Spacer lift vs. Full lift kit

[bboy626]

Goin for a mild lift so gettin 5100 all around and Toytec recommended their 2" coils. Said that front coils not necessary since I'm not running aftermarket bumper. Plannin to set front at 2.5.

 

[richyrich1988]

so you just got the bilstein's for the front and just a spacer in the back correct? cause I found these on bilsteinlifts.com

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...-shocks-for-2010-2015-4runner-fj/#prettyPhoto

would this be all I would need? im more of a ricer Honda guy... never tried lifting anything... me and the wife wanna lift our 2016 4 runner but don't want it riding like ass.

If you want a spacer lift....just take your pic. You will see plenty of good results on here from the Daystar product.

If you are talking about spending $400, you really should consider my set-up. (4) Bilstein 5100s w/ the front set at the highest setting and then the Daystar 1.5" spacer in the back. Less than $400 and 4 hours of you and a buddy getting to know your truck gets you a much better outcome than a straight spacer lift. Once you decide you want to upgrade (and you will), you can build on the Bilstein set-up with your desired coils for the rear and your desired coils or coil-overs for the front.

If you are looking for the cheapest way out, go with the Daystar KT09134BK

If you can spend a little more, go with the Bilsteins and a spacer for the rear

 

[richyrich1988]

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...stein-5100-coilovers-fj-cruiser-4runner-2010/

and if that's the case... why not just get the toytec lift with the bilsteins? they don't have spacers.... wouldn't this provide the best quality ride and the lift you want? im not cheap... im not trying to cheap out on lifting a 40k suv... I just want to know would this be better. thanks guys

 

[WEAK_E90]

I had a spacer lift and dropped the money for 5100s and springs all around this past weekend.

If your not going to do any off roading why spend the extra money? You dont need suspension travel etc.

I was in your boat and dropped the money (kind of goes against what I just said tho...) but I am going be doing trips out west hopefully in the near future!:fishing:

 

[richyrich1988]

me and the wife don't do off roading... occasionally we will take it up to our hunting camp and we pull our boat with it that's it... I just don't want to jeopardize ride quality by being cheap...and maybe have the possibility of pre-maturely wearing out the stock suspension components because of spacers.

I had a spacer lift and dropped the money for 5100s and springs all around this past weekend.

If your not going to do any off roading why spend the extra money? You dont need suspension travel etc.

I was in your boat and dropped the money (kind of goes against what I just said tho...) but I am going be doing trips out west hopefully in the near future!:fishing:

 

[WEAK_E90]

me and the wife don't do off roading... occasionally we will take it up to our hunting camp and we pull our boat with it that's it... I just don't want to jeopardize ride quality by being cheap...and maybe have the possibility of pre-maturely wearing out the stock suspension components because of spacers.

revtek makes a couple of lifts that are spacers in front and back but with the rear you get new struts... might be a happy median?

I think they run around $500 :tea:

i dont really see you blowing out your struts because of spacers...

if they do blow out then buy the struts and springs! lol

 

[richyrich1988]

my main concern is ride quality... my wife daily drives the 4 runner.... we used to have a titan with spaces up front (leveling kit) and every time we hit a bump in the road it felt really hard on the suspension... she wont like that... im not scared of dropping 900 bucks on springs/shocks I just don't wanna spend 500 on shocks and spacers and hate it and end up buying something else later

revtek makes a couple of lifts that are spacers in front and back but with the rear you get new struts... might be a happy median?

I think they run around $500 :tea:

i dont really see you blowing out your struts because of spacers...

if they do blow out then buy the struts and springs! lol

 

[Decipher]

We need a little more info to help you. What are your goals with your lift, i.e. how high of lift are you looking for?

In my research, the 4Runner does exceptionally well with spacer lifts since the stock suspension is respectable. I was going to lift my previous jeep with spacers but they people were reporting a crappy ride and quick fatigue of the stock suspension. This isn't the case with the 4Runner. A lot of people are running spacers with good ride quality and longevity of the suspension.

All of that being said, if you're looking for a lift but you only do mild to moderate off-roading, then why spend a ton of money on a system you won't use? My recommendation is Bilstein 5100 struts and shocks. The front is adjustable so you can get a decent looking lift over the stock sag and the ride quality, build quality, and overall performance is superb. If you want to set the front higher than a leveling setting, add a rear spacer or swap rear springs. Do some research on those. I just did Blisteins on mine with stock coils and I'm happy I did. It's the perfect compromise for me and my on and off-roading needs. Click on my profile and check my posts. You'll go right to some threads with pics. Plus, you can buy the Blistein system and have it installed all for $550 or less.

 

[richyrich1988]

we are looking at a 3" lift total... im not trying to come off as an idiot... but I really don't know anything about trucks and lifts... im a Honda guy... if it burns rice... I got you.... but this is a whole new world to me... all I've ever done is drop cars not lift them lolol... I trust your opinion on the spacers... I know the 4 runner has a great suspension already... maybe spacers wont jeopardize it... all I know is what I have experienced... and that was spacers on a titan = ass.... im all for cheaper... as long as it dosent make our new 4 runner feel like a flintstone car... and Decipher I click on your profile, im not sure how to find your threads... im still getting used to this forum (im an Acurazine guy)

We need a little more info to help you. What are your goals with your lift, i.e. how high of lift are you looking for?

In my research, the 4Runner does exceptionally well with spacer lifts since the stock suspension is respectable. I was going to lift my previous jeep with spacers but they people were reporting a crappy ride and quick fatigue of the stock suspension. This isn't the case with the 4Runner. A lot of people are running spacers with good ride quality and longevity of the suspension.

All of that being said, if you're looking for a lift but you only do mild to moderate off-roading, then why spend a ton of money on a system you won't use? My recommendation is Bilstein 5100 struts and shocks. The front is adjustable so you can get a decent looking lift over the stock sag and the ride quality, build quality, and overall performance is superb. If you want to set the front higher than a leveling setting, add a rear spacer or swap rear springs. Do some research on those. I just did Blisteins on mine with stock coils and I'm happy I did. It's the perfect compromise for me and my on and off-roading needs. Click on my profile and check my posts. You'll go right to some threads with pics. Plus, you can buy the Blistein system and have it installed all for $550 or less.

 

[RonJR]

I just did a 2.5/1.5 inch Daystar spacer lift on my '06. Ride quality is indistinguishable from before. I tried it out hitting some speed bumps pretty aggressively and there were no noticeable noises, harshness, or anything else unusual.

I'd say if you keep the lift below 2.5 inches or so, the spacer will work fine for you. Important thing is to put full weight on the suspension before you torque down the LCA and UCA bolts (which you'll have to loosen to install the spacers.) That will allow the bushings to seat at their new position instead of being twisted when you load the suspension.

 

[richyrich1988]

that's what I was looking for, thank you sir!!! I never thought of that. I think we have decided what we will go with... heres the link you guys weigh in... have any of yall used this kit?

https://bilsteinlifts.com/shop/toyo...ec-3-lift-front-rear-coils-toyota-fj-cruiser/

this is what the guys at bilsteinlifts.com recommended to me.

I just did a 2.5/1/5 inch Daystar spacer lift on my '06. Ride quality is indistinguishable from before. I tried it out hitting some speed bumps pretty aggressively and there were no noticeable noises, harshness, or anything else unusual.

I'd say if you keep the lift below 2.5 inches or so, the spacer will work fine for you. Important thing is to put full weight on the suspension before you torque down the LCA and UCA bolts (which you'll have to loosen to install the spacers.) That will allow the bushings to seat at their new position instead of being twisted when you load the suspension.

 

[richyrich1988]

also, how high can we go on our 4 runners until we have to start worrying about upper control arm making contact with things?

 

[Runn4est]

also, how high can we go on our 4 runners until we have to start worrying about upper control arm making contact with things?

I think general consensus is that 2-2.5 inches is the max before you should get new UCAs due to out of spec caster.

 

[Decipher]

^This exactly. A 3" lift on a daily driver that you don't off-road is pretty aggressive. You'll compromise fuel efficiency, ride dynamics, and overall drive-ability all for looks. I'd reconsider your needs and wants and maybe settle for something a little lower. It will still look great. Also, really weigh out the cost of doing spacers vs buying a suspension system. The gap isn't as big as you'd expect and I've seen a lot of people do spacers only to upgrade to a true suspension up the road and essentially waste their money.

Also, RichyRich, don't worry about asking questions. Just do some research too. This is my first time going up as well. I come from a long line of modified imports (one of the first 50 Evo VIIIs to hit US shores, 2 RX-8s, 2 MazdaSpeed 3s) so I get it. Great people on this forum with great info.

 

[richyrich1988]

I think you're right, even a 2.5" lift would look good... get some 285 all terrains and some wheel spacers and be done... and we could do spacer with at 2.5 no prob

one more question... anyone on here with a new 4 runner knows if we lift ours will it void our warranty? I wouldn't think spacers would.... but our 2016 only had 3k miles and we have 8yr/100k mile warranty on it.

 

[Runn4est]

^This exactly. A 3" lift on a daily driver that you don't off-road is pretty aggressive. You'll compromise fuel efficiency, ride dynamics, and overall drive-ability all for looks. I'd reconsider your needs and wants and maybe settle for something a little lower. It will still look great. Also, really weigh out the cost of doing spacers vs buying a suspension system. The gap isn't as big as you'd expect and I've seen a lot of people do spacers only to upgrade to a true suspension up the road and essentially waste their money.

We have spacers, and I agree that we will in fact be getting a real lift down the road, but for me it was not a waste of money. I got a front spacer new, and the rear used from a member and spent a total of $125. I do all of my own work so there was no labor expense involved.

We have had a few trips now since that install, and it has accomplished exactly what we needed for the time -- extra clearance. We have a fully in tact, and warrantied XREAS suspension still, and if you ask me, it was worth every penny for even just the few times we went out prior to taking the plunge for a new suspension. Also, I can use the rear spacer instead of new springs (read more money) still with new shocks with a front lift down the road.

 

[richyrich1988]

see I don't know what type of suspension we have.. ours is a 2016 SR5 Premium... (with the sunroof/leather heated seats, etc.) I looked under the driver side door for those line that I read some guys talking about and I didn't see a pump or any lines there... so im not sure if we have that Xraes or he kdss or whatever..

We have spacers, and I agree that we will in fact be getting a real lift down the road, but for me it was not a waste of money. I got a front spacer new, and the rear used from a member and spent a total of $125. I do all of my own work so there was no labor expense involved.

We have had a few trips now since that install, and it has accomplished exactly what we needed for the time -- extra clearance. We have a fully in tact, and warrantied XREAS suspension still, and if you ask me, it was worth every penny for even just the few times we went out prior to taking the plunge for a new suspension. Also, I can use the rear spacer instead of new springs (read more money) still with new shocks with a front lift down the road.

 

[Runn4est]

see I don't know what type of suspension we have.. ours is a 2016 SR5 Premium... (with the sunroof/leather heated seats, etc.) I looked under the driver side door for those line that I read some guys talking about and I didn't see a pump or any lines there... so im not sure if we have that Xraes or he kdss or whatever..

SR5s do not have XREAS or KDSS, so in this case, it is a very straight forward strut swap and rear shock swap. If I didn't have XREAS, I would have gone with new shocks at first. We like the ride of XREAS, so we didn't feel like stripping them off such a new vehicle yet.

 

[Decipher]

We have spacers, and I agree that we will in fact be getting a real lift down the road, but for me it was not a waste of money. I got a front spacer new, and the rear used from a member and spent a total of $125. I do all of my own work so there was no labor expense involved.

We have had a few trips now since that install, and it has accomplished exactly what we needed for the time -- extra clearance. We have a fully in tact, and warrantied XREAS suspension still, and if you ask me, it was worth every penny for even just the few times we went out prior to taking the plunge for a new suspension. Also, I can use the rear spacer instead of new springs (read more money) still with new shocks with a front lift down the road.

^That's awesome to hear and at only $125, you can't go wrong. Not everyone is as lucky as you are on that score though, and most don't have the time (myself included) or the know-how to tackle a suspension swap. Either way, I read far more positive responses from people with spacers here than I have most anywhere else.

RichyRich, sounds like you're dialing your options in. Keep us posted and as others have mentioned, the SR5 is straight forward, which is why I chose the same essential trim you did. It's less stuff to break and sometimes less really is more.

 

[richyrich1988]

so im good then... I can get some spindle lifts.... shocks taller springs... spacers.... go up to like 10" lift and put some 37s on there.... lol... not really doing that... but has anyone put 37s on the 14-16 4 runner yet?

and ill keep yall updated... were not in a rush to lift it... gonna try and comb through the sale forums and see if anything used pops up.

SR5s do not have XREAS or KDSS, so in this case, it is a very straight forward strut swap and rear shock swap. If I didn't have XREAS, I would have gone with new shocks at first. We like the ride of XREAS, so we didn't feel like stripping them off such a new vehicle yet.