O.K. I have looked all over and can't find what I am looking for . I am working on my DD a 89 4Runner w/ V6, 5spd and stock wheels with 31in AT. I currently have no lift no turns on the Tbars. What I want to do later is the 1.5 BJ spacers, but my butt is sagging real bad now. I want to go ahead and lift the rear now turn the Tbars and save the $ for the front. What I cant find is what size / brand leafs should I go with for the rear. Downey told me that the 4Runners came from the factory 1.5in low in the rear. So if I lift the front 1.5in I need to lift the rear 3in. Is this correct? If so should I just go ahead and do 4in since I carry a lot of stuff with me? Sorry for the long question any help would be great. Thanks Brayn

 

Downey sucks. Steer clear of them and don't take advice from them.

What they said about the rear being lower is 1/2 right. Assuming that the springs and t-bars are at factory height, there is more clearance at the front fenders than at the rear. The front fenders are just cut higher, so it looks like the rear sags more than it does.

I wouldn't recommend cranking up the t-bars. Just leave them stock and then get the BJ spacers when you're ready. My '88 truck has stock t-bar settings, BJ spacers, and 32" Swampers and it works great.

For the rear, you could go with a lift shackle that gives about 1.5" of lift. Again, that's what I'm using and it works fine. www.marlincrawler.com has some good shackles.

 

Thanks for the input Jason. I kind of want to stay away from a shackle lift becouse my springs are flat if not bent the wrong way. Thanks again Bryan

 

I just reread your post and I noticed that your '89 is a 4Runner, not a pick up. That's the year that the pickup body changed, and with it the rear springs got longer. The 4Runners didn't change bodies and suspension until '90.

Your rear springs should be the same as an '84-'88 truck, so here's a cheap lift for you. Again, this is what I'm currently running with my 1.5" lift shackles. Find a set of stock rear leaves from and '80-'83 pick up. They have more arch than the '84-'88 leaves and they'll give you about 1" of lift. Combine them with lift shackles, and put BJ spacers up front, and your truck will sit perfectly, with the rear just a hair higher than the front.

 

Thats the kind of info I am looking for. Thanks alot Jason

 

Add-a-leaf springs like the Rancho Soft-Ride AAL kit is good. Would cost less than all new springs. See http://www.gorancho.com/ You get 2 pair of leaves, one long-thin and other shorter-thicker, you can mix and match to get the ride height and quality you are looking for. 4Runners were not made lower in back, it is mainly an optical illusion due to the rear wheel well being cut lower than the front. So even perfectly level, the rear end looks low.