The desired outcome is more clearance. The only way to get more clearance is to put on bigger tires. The best way to fit bigger tires is a suspension lift and possibly a body lift. But what goes up might… tip over if you don’t extend your wheel base*? (I mean to say make your wheels wider or further apart.)

Are there downsides to a body lift? Even just a 1 inch? What will it actually do for me? Will I see less rubbing? Who makes the best one?

What is better for making your stance wider? Wheel spacers or backspaced wheels? I am assuming that backspaced wheels means the outside edge sits further past the lugs allowing for a wider stance and tire. Any downsides?

Im planning the sonoran 1.2 kit for a 2002 4runner limited. Done a lot of searching but I just want to make sure I have this all straight. if Thanks a lot.

 

An in depth discussion of various lift techniques and their impact on center of gravity on the web page below:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...it.shtml#Lifts

A 1" body lift generally has minimal affects on anything and can have some benefits as noted below:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...Kit.shtml#FAQ2

Track width (wider stance) discussed below:
- http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/Tires...ningTrackWidth

As noted, a wheel with less backspacing will stick out wider. Off-road it'll be more stable but you may find some impact on steering since you have more tire scrubbing going on. If planning to get new wheels, get them with less backspacing than stock. If planning to keep stock wheels, spacers are an option.

 

On an IFS truck, a suspension lift does NOT allow you to fit bigger tires. The bumpstop is still in the same place, the tire will still attempt to compress to the same position. Of course, you can limit the compression travel, but that makes the truck more tippy too.

The ONLY ways to fit bigger tires on an IFS rig without limiting compression travel are a body lift or opening the fenders (either by cutting or replacing with fiberglass, etc).

 

or cut or lo-profile bumpstops...thats what I did

 

I did a similar lift and put 285's on my '99 Runner.
No issues at all.

Low-profile bumpstops are a good additional mod too...not necessary though, I never did mine.
Keep in mind, I never did any hard wheeling in my Runner - mainly camping roads, water crossings and minor crawling.

Fink

 

why do a suspension lift at all then? sry if thats a noob q.

 

The typical ~4" lift kits include brackets to lower the front suspension components away from the frame and body and those bo create more room for larger tires. Also a lower suspension lift kit, like ball joint spacers, can increase wheel travel for improved performance off-road. By combining a mild suspension and body lift, you get increased wheel travel as well as room for taller tires:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...it.shtml#FAQ10

 

Oops, didn't think about bracket lifts ... yeah, they will allow you to fit bigger tires by basically the same theory as a body lift - increasing the separation between the suspension mounting points and the body (and frame in this case)

 

Could you explain how this same fact does not hold true for a straight axle truck? If you don't lower the bumpstops the wheel is going to try to compress to the same point regardless of whether the tire is mounted to a knuckle on A-arms or the end of an axle housing, right? A leaf spring will go inverted if given the freedom of motion (long enough shackles).

 

Yes, the tire will stuff to the same place, but you gain travel with a properly engineered solid axle lift, so you can place your bumpstops so that you either have the same travel, but can fit a larger tire OR can fit the same size tire with more travel.

 

This is exactly what I modeled my truck build up after. 33x12.50X15 on 4.75 back spacing wheels, torsion bar lift and 1" body lift. No rubbing in the front and only a slight bit in the rear when I stuff one side all the way in the wheel well.