New Downey Lift!
- Thread starter teotwaki
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teotwaki
Senior Member
Definitely agree on the looks... 
The better ground clearance is going to be awesome too! The crazy thing is just how much better it rides. That soft-squishy no rebound dampening OEM ride really bothered me Way too much like a passenger car.
If you read my first message you'll see that lowering the nose is already in the plans. I was advised by Downey to give the springs a week to settle in a little. Realigning the front tires will also help a bit to bring the nose back down. I want it to end up a little nose low so that heavy loads in the back don't push the nose up too much.
I found that most shops give you an alignment with a 6,000 miles and 6 month period for about $75. Firestone-Mastercare offers "lifetime" alignment for $149.
The better ground clearance is going to be awesome too! The crazy thing is just how much better it rides. That soft-squishy no rebound dampening OEM ride really bothered me Way too much like a passenger car.If you read my first message you'll see that lowering the nose is already in the plans. I was advised by Downey to give the springs a week to settle in a little. Realigning the front tires will also help a bit to bring the nose back down. I want it to end up a little nose low so that heavy loads in the back don't push the nose up too much.
I found that most shops give you an alignment with a 6,000 miles and 6 month period for about $75. Firestone-Mastercare offers "lifetime" alignment for $149.
Falls said:
teotwaki
Senior Member
Thanks! I don't know how I waited a year to do this mod. I love the way it rides, especially through deep ruts or over big bumps.
The cost of the kit with sales tax would have been close to $1600.
I don't have all of the tools nowadays to do the install. I decided that I would be willing to pay if the price was right and skip buying tools that I might never use again. I asked Downey to recommend someone local and I got a killer deal from the guy. PM me if you need to get details.
The height is only adjustable on the front. A stock 4Runner is 2" low in the front. The Downey kit's rear springs add about 1.5" of lift in the back so the front needs about 3.5" in front to get things level.
The cost of the kit with sales tax would have been close to $1600.
I don't have all of the tools nowadays to do the install. I decided that I would be willing to pay if the price was right and skip buying tools that I might never use again. I asked Downey to recommend someone local and I got a killer deal from the guy. PM me if you need to get details.
The height is only adjustable on the front. A stock 4Runner is 2" low in the front. The Downey kit's rear springs add about 1.5" of lift in the back so the front needs about 3.5" in front to get things level.
00328 said:
mtnracer
New member
That ride looks sweet - even better with the nose adjusted. I wish I could afford it right now.
I was looking at the OME suspension lift kit offered by www.sleeoffroad.com It is only $725 and seems to include the same things you got from Downey but at half the price. I'm not trying to criticise - just want to understand what makes up the price difference.
I called Slee Offroad and they said that the OME kit lifts the 4R 3 inches up front and 2" in back.
Any ideas? Does anyone have the OME kit?
I was looking at the OME suspension lift kit offered by www.sleeoffroad.com It is only $725 and seems to include the same things you got from Downey but at half the price. I'm not trying to criticise - just want to understand what makes up the price difference.
I called Slee Offroad and they said that the OME kit lifts the 4R 3 inches up front and 2" in back.
Any ideas? Does anyone have the OME kit?
teotwaki
Senior Member
I searched through the forum posts and contacted folks who had various types of lift: spacers, OME, and Downey.
Here are some reasons why I chose Downey.
1. Downey had built-in height adjustability in the front that can be adjusted without removing the shock
2. The only company that makes a point of including two longer braided stainless steel brake lines for the back. Just think if you heavily top out the new suspension and rip your factory rubber brake lines right out if you did not have the longer lines.
3. Downey includes a custom spacer plate for the front anti-sway bar to ensure that it matches the new ride height.
4. Downey front coils are not a bigger diameter than stock so as to not hit other components while compressed.
5. Downey only makes kits for Toyotas.
6. The guy who installed mine builds and races Toyotas
7. Downey uses rubber or polyurethane where appropriate for ride and durability
7. None of the parts are built for "bling" :zoom: purposes; they are functional and purpose built.
8. In the end, the install was essentially free as the installer gets a much lower price from Downey for the kits.
9. Downey has been in business a long time and they are local to me if I ever need spare parts.
Here is the Slee list:
Consist of:
2 x OME884 Front Coil Springs
(use OME885 for v8 Trucks)
2 x N140S Front Struts
2 X N142 Shocks
2 X OME895 Springs
(use OME896 for extra heavy rear accessories)
Folks I've talked with feel that OME is a very good value for the money and in general liked the ride. I have been selling a bunch of stuff on EBay to raise the money for the Downey kit so that I could leave my paycheck alone.
Hope that this helps!
Here are some reasons why I chose Downey.
1. Downey had built-in height adjustability in the front that can be adjusted without removing the shock
2. The only company that makes a point of including two longer braided stainless steel brake lines for the back. Just think if you heavily top out the new suspension and rip your factory rubber brake lines right out if you did not have the longer lines.
3. Downey includes a custom spacer plate for the front anti-sway bar to ensure that it matches the new ride height.
4. Downey front coils are not a bigger diameter than stock so as to not hit other components while compressed.
5. Downey only makes kits for Toyotas.
6. The guy who installed mine builds and races Toyotas
7. Downey uses rubber or polyurethane where appropriate for ride and durability
7. None of the parts are built for "bling" :zoom: purposes; they are functional and purpose built.
8. In the end, the install was essentially free as the installer gets a much lower price from Downey for the kits.
9. Downey has been in business a long time and they are local to me if I ever need spare parts.
Here is the Slee list:
Consist of:
2 x OME884 Front Coil Springs
(use OME885 for v8 Trucks)
2 x N140S Front Struts
2 X N142 Shocks
2 X OME895 Springs
(use OME896 for extra heavy rear accessories)
Folks I've talked with feel that OME is a very good value for the money and in general liked the ride. I have been selling a bunch of stuff on EBay to raise the money for the Downey kit so that I could leave my paycheck alone.
Hope that this helps!
mtnracer said:
Last edited:
K6UK
New member
Downey compared to Donahoes
I have been thinking of pulling the trigger on a Donahoe lift with some custom rear springs... but now the Downey lift has me thinking.
I've had Downey stuff before with great results. Did you compare the Donahoe solution when you chose Downey?
Thanks for posting, keep us informed on how things go with it!
-Mike
I have been thinking of pulling the trigger on a Donahoe lift with some custom rear springs... but now the Downey lift has me thinking.
I've had Downey stuff before with great results. Did you compare the Donahoe solution when you chose Downey?
Thanks for posting, keep us informed on how things go with it!
-Mike
teotwaki
Senior Member
Re: Downey compared to Donahoes
I did look briefly at Donahoe Racing. I was amused that they bragged that they had "spent several months" developing the coil overs. Wow. Months? $950 for just the front and max of 3" of lift? :awais:
Downey spent more development time and offered a complete package to boot. I did not talk to anyone who actually installed Donahoe.
I did look briefly at Donahoe Racing. I was amused that they bragged that they had "spent several months" developing the coil overs. Wow. Months? $950 for just the front and max of 3" of lift? :awais:
Downey spent more development time and offered a complete package to boot. I did not talk to anyone who actually installed Donahoe.
K6UK said:
Good Times
New member
Here's a basic rundown of the different types of lift you can check out. I've used and installed various different ones so I can give you an idea of what I feel works best for specific individuals.
spacers - cheap as heck but the ride will get firmer (think harsh). it's not that bad but some people really notice it a lot more than others.
coil - best overall as it's like riding stock but lifted
coilover - bling bling of em all but even within this crowd there are different levels of blingness.
If you want something that is well rounded and want the stock feel and not worry about anything else, get OME's.
If you really want coilovers but are on a budget then get Downey's. The rear coil is soft though so do keep that in mind. Sagging comes to mind as I did notice that on mine. I will say that the Downey kit will perform nicely for those that want an entry level coilover system. Something to note, due to the soft rear coil, don't overload the rear with too much gear as it'll really be very soft on the turns (lots of body roll).
If you want a better fine tuned coilover system, then I would recommend Donahoe Racing. They have done their homework to ensure that these coilovers are tuned perfectly for the dunes. Of course the price goes up significantly and that's only for the front so if you plan to do a lot of high speed stuff then I would say GET IT but otherwise it's a bit overkill.
If anyone ever needs help doing a lift on their 4runner especially in the socal area, post it up for a wrenchathon. a wrenchathon is an event where local members gather to assist a fellow member do an installation of some sort. Usually the host will provide some food/drinks in exchange for some expert members sharing their knowledge and exchanging smiles I've done my share in LA and even in LV so we're all a phone call away! Personally speaking, I'm all for wrenchathons as this is one way to learn all about your 4runner with the help of other knowledgeable members. Virtually free service that you just can't say no to
Good luck!
spacers - cheap as heck but the ride will get firmer (think harsh). it's not that bad but some people really notice it a lot more than others.
coil - best overall as it's like riding stock but lifted
coilover - bling bling of em all but even within this crowd there are different levels of blingness.
If you want something that is well rounded and want the stock feel and not worry about anything else, get OME's.
If you really want coilovers but are on a budget then get Downey's. The rear coil is soft though so do keep that in mind. Sagging comes to mind as I did notice that on mine. I will say that the Downey kit will perform nicely for those that want an entry level coilover system. Something to note, due to the soft rear coil, don't overload the rear with too much gear as it'll really be very soft on the turns (lots of body roll).
If you want a better fine tuned coilover system, then I would recommend Donahoe Racing. They have done their homework to ensure that these coilovers are tuned perfectly for the dunes. Of course the price goes up significantly and that's only for the front so if you plan to do a lot of high speed stuff then I would say GET IT but otherwise it's a bit overkill.
If anyone ever needs help doing a lift on their 4runner especially in the socal area, post it up for a wrenchathon. a wrenchathon is an event where local members gather to assist a fellow member do an installation of some sort. Usually the host will provide some food/drinks in exchange for some expert members sharing their knowledge and exchanging smiles
I've done my share in LA and even in LV so we're all a phone call away! Personally speaking, I'm all for wrenchathons as this is one way to learn all about your 4runner with the help of other knowledgeable members. Virtually free service that you just can't say no to Good luck!
:
00328
Senior Member
Why is it that spacer lifts tend to get firmer after awhile? Is it because the rear shocks are extended farther than they should be?
If this is the case, why don't the spacer manufacturers recognize this and come out with a shock mount that corrects this and positions the shock back within it's normal range of operation?
Can't be that hard for them to come up with this fix.
If this is the case, why don't the spacer manufacturers recognize this and come out with a shock mount that corrects this and positions the shock back within it's normal range of operation?
Can't be that hard for them to come up with this fix.
00328
Senior Member
How does it change the spring rate? The spacers are placed between the spring and the spring mount so that the spring is neither extended or compressed so it operates as normal. Right?
I thought I read that because the shock is extended 2 or 2 1/2 inches more than normal it offers less dampening and that's the reason for the firmer ride.
I have no experience with lifts, but I want to get one without screwing up the ride. Just trying to understand.
I thought I read that because the shock is extended 2 or 2 1/2 inches more than normal it offers less dampening and that's the reason for the firmer ride.
I have no experience with lifts, but I want to get one without screwing up the ride. Just trying to understand.
azskyrider
New member
clearance
what is the total clearance underneath of the 4r?
...Lance.. with your custom 4r.. what is your clearance now compared to a Downey, spacer, etc..
Thanks,
what is the total clearance underneath of the 4r?
...Lance.. with your custom 4r.. what is your clearance now compared to a Downey, spacer, etc..
Thanks,
