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Ball Joint spacer question.

Old Jan 31, 2007 | 12:35 PM
  #1  
mtrdrms's Avatar
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From: CT
Ball Joint spacer question.

After installing the spacers will I need an alignment right away or will I be able to drive it for a while until I can get the alignment done? I know it says on 4crawlers web site to get an alignment, but I am wondering just how out of alignment it will be.
89 4runner, 1.5 inch spacers.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 12:37 PM
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From: Fort Worth, TX
Originally Posted by mtrdrms
After installing the spacers will I need an alignment right away or will I be able to drive it for a while until I can get the alignment done? I know it says on 4crawlers web site to get an alignment, but I am wondering just how out of alignment it will be.
89 4runner, 1.5 inch spacers.
You can measure the distance from the top of your rim to your fender. If you crank your t-bars such that with the BJ spacers on that distance is the same, your alignment will be the same. As soon as you start increasing that distance you will need to get an alignment, unless you don't care about your tires.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 12:44 PM
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but if I loosen the t'bars and the distance between the rim and the fender has not changed then I have not gained any lift from my spacers. I am hoping to achieve 1.5 inches of lift from my spacers without touching my t'bars. So are you saying that I will need an alignment right away? Is it driveable (safe)?
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 12:48 PM
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From: Fort Worth, TX
Originally Posted by mtrdrms
but if I loosen the t'bars and the distance between the rim and the fender has not changed then I have not gained any lift from my spacers. I am hoping to achieve 1.5 inches of lift from my spacers without touching my t'bars. So are you saying that I will need an alignment right away? Is it driveable (safe)?
Well, if you want lift you'll need an alignment (sorry). It will be "safe" to drive on, but your tires will get scrubbed so better hope it's only a few miles to the alignment shop.

You can always try a little "shade-tree alignment" to help things out, but in the end you'll need a real one.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 01:04 PM
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From: Halifax, NS
Just get er aligned. Work to the ball joints - alignment = your truck handling like a turd
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 01:46 PM
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From: Arvada, Colorado
you can drive around for a little while on the unaligned truck, but about 200 miles, and you'll start to see noticeable wear. Put them in, drive to the shop, get it aligned. Simple
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 02:25 PM
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When I put BJ spacers on my "old" 92 4Runner, I think I put about 250kms on before I got an alignment. I didn't have any noticable wear on the tires (33x12.5 MTRs...I miss them), but there was a noticable increase in handling once I got it done.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 03:01 PM
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From: Puyallup WA.
try to find a place that will do "lifetime warranty" alignments.. if you wheel your truck you'll need alignments often enough to justify the higher upfront cost.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 03:45 PM
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And if your thinking about it dont crank your tbars over the 1.5in the BJ spacers give you. Your just asking for angle trouble.
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Old Jan 31, 2007 | 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Bill
When I put BJ spacers on my "old" 92 4Runner, I think I put about 250kms on before I got an alignment. I didn't have any noticable wear on the tires (33x12.5 MTRs...I miss them), but there was a noticable increase in handling once I got it done.
Hey Bill, you don't happen to have those spacers around anymore do you? I'm about to do the whoole front end and was thinking of putting some of these in.
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