Need Help ASAP! 1" PP Springs or 3" Spacer??

[DefJeff]

Hey guys/gals. I'm losing sleep over trying to decide on a lift. Need your help! I have a 99 Limited 4WD and I have brand new 265/75/16 BFG AT's on it now. I found a guy in my area that has the PP springs for $350 and then I would be done and not have to get new tires. I know once I do it I'll be thinking I should have gone with the 3" and 285/75/16s. I don't do heavy wheeling but go camping, snowboarding, and lots of mountainbiking. Nothing to major. The money factor isn't too big of a deal, but I'm kinda worried about gas mileage and power loss with the 285's. Will I even notice? What do you guys think? I'm thinking Revtek or Daystar for the spacers and some 285/75 BFG AT's. I have to let the guy know by today (Wednesay) if I want the PP's. I know this has been discussed hundreds of times, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

 

[Elton H]

id wait tell you wear them new tires out by then you will have some money saved up to do the lift right with new coils etc

 

[2000runr]

in the same boat as you def. a tech on this site recommended i start with a small spacer as they are inexpensive, and you can always upgrade from there. ive been told 275/70/16 is the biggest i should go to prevent any rubbing. if money isnt an issue however, go all out and get some coil overs and make it a 2" lift. then when you are done post some pics so i can decide what to do

 

[toytech76]

Get both! My previous 97 had 3"revtek spacers and 1"pp springs in the back and bilstien coilovers in the front. It all worked good together

 

[Pikeman]

Okay I just went to the 285/ 75 and have noticed a drop in mileage and performance noticeable but not considerable. I would probably do the PP springs and stick with your 265/75's especially if they are brand new. I think that combo will suit your needs just fine.

 

[theizzardking]

roll with what you got and save up for 4.88's (auto) or 4.56(stick) to go with the 285's and a proper coil lift, forget spacers and do the lift right, spacers can cause your stock springs to to break down quicker than normal an end up giving you a crappy ride, you don't want to murder how your truck drives but you still want to the clearance, do it right and do it complete.

also the '99 springs on the limiteds sit one inch higher than all other years of 4runner someone may buy your stock springs of you for a 1' inch lift, also remember that when buying your springs one that quotes 3" inches of lift will only move your stock '99 limted model up 2" from where it sits now, also you may not even need much of a lift to get those meats under there.

re-reading what you said teh 1' coils your looking at now won't do shit for you.....


"3: We do not sell spacer lifts. We are going to SHOW you why a spacer lift is such a bad ideal. A spacer lift adds lets say 2" or 3" of lift. When everyone starts at different heights to begin with, a 2" lift on a 1996 would be the same as a 1" lift on a 1999. A 3" lift on a 1996 would be the same as a 2" lift on a 1999. That being said if you go past 2" on a 1999 you will have CV issues. Sound like a lousy and inconsistent way to lift a truck, you bet. We have not even when into the ride issues, lack of articulation and acceleration of coil fatigue which are all more of an issue than inconsistent lift height. Click on the picture to see the various coils used on the 1996-2002 4Runners. All of these trucks had the 3.4 Liter V6, Four Wheel Drive & 16" wheels from the factory."

taken from here bottom of page
http://www.sonoransteel.com/store_complete_liftkits.html

 

[theizzardking]

another thing you should read

Downfalls of a spacer lift:
A. The biggest one is that they re-use your stock coils, which is not really a good thing if you are looking for a lift. 96-98 4Runners were 3/4" to 1" lower than the 1999 model year, 2000 was along the lines of 96-98 and 01-02 4Runners were the lowest yet, over 1" lower than the same model 1999 4Runner. When your starting out 1" to 2" lower your 2"-3" spacers are only going to get you 1" or so above a 1999 4WD 4Runner bone stock. Replacing the coils is a far better way to actually gain lift. Take a look at our front coil comparison for yourself. Also take a look at this photo showing all the different heights of 3rd Gen 4Runner coils, Obviously you can see only model 1999 is going to get the full advertised height increase. All other years will get less as the coils they were given by the factory are shorter. Same motor, model, wheels, etc.
B. Spacers placed inside the spring pack preload the coil for lift, make it live in a smaller area, by reducing the area it is allowed to live in you in turn reduce upward travel. So you now have less travel than stock, that is not a good thing when you start with so little. Also making the coil live in smaller area without adjusting your a-arms bump stops to compensate will over compress the coil and cause it to stack and fail at a very fast rate. Ask around and see how many people had coils sag or drop with spacers over time. Spacers placed outside the coil pack, these typically add material to the very top of the assembly only and increase the shock length which will lead to excessive droop, if not used with the very short factory stock (black) Toyota shocks as the 96-02 4Runners do not have the droop stops of the 86-95 Trucks and 4Runners. This excessive droop will cause the outer CV to bind and literally rip the star out of the joint, resulting in a broken CV axle and a dead truck. Front shock length is critical on these vehicles. This can be fixed with limiting straps, but why not do it right from the beginning.

 

[toytech76]

There are plenty of people for and against spacer lifts. They are cheap and easy and I dont care what anyone says, going over 2" wont give you cv issues. I was running almost 3.5" before I put the trailmaster 4" kit in and had no cv vibration or problems at all. Also, diff drops dont really do anything for you so save your money and dont get one of those either. If you can afford it, try to find someone selling some used coilvers for a decent price. Thos are better than a spacer lift IMO. They both do the same thing tho, preloading your springs for more lift. Its what you can afford and what you are after for your truck

 

[theizzardking]

There are plenty of people for and against spacer lifts. They are cheap and easy and I dont care what anyone says, going over 2" wont give you cv issues. I was running almost 3.5" before I put the trailmaster 4" kit in and had no cv vibration or problems at all. Also, diff drops dont really do anything for you so save your money and dont get one of those either. If you can afford it, try to find someone selling some used coilvers for a decent price. Thos are better than a spacer lift IMO. They both do the same thing tho, preloading your springs for more lift. Its what you can afford and what you are after for your truck

yeah wasn't really commenting on the use of spacers more this information for him
"hich is not really a good thing if you are looking for a lift. 96-98 4Runners
were 3/4" to 1" lower than the 1999 model year, 2000 was along the lines of 96-98 and 01-02 4Runners were the lowest yet, over 1" lower than the same model 1999 4Runner. When your starting out 1" to 2" lower your 2"-3" spacers are only going to get you 1" or so above a 1999 4WD 4Runner bone stock"
as well as
"A spacer lift adds lets say 2" or 3" of lift. When everyone starts at different heights to begin with, a 2" lift on a 1996 would be the same as a 1" lift on a 1999. A 3" lift on a 1996 would be the same as a 2" lift on a 1999. That being said if you go past 2" on a 1999 you will have CV issues."


meaning his 1" lift spring for his 4runner wouldn't do anything,
what a 2.5" lift will do to your cv angles on a '99(WITH DIFF DROP)

you decide how bad this is or not...

 

[montananate]

I'll put in my 2 cents and say that I LOVE my PP Coils and 265's .... no appreciable loss in power or mileage and these coils ride amazing on forest service roads, could not be happier. If you don't need the clearance, why bother with larger lifts and 285's?

Cheers

 

[410toy]

pp springs

I also LOVE my PP Coils!!!!!!!!!!! ride is amazing and for that price a total steal!!!!!!!! get them now you wont regret it!!!