PapaChulos4U

Hey guys,

Do you think 3" BJ spacers will allow for 35s without trimming? I really want 35s but I don't want to ruin my fenders. On my 87 (in my profile pic) I had a 3" body and 35s, but I opted for the spacers this time since I'm not wheeling as much and I didn't want the shifter any further into the floor.

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

I doubt it with out trimming. If you did get enough lift the CV angles would be crap.

PapaChulos4U

The lift kit is a 3" front and 2.5" in the rear with a diff drop. I'm hoping things work out because I really want 35s.

Cookie Monster

You might have to crank your torsion bars a little to get them in there, also might have to pound the wheel well in a bit... Depends on how wide of tires, and what kind of offset you run as well. If you ran 35x10.5 they would probably be fine without smashing anything.

However like muddpigg said, your cv's will be at a steep angle. However if you arent doing alot of off-roading i would think you might be alright.

SacRunner

Read the fine print, your 3" BJ spacer "kit" is likely just a 1.5" spacer (or 1 5/8") that then requires you to crank the torsion bars that last 1.5" to get to a total lift of 3", just be aware of what you're buying.

93Xtra-Cab

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!

People never read the fine print and when I try to explain this to them, they don't believe me...

I know exactly which kit you are talking about, because I have the same one on my truck. The spacers are only 1.5" thick.

To answer his question, no, you will need at least 3" of lift and even then he might have to trim. 1.5" spacers and a 1.5" body lift from 4Crawler, or a 4" bracket lift seem to be the best options in this case.

tj884Rdlx

with the 1.5" spacers, 1" body lift, pinch weld hammering, and a little t-crank, 35s will fit.

Cookie Monster

Regardless of how much you lift (Unless its just a body lift) you should always make sure your shocks are capable of full droop. You will tear a shock apart pretty quick if you are maxing it out all the time.

vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

That's what bumpstops are for...

Swim

Yes you can. Yes it has been done. No, you probably don't want to.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/...15/#post780606

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

x2. I've got 33x12.50s with BJ spacers + hammering and front height set at 22.5" (center of axle to bottom of fender) -- I could likely fit 35x12.5s if I added a 1" BL or tubbed the firewall. Might need slight cutting too at this low of height.

BJ spacers are only 1.5" for like the past 10+yrs - but I think I've seen 2" thick in the past few years...not sure how safe that is or why someone else would try to go above 1.5" with a spacer in that area.

PapaChulos4U

UPDATE:

I opted for 33s and just hammered the pinch weld for clearance. The BJ spacers are actually 2.5" tall (pictures to be posted later, along with the build thread that I have been putting on here for a year and have yet to do). They weren't as hard to install as I had thought they would be, took about 6 hours for both sides. The entire front and year took about 20 only because I went ahead and replaced the ball joints (obviously), pitman and idler arms as well as the tie rod ends. I also had to replace the water pump. NOTE TO ANYONE DUMB LIKE ME: GO WITH FACTORY TOYOTA EVERYTHING; AFTERMARKET PARTS SUCK! This motor only has 15,000 miles since the rebuild, and the water pump from Autozone already $h*t the bed.

Thanks to all for the input.

oldblue

2.5" bj spacer? go ahead and buy an idler arm with a lifetime warranty. i ˟˟˟˟ mine up everytime i go offroad. its super annoying. but, lifetime warranty on the idler and a lifetime alignment with firestone and its now just part of my life. i keep spare idlers in the truck as well....

PapaChulos4U

I don't go off-road as much anymore, otherwise I would have gone with the body lift and extended the shifter and saved some money. So far so good. Here's to hoping it stays that way

HappyCamper

with 35s you'll be hitting your bump stops all the time, even if the wheels fit. with the wider tires, you'll be rubbing the steering arm on turns. you'll have to get rid of the plastic liner in the wheel well and hammer the pinch seam flat. even then, you'll be rubbing even if others have stuffed such a big tire in there.

33s are great, i would not sacrifice ride quality just to have 35s. on my previous IFS pickup i ran 33s with spacers from 4crawler and was happy with it. It was built for the desert, washboard roads, and mild trails although it survived Barrett Lake and others but it sucked stacking rocks (had I only known about that trail, I wouldn't have gone! My bro was playing a joke on me; I didn't even have rock sliders at the time). Now i have a SAS'ed 4runner and could easily fit 35s or larger but i still run 33s even though they look quite small. Maybe I'll go up when they wear out but maybe not; I don't feel like I need them. My bro has 35s and I've driven his truck; 1" extra ground clearance isn't dramatic. And 33x10.5 are so much cheaper than 35x12.5.

also, you need to think about how much weight those tires and wheels are. i wouldn't exceed stock specifications by more than 15% without upgrading.

stock 31" BFG TA KO tires and alloy wheels weigh 65.7#.

35x12.5 BFG TA KO + mickey thompson classic III 17x9 alloy rims = 91.6# (39% over stock).

33x10.5 BFG TA KO + MTCIII 15x8 = 62.2#

I run 33s with stronger Dick Cepek rims = 64.2#, which is still less than the stock 31s option. I upgraded to chromoly inner axles and birfields to be safe and could reasonably go up to 35s now but haven't. I also run a limited slip not air locker in the front for the same reason.

with IFS, you will be raising tires. When heavy tires come down, that's a lot of rotating mass and the IFS CV joints aren't as strong as a solid axle.

35s on an IFS truck is just a bad idea. vehicles are engineering marvels, not fashion accessories. make your truck run well and bugger all what others think is cool.