If you're going to go over 2", you'll do more damage than good by just putting in spacers.
I worked on a tacoma last week with a 3" spacer lift up front and helper springs on the the rear and here are a few things I while on the rack:
1. The rear brake hose was stretched, though not as tight as I've seen before.
2. The front axle cv boots we're torn due to the extreme angles they are not designed for. They also bound up when I tried to turn the wheels with the vehicle on the lift.
3. The upper balljoints we're leaking and the upper control arm was resting on the front coil spring.
I've also seen front swaybar links brake because of angles they were'nt designed for, and they are not cheap. I had a new set lengtened for my friends tundra by cutting them and welding in a section of tubing to lenthen them by the same amount as his lift.
There are solutions to the above problems as well.
1. A longer braided hose line.
2. A diff spacer kit to drop the front diff down a little and releive the stress on the cv's. Though I never really see these installed and can't comment on how effective they are, the logic is sound.
3. A different upper control arm and balljoint designed for more angle. I've seen somewhere where you can have you're upper control arms modified so that they do not contact the coil spring, but this does not address the ball joint issue.
The bottom line is, if you plan on going more than 2", be prepared to do more work and spend more money than just spacers.
I've seen some trick stuff out there, but it all cost's money, that's why I'm going to wait until I can save some cash before lifting mine. The cheap route can end up costing you more in the long run that just doing it right the first time.
ooja3k said:
i also want to be able to install this myself.. I am very handy when it comes to working on cars but i don't have a spring compressor... Hope i don't need that...
You do need a spring compressor to install the front spacers, and if you don't have a good one I wouldnt attempt it; there's a lot of stored energy in those things when they are compressed. I find my self treating the thing like a bomb when it's in the spring compressor under tension.
What you can do is remove the struts you're self and take them to a shop with the spacers to have the spacers installed if you want to save a little money. Just don't touch the center nut at the top that holds the whole thing together while you are removing them.
