BajaTaco

Hello folks,

As you know, I have a Tacoma, but I am going to help a friend lift his '95 4Runner. We have been/ are doing some research on the matter, and I wanted to get some confirmation/opinions on a few things. At this point, my guess is that we will go with a set of HD lift coils for the rear - 2" if available, we are thinking probably OME. For the front, it will be a torsion bar crank, and possibly some replacement torsion bars.

1. If we do a 2" coil lift, from what I understand, besides needing a longer brake line and BPV drop bracket, we'll need to trim the gas tank skid, correct? What about getting a panhard drop bracket from ProComp, is this necessary for 2" of lift?

2. Has anyone tried the 25mm torsion bars from NWOR? Opinions?

3. Has anyone tried the progressive 1.5" coils from NWOR? Opinions? I know Corey doesn't like 'em (NWOR) and I have seen Downey's opinion, but just curious if anyone from this forum has tried them.

4. I have seen a coil selection guide for OME coils on Land Rovers, and the list is extensive, depending on use. Is the list as extensive for 4Runners?

5. There is a fellow on this forum selling sway bar discos, what's the general consensus on these units? They look good and I'm thinking they will probably be a worthwhile addition.

6. Going up one tire size from stock, what are opinions on NOT re-gearing with the 3.0 V6? My guess is that it will be fine.

Anything else?

Thanks for your help!!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Personally I would not buy anything from NWOR.
See our vendor comments section here.
It's well known around the Internet about their poor customer service they provide, and even I have had a small problem with them.

I swear by my Downey HD coils.

I don't think you need to do any trimming of the gas tank unless you put in the extra 1.5" spacer pucks like Adrian runs on his 2nd gen.
Luke also has them on
his rig.

A panhard bracket would be ideal to get it level, as even mine if not with just the coils on.

For new T bars, the SAW's are the most popular.
That is what I am running.
However, the ride will be quite stiff unless you have a beefy bumper and winch combo.
I had to add them because I was floating from the extra weight, and within two weeks after my winch/bumper I had the SAW's on.

Lee has come up with a very good formula for the discos, and they look very nice.

On the tires, my rig is a little sluggish with 31" tires.
I am geared for the smaller 235 size.

If you ware going to run 32s or 33s, 4:88 or even 5:29s would be a good choice.
I am not sure what Adrian is running for gears, but he does run 33s.

If your friend would like to see how a 2nd gen looks like with the Downey 1.5" HD coils and T bars cranked, here are some recent pics of mine.

The T bars are cranked up to about 15" to level the truck out, and all around I have about 2" lift from them and the coils.
If cranking the T bars, manual hubs are a good idea.
Two good places to get them.
toyota parts dude, a member on the forum here, and also YotaYard.

I hope this info is of help to you.

AgRunner06

I'm going to have to second the Downey HD coils. I just put mine in and they ride great. Not to mention you also get the extended brake line, the BPV bracket, and another bracket that mounts to the back of the gas tank. The kit comes with all the hardware you need to get the job done. You can get the whole kit for anywhere between $150 and $170.

You don't need the panhard drop bracket with only the 2" lift. If you don't do the drop bracket the rearend will sit to the right a little, maybe a 1/2". But if you do decide to do the drop bracket, I've heard that the ProComp one is $40.

I am also running the 31's when I originally had the smaller stock tires. Yeah, acceleration isn't great but there is some small stuff that can be done to give it more power. I wouldn't regrear unless I was going to go bigger than that.

Almost everwhere that I have looked (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), I've seen that if you crank the T-bars higher than 14.5" then you need to have the manual hubs. They also help reduce the wear on the CV shafts. Some people claim to get better gas mileage and/or acceleration after doing it. They're on my list of things to do.

What about replacing the shocks? I think the word is that the Bilstein shocks are the best but a little pricey. I think the next choice is the Rancho shocks.

Well, I hope this was some help.

Good luck with the project.

BajaTaco

WOW - excellent responses so far I really appreciate you guys taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us.

(great pics Corey I'm sure my pal will find those helpful in making him impatient to lift his rig! LOL)

Yea, we were pretty much thinking the Bils would be nice - he will probably be getting those. They really aren't much more than the Rancho RSX9000's. How are the Edelbrocks priced in comparison?


Anybody else care to share... ?

Let's hear from some folks running OME & Bils...

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Chris, no problem.

The Edel's are pricy.
They go for roughly $79, but I think I got them for about $70 a piece October of '99 when I put them on.
I talked Perf down a bit on them.

They are a nice shock, but I'd like to see how the Bil's ride also.
These are the two high end shocks out there for these type of rigs.

Cebby

What is the stock gearing on this 95 Runner. Auto tranny or manual. If its the Auto, it likely has 4.88's already (if it came with the 31's from the factory). Gear code in the door jamb would be "G144" for 4.88's. I run 32's with the 4.88, and it isn't all that bad. I'll be going to 33's and keeping the 4.88's when my BFG's AT's wear out.

The 3.0 V6 is kind of a dog regardless, but I added a K&N FIPK and Borla exhaust. Seemed to help a good deal. Could also add headers and a bored out TB.

CTB

I'll also put in another vote for the Downey coils...mine have been perfect for almost 3 years now. Not a single problem with them. And, like others have said, no real need for the panhard drop unless you do 3" of lift or more. I have Rancho 3000 shocks on my rig, and although most guys will dog the Rancho's, I have really liked mine and they have suited my needs just fine.

I have not cranked my front torsion bars at all, so the rear end of my rig sits just slightly taller than my front, but not much. If/When I decide to remedy the problem, I will put on a pair of SAW's.

Cebby

When are you coming to Pittsburgh?

BajaTaco

OK, he has a manual. According to the code, looks like he has 4.30 gears. And his current tire size is LT235/75R15. P225 / 75/R15 came stock, so he is already up a notch from stock.

Cebby and CTB - thanks for the replies! It seems that Downey has quite the following here at Yotatech.

Well, it seems this job is going to be pretty easy. Looks like the panhard drop will be optional, the gas tank skid trimming will not be required, and the SAW torsion bars can wait for a later day.

Are you guys all still running your sway bars? Or did you just take them off? We still need to determine our options in the sway bar area. If we get the discos - Lee's look like the choice. Even without the discos, I am thinking the low profile bump stops would be a cheap mod that will add a little more movement.

dusty98

I had the NWOR 1.5 inch progressive rear springs on my 90 4Runner; the ride was extremely stiff. I switched to Downey's HD coils and the ride was much better.

bikerunner

I have Eibach coils =~2.5" lift, torsion bars cranked to level, 4.56 gears and 32" tires, procomp 9000 shocks, and had a bracket welded up to lower the passenger side of the panhard bar. Coils are great, shocks stink, 32" muds are slow but headers (Downey)really helps, not running swaybars at all and it sho 'nuff leans, but doesn't make for scary on/off ramp loops at close to the speed limit. I used an old grass edger blade w/ a couple of holes drilled in it to make a brake line 'lifter' (free), and the panhard rod bracket wasn't needed, but only cost me a 6pack. One thing that no one has mentioned is poor braking w/ bigger tires. I felt it enough to get some braided lines, and while it wasn't great, I think it got me back to about the same feel as the smaller/lighter tires, and allows room to lift higher in the future if I decide to. I think the manual hubs is a smart move, too.

4x4CPOSEADOG

I also have the Downey HD coils. In my opinion, the ride is smoother and firmer when combined with the Bilstein HD shocks in both front and rear. I concur with what Corey, CTB, and 93_Runner06 have said. I did not crank my torsion bar, because I also like the rear to be a little higher than the front.

So there you go, you got another guy sold on Downey HD coils and Bilstein shock.

Noel

sschaefer3

Try not to crank the trosion bars, you'll start stealing what little flex is there. Don't run after market t-bars without a big ARB bumper and winch.

This truck that I borrowed and wheeled in Virgina was as stiff as a board with 25mm SAW bars up front. These things are not anything like the Tacoma coil strut setup.

vmaxjohn

What about Doeschtech shocks? I had them on my truck, and really apprecaited them. High speed stuff was a breeze, slow speed was more controlled, and believe it or not high speed cornering wasn't all bad either! I got mine from Downey, and they're failry priced.

I'm sold on OME for quality, but dang it! Downey has some great products for cheap!

BajaTaco

Golden, thanks for adding some first hand knowledge about the NWOR coils - you satisfied my curiosity.

Bikerunner, thanks - it's good to know that Eibach's are an option. I may actually be getting some of those for my Tacoma depending on what SAW has to say about the longer coils. Seems like unless my friend re-gears, he would be best not to go larger than 31" tires.

Noel, thanks for your input. Yea, I think that the Downey/Bils combo will be the first choice.

Steve - point well taken. We will be glad if we don't have to mess with the torsion bars, but I am guessing that they probably will need a little bit of adjustment. He has measured the rig, and it is sitting level (unloaded), so we'll have to see what happens when we add the HD coils. Currently, the rear end drops about 1" when he loads it with gear.

John, thanks for commenting on the Doetschtech. Unfortunately, I will probably shy away from them since reading about the guy who's DT coils collapsed on him shortly after he put them on his 4Runner. I know you are talking shocks - but I think we're probably gonna stick with the Bils.

THANKS TO EVERYONE who has contributed their opinions/advice on this project!

Anyone else who has any comments - please chime in! I'll keep you all posted as to our progress.