Feel free to add to this FAQ, but please do not post questions in this thread. Start a new thread for that.

Just a thought...seems like there is a huge amount of suspension lift/body lift information here on YT and other places, but it can be overwhelming to find the good threads w/o having to read through mounds of useless drivel.

Post up your good information/links please so we can have one place to send folks w/ questions instead of having 4.2 zillion newbie threads on "Tell me what lift I need"

If you post a link, please put a title somewhere as to what the link relates to, i.e. body lift, suspension lift and the generation of the vehicle.

 

BODY LIFT

ROGER BROWN AKA 4Crawler

www.4crawler.com

NUFF Said about that

 

I thought Corey or someone was going to make a page for the lifts... That was a year or so ago...

Anyways:

Performance Products 1" springs. Progressive rate, lifts it 1.5-1.75", does not sag when I pull my 3,400 lb boat. Handles a lot better.

 

Best 3rd Gen ('96-'02) suspension lift for great flex and smooth street ride using 265/75-16 tires on 16x7 wheels. Do this suspension lift with a 1" Body Lift to run 285/75-16 tires on 16x8 wheels and you won't be disappointed.

http://sonoransteel.com

 

Awesome, reasonably priced lift for '00 Taco's:
I have the v6, extended cab, and a TJM, and use the firm OME parts, if you have a lighter set-up, go with the softer components for a better ride

FIRM:
OME 882 coils
OME N91S front shocks
OME 2.25" Leaf springs
OME N85 rear shocks

MEDIUM:
OME 881 coils
OME N91SC front shocks
same leaf springs
OME N94 rear shocks

SOFT:
OME 880 coils
other components same as medium

I'm running 33x10.5s on the stock 15x7 wheels with almost no rub. The only rub occurred on the front of the rear fenderwells under full flex because the OME leafs move the rear axle foreward 1/2" to reduce axle wrap. This was fixed with some minor trimming.

With the sway bar disconnected, this set-up flexes very well for IFS! So far I've wheeled it in Moab and all over Colorado and it's held up great and retains a very good, stable road ride even at high speeds.

I got my lift on special from FJ60.com for $850 which was for an almost complete kit. Wheelers Offroad sells a complete kit with all bushings for just over a grand.

 

I have some info on my website on how I lifted my 96 and 88 4Runners

www.toyotaoffroad.net/afertig

 

Just wanted to ad these are awesome springs, provideds a mild 2" lift and the ride is superb. Sure beats those NWOR springs I had. Have yet to test them off-road.

 

2003-2005 4Runner (4th gen) & 2005 Tacoma
suspension lift
Spacers (if you have XREAS and want to keep it, spacers are what you want):
Daystar 2.5"
Revtek 3"
available at wheelersoffroad.com (good service and prices too)

Coilovers (not XREAS compatible):
Donohoe Racing
SAWs

Maximum tire size without any trimming of body, fenderliner or removal of plastic:
265-70/17

 

1996 - 2002 4Runner (3rd Gen) V6 4x4

Front:
Revtek 3" lift spacers
2.5" of lift (w/ 99 or 00 stock springs)
Stock shocks

Rear:
Downey 3.5" coils
2.5" of lift (w/ stock tow package)
OME N86 shocks

 

97' 4Runner(3rd gen) LTD 4x4

Front:
SAW(Sway Away) Race Runner Coilovers
- Adjustable from 0-2.5" of lift
- Easy to level out front to back with adjustability
- Easy to level ride height when adding weight with a new bumper or winch
- Quick and easy install
Rear:
Downey 3.5" lift coils
Bilstein HD Rear Shocks

Set up rides smooth and as mentioned above, eay to level out with the SAWs, quick adjustment. Smooth ride and almost no fade from front or rear, the new batch of SAWs are a bit more stiff than before but nothing like running a spacer only lift. My old spacer lift was stiff as anything, it's like night and day with the coilovers.

I can testify to bamachem set-up, very economical compared to the SAWs, and they give an amazing ride(tested by justinh and myself on some fast rough night rides through Tellico OHV). I'm actually thinking of switching to this set-up myself, smooth ride in the rough stuff and a good solid net lift(true 2.25-2.5").

 

2002 4Runner 4wd

FRONT:

- Donahoe Racing Coilovers [more info]

REAR:

- Downey Coils [more info]
- Bilstein Shocks [more info]


The rear setup has been the same ever since I lifted the Runner, but originally I had stock A-Arms, springs and shocks, and only had a Cornfed 2.5 inch spacer. I upgraded to Donahoes for better resposnsiveness, lift adjustability, better off-road performance. The Donahoe's are awesome, and let me tall ya, they take the woop-de-doos a hell of a lot better than the stock setup.

I'm planning on upgrading the rear suspension to OME shocks one of these days. They'll give me better articulation than the Bilsteins. I may keep the Downey coils, I may go to OME, not sure yet.

The ride is good...to me. I'm not looking for a Cadillac expereince. It's still "rides like a truck", but I find the stiffer suspension more comfortable and responsive than stock, and wouldn't go back. My current setup gives me around 2.5" lift.

 

For second gen runners, check out http://www.sdori.com/ for some ball joint spacers. That will give you 1.5" of front lift. They run a little over a hundred bucks. For the rear, I think you can get some coils from a land cruiser; I'm not sure exactly which ones or anything, I'm a pickup man.

 

rear second gen suspension options:

http://www.allprooffroad.com/suspens...ilsprings.html

 

My setup for my 3rd Gen.

Front:
OME 881's
Daystar 1.5 inch spacer
1 inch diff drop
Rancho RS5000 shocks

Rear:
99 Rear coils
2.5 inch revtek spacer
Rancho RS5000 shocks

Rides just like stock. The rear setup isnt the best, i plan on getting OME HD coils in the near future. The lift comes out to be a 3 inch total.

Heres a picture of what the setup looks like on my 4Runner.

 

I just came across this in an old thread, and it's very informative concerning OME springs...

Here's what ARB-USA had to say:

If you want 2" of lift, than OME isn't your brand. Our lift is only gives you approximately 1.25" of lift in the front and 2.5" in the rear. And if your wondering you can't use coil spacers with our system...

The reason we say no spacers, is that our springs weren't engineered for more than one 5mm trim packer (spacer)per side of the vehicle and we only recommend these if the vehicle is leaning to one side which is common on a lot of new vehicles with stock suspension. It is very rare for our springs to sag below there specification. In most cases when you install our springs
it will sit a bit higher than our advertised lift. After the driver takes
the vehicle out wheeling for the first time and flexes the suspension a great deal, the springs will settle. We experience a lot of people calling us complaining of there vehicle sagging when really the springs have just broken themselves in and are where they're supposed to be. For the front springs, the only difference is that the heavy duty springs (OME881) are a few millimeters taller to compensate for the added weight. Both the heavy
duty and light duty springs have the same spring rate...

Here is your requested information on our shocks:
N86/N86C 539mm (extended) 329mm (compressed)
N91S 470mm (extended) 335mm (compressed)
N91SC 470mm (extended) 335mm (compressed)

Thank you for you interest in our products and have a good day.

Best Regards,
Steven Bisig
ARB Tech Dept
ARB-USA
sbisig@arbusa.com

So, the OME front coils are designed for 1.25" of lift, and the rear ones are designed for 2.5". Trying for that dragster look??? Why the hell do they sell them for 4runners then? Makes you wonder. If you're heavier, then you should go up a step or two on the coil numbers to keep the ride hieght the same. They DON'T recommend using a 881 or 882 on a stock truck to get 2+" of lift because the ride will be harsh. That was posted by ravencr in 2003, but went mostly UNNOTICED by anyone here until now...

In other words, ARB/OME DOES NOT RECOMMEND their coils for a 2" lift in the front. You can do it, but it will be a firm ride, reduced compressibility, and in the long run, your off-road capabilities may be comprimised - their words, not mine.

That means you're other choices are cornfed, revtek, or daystar spacers, or Toyota Tundra Coils - unless of course you're in southern Cal and you run the desert, then you should consider SAWS or KINGs or Donahoes. As far as quality goes, I think we can all agree that the Toyota Tundra coils is the best way to go since they don't involve inside the pack spacers that will stiffen the ride. Next after that would be the cornfed spacers, simply because you can choose a height that will maximize the sesign of the suspension without compromising droop. After that, I'd list Revtek and Daystar as a tie for the bottom of the barrel. Both are cheaply made and neither offer the optimal 2" of lift that will maximize off-road flex while maintaining on-road comfort. Save the desert running stuff for just that - the desert. Anywhere else and it's out of place and isn't best suited for the application.

 

I have on my 95:

Front:
-SDORS BJ spacers
-25 Sway-Away Torsion bars
-Low profile bumpstops
-No swaybar

Rear:
-Land Cruiser coils
-Downey Panhard drop
-Lengthened Panhard Rod
-Custom Links
-Downey Bumpstop spacers

Other:
-4Crawler 1" Bodylift

 

Last night I added coil spacers from Tuff Country and to my suprise the setup time wasn't bad at all. My after installation alignment was perfect! I must give a big shout out to YotaTech for the various articles and information involving these types of setups. Schaefer's online write-up and pictures are what motivated me to do this. Thanks guys! My Tacoma is now ready for some 32's or 33 after gearing and some fender trimming

I've got pictures of the install on AAL and coil spacers..if anyone is interested let me know and I'll get them scanned and uploaded.

 

This setup results in approximately 3" of lift in the front and approximately 2.75" in the rear, sufficient to run tires up to 33”. Since all tires are not created equal, be prepared for the possibility of minor rubbing (Upper control arms, wheel well, front bumper and frame are typical areas to watch) with larger tires. An ARB Bumper (also available through us) will free up any rubbing issues encountered with the stock front bumper, but using a heavier spring up front is recommended if mounting a heavy-duty front bumper. A diff drop is not necessary, as the Gen 4 CV angles are lower from the factory than the Gen 3 were.

The Prado (GX) has different weight distribution from its body configuration, spare high on the rear door, and an extra gas tank in the back. What all this means is that you will increase your weight carrying capacity. The stock suspension sags up to 2” with a full load. With that in mind, expect the rear to feel “firmer” than stock without cargo.

In addition to the differences mentioned above, users report experiencing better dampening on bumpy roads, better off-road handling and outstanding flex- a trademark of OME Suspensions.

Installation tips: Removal of the XREAS suspension is required if equipped (If you figure that the XREAS is over $1,500 to replace, and you can sell the system on EBay, the OME suspension can probably be easily paid for by the sale of an operable XREAS system.). You should follow the FSM for the install you can re-use or re-sell the system should you wish. The system is not bleedable. We will be happy to send an electronic copy of the applicable FSM sections for you. The important points are to work from front to rear with the entire vehicle securely supported by jackstands and all 4 wheels off the ground. Removal is safe & simple.

If you prefer this to be a complete bolt-in swap, we can preassemble your coilovers with brand new Toyota top plates, bushings & nuts for only $150 more. Considering that most places charge $20 per to swap, you save time and retain a complete coilover assembly, making resale of your used parts easier! You must be willing to accept the possibility of the minor cosmetic scuffs/scrapes that may happen from strut/coil compression, and the units will be non-returnable.

Please, if you have any questions contact:info@trdparts4u.com for a prompt reply. Due to our volume we may not be able to reply to posts in a timely manner.

To order we will need to know which engine you have and whether or not you plan to use a heavy duty bumper and/or winch.

Thank you for your continued support!

*This lift is being offered based on research by users and innovators. Neither us nor ARB USA makes any recommendations or warranty on the applicability of Prado components on 4th Generation 4Runners.
**shipping rate for CONUS only.

 

New Complete 2nd Gen. Lift Kit

We have had several request for a complete 2nd Generation 4Runner Lift Kit.We put together what we feel is a solid set-up that gives
you three options.


Option (1)

3"-4" Lift (approx.)

Sdori 1.5" Ball Joint Spacers (1pair)
Sdori 2" Coil Spacers (pair)
OME N98 Front Shocks (each)
OME N72F Rear Shocks (each)
OME 901HD Coil Springs (each)
OME SD33 Steering Stabilizer
Total $614.04

Option (2)

1.5"-2" Lift (approx.)

Sdori 1.5" Ball Joint Spacers (1pair)
OME 901HD Coil Springs (each)
OME N98 Front Shocks (each)
OME N72F Rear Shocks (each)
Total $476.32


Option (3)

1.5"-2" Lift (approx.)

Sdori 1.5" Ball Joint Spacers (1pair)
Sdori 2" Coil Spacers (pair)
OME N98 Front Shocks (each)
OME N72FRear Shocks (each)
Total $437.40

Freight additional...Email your zip to info@trdparts4u.com for quote.

These prices for the kits are for your convenience. All above items are available individually.
Inquire at: info@trdparts4u.com

 

this is what i have:

Front:
performance products 1'' lift springs
daystar 2'' spacer

rear:
tuff country 2'' add-a-leafs

thats all i have on and its does really well on and off-road. makes good clearance for 32x12.5 tires with a little trimming. 33's could probably work too. i have flexed the AAL's, gone airborne a bit and they have not lost its lift. the 3 inch ones i had on before broke. they give a good lift, but they straighten out a bit and could break. the front performance products springs are nice. way better than stock springs. they have not lost its lift either. the only thing you dont want to do is use them with the revtek or tuff country spacers. makes a very stiff ride and bounces a lot. spacers that go on the very top of the strut are much better. hope this helps out someone.