kallen

I did the Tundra coil/OME assembly and the 3/8" top spacer a couple months back. I found that when I had Camburg Arms there were no problems, besides the alignment needed to be corrected for the different arm geometry. It took only a little prying to be able to slip in the lower shock mounting bolt because it allowed a higher degree of movement. With this setup the Urethane bushings squeaked, and I thought the CV's were getting worked pretty good at full droop. I can understand the limiting straps for that last 1 inch or less of travel to protect from cv problems. I'm sure under heavy wheeling bad things would happen.

Last week I thought it was time to get rid of my bling, and put on the stock a-arms. I found that the upper balljoint binds, and the shock assembly is too long for this setup. In addition, the coils come in contact with the upper balljoint mounting arm--This happens with or without the spacer. I did a search, and read a lot of people having problems with the install because the shocks are to long to fit. I took out the 3/8" spacer and found with the OME91S shocks that the travel stops just short of the balljoint bind. Hum...

I didn't see too much in my search about the limiting straps being used. I wonder how many people are running around with the ball joints limiting the droop of the longer travel with the spacer? I've read too many times, the thing to do to install them, is to undo the lower ball joint. Yeah, torque those bottom bolts down good against your upper balljoint bind.

So my problem is that I don't see the sense in installing a spacer to increase the droop, when the droop is hindered by the ball joint bind. Then to go further, I don't understand why to put in a spacer, and then put on a limiting strap.

I guess it could provide a little more lift with a spacer than not, and then the ill affects could be corrected with a limiting strap. Then I would be missing the point--it's about maintaining the amount of lift, the great ride quality of the TRD Tundra spring, and not so much the extra droop that could be had if it weren't for those stock a-arms. For now the spacer is coming out.

bamachem

1. Welcome to Yotatech!

2. you have some good points, but nothing that hasn't already been discussed. i appreciate your opinion, and from your post, it appears that you might have some good "real life" experience to share with us. however, i'd like to know more about you and your rig since this is your first post and you used it to bash a good setup...

kallen

I have a 2002 Tacoma double cab 4x4 TRD.
The setup as far as the Tundra progressive coils go is a good alternative to either going with OME springs, or a coil over. There just isn't many coils that will provide a good ride and flex well for the IFS suspension. For me I am into trail riding, no desert racing, and wouldn't rock crawl with this vehicle at the time being. It would need at the least crawler gears and it's my daily driver. I've been 4wheeling seriously for 10 years. I had a 1978 fj40 that I built up; spring over, 35's, 70:1 gear ratio, lots of modifications.

I appreciate that this lift alternative was publicly shared. I haven't tried everything, but I have spent a good sum of money to experiment on the Tacoma's suspension. I first started with Donahoe coilovers and Camburg A-arms, they were good, but expensive. After I got them I couldn't justify having that much money in the front if the vehicle was to ever get converted to a SAS. So I was going to go OME/stock arms, and ran across the Tundra TRD coil idea. As I posted the Tundra coils worked great till I put on the stock a-arms.

I am trying to get the front dialed in quick because I have a 4x4 trip in a couple of weeks. So, I bought some OME882's. Wow they are stiff (like what has been talked about), and I ended up with 3-3.25 inches of lift. The angle on the CV's is too much for me, and I don't want that much lift. I don't have a winch or big bumper, don't plan on getting one, so I'll be getting rid of the 882's.

I am going back to the Tundra coil, and will make them work. Sorry that I started my posting as a rant, but some issues I believe are getting danced around. There are a lot of questions,and responses, to the Tundra coil drawbacks, installation problems, although I find that some issues have been danced around.

Lets paint this picture. Your out 4wheelling. You are in some soft terrain and your tires are having a hard time grabbing. During this time one of your front wheels is at full droop, and everytime that tire grabs for traction it lifts the suspension up, and back down to full droop when it looses it. Everytime this happens it slams the suspension down on the limiting factor (without straps), the upper ball joint. IMO, I rather have the coil assembly limit my travel.

Right now my truck is on jack stands and I can cycle the suspension without the coil assembly in there and see what binds. It is easy to put in the OME shock, pull the suspension down till it bottoms out, and see how much travel is left from the top plate to the bottom of the shock mounting bucket. I can take pictures to show this.

I am open to ideas. I think that it is assumed the Tacoma and 4runner suspensions are the same up front. Sometimes I wonder; Maybe something can or will be discovered? I can say for a fact that my Tacoma and my fathers 1996 4runner are very close to the same weight up front. In fact the double cab is a little heavier (50 lbs)

Just for the record I am not a TTORA loyalist, but I am a Toyota loyalist. I am open to all ideas, that is how good things are discovered.

FilthyRich

as far as CVs are concerned, are you running a diff drop???

kallen

A diff drop would definitely help in the case of when I had the Camburg arms and was able to take advantage of the extra droop. Now that I am going to run the Tundra coils without the spacer I don't have to worry about the upper ball joint binding, the lift is moderate at 2.25-2.5 inches, and the droop at the length of the OME shocks seems to very accurate to the max that is possible without binding, or creating excessive CV stress.

bamachem

so, you're getting 2.25-2.5" WITHOUT a spacer?

WOW

we only get 1.5" w/o a spacer. that's why we have to use the spacer - to get a full 2" of lift in the front...

WEIRD. Same weight, but different lift heights....

kallen

Not exactly.

The 99 and newer 4runners are heavier from my understanding, and a lot of people have heavy bumpers and winches up front.

From the posts I've read I thought most people were getting 2-2.5 inches of lift on there Runners? I got 2.5-2.75 of lift with the spacer.

I wont know until later in the week how the lift is without. I'm on jackstands right now.

xjtoy

Kallen,

I tried the tundra coils on my prerunner '02 doublecab as well without a spacer and ended up with 3.25" of lift....way too much for my liking and the ride was horrible. I ended up running the comfort OME shocks which are softer than the Tokico's that came stock with the TRD package. I wouldn't recommend them if you carry a lot of weight though, for me they're perfect. I threw the stock progressive spring back in with a machined spacer between the bottom of the cup and where it would contact the ring welded on the strut....if that makes sense. This set up gave me 2" of lift and a great ride...

kallen

I have been thinking about doing what you did as well. I think the key to the comfortable ride is the progressive coils used in the trd vehicles.

I thought about taking my stock TRD springs and putting in a spacer, but got scared away from all the negative comments on internal spacer lifts. I know that the OME shock is longer so it is going to soak up some of that spacer preload which is what is usually the culprit of the rough ride from spacers. I just wouldn't know where to start, and would be afraid of not getting enough lift.

I found that the truck rode really smooth going down the highway with the Tundra coil, and was a little rough at lower speed, but matched the rear with nothing in the back. Really, I like it pretty well, but wouldn't mind experimenting with the Tacoma coil. Does the coil on your rig have any ill affects from being compressed more than stock with the spacer? How thick of a spacer was used on your lift to achieve the height? My 4x4 is a bit heavier than your prerunner in the front so I would have to compensate.

xjtoy

There are no ill effects, that I've found, using the spacer between the bottom of the cup and the ome strut. If you are familiar with the OME and stock Tokico shock the lower cup is removable on the OME strut whereas the Tokico's lower cup is not. If I remember correctly I used a piece of 2.5" .288 wall DOM and cut it at 7/8" long. I believe the outside of the OME strut was close to 2.25" so I lost a few hundreths on the inside to slide down over the strut before putting on the lower cup. In order to come up with the spacer's length i put the truck back together with all the stock parts and measured from the floor to top of front fender, then unbolted the lower bolt through the bottom eye of the strut and jacked the truck up to the ride height I wanted. Then I measured the the difference between the bottom eye of the strut and where it bolts up to the LCA. This difference for me was 7/8". Since you know the truck was supported at the stock ride height by the same spring, in
essence all I've done is extended the dimension between the lower cup and bottom eye of the strut. There is no added compression on the spring and the ride for me was better than stock.....though i attribute that mostly to the shock. Any other questions just ask.....

sandiego

KAllen, What suspension system did you end up with. I have the same truck, but with the Xtra cab. Just curious so I can put my money were it will bebest spent.

Thanks