Limits with spacer lift ?'s

[Falls]

Right now I'm running FJ springs and shocks which gave me a 1/2 lift and a firmer ride with a 1/2"(1"lift) aluminum spacer (topout) up front and 1" larger tires (265/70/17's).

I'm looking to change things up a bit to get a little more lift.
Option 1. shocks and coils
Option 2. Daystar 6 pc kit

My question is what limits spacers over a shock and spring set up ?

Thanks

 

[G.I.G.]

Hey Falls, I will try to explain it the best I can. I'm sure there are others that can explain it better.

With a spacer lift, you are basically just pre-loading the spring so at normal compression, the suspension is extended and the vehicle is lifted.

The problem with spacer lifts, or if if you just add new springs for the lift but not shocks, is that most stock shocks can not extend as far as the springs can travel. So if you are off-roading and the springs are fully extended, the shock will bottom out because the spring can travel farther than the shock can.

Spacers are a good fit for people who want to get a lifted appearance, want larger tires, and don't want to break the bank to get a lift. Spacers are also good for people who don't necessarily off-road all that much. The good thing about a true suspension lift (springs and shocks) is that you get the benefit of extended travel along with the lift.

I'm a big advocate for the OME suspension. For under $800, you can get a true suspension lift that not only yields one of the more popular lifts on a 4Runner (3" up front, 2" in the rear) but also one that is practical if you off-road even a little. It rides a little stiff but considering it keeps the 4Runner flat in the turns as good if not better than a 4Runner at stock height with XREAS, it is a trade-off I'm more than happy to live with.

Coilovers are great but I think they are overkill (and pricey) for most people. Even the most competitively priced CO setup is almost twice the price as the OME setup.

Based on the fact that you have already put some money into your current lift and have given thought to a bigger lift, I would suggest going with the OME lift. I know you have a similar looking 4Runner as mine so have a look at my build thread with pics of my 4Runner going from stock to a 1" leveling kit and 32" tires to the OME lift with 33" tires.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gallery/64741-g-i-g-s-build-thread.html

Hope that helps

 

[Nashvillerunner]

Hey GIG great post man!!

As far as my opinion I have the same setup as you do. I have the FJC shocks and springs and also a 1" Toytec Spacer. I want more life and I am thinking about going with the Cornfed 2/1 or the Daystar 2.5/1.5. My 4Runner is mostly driven on road and a little off roading but nothing that is really tough and would cause damage to my 4Runner. I looked at the OME kit which is very nice and good quality but I can't justify paying $800 for it when I am don't do that much offroading. If I did more offroading I would no doubt go OME but for now I will just stick with a spacer kit. I am still pretty new to this but hope this helps some!

Is your 4runner mainly on road driving or a mix of on road and off road?

 

[Falls]

Well my 4R is my daily driver so it spends 98% of the time on road. I do like to go on off road excursions , farm roads , fire lanes , fields , ect.... and do run into some tricks spots , but nothing I have not been able to get through. I only have got stuck once and there was nothing we could do because it was ice ruts and nothing gets traction on ice.

Ive been contemplating the OME set up , but I also have a full 6 pc DS (spacer) kit here that was on my stepsons 4R for a while . He then switched to a full OME set up , but still has to run a spacer in front. 1" i think.

Thanks GIG for the explanation , very nice and helpful .

 

[CJ3Flyr]

A couple of guys have recently lifted with FJC springs and spacers. What I learned from following their tales is that a traditional 2.5/1.5 or 3/2 is not quite right. Your end result will be nose high and possibly over 3" of lift in the front. Because the FJC springs lift the front more than the rear it seems the right answer is a 1" thick front spacer (1-piece, yielding approx 2" of lift) and the 1.5" Daystar rear spacer.

The net lift on your V8 will be about 2.75/1.75 which will look great and work well.
:cheers:

 

[Justinlhc]

I installed a 2" spacer on the front and left the rear stock. My rear is still 3/4" higher than the front. This is on an 06 Sport V8. That makes me believe the front can use quite a bit more lift than the rear, but I guess it depends on what you're looking for. I think 3/4" higher in the rear is about perfect.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

Pretty good explanation G.I.G. - I'm new to 4Runner's myself having just replaced my FJ62 with an '05 Limited. This also makes me new to IFS and since I do a lot of off-road stuff in Colorado I'm just a rookie again.

I have heard differing opinions of my set-up which appears to be just OME springs giving me a 3/2 lift. I also have the X-REAS which some people say doesn't play well with the lift. The local lead tech at Toyota said it's fine and the ride is fine with me. Pretty firm ride but coming from a built solid axle truck this is extremely comfortable.

In an area so full of opinions I not changing anything until I find a reason to and the spring lift seems like a very affordable method to gain a few inches.

 

[PharmSCRunner]

Well my 4R is my daily driver so it spends 98% of the time on road. I do like to go on off road excursions , farm roads , fire lanes , fields , ect.... and do run into some tricks spots , but nothing I have not been able to get through. I only have got stuck once and there was nothing we could do because it was ice ruts and nothing gets traction on ice.

Ive been contemplating the OME set up , but I also have a full 6 pc DS (spacer) kit here that was on my stepsons 4R for a while . He then switched to a full OME set up , but still has to run a spacer in front. 1" i think.

Thanks GIG for the explanation , very nice and helpful .

A couple of guys have recently lifted with FJC springs and spacers. What I learned from following their tales is that a traditional 2.5/1.5 or 3/2 is not quite right. Your end result will be nose high and possibly over 3" of lift in the front. Because the FJC springs lift the front more than the rear it seems the right answer is a 1" thick front spacer (1-piece, yielding approx 2" of lift) and the 1.5" Daystar rear spacer.

The net lift on your V8 will be about 2.75/1.75 which will look great and work well.
:cheers:

:iagree:

I'm running FJ springs with cornfed 2/1 spacer right now and it's a good height that's pretty level. As CJ3Flyr mentioned, 1.5 spacer in the rear also works and looks good.