MillerPKA

I will be purchasing the 3" coil lift kit from toytec relatively soon (along with 1" diff drop and poly bushings). After searching over 10 pages of threads I have a few questions.

1) I have the ARB Taco bull bar on the front. Should I get the medium duty coils to ensure an even lift? Some threads complained the ome setup caused considerable sagging in the front, first i've ever heard of that.

2) Surprisingly the best quote I've gotten for install was at the local Toyota dealership @ roughly 60 and 130 for the rear and front install, respectively. Should I wait and get the right tools to do it myself or is that reasonable. Of course when I was asking them about install I was using TRD tundra coils as my example, so I don't even know if they will do it with 3rd party coils. Will they charge extra for the spacers up front? What about the diff drop?

I'll probably expand in a little but that's all I have off the top of my head, its been a long day. Thanks guys

jminz

I seriously doubt they will install anything not made by or warrantied by toyota. I'm getting 99 springs and KYB shocks put on and some of the shops around here won't even do it because its not a product they sell. Or they are just pissed because I didn't buy from them and wanted to charge me like $650 for an install. The cheapest place I found was for $240 to install all four springs and shocks, and that was at a local reliable mechanic. I just wend down the list in the phone book and called everybody.
Aso for the question about the medium duty coilds, I have no idea.
good luck

Knuckles

i say do it yourself. you and your 4runner can have a bonding moment together! if you lived near me id compress the spring and put the spacer in for you at my job for free. maybe you can find someone in your area to help you with the install.

MillerPKA

i don't know who would have one that's the thing. i know its not the safest thing to rent one and do it yourself....i have no idea how to use one and i would prefer to live through installation. i would need jack stands and all that good stuff which i won't have down here

neliconcept

gattora is your best bet. Ive used a spring compressor for the rear as I was too lazy to take my rear tires off so I flexed it a little compressed the springs and pulled out the OMEs for the LCs

MillerPKA

neli could you elaborate a little? are you talking abou the offroading club?

MillerPKA

Alright I just got through ordering the OME 3" Coil lift kit from toytec (Part: OME3-RUN) along with the 1" differential drop and poly bushings. Damn I'm going to sound like a noober but i don't have any ideas on going about installing these. I just heard through the forums that they both were good insurance in conjunction with a lift. I've decided to take the install to a shop (at least the front coils/spacers). Should I have them install both of these while they're at it for a little extra or wait? I hear the diff drop requires a welder, I have a friend at Meineke who will help me with welding if necessary. Just comments or ideas would be appreciated I guess. Thanks a lot, you guys rock. Looking forward to getting this stuff on me truck!

Psalm 112

Roo, I bet once the kit arrives and you read through the instructions you will see that you can knock out the install yourself. Get a friend to help you out, but all-in-all it's a pretty simple install. SteveO and I knocked out the ToyTec lift on my '98. Using the spring compressor was the most difficult part, and from what I recall there is no need for a welder with the diff drop install.

Read the instructions, make sure all the parts are included, and post up some pic's when you're done. Good Luck!!!

Knuckles

i wish i had enough $$$ to purchase the 3 inch lift. i know its a great deal but i also want the bilstein shocks they sell which are 200 dollars. What shocks did you get for the rear? get new ones for the fronts? I dont think the diff drop needs anything more than some basic tools.

MillerPKA

nah i'm sticking with stock shocks both front and rear. not planning on wheeling anymore until late fall, before then i will have my bilsteins.

Knuckles

Well if you have the money i say let someone else do the install if you dont feel comfortable doing it. Iam lazy sometimes and pay other peopel to fix things i dont feel like messing with, like my tcase output shaft seal. was a simple fix but iam just lazy.

Your 4runner looks great now, it will look even better with 3 inchs of lift and larger tires.

MillerPKA

larger tires won't be for a while either. i have 265/75s on there now which won't look TOO goofy with the 3, I'm trying to convince my buddy at work to sell me his tires. We both go to Georgia Southern and he has a lifted wrangler with 33x1250 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws. His mom just friggin bought him an 07 avalanche and now he complains he has trouble deciding which one to drive to campus. So I says, "Shut the hell up and give me your bajas beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeotch!" well see how he responds to that in the next couple days

MillerPKA

they didn't specify the type of springs (light, medium, heavy duty) and i sent dale at toytec (sales@toyteclifts.com) an email telling him to contact me in the morning before the package shipped out so i could tell him which ones I wanted. I have an ARB taco bull bar on the front and stock rear bumper. He recommended the hd in the front and mediums in the rear. Is this what I should go with?

MillerPKA

one time bump. i really need to know, should medium duty ome coils be fine for the front or should i get the hd because of the arb?

Jdizzydub

Toytec carries the 881 OME foor the front coils, they also do have 882's which is more hd. I'm about to swap to the 882 for ARB in about a week..that DALe guy is awesome.

I say do the lift yourself. For the rear drop the spare, take the tires off--safety first, un-do the bottom shock bolts, support the 3rd member with floor jack have a buddy stand on the drum pull coil out...to pu the other side in use anothe jack or bottle jack on the other side to articulate the axle and repeat(should take an hour).

For the front, borrow a outside coil spring compressor from autozone. Take wheels off, then the whole strut, compress using caution--an impact wrench is awesome here, but a ratchet will do just do a lil at atime on each side. A bench vice is nice to hold it in place, un-do top out bolts instal sapcer or new coil, and do in reverse. Make note of what side the strut came from. Take your time.

IMHO it will save you $$$$$$$ and you will apreciate your TLC with your RUnner and use that cash for shocks or wheels!!!!

Good Luck, congratulations on the lift....and take pics!!!

James W.

Tark

^^^^Solid instructions...air tools will be your best friend if you do it yourself.

4biker

Personally, I will install all of my stuff from now on. You'll get to see exactly what's happening under your rig, you'll know how hard you torque every bolt, and you'll learn a ton doing it. I never felt like a true off-roader until I put my first lift on my '99 cherokee (also OME) - you feel like a true MAN! While you're out beating up your Runner after the install, you'll know exactly how much effort has gone into it, and how careful you'll need to be not to thrash your baby! Lastly, I just think it's an integral part of knowing your rig - you need to be able to depend on it when you're miles away from civilization. Best of luck - I hope to be in your shoes soon!

cox380

I"d save up a little more money and at least do the front struts while you're lifting it. If you don't you'll have to do all that labor again just for the struts. Plus your struts and shocks are most likely shot since your rig is now 10 years old. The rear shocks can be changed anytime with out any disasembley.