springs.

True.

 

[TexasTEQFan]

FJ TRD Pro kit here with a 1” Daystar isolators up front (gained 2”) and T-13 springs in back (up 1”), so still have a mild rake. My mild lift cost me $800 all in and its a new truck compared to stock, no complaints. Laced up 275/70/16 KO2’s and I’m averaging 17.5 mpg in mixed driving.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

The kit I bought is for the 2014 FJ Cruiser which is 6112/5160 for $700 and includes 14" front coils as opposed to the 13" that come in the 4runner pro package so that is the 1" I'm gaining right off the bat. I'm thinking of the additional 1" spacer up front rather than throwing out the 14" spring I already have in favor of a 2" spring to replace it. Maybe I should research the cost of the spring vs. the spacer which in the big picture might be nominal....hmmm.

From what I have learned about suspension, while researching my own, is that to get the lift you want (assuming you have adjustable coil overs) you either have to 1. Increase preload 2. Add spacers 3. Increase spring rate

With my Toytec adjustable coilovers I first increased preload on the spring to gain height. This decreased my total compression travel as well as comfort. After my truck’s weight gain, my 600lb. springs were no longer strong enough to keep me from bottoming out in the front. I switched out to 650lb springs which not only kept me from bottoming out, I no longer had to dial in much preload at all on the passenger side to maintain ride height. Drivers side had about .75-1” more preload due to weight, but still a night and day difference.

So what you might want to do is take the money that you would spend on spacers, sell the 14” springs (not sure what the weight is on them, maybe 550lbs.?), and buy another pair of 14” springs, but bump up the weight rating on them. You’ll gain height simply by not compressing the springs as much at static rest at the same weight your truck is at now. If you aren’t running a bumper or winch, 600lbs. would be ideal. 600lbs. springs up front would cut any nosediving significantly. If you are planning on putting up to 100-150lbs or more on the front end soon, 650lbs. Anything higher than that will ride really stiff unless you have a bunch of steel on the nose.

 

[mynameistory]

hmmm, something ain't right here. According to Toyota, 4Runner TRD Pro springs remain stock in rear. [/URL]

i'm really not trying to give you a hard time!

Well I'll be damned. Whatever is in the truck is giving it at least a noticeable lift in the rear. It's funny that all of the auto mags report a 1" front and 2" rear lift over standard, but sure enough: everything else says that the rear coils are exactly the same.
That makes me wonder what coils are actually in here. No spacers or anything other than the bump stops. I suppose it's possible that the original owner intended on installing a Toy Tec add-on lift, because I remember him offering the spacer kit for the front (uninstalled) that I declined. Maybe these are the accompanying "superflex" coils.

 

[sandcrawler]

The part numbers are the same. He's just mistaken. Or he got springs for something else. Trd pro 4runners use the same rear springs.

my point exactly. thanks, man.

Well I'll be damned. Whatever is in the truck is giving it at least a noticeable lift in the rear. It's funny that all of the auto mags report a 1" front and 2" rear lift over standard, but sure enough: everything else says that the rear coils are exactly the same.
That makes me wonder what coils are actually in here. No spacers or anything other than the bump stops. I suppose it's possible that the original owner intended on installing a Toy Tec add-on lift, because I remember him offering the spacer kit for the front (uninstalled) that I declined. Maybe these are the accompanying "superflex" coils.

i've never read anything that claimed a rear lift on the Pro; just the 1" front. pre-production prototypes were demo'd with a slight rear lift (in addition to KDSS and a moonroof) but Toyota nixed all of that on the production models. speculation abounds as to why.

looks like you got an additional set of coils for your coin, and by the sound of it i'm guessing you're correct and they're a set of Superflex. my only question would be if the TRD rear shocks are compatible with whatever lift you're getting from those coils or are the shocks now the functional limit on your rear travel due to the (2", you say?) static reduction in shaft stroke.

 

[Catskill4RNR]

FJ TRD Pro kit here with a 1” Daystar isolators up front (gained 2”) and T-13 springs in back (up 1”), so still have a mild rake. My mild lift cost me $800 all in and its a new truck compared to stock, no complaints. Laced up 275/70/16 KO2’s and I’m averaging 17.5 mpg in mixed driving.

Do you have KDSS? If so, did you develop more lean or did it stay the same as stock?

I'm wondering if I need to use the Dobinsons KDSS springs or just matching length/rate. I don't notice much lean, if any, with the stock suspension.

 

[mynameistory]

my point exactly. thanks, man.


i've never read anything that claimed a rear lift on the Pro; just the 1" front. pre-production prototypes were demo'd with a slight rear lift (in addition to KDSS and a moonroof) but Toyota nixed all of that on the production models. speculation abounds as to why.

looks like you got an additional set of coils for your coin, and by the sound of it i'm guessing you're correct and they're a set of Superflex. my only question would be if the TRD rear shocks are compatible with whatever lift you're getting from those coils or are the shocks now the functional limit on your rear travel due to the (2", you say?) static reduction in shaft stroke.

Here's one, among others.

I hope that I'm not limiting droop on the 5160s. I'll take a look under the truck today to see if I can make out any branding or PNs. When I was installing the reservoir clamps, I remember being able to jack up the truck quite a bit before the tire lifted. Come to think of it, I'm not quite sure what limits travel on a factory truck- since the coils aren't attached, what ends downward travel?

Thanks for helping point this stuff out and correcting me, I know it's not always easy telling someone they're mistaken on the forums!

 

[Jetboy]

Here's one, among others.

I hope that I'm not limiting droop on the 5160s. I'll take a look under the truck today to see if I can make out any branding or PNs. When I was installing the reservoir clamps, I remember being able to jack up the truck quite a bit before the tire lifted. Come to think of it, I'm not quite sure what limits travel on a factory truck- since the coils aren't attached, what ends downward travel?

Thanks for helping point this stuff out and correcting me, I know it's not always easy telling someone they're mistaken on the forums!

It's possible you have the FJ Cruiser rear springs? They are taller on the TTUE edition of the FJ Cruiser (like TRD Pro 4Runner). I think they end up with about 1/2" of lift on a 5th gen. It's not much, but if you bought the full kit that was for an FJ cruiser it may have the rear FJ springs.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

When I'm not quite sure what limits travel on a factory truck- since the coils aren't attached, what ends downward travel?

Thanks for helping point this stuff out and correcting me, I know it's not always easy telling someone they're mistaken on the forums!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in the rear I believe with stock or close to stock suspension and arms, your two limiting factors would be either the shock itself, which you definitely don’t want it to be, or in the case of LT rear springs, the stock upper trailing arm will make contact with the gas tank, thus stopping droop.

Realistically though, if you are running sway bars, it’s highly unlikely you would over extend your rear to the point of shock failure unless you are doing some very extreme crawling, or jumping dunes.

 

[Jetboy]

Yes. Typically it's the rear shocks limit down travel. They are designed to do so and have rubber bumpers built into them. Much beyond the rear shock travel and the bind in the bushings of the control arms become a limit as well as the sway bar. KDSS sway bar probably more so than the normal sway bar.

 

[mynameistory]

It's possible you have the FJ Cruiser rear springs? They are taller on the TTUE edition of the FJ Cruiser (like TRD Pro 4Runner). I think they end up with about 1/2" of lift on a 5th gen. It's not much, but if you bought the full kit that was for an FJ cruiser it may have the rear FJ springs.

I think I remember the coils being painted black with a small pink spot on one end. I don't remember seeing anything else on them. I'll try to get under it and review soon.

Interesting to hear that the shocks are meant to act as droop limiters. Whatever I've got in there rides smoother than stock, so I'm probably going to keep it. I don't think it'll hurt the shocks.

 

[ChrisJHarney]

Yes. Typically it's the rear shocks limit down travel. They are designed to do so and have rubber bumpers built into them. Much beyond the rear shock travel and the bind in the bushings of the control arms become a limit as well as the sway bar. KDSS sway bar probably more so than the normal sway bar.

I’ve read here that you don’t want to put that kind of pressure on the shocks to be the limiting factor in droop situations. If they are designed for such, why do people push limit straps to stop droop? Or are those solely for extreme situations like dune jumping?

 

[TexasTEQFan]

Do you have KDSS? If so, did you develop more lean or did it stay the same as stock?

I'm wondering if I need to use the Dobinsons KDSS springs or just matching length/rate. I don't notice much lean, if any, with the stock suspension.

No KDSS here, I haven’t really dug into lean. It’s kinda a non issue for me, guess I’m used to it after owning my FJ40 for 35 years.

 

[mynameistory]

I’ve read here that you don’t want to put that kind of pressure on the shocks to be the limiting factor in droop situations. If they are designed for such, why do people push limit straps to stop droop? Or are those solely for extreme situations like dune jumping?

I think the second scenario. Limit straps are usually added on exotic setups that don't use model-specific hardware.

It looks like the 5160s have additional stroke capacity, according to this thread.

 

[a2marian]

Just got done with lift/alignment and now starting to regret it....on a KDSS btw. Now i have to figure out how to level out the KDSS lean.

ainomoataco...what setup did you install on your rig??