Questions about the FJ coil conversion and spacers

M

MSBX4RUNNER

New member
I am going for the FJ coil conversion soon and my friend thinks he found some FJ coils for me and is checking on the price. For now, I am just going to be installing the coils and the spacer. I just bought new ties 2,000 miles ago and I think my shocks are still good....however I don't know anything about shocks so who knows. My questions are:

1. What is a good price for used FJ coils?

2. Do I use a 1/4" spacer up front or 1/2" spacer and why?
 
Register to hide this ad
WOW, I am an idiot and should have just scrolled down a few posts and I would have found my answer. :redbrick: <------- NOOOOOOOB

I'm guessing for a V8 I will need the 1/2" spacer?
 
Last edited:
With a v8 4x4, there is more weight on the front therefore more lift is needed to level. IMO, the FJ springs and 1/2" spacer is a great combo that levels it out nicely. For the v6 I suggest the 1/4" spacer, this is because the FJ coils provide more lift on the v6, so less spacer is needed.

As for price, it really depends on what kind of deal you find and your patience. I got mine (front only) for free, just paid shipping. Others have gotten them for $25-$50, but some have had to pay more. I've seen spring/shock combos going for $100 (and some cheaper), but those are becoming harder to find as demand goes up.
 
it's definitely getting harder to find a good deal. what i did was subscribe to the for-sale and giveaway forums at Toyota FJ Cruiser Community, so you get an email every day about all the new threads. i also subscribed to the classified forum here, and found a good deal on a full set of springs/shocks about a week ago. in the past week i've seen two spring/shock sets being given away at the fj cruiser forum. like ASR said though, the cost is increasing as more 4R guys are trying to get their hands on them.
 
ARK_SWAMP_RIDER said:
With a v8 4x4, there is more weight on the front therefore more lift is needed to level. IMO, the FJ springs and 1/2" spacer is a great combo that levels it out nicely. For the v6 I suggest the 1/4" spacer, this is because the FJ coils provide more lift on the v6, so less spacer is needed. QUOTE]

I have a V8 yes, however I don't have 4wd.... just 2wd, should I still go with the 1/4" spacer? Does it matter what brand?
Click to expand...
 
I've gotten very limited knowledge with the 2wd's and this upgrade. One member, and I can't remember who, did the FJ swap with 1/2" spacer and it was nose high. The 1/2" spacer on his rig was too much. I can't honestly say what the right setup would be, other than something less than the 1/2" **based on the one member I can remember doing this to a 2wd**. I'll do some looking to see if I can figure out who it was and more details on his rig (mainly v6 or v8).
 
I have front springs and 4 tokico shocks I bought off a member here and don't need anymore. I was told it came off an '08 FJ with 10K miles on them. I paid $75+ship. You can have them for $50+shipping. Let me know if you're interested and I can get you a quote.
 
jetboy1975 said:
I have front springs and 4 tokico shocks I bought off a member here and don't need anymore. I was told it came off an '08 FJ with 10K miles on them. I paid $75+ship. You can have them for $50+shipping. Let me know if you're interested and I can get you a quote.
Click to expand...

What's the difference between Tokico and the Bilstein5100's? (I dont even know if I need new shocks.... I'm a girl and dont know what I am doing) :shrug:
 
Check your pm on info regarding shocks. The FJ's come with three different shock setups. The base model has the Tokico shocks, similar to those found on the non XREAS equipped 4runner. The TRD model FJ has Bilstein shocks. The Trail Teams model also has Bilstein shocks, although they are different than the TRD shocks. I'm unsure which is better (TRD or Trail Teams), both are a nice upgrade. All are a nice upgrade, but the Bilsteins are preferred (although the above is a sweet deal, the Bilstein's would likely run you $150+). Bilstein 5100's are different altogether. They are an aftermarket shock. The 5100's are adjustable for the front, so you can choose to have different amounts of lift just by changing a setting on the shock. This is a great setup IF you need new shocks and have the money. The FJ setup (shocks/springs) is great for those on a strict budget, or simply the springs if you don't need shocks.
 
OK, found the thread with the 2wd. There are two possible factors here, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure which had the most effect.
Here is the thread. The member used 2010 FJ shocks/coils on a 2wd. I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) that the 2010 FJ setup provides similar lift to the prior years, but it requires slight modification where the shock bolts in. The member got two full inches of lift.
Also, I found this thread, but I'm not sure who the poster is referring to, but yet again, 2" of lift with ONLY the FJ springs/shocks.

In my previous post, I failed to mention that springs are the same across all three models, only difference is the shocks.
 
Ark pretty much summed it up. I'll sell the front springs alone if you don't want the shocks for $40+ shipping if you want
 
Picking up the coils from a guy in Austin today.... FOR FREE!!!! Now all I need to get is the spacer. Does it matter what brand I get? I think I am going to go with the 1/4" spacer.
 
That's a great deal, free is good! Most use the Toytec spacer, simply because I'm not aware of any others that make a 1/4" spacer. Toytec is a sponsor of this forum, and they provide discounts for members. PM Toytec Lifts for the coupon code.
 
I guess I will put my .02 in on this as well.
I have the V6 2WD and did a full fj swap+1/2" spacer up front. The truck sits dang near level. With having a V8, I would do the same. Dont bother with the petty 1/4", just get the 1/2 and along with the springs,(make sure you put them on the correct side), you will have a sweet ride. Taller stance and you wont bottom out in the front anymore either.
ARK_SWAMP sent me a great link on the how to's of the install and it was a snap to do.
here: OME Install - no spring compressor - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

Guess the question is, are you doing this yourself or paying a shop to do it for you? If you have a bud with some basic tools and about 4-6 hours, you can knock this out in no time.
 
Great deal on the springs! I had forgotten 810moto's was a 2wd. You will also see he got a total of ~2.5" lift in the front with the 1/2" spacer and FJ springs, which IMO will be a little much IF you leave the running boards on. His looks great, but with the running boards on you will see them pointed upwards. Here his thread with pics and measurements.
 
810moto, thanks for the advice on the 1/2" instead of 1/4". I am not installing everything myself, I'm either going to have friends at 4wheelparts do it or a friend of mine help me in the driveway. 4wheelparts quoted me $210 to install and then I think $50 for an alignment. So with everything said, I will have the coils tonight.... now I just need to figure out for sure which size spacer to get. Some people are saying 1/2" and some are saying 1/4"..... I'm confused.

Recap: I have a 05 Sport Edition with 2WD
 
Last edited:
That's the same spacer I have, it measures 1/2" thick and gives 1" lift. The only concern I'd have is the springs providing more lift than expected. Most get ~1/2", but with the 2wd you could get much more. One of the members I linked to above did that spacer and the FJ springs and got 2.5" of lift on his 2wd, which is too much IMO.

I'd advise you to take a jack and place it under the center of the front end. Take a starting measurement. Then, start raising the vehicle a specified amount, and remeasure at the fender well. This way you can simulate different amounts of lift and see what you can expect. After that is when I'd narrow down to a particular spacer.
 
ARK_SWAMP_RIDER said:
That's the same spacer I have, it measures 1/2" thick and gives 1" lift. The only concern I'd have is the springs providing more lift than expected. Most get ~1/2", but with the 2wd you could get much more. One of the members I linked to above did that spacer and the FJ springs and got 2.5" of lift on his 2wd, which is too much IMO.

I'd advise you to take a jack and place it under the center of the front end. Take a starting measurement. Then, start raising the vehicle a specified amount, and remeasure at the fender well. This way you can simulate different amounts of lift and see what you can expect. After that is when I'd narrow down to a particular spacer.
Click to expand...

The guy I talked to was Dylan. I wonder if I should just get two of these?

Front Top Plate Spacer (One - 1/4") - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 583 (members: 0, guests: 583)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,316
Messages
3,554,112
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top