JWR02

Hello all. I have a '95 4Runner, 140K miles. Looking to upgrade suspension from original equipment. I have read good reviews on the Downey Springs and Bils shocks. A few questions if anyone can help: This vehicle is primarily for street transportation. How rough a ride are the HD springs? Should I go regular? I see most people go w/ the 1.50" lift. I do not see them on the websight, just 2" +. Will these springs give me an increase in my go payload or are they designed just to even out the vehicle. I have average mechanical skills. Do I need a professional to install the springs. I am pretty confident in installing the shocks. Thanks for any advice.

TRunner

You should be able to do the mod yourself if you can use a wrench and follow instructions. Yotatech have the easiest tech writeup to follow. Here are the HD's that I just installed on mine and the cheepest place I found to get them:
http://www.central4wd.com/store/itemdetail.asp?ID=8700
I installed the bilsteins as well and I like the ride. It is not near as rough without payload as I thought it would be. It actually feels pretty good. I can say it may be worse with different shocks, but if I were you I would go with the HD's. I can't wait to see it loaded down and still level!!!!!

elripster

For the front, you can get 1.5" lift spacers atSDORS This will preserve the ride quality and increase overall travel. Merely adjusting the torsion bars sacrifices down travel for more height, overall travel remains the same.

I would not recommend the HD bars for your front supension for a few reasons. First, they are totally unecessary for lift. The height is simiply an adjustment, you have to adjust the HD bars to your liking exactly the same way you'd adjust your stock bars. Second, lifting the vehicle by means of adjusting the t-bars causes the ride to become more harsh. Third, combining that harshness with that of the HD bars makes for one REALLY stiff ride. Many have said their trucks feel as if it no longer has suspension. Only those who regularly jump their trucks seem to like that set up.

Since my 4runner has leaf springs I can't help you with the rear lift.

Frank.

TRunner

I must have misread something, but I don't think he was concerned witht the front t-bars at all. The HD "Springs" he was refering to were the ones in the rear. All in all I don't see what your reply had to do with his questions...

JWR02

TRUNNER: Thanks for the info. I will check out the company link you fwd. With the spring installation are there any complications w/ brake line or other? I have heard on some products you need to extend the lines or modify the gas tank shield. Any other recommended upgrade for a stock '95 4Runner? Thanks

TRunner

Yes. You will need to change the brake line from the axle to the chasis. The downey setup comes with everything you need for the complete modification. This tech write-up tells you how the whole process is done with the exact setup I showed you before. Good luck and enjoy!

gwhayduke

I'm not quite sure why everyone goes with the Downy's. I'm waiting till summer, then I plan to go with the OME kit (springs + shocks) to cure the butt sag and lift it a little. I just need to find Mike at Extreme Offroad (couldn't find him in vendor's section). Then for those times when I load it to the gills, just put some overload airlifts on it. I think Downy's would just ride horrible until you loaded them.

JHMO

TRunner

That was my original concern, but my fist test run was with 1/4 tank of gas, no spare, and not a single thing in the back. It felt different, but not bad at all. In fact it felt better because of the lack of body roll. At first i was a sceptic, but I would not have wanted to go without the HD's now that I have tried them out. Like I stated before I still haven't tried with a load, but I will tomarrow!

Robinhood150

You do not need to lengthen the brake line if you keep stock length shocks. I do recommend the BPV bracket be lowered, however. The downey kit comes with an extended brake line and the BPV bracket.

elripster

:pat: Well it would seem that my response did not in fact have anything to do with the question.

I hate it when that happens.

Frank.

doink

the install is easy. i put took out my coils in my driveway and put spacers on in about 3 hrs. didnt really break a sweat. just need a spring compressor. you can rent those though at a auto parts place i think.

CMD93

Robinhood,

I was wondering about that. So let me get this straight, you can use the Downey HD's with the blisteins that are stock length. All you would have to do is lower the BPV bracket. Would you still have to bleed the brakes? However if you replace the shocks with longer ones you need to lenghten the brake line and lower the BPV bracket.

This may be a stupid question: What would be the advantage of replacing the shocks with longer ones opposed to the stock lenght? If the stock lenght shocks work with the Downey HD's 1.5'' then why would you get longer shocks?
I guess for more downward travel?
Sorry for the tread hijack.
Thanks for the info,
Chris

CMD93

TRunner,

I followed that link. Are those Downey HD's or are those central 4WD's version of Downey's HD's? If they are different which are better quality? I'm just curious, I want to do this mod in the future and of course I am looking for the best price.
Thanks for info,
Chris

anthony1

iTrader: (1)

Yes it does, If you go with Downey Springs, you need to raise the front to match it. and balljoint spacer works perfectly.

You don't need to change the brakeline but becarefull when you take off the shocks to put in the springs because all the weight of the axle will be on that brake line
Make sure you do something about the porportioning valve bracket that sits on the pan hard rod. If you don't all the front brake will be doing all the stopping duty.

anyway, the top pic of the link show the bracket and coil with spacer ......you don't need the spacer though.

BTW, I ran with the regular duty coil ( 10% harder than stock ) and I like it. It's not as stiff as the HD....20% harder than stock.

If you get the adjustable shocks with it, you can play with the dampening rate.

JWR02

Thanks to all for the great info on the 2nd gen rear sag. I am going to order the Downey HD 1.50" springs and Bilsteins at the corners. I called Downey to get their 2 cents and they say you CAN NOT use std shocks w/ this spring set up. They also told me that Bilstein does not have extended shocks for this application. I have read almost every thread about this issue and many say std shocks are OK. I am not a mechanic. Can someone please tell me why Downey is refusing to match the std bils w/ the HD 1.5"s. Also is there any other info I need to know before tackling this project? Thanks again for all the help!!

1fly

I've been running stock shocks w/ HD's for around 4 months with no problems. I haven't even installed the brakeline yet as it was backordered at the time. Hey, I still haven't gotten it Mike :pat: No regrets on going HD, but I run a system & tow a boat so...

Robinhood150

You should adjust the BPV regardless of whether you change shocks. The brake lines only need to be bled if you open up the brake lines.

The shocks are what limit the downward travel so people add longer shocks for better articulation.

I ran the original stock shocks for a while with the downey 1.5HDs. Now I'm running the stock length rancho 9000s (I think they might be an inch longer though).

TRunner

Those are Downey, they just sell them wholesale.

Victor

My Downey springs ride a lot better than stock. I've loaded very heavy a few times and it doesn't sag a bit. OME is great stuff so I'm curious how your truck will turn out.

TRunner

Liabilities, I believe. I know for a fact that they work just fine. From what Bilstein claims, anything under 3" lift will be fine with the stock rear shock they sell.