suspension lift kit help

tman12345 · 04-30-2008, 05:54 PM

I am very new to offroading and don't really know much about suspension modifications and stuff. I have a 1995 4runner, i would like to get a suspension lift to and get either 33's or 35's. What would be the best way to do a lift. I was looking at the trailmaster lifts and would like to know if anybody has any knowledge on how good they are. Also I see pictures of trucks/ 4runners with bigger leaf spings (I think) and u bolts connecting them to the axle in the rear. Is this a homemade mod for axle swaps or what? Please educate me some I have no idea what I need to do and have read alot to gather as much info as i could.

elripster · 04-30-2008, 06:38 PM

Well, you will be instructed to search on this because as I'm sure you can imaging, it has been covered to death. However, with on question, you can rule out a whole lot of options making that search much easier.

That question is, what type if wheeling do you want to do? If you are not willing to run trails that will give you body damage, you don't need a solid axle and so on.

You'll be pleased to know that 33X10.5's can fit with no lift. 33X12.5's can fit with just some pounding/trimming within the fender which is not noticable outside of the fender well.

And, gears and lockers a 4x4 make so less lift can save up some money for those upgrades.

I own a company, SDORI (www.sdori.com) and have wheeled the Trailmaster lift. Obviously it's hard not to be biased towards your own stuff but I try not do be. I wheeled the TM and personally would not get another bracket style IFS lift. They bend, shift, raise the CG such that is lessens the already poor IFS flex, and cost a lot.

Frank

**UKMyers** · 04-30-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Please educate me some I have no idea what I need to do and have read alot to gather as much info as i could.

Please educate yourself. You still have a lot more reading to do! A simple search for "trailmaster" yielded 386 threads in 0.86 seconds.

IFS lifts are junk. 90-95 4-Runners with leaf spring conversions are all custom and involve quite a bit of fabrication.

This is the best way to lift a Runner

elripster · 04-30-2008, 07:38 PM

IFS lifts are not "junk" and solid axle swaps are certainly not for everyone and therefore are not the "best" way. They are one of many ways with up and downsides to be considered.

As a moderator you could be a bit more dimplomatic don't you think?

Yes, the original poster does need to read up on this.

Frank

hurley842002 · 04-30-2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elripster

IFS lifts are not "junk" and solid axle swaps are certainly not for everyone and therefore are not the "best" way. They are one of many ways with up and downsides to be considered.

As a moderator you could be a bit more dimplomatic don't you think?

Yes, the original poster does need to read up on this.

Frank

X2

SAS is definately a sweet mod, but highly overated for the beginner and even moderate wheeler.

tman12345 · 05-01-2008, 02:36 PM

is the pro comp lift a better lift to do?

Red95 · 05-01-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tman12345

is the pro comp lift a better lift to do?

As someone who is also shopping around for a lift kit, I have some advice for you and websites for you to check out.

First off, the question you asked has been asked many times on various forums like this one. Try the "Search" button and do some reading to see what other people have done.

As for websites, you can google lift kits to see the various manufacturers and suppliers but here is one site that helped me alot besides this one and t4r.org

www.4x4wire.com is very usefull but this page specifically.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/4Runner/tech/suspension/

That page will show you different types or lifts for the 1995 4Runner.

Basically, you need to decide how much you need/want to lift, how much money you're willing to spend and based on your reading of the forums, which company you'd like to use.

Me personally, I want to fit 33x12.5 inch tires also and I am not into the "hardcore" trail riding but the more moderate beginner stuff so I am going with this kit from TRDParts4U.com to give me about 2" of lift

http://www.trdparts4u.com/PD-4RUNNER....aspx?MakeID=1

Its Old Man Emu suspension parts with a set of SDORI ball joint spacers, then im going to buy a OME steering stabalizer and torsion bars to go with it.

Im still working out details with my wheel and tire combination to see what I can fit without rubbing. I've read on some forums that you need about 4 inches of back spacing to keep the tire a safe distance away from your upper control arms.

Anyways, I've written way too much so good luck with the research, you have alot of reading to do.

bigt · 05-01-2008, 03:10 PM

tman look into sdori bj spacers or ball joint spacers that and some new springs in the rear and you will be sitting enough for 33s.. 35s would be pushing the ifs.. independent front suspension and you would break cv axles wheeling...33s with bj spacers will work great and a locker is the most important mod if you are offroad..

i would look into some 32inch mud tires or some 33s if you want to do a small bj spacers lift.. if not i would go 32s keep it stock and get a lcoker.. my trail rig is stock suspension and it does amazing things!!!

where you from?? what kinda wheeling you do?

Red95 · 05-01-2008, 03:22 PM

BigT, Im not sure if you can get away with just doing the BJ spacers and the rear springs, I think that might result in a broken shock or two. I know the previous owner of my 4Runner tried cranking the t-bars and putting in new OME lift springs and he broke a rear shock; Hence me buying a new suspension kit for it lol

elripster · 05-01-2008, 06:51 PM

You shouldn't be breaking rear shocks unless the old ones were beat. They are supposed to limit travel by design. I do suppose though, if you try to lift with stock shocks, you will top them out constantly and that could fatigue them. Getting longer shocks will improve offroad performance and so is probably a good idea regardless.

Frank

tman12345 · 05-02-2008, 04:10 PM

well i'm 17 and working to save my money up to mod my 4runner that I was lucky enough to just be given. But i live in western mass and live in the town where there is a great trail called ma bell. Its about 2 miles away from me and i would to be able to just drive down the road and go wheeling.

FredTJ · 05-03-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tman12345

well i'm 17 and working to save my money up to mod my 4runner that I was lucky enough to just be given. But i live in western mass and live in the town where there is a great trail called ma bell. Its about 2 miles away from me and i would to be able to just drive down the road and go wheeling.

Quote:

i would like to get a suspension lift to and get ..... or 35's.

Well, you better save a lot of money to do 35's correctly.
It's highly doubtful that you'll be doing any trails that actually "require" 35's any time soon

You have a ton of driver learning to do first.

With 35's, besides the lifting, you'll need gearing and brakes (else you won't be able to get out of an ants way, nor stop) and lockers (else you're not on a trail that really requires 35's) and a lot of driver education.

Suggestion would be to join a local 4x4 club and start going on runs with them. That'll show you, pretty quickly, what you need for certain types of trails, and, what works and what doesn't work.

Fred

tman12345 · 05-03-2008, 05:16 PM

drivings the least of my worries. I watch the convoys of 25 trucks and such drive up there all the time, get to some of the people alot. It s fun but I'd like to be able to go up with them. Also I've been driving for about a year and a half and feel very comfortable with my road driving and I learned to drive a standard before automatic. I think ATVing will help learning to wheel, because it just gets you used to the terrain altough i'm sure its very very different rock crawling and what not.

LTrunner · 05-03-2008, 05:21 PM

hey man...i live in western mass too...i can point in the right direction if you need...i'm a few towns over from you

mmmmmm....SAS is my next major mod(after the 5spd swap happeing in a few weeks)

FredTJ · 05-03-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTrunner

<SNIP>after the 5spd swap happeing in a few weeks)

Oh oh, you're taking a perfectly great machine and turning it into one of those, "jerk, jeck, stall, jerk, hop" vehicles

Fred

sutsch13 · 05-03-2008, 06:28 PM

I went with the bj spacers from sdori (great stuff thanks Frank) and bought some Pro Comp springs that were suposed to give me 3 in in the back and put 33-12.50 with minor rubbing. looks sweet and weels good too.
thats my 2 cents
Skylar

sutsch13 · 05-03-2008, 06:29 PM

oops accidentally posted twice sry

FredTJ · 05-03-2008, 06:44 PM

A 2" bl will do just fine and it'll offer some advantages of a suspension lift only (for running 33's and actually 35's).
Much less expensive, no alignment issues, etc.

Fred

FredTJ · 05-03-2008, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutsch13

I went with the bj spacers from sdori (great stuff thanks Frank) and bought some Pro Comp springs that were suposed to give me 3 in in the back and put 33-12.50 with minor rubbing. looks sweet and weels good too.
thats my 2 cents
Skylar

Hopefully you changes shocks also, else you're giving up some articulation.
Additionally the rear trackbar would require some tending to, along with the LSPV.

Fred

LTrunner · 05-04-2008, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredTJ

Oh oh, you're taking a perfectly great machine and turning it into one of those, "jerk, jeck, stall, jerk, hop" vehicles

Fred

it's only like that if you are not good a clucth work

besides after the SAS it will be dual cases

FredTJ · 05-04-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTrunner

it's only like that if you are not good a clucth work

besides after the SAS it will be dual cases

If you play in the big rocks, like we have out here in Southern Arizona, then, for the vast majority of people, it's like that no matter how many xfer cases they have

Funny, how some of the those that ran really, really low gearing (manual trannies) complain about over running their brakes at the top of steep, technical obstacles, etc. This is before they've swapped to auto trannies and don't have that problem any more.

We can always tell, even looking at video, who has the manual trannies and who has autos

As it's said, the manual tranny crowd takes "easy" obstacles and makes 'em look hard, while the auto tranny crowd takes "hard" obstacles and makes 'em look easy

So many that I know of have dumped their manual trannies in favor of the auto and they all, without a single exception, say the same thing, which is that they'd never go back

Fred

04-30-2008, 05:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
tman12345 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 41	suspension lift kit help I am very new to offroading and don't really know much about suspension modifications and stuff. I have a 1995 4runner, i would like to get a suspension lift to and get either 33's or 35's. What would be the best way to do a lift. I was looking at the trailmaster lifts and would like to know if anybody has any knowledge on how good they are. Also I see pictures of trucks/ 4runners with bigger leaf spings (I think) and u bolts connecting them to the axle in the rear. Is this a homemade mod for axle swaps or what? Please educate me some I have no idea what I need to do and have read alot to gather as much info as i could. __________________ 1995 Toyota 4Runner

04-30-2008, 06:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
elripster Contributing Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Plainfield, IL Posts: 1,203	Well, you will be instructed to search on this because as I'm sure you can imaging, it has been covered to death. However, with on question, you can rule out a whole lot of options making that search much easier. That question is, what type if wheeling do you want to do? If you are not willing to run trails that will give you body damage, you don't need a solid axle and so on. You'll be pleased to know that 33X10.5's can fit with no lift. 33X12.5's can fit with just some pounding/trimming within the fender which is not noticable outside of the fender well. And, gears and lockers a 4x4 make so less lift can save up some money for those upgrades. I own a company, SDORI (www.sdori.com) and have wheeled the Trailmaster lift. Obviously it's hard not to be biased towards your own stuff but I try not do be. I wheeled the TM and personally would not get another bracket style IFS lift. They bend, shift, raise the CG such that is lessens the already poor IFS flex, and cost a lot. Frank __________________ 1994 4runner, 3.0, auto, 5.71's, Truetrac (rear), 33's, BJ spacers, Coil spacers, air shocks, D-ring anchors, 4Crawler F/R swaybar discos, Marlin rear bumper. www.sdori.com

04-30-2008, 07:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
elripster Contributing Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Plainfield, IL Posts: 1,203	IFS lifts are not "junk" and solid axle swaps are certainly not for everyone and therefore are not the "best" way. They are one of many ways with up and downsides to be considered. As a moderator you could be a bit more dimplomatic don't you think? Yes, the original poster does need to read up on this. Frank __________________ 1994 4runner, 3.0, auto, 5.71's, Truetrac (rear), 33's, BJ spacers, Coil spacers, air shocks, D-ring anchors, 4Crawler F/R swaybar discos, Marlin rear bumper. www.sdori.com

05-01-2008, 02:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
tman12345 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 41	is the pro comp lift a better lift to do? __________________ 1995 Toyota 4Runner

05-01-2008, 03:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
bigt Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: chippawa niagara falls ontario Posts: 1,207	tman look into sdori bj spacers or ball joint spacers that and some new springs in the rear and you will be sitting enough for 33s.. 35s would be pushing the ifs.. independent front suspension and you would break cv axles wheeling...33s with bj spacers will work great and a locker is the most important mod if you are offroad.. i would look into some 32inch mud tires or some 33s if you want to do a small bj spacers lift.. if not i would go 32s keep it stock and get a lcoker.. my trail rig is stock suspension and it does amazing things!!! where you from?? what kinda wheeling you do? __________________ dd 4runner 93 midnight blue 22re , sirius radio 2 12 inch kickers. 6 speakers. trail ifs rig 94 gold 4runner 22re no options 32.11.50.15 MUD KINGS aisin hubs,WELDED rear homemade snorkel cb radio new clutch,calipers pads rotors,pass cv axle, brake lines,battery new dd/rock bugy project FUTURE FJ-60 AXLE S.A.S 22r 1987 green pickup bobbed 24 inch. comes with lots of spare parts! havent picked up yet

05-01-2008, 03:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
Red95 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 13	BigT, Im not sure if you can get away with just doing the BJ spacers and the rear springs, I think that might result in a broken shock or two. I know the previous owner of my 4Runner tried cranking the t-bars and putting in new OME lift springs and he broke a rear shock; Hence me buying a new suspension kit for it lol

05-01-2008, 06:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
elripster Contributing Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Plainfield, IL Posts: 1,203	You shouldn't be breaking rear shocks unless the old ones were beat. They are supposed to limit travel by design. I do suppose though, if you try to lift with stock shocks, you will top them out constantly and that could fatigue them. Getting longer shocks will improve offroad performance and so is probably a good idea regardless. Frank __________________ 1994 4runner, 3.0, auto, 5.71's, Truetrac (rear), 33's, BJ spacers, Coil spacers, air shocks, D-ring anchors, 4Crawler F/R swaybar discos, Marlin rear bumper. www.sdori.com Last edited by elripster : 05-01-2008 at 07:07 PM.

05-02-2008, 04:10 PM	#11 (permalink)
tman12345 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 41	well i'm 17 and working to save my money up to mod my 4runner that I was lucky enough to just be given. But i live in western mass and live in the town where there is a great trail called ma bell. Its about 2 miles away from me and i would to be able to just drive down the road and go wheeling. __________________ 1995 Toyota 4Runner

05-03-2008, 05:16 PM	#13 (permalink)
tman12345 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 41	drivings the least of my worries. I watch the convoys of 25 trucks and such drive up there all the time, get to some of the people alot. It s fun but I'd like to be able to go up with them. Also I've been driving for about a year and a half and feel very comfortable with my road driving and I learned to drive a standard before automatic. I think ATVing will help learning to wheel, because it just gets you used to the terrain altough i'm sure its very very different rock crawling and what not. __________________ 1995 Toyota 4Runner

05-03-2008, 05:21 PM	#14 (permalink)
LTrunner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: spfld, MA Posts: 226	hey man...i live in western mass too...i can point in the right direction if you need...i'm a few towns over from you mmmmmm....SAS is my next major mod(after the 5spd swap happeing in a few weeks) __________________ 89 4runner 3.0L, 5spd swaped like what ya see...check my build http://www.yotatech.com/f116/my-very...runner-143762/ Don't Follow me, you won't make it "Wheeling the piss out of it" AND "DD"ing it since 2005 Last edited by LTrunner : 05-03-2008 at 05:22 PM.

05-03-2008, 06:28 PM	#16 (permalink)
sutsch13 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: carlotta Ca Posts: 34	I went with the bj spacers from sdori (great stuff thanks Frank) and bought some Pro Comp springs that were suposed to give me 3 in in the back and put 33-12.50 with minor rubbing. looks sweet and weels good too. thats my 2 cents Skylar

05-03-2008, 06:29 PM	#17 (permalink)
sutsch13 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: carlotta Ca Posts: 34	oops accidentally posted twice sry Last edited by sutsch13 : 05-03-2008 at 06:31 PM.

05-03-2008, 06:44 PM	#18 (permalink)
FredTJ Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Age:59 Posts: 1,062	A 2" bl will do just fine and it'll offer some advantages of a suspension lift only (for running 33's and actually 35's). Much less expensive, no alignment issues, etc. Fred