Casper421
New member
Look into Airlift1000 airbags or Firestone bags for the rear.
Need some help...what setting to set my Bilstein 5100's
- Thread starter krupnation
- Start date
Look into Airlift1000 airbags or Firestone bags for the rear.
krupnation
New member
ditto. I've also seen a 1" Cornfed rear spacer on eBay. and I found this one when looking on there today: Billet Aluminum Lift Kit 1" Rear 4Runner 03-10 4WD | eBay
You have some options.
FWIW:
I did my billie and FJ spring lift in April. I had it set to 0.85 with a 1/4" Toytec spacer. My opinion is that a very slight rake is good; you want to have the weight shift to the front when you brake hard so that cornering and handling are at its best.
The result was that it definitely got it more leveled out, but some days I look at it and it appears that the back is lower than the front. Every time I measure, it comes up with the top of the wheel well in the rear being 1" taller than the front wheel well...so go figure.
Just with 0.85 setting and the spacer, it made my 265/65/17 tires look too small. I upgraded to 275/70/17 and it's the right look now.
If I had to do it again, I'd probably just leave it at 0.85 and no spacer.
I did my billie and FJ spring lift in April. I had it set to 0.85 with a 1/4" Toytec spacer. My opinion is that a very slight rake is good; you want to have the weight shift to the front when you brake hard so that cornering and handling are at its best.
The result was that it definitely got it more leveled out, but some days I look at it and it appears that the back is lower than the front. Every time I measure, it comes up with the top of the wheel well in the rear being 1" taller than the front wheel well...so go figure.
Just with 0.85 setting and the spacer, it made my 265/65/17 tires look too small. I upgraded to 275/70/17 and it's the right look now.
If I had to do it again, I'd probably just leave it at 0.85 and no spacer.
Everybody's results will vary to some degree. The V8 and 4x4 will play a huge role in your results. It seems ONLY the guys with both V8 and 4x4 can come close to getting away with using the 1.75 setting without additional rear lift. Especially if you end up with 1 full inch from the REAR FJ springs like I did.
I was reading up on Cornfedlifts and they claim to make a spacer any size you want for $100. I haven't really looked that much into it since I'm not desperate for a change right now. I know that whatever you size the rear spacer should be exactly what you get so I'm thinking 1/4" or 1/2" to match my 1" gain up front.
As soon as these Revo 2s wear down I'll be going up to a 275/70/17 and I'll probably make my lift adjustments then.
I was reading up on Cornfedlifts and they claim to make a spacer any size you want for $100. I haven't really looked that much into it since I'm not desperate for a change right now. I know that whatever you size the rear spacer should be exactly what you get so I'm thinking 1/4" or 1/2" to match my 1" gain up front.
As soon as these Revo 2s wear down I'll be going up to a 275/70/17 and I'll probably make my lift adjustments then.
krupnation
New member
Well, I was able to get the fronts installed (1.75 setting) and it looks perfect. Didnt get a chance to do the rears but we're completing those today and I'll post pics. Got hung up yesterday helping my buddy weld some brackets on his Taco. His setup is freakin' ridiculous. It's basically a mini trophy truck now. I'll post a few pics late...
krupnation
New member
Got 'er done
Finally done! And wow what a difference! I would like to thank ARK_SWAMP_RIDER and others for giving me the idea of going with a FJC / Bilstein setup. I swear I was addicted to looking at his thread and others who have done the swap. :thanks:
I'm pretty sure the suspension we took off was the original so it had 95k miles on it. It was soft, mushy, and made my runner look like a station wagon. First impression of the new setup is amazing! It sucks up bumps way better and gives the runner a smoother ride in my opinion. Makes it feel more like a truck (I know those two sentences don't go together but they do). And of course, it looks so much better! I'm glad I went with the 1.75 setting as I got about that in lift up front, leveling the truck out. Here are my before and after measurements:
Before
front pass: 33.5"
front driver: 33.25"
rear pass: 35.5"
rear driver: 35.5"
After FJC/Bilstein 5100's (1.75 setting)
front pass: 35.25"
front driver: 35.25"
rear pass: 35.75"
rear driver: 35.75"
I received approx. 2" of lift in front and only about .25" in the rear. I love the new look and it just feels so much nicer. I also, plasti-dipped my emblems, removed the running boards, and adjusted my headlights down a little to compensate for the front lift. What do you guys think?
Finally done! And wow what a difference! I would like to thank ARK_SWAMP_RIDER and others for giving me the idea of going with a FJC / Bilstein setup. I swear I was addicted to looking at his thread and others who have done the swap. :thanks:
I'm pretty sure the suspension we took off was the original so it had 95k miles on it. It was soft, mushy, and made my runner look like a station wagon. First impression of the new setup is amazing! It sucks up bumps way better and gives the runner a smoother ride in my opinion. Makes it feel more like a truck (I know those two sentences don't go together but they do). And of course, it looks so much better! I'm glad I went with the 1.75 setting as I got about that in lift up front, leveling the truck out. Here are my before and after measurements:
Before
front pass: 33.5"
front driver: 33.25"
rear pass: 35.5"
rear driver: 35.5"
After FJC/Bilstein 5100's (1.75 setting)
front pass: 35.25"
front driver: 35.25"
rear pass: 35.75"
rear driver: 35.75"
I received approx. 2" of lift in front and only about .25" in the rear. I love the new look and it just feels so much nicer. I also, plasti-dipped my emblems, removed the running boards, and adjusted my headlights down a little to compensate for the front lift. What do you guys think?
Attachments
Looks great. 1/2" of overall rake is exactly what I wanted to see. I can see right away that you have more space in the front fender than I do. Only 1/4" in the rear is suprising. I still dont know how I ended up with 1" rear lift from the FJ springs. Looks like I can probably be safe with going up 1 notch and not having to lift the rear.
Those 1.25 spacers will get those wheels pretty level with the fender. It looks much better after that IMO. Then what is next tires??? You will be able to go up a size or so now that you've got it lifted. Put a little more meat on the rim.
If you plasti-dip your wheels you should think about doing the headlight black out mod too. It would look good since you seem to be going with a Silver/black theme. It sounds hard but its actually a piece of cake and cheap too.
That photo looks like its on a hill can you take one on a completely flat surface so we can really see what the rake looks like? Oh and how do you like the new ride? I noticed a big change in the way mine handles. A lot less body roll and nose dive when I brake. Plus going from 120k miles on the springs/shocks to 0 miles made those bumps in the road feel a lot better.
Those 1.25 spacers will get those wheels pretty level with the fender. It looks much better after that IMO. Then what is next tires??? You will be able to go up a size or so now that you've got it lifted. Put a little more meat on the rim.
If you plasti-dip your wheels you should think about doing the headlight black out mod too. It would look good since you seem to be going with a Silver/black theme. It sounds hard but its actually a piece of cake and cheap too.
That photo looks like its on a hill can you take one on a completely flat surface so we can really see what the rake looks like? Oh and how do you like the new ride? I noticed a big change in the way mine handles. A lot less body roll and nose dive when I brake. Plus going from 120k miles on the springs/shocks to 0 miles made those bumps in the road feel a lot better.
Last edited:
krupnation
New member
Thanks Sonic. I'm buying some spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers from a buddy of mine, just waiting for him to get back from vacation. I can't wait to see what it looks like with the wheels pushed out a bit.
The current tires on it are brand new, only have about 5k miles on them. I bought the truck from a dealer in Oregon in Feb and they put the tires on before putting it up for sale. Their 245/70-17 and from the side profile look ok. I definitely want to do tires but probably will wait till next year as the wife is starting to nag about me spending so much $$$ on my rig
.
Funny you mention the headlight blackout mod, I was totally thinking about doing it. I loved the look on Gaterose's truck. I'm also toying with a full HID retrofit but that's probably down the road. Question, do you think I should plasti-dip the chrome grill and Toyota emblem?
The photo was taken on flat ground, I think I was just leaning a little (maybe after those beers we drank when it was finished). I'll be taking some better pics when the weather clears up, we've been having some weird summer weather this year in the Pac NW...the ride is AMAZINGLY better. My stock suspension had 95k miles on it and like you said, going to 0 miles on it, what a difference!
The current tires on it are brand new, only have about 5k miles on them. I bought the truck from a dealer in Oregon in Feb and they put the tires on before putting it up for sale. Their 245/70-17 and from the side profile look ok. I definitely want to do tires but probably will wait till next year as the wife is starting to nag about me spending so much $$$ on my rig
.Funny you mention the headlight blackout mod, I was totally thinking about doing it. I loved the look on Gaterose's truck. I'm also toying with a full HID retrofit but that's probably down the road. Question, do you think I should plasti-dip the chrome grill and Toyota emblem?
The photo was taken on flat ground, I think I was just leaning a little (maybe after those beers we drank when it was finished). I'll be taking some better pics when the weather clears up, we've been having some weird summer weather this year in the Pac NW...the ride is AMAZINGLY better. My stock suspension had 95k miles on it and like you said, going to 0 miles on it, what a difference!
krupnation
New member
Thanks OdinWiski, I had a feeling that the 1.75 setting would work out after seeing it on your runner...I'm going camping in eastern WA in a few weeks (for those of you not familiar with eastern WA, it's a desert and has a plethera of trails) and will try and hit some trails. Who knows, maybe I'll ruin the Hankooks on there right now and have to get new tires! (wishful thinking) I also found it interesting that my driver and passenger side measured exactly the same. They might have been 1/16" off but it was close enough I just called it the same. I'll take some measurements after my alignment (scheduled maintenance tomorrow at the stealership) to see if it settled a little.
Thanks JD, I'm not totally sure about the airbags fitting in the FJC coils. I'm sure they will, the FJ coils are a thicker bar stock but not by much. Maybe someone here will chime in with a firmer answer. Good luck in your refit, it's a night and day difference from the stock coils!
Thanks JD, I'm not totally sure about the airbags fitting in the FJC coils. I'm sure they will, the FJ coils are a thicker bar stock but not by much. Maybe someone here will chime in with a firmer answer. Good luck in your refit, it's a night and day difference from the stock coils!
Similar threads
