d0ubledown

hey ytechers...

Hopefully will be ordering my 1.5" 4crawler BL sometime next week...but ive got some questions...

how much if any at all of the frame rail ends are visible from underneath the rear bumper and front bumper? i dont have a rear hitch, nor do i run a spare underneath...so my a$$ end will kinda be out there.

is the body/frame gap really THAT ugly? got pics of pre & post lift without any lip/gapguards?

reason im asking is coz im thinking of running some tube to reside underneath (maybe even behind) the rear bumper and removing the lower valence in the front and doing a stock/tube hybrid. and the more accessable the frame rails are for mounting..the better. i wanna go full tube, but the mrs wont let me get rid of the blingin' chrome...i know.. w-PSSHH. besides, ill wait till i fully crush the stockers before i replace em.

anyway, if you can show me some post 1.5" BL pics, specifically under front & rear bumpers...you'd be my hero for the day.

thanks

ecchamberlin

very nice looking Runner BTW. I am looking for a set of those or the Lexus LX450 rims myself.

Only one on here that has the 1.5" kit that I know of is BruceTS. PM him he knows lots of stuff.

I just did a 1" last night and the gaps are ugly. Pond liner from HomeDepot will fix that though. Your rear will show about 3/4" of the frame. Not sure on the front because I have a TJM and so does Bruce. But you could just measure down from the bottom of the front frame rail 1.5" and see if it is below the factory bumper.

ecchamberlin

Actually would you mind taking a pic from the front of your rig that shows how those rims sit with the limited flares? That is my concern with my rims is that the backspacing makes them look really inset with the big flares and I have a set of 285's on the way.

d0ubledown

i havent got any pics of the front straight on..but maybe these might help. yes im a fan of the 3/4 angled shot..







the LC/LX wheels are 8 inchers. not sure about the backspacing though..i think its the same as the 4R..maybe 1/4" less. but that extra inch makes a big difference. with a 285, the sidewall is pretty much inline with the limited flare lip. looks much meatier than on a stock 16X7" rim which, without spacers, i find that its too sucked in. you definitely will be happy with the set up.

yeah, im thinkin the frame rails will be exposed just enough to get some tube mounted on there without it getting too complicated. in the back, i wont mind if its even hidden behind the bumper itself. in the front, i want something like CUBUFF's (i think thats his handle on here..the white SAS'd 3rd gen) bumper setup.

BruceTS

The only reason why I went to a 1.5" body lift was because of the tires I'm running. With my original 265/75-16 BFG's they rubbed slightly, going to 315/75-16 the tires are exactly 3" larger in diameter, so half that was 1.5", this kept my clearancing work to a minimun.

calrockx also runs a 1.5" lift, you may want to ask him, since I think he put his in while he still had a stock front bumper, long before I did mine.

The frame gap only bothered me for a few weeks, but I've gotten used to it now, it actually made it easier for me to remove my oil filter......

ecchamberlin

LIke I said Bruce is the man with the answers for you.

Thanks for the pic's of those rims. I really like the clean simple look of a factory rim. Not really a flashy guy. I have some people hlelping me find a set of the LC rims so hopefully I will be set soon.

I have also thought of making a rear under bumper mounted slider sort of deal. And now that the frame is slightly exposed I may do that. Just enough to be able to hi Lift off of and protect the rear stock bumper. I have mounted tow hooks to the frame with strap retainers and do not do any towing so it may be enough until I can do an entire rear bumper.

ROOFGOOF

Check out my signature page for pictures of a 2 inch BL... from stock, 2inch BL, to OME 891 and spacers... hope that helps.
OR
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f79/roofgoofs-1999-4runner-71997/

d0ubledown

awesome..thanks for the input and pics guys. pretty much what i was looking for. i was contemplating a 2" lift...but that added more issues i was wanting to deal with. its mainly for clearing my 285's which rub pretty good under full stuff.

i dont tow anything either, but will probably try to incorporate a reciever hitch into my plans to have a central towing point.


bruce your ride is badass. :great that TC kit looks killer. i dont think ill be too bothered by the gap either...and ill take any help i can get to access the pita oil filter!

Mr. Bob

Hey Sonny... where did you get your sliders???

d0ubledown

taran over @ bigcountrycustoms...super cool guy...im hopin he can hook me up with a tube half bumper up front, and something in the back.

nees1212

Noel had a 1.5" BL on his. Pics can be seen at the link below via his bumper thread. I just purchased the bumper and BL from him, so it will be on mine here in the next few months. I'm debating on running 285's or possibly 305's.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f180/fs-custom-bumper-80358/

d0ubledown

aah..so youre the lucky mofo that got this setup huh...nice score man! i checked out those pics..pretty much what i expected. not really minding the gap above the rear wheel so much...

285's will be fine..watch your BS though. 305's you might want to check clearance on your UCA's..you may need a more shallow backspace (then tires will stick out more & rub even more) or thin em out or get new ones...some have ran them no prob though...not sure how it works under heavy wheeling

post up some pics when its all transplanted into your ride! that bumper on a lifted LTD is killer...

nees1212

Yep. I usually don't come across many deals in this neck of the woods, so when I saw those, I was all over it. A short 2 hour drive was well worth it. I need to get some more hardware for the BL, some LC coils and shocks for the rear, rebuild the SAWs I picked up, and some wheels and tires, and I'm set for the time being. Still need to get a rear bumper, and decide if I want to cut off the sliders on the Tacoma and transplant on the 4Runner before selling. However, most importantly, I need to buy the wife a new vehicle as she has taken over the 4Runner for the time being.

hillbilly

d0ubledown-

I've been running 1½" RB BL for a several years now. The 2" seemed to much and the 1" to little, so Roger split the difference for me. Easy to install. Only had to tweak the tranny linkage a smidge. Be sure to pickup the front bumper mount kit to so there's no gap. As BruceTS mentioned, the rail gap isn't bad at all, and no rail ends are visible. I'm shooting for a locker shortly and bigger meats this fall, then I plan on replacing the stock suspension once the stock shocks are shot.

The pics on a bit of an incline so the rear's a bit compressed...

ecchamberlin

Seems strange that you cannot see the rear frame rails on yours with a 1.5" and I can with only a 1". It is not much but when I lay a straight edge along the bottom of the rail, to extend it out, there is a gap between the straight edge and the bottom of the bumper. I will check how much tomorrow. Not an issue for me though. Just find it interesting because we have the same 2001 models.

calrockx

i had the stock bumper and the 1.5" body lift fora while, but i had the "fat lip" bumper, i don't remember being able to see the frame from the front.

covering up newly exposed areas is easy. here's the rear gap guards i made:

i made some for the fronts too. they're currently off as after a couple years they were starting to tear...but i'm gonna use them as a template to make some new ones, so that should be easy.

hillbilly

Mine still has a hitch receiver (cargo carrier's on the back), so that could be masking the rail ends a bit. I don't recall seeing them though. The pic was taken as I was standing tad uphill of the Runner, so the shot angle doesn't appear as inclined as it actually was, which doesn't show much of the side rails either.

Albuquerque Jim

On my 1" BL the fram rails stick down far enough to be used for a mounting point. I have been running a 2"x2"x1/4" peice of square tubing for a rear bumper slider for the past few years. It is affectionately refered to as my Moab bar, since I installed it the night before my first trip to Moab so I could cross the Golden Crack without damage. It has done a great job of protecting the main beam. I should have ran it up the sides though. I use it, ask anyone I wheel with.

d0ubledown

hey jim..thats exactly what im looking to do! well except with tube to match the sliders. never seen the back of your truck...that seems like it works as expected. im hoping to go full wrap though, with support arms that mount to the frame. and maybe a touch higher, have it snug to the bumper but enough clearance for flex. maybe some built in rollers too..haha

did your rear flares used to come down more to act as a mud flap? my limited flares look like they have a built in mudflap extra 4-5" of plastic.im thinkin about trimin that off. definitely looks cleaner without.

thanks for the pic!

Albuquerque Jim

It works very well except where I have left the bumper-ettes exposed. With a 1.5" BL you could actually mount the bar up higher. Yes, the flaps did have an extra 4+" or so, I cut it off.

I would recommend making it stick out farther than the bumper itself like I have done. I have slid backwards into rocks more than once and the bar has saved my bumper and probably rear hatch from significant damage.

This bar has served me well. Although, it will be replaced soon by a Sonoran Steel bumper.