Robinhood150

I recommend quick disconnects, others recommend ditching the sway bar all together. Do a search and you'll find your answer.

KevyWevy

hhhhhhmmmmmm great thread guys!! this acutally answered quite a few of my questions, but exactly how do the ball joint spacers lift the front? or maybe a better question is what/where are the ball joints and what do they do?

for my lift im starting to think

bj spacers (i need to learn more about this)
downey hd's and spaceres
low profile bumpstops
sway bar disconnects
panhard drop
and im caught between rancho 5000's or 9000's for front and back
i'll worry about tires once mine wear out.

Robinhood150

Well, I have the 9000s and I like them. When I went to Death Valley it was nice to be able to soften them up for those miles of washboard roads. However, that was the first time I had changed them and 99% of the time I have them set to the middle setting. I've heard the middle setting is the same as the rs5000s so if I were to get new ranchos again I'd probably get the 5000s.

KevyWevy

ok guys, here is a thought, on the procomp link in the first post it says ADD + $210.00 FOR REAR COILS AND BRACKETS. what length do you think those springs are? im thinking about it and i assume they would be 4" over stock. well is says they sell custom springs. i would much rather have a full spring than a spring and a spacers set up. do you think a full spring set up that is 3" over stock would be cheaper than $300? because from the downey catalouge i have, it would cost $300 for the rear HD springs and spacers.

Dan_90SR5

Wow, good obsevation and an awesome thought. I've been looking for full springs all day. I wanted to go with Eibach full springs, but they don't make any that big. The kit is only 1.5".

I'd consider Cruiser springs, but have lloked and looked and there is nothing that says what year springs to get. I need to come up with a plan by the end of the week so I can start to order parts. My rebuild kit will be here this week!! I have about 1K to spend on my lift.

Anyone have the answers out there?? Here are my thoughts:

-2" bodylift
-1.5" BJ spacers
-ProComp/Cruiser rear coils (3"+)
-Panhard drop/raise (half the distance on each end is best IMO)
-Crank Torsion bars if needed to level
-5009 shocks
-No swaybar or quick disconnects

Possibly squeeze 35" tires under it...should be about 5-6" total lift....enough???

KevyWevy

ok, well i've been reading up on the ball joint spacers, and i really like the idea. but im wondering if the front truss would be needed? what do you think about the whole truss issue Flygtenstein?

WSU4runner

The panhard drop bracket is included with the Downey spacers. If you didn't already know

Flygtenstein

Cruiser coils, bookmark this so I do not need to re-re-retype it, here is what you need. This is based on experience on my part and is not the opinion of someone who can or should offer such advice. Chosing to take action in accord with this advice is done solely at the discretion of the agent and should not be caused exclusively or even partially due to the author of this disclaimer.

Stock rear bumper, etc.
You need:
(2) short side rear coils from FZJ-80 from 91-97

Aftermarket bumper, fat friends, etc.
You need:
(2) tall side rear coils from FZJ-80 from 91-97

I have a truss. The reason I got it was I needed the attachment points for my bellypan. I did not wheel hard before I got it. Now I am not abusive, but not gentle. Idlers and CV's have been the most breakable. Alignment has not been an issue.

BJ spacers do not necessarily give lift. I set my bars back so I was liftless from the spacers, but I am still overstock. It allows the front to work in the same way form allows structure to function.

Hope that makes sense.

Peace,
Adrian

elripster

The front truss is no more or less needed with the spacers.

Normally, the LCA's hit the bumpstops about level. This pulls the mounts straight downward and slightly outwardwhen the truck bottoms. However, when you put on low pro bumpstops, now the arms point up some at contact. This pulls the LCA mounts downwards and outwards. That bending moment can cause them to spread apart hence the need for the truss.

Since the spacers don't effect the angle of the lower a-arms at bumpstops contact you are no better or worse as far as the LCA's and a truss are concerned.

Frank.

KevyWevy

so as long as i don't have low profile stops, then its no worry.

elripster

I would say that as long as you are not jumping you are Ok. It is very common to use the low pro stops without issues. I would recommend using them for the added travel. The only time I've personally ever heard of the LCA mounts bending is when people are catching air or hitting the fire roads hard.

Given that the spacers will give you more compression travel, you'll hit the bupmstops less and that will make life easier on the LCA mounts.

If you are concerned about this look into either buying or making a truss.

Frank.

KevyWevy

sounds fine to me! one less thing to buy!!!
i guess i've decided on the LC coils since they're a solid coil and no spacer and so much cheaper if i can find them.

but there are still a few things that im wondering about...... (bear with me)

1. the downey spacer kit comes with "upper snubber lowering blocks and bolts" what are these? and are they needed? if so where can i find them?

2. panhard drop bracket. i've heard pro comp sells them seperately but i think they are 4" ones, rather than 3" will it matter?

3. the downey spring kit comes with "longer stainless steel braided brake line" how is this necessary? how hard is it to get one of these?

4. the spring kit also comes with "proportioning rod reounting bracket and ABS hose remounting bracket" how necessary are these and are they something i could just fab up myself?


thank you so much for helping me out with this stuff guys!!!! i really appriciate it and hopefully i'll set a weekend aside some time in june or early july and get all this installed.

Dan_90SR5

Just another thought after some reasearch. FJ80 coils seem to be prone to sagging just as the 4Runner coils are. What about going with OME FJ80 springs. They sell medium, heavy duty and a 3" lift spring for the rear. I'm going to make some phone calls and find the best solution to this situation using a full spring in the rear.

Flygtenstein

Sagging? They are made for a much heavier rig and I doubt it will be appreciable over time.

The OME offerings are going to completely jack your rear.

Here is some good reading taken from my hunt this summer:
"Another gentleman has around the same lift with 860s and a stock rear bumper.

OME lists 860, 862, 863, and 864 as rear spring possibilities.

860 is listed as 2" of lift with 0 extra weight.

863 is listed as 2" of lift with 440 pounds of extra weight.

864 is listed as 1.5" of lift with 880 pounds of extra weight.

862 is listed as .75 inches of lift with up to 0 extra weight.

Currently my 3" rear Downey kit is around 1.75"

Cruiser coils fit the bottom, work on the top and are dirt cheap. Unless you have an IFS lift, they are just what the doctor ordered.

Dan_90SR5

I'll take you word for it, but can someone clear up which springs that I need to get? I know FJ80 rear springs, but here is what I'm finding:

-rear spring for FJ80 w/o 31" tires (stock) left or right
-rear spring for FJ80 W/ 31" tires (stock) left or right
-rear spring for FJ80 W/ 31" tires (stock) & towing package left and right

I'm going to assume that the springs a different heights side to side and fron to back, which doesn't make much sense to me, but oh well.

Does anyone know which side to get (which I need 2 of) or am I left to roll the dice?

WSU4runner

Check Slee offroad (I think thats it). He does a lot of work on landcruisers. Tell him what you want and he'll know what to give you.

Robinhood150

Notice adrian says "short side" and "long side" depending on whether you have a heavy bumper or not.

They have different lengths for driver/passenger side to compensate for the weight of the gas tank.

Flygtenstein

I got mine from Slee.

I would bet, of the choices listed, that there would be 6 different heights. The tallest likely comes with towing and 31's. The shortest without towing or 31's.

As chronicled elsewhere, I bought one pair that had two different length coils. I installed them and had a lean. I reversed them and it leaned more. Then I called Slee back, told them what was up, and ordered another pair. This resulted in 4 different coils with 3 different heights. One of the new set was noticeably taller than the other, but not as tall as the taller one from the first set. The shorter of the new set was approximately the same height as the short one from the first set, but the wraps did not line up completely right.

Adding these coils is not just bolt and go. You will have to deal with the gas tank if you use long shocks and wheel it.

The spacers space down the bumpstops in the middle of the coil. I have them, others do not. I still have a lot of compression with them.

You could buy a whole crate of these coils and still be under cost on the Downeys and spacers.

If you are this deeply conflicted on it but want to get them, call Slee, talk to Ben and figure it out. He was quite helpful both times I called. I have given all the help I can on this without calling and placing the order for you.

Dan_90SR5

LOL, thanks for all of the help guys. I just thought that you might know what you ordered as far as the options that I gave. And you are right, I can just order 2 sets of springs(from the same kind of truck), see which ones I need to use and sell the other 2. I'm sure that someone will be able to use them and it would cut down on confusion for them.

I emailed Slee and think that I might just call them and see what they have.

Dan_90SR5

Alright, I emailed and ended up calling Slee (talked to Ren on the phone and Christo via email) this is what I've found out.

You can get a set of matched springs from them (2 tall or 2 short) which ever you need depending on if you have alot of equiptment and/or heavy rear bumper (tall) or close to stock rear weight (short).

I was told that most Cruisers produced had the towing package so that is not really an issue. I was also told that OME sell urethane "trim packers" ($12ea.) in 5mm and 10mm sizes to level the truck out if the spring are off or if you buy a full rear set elsewhere.

I did not get a price via email.......guess he forgot after explaining all of that to me. So I called Ben and I just asked about getting 2 full rear sets (2 tall and 2 short) because I'm not sure which I want to use yet. maybe the short ones for now and save the tall ones for when I fab up a rear bumper. Who knows. Anyway, I was quoted $100 for 2 sets of springs....WOW. You can't beat that for a full spring rear lift ($50).

So here is what we're looking at:

-$124 shipped -2" bodylift
-$100 -1.5" BJ spacers
-$ 50 -Cruiser rear coils (3"+)
-$free I will fab one -Panhard drop/raise
-$free -Crank Torsion bars if needed to level
-have to check -5009 shocks
-depends -No swaybar or quick disconnects

Pretty cheap, yet still functional.