2.5" lift what all do I need?

[roadieguy]

I'm thinking about putting an old man emu 2.5" lift on. I'm trying to assess all the costs and specifics before I dive into this. Here's what I have so far:

OME 2.5" lift $350
Install lift kit $350 from local shop
New tires $750 (estimated)
Shocks ????

Do I need to get new shocks to support a lift kit of this height?

What size tires would be good to have with this size lift? I don't want a big bulging tire or something that rubs the wheel well. Just something that fills nicely.

I have a bone stock 1998 100series with stock 16 inch rims.

 

[Yukon LX]

where are you going to get 4, 35 inch tires for 750 bucks??????

 

[roadieguy]

I don't know that's why I put estimated. I don't know what size tire I need or should go with for a lift this size. I'm open to any suggestions or tips : )

 

[TheFuzz]

On tire size, most go with 285/75/16 or 305/70/16, which are identical in sidewall height but the 305's are just under an inch wider, which I prefer. Some go with 295/75/16, which I also considered, but brands and availability are extremely limited in that size. All three will fill out the wheel wells nicely even on a non lifted rig (check my duratrac thread for installed pics).

Price will depend on alot of things, mainly tire size, style, and availability. I just got a set of 5 Goodyear Duratracs in 305/70/16, and they cost me a boatload. $1270 out the door, mostly due to the fact that no discount tire store in the country can get any more in that size. I literally got the last set available to them in the USA...and paid a premium for it. $225/ea was the best they could do, down from $230/ea. I've never had them flat refuse a price match before, but considering the scarcity of the tires, I had very little bargaining power.

Places like tire rack and onlinetires.com can get them slightly cheaper, but not by much when you factor in the cost of shipping and installation, plus the cost of rotations down the road at an independant shop...the extra cost up front was worth it to me to get the tires that I wanted, and free rotations/balancing for the life of the tires from them.

I am not currently lifted but from all of my reading I have gleaned the impression that you won't need shocks right away, but you'll wear out the OEMs pretty quick as they will be in a constant state of extension due to the lift. You'll have very little downward travel off road as the shocks are the droop limiter in this setup. (if any of this is wrong, please feel free to correct me) I plan on lifting mine and running with it until the OEM shocks let go, which will force the to let me buy new ones.

Also consider a diff drop from Slee to improve front suspension geometry and reduce wear on the CVs. Again, not needed right away but your CV's will leak some grease until the drop is installed and the angles are corrected.

 

[pfran42]

I don't know that's why I put estimated. I don't know what size tire I need or should go with for a lift this size. I'm open to any suggestions or tips : )

Welcome to the forum!

Start here as most of the guys approve of Slee: Slee - Toyota 100 Series Land Cruiser Suspension

Next, do a Google search for (insert your tire size and brand name here) tires. Price out 5 instead of 4 b/c you will be doing things that will stress them way more than what a road tire is accustomed to.

 

[jonharis]

You are not going to put a 2.5" lift kit on for $350. Unless it's some used beaten on crap that Loud took off his truck. More like $1000-$1200. See above. Get the diff drop too. Spend the extra and do it right the first time. If you can't afford it, start saving.

 

[perk]

OME rear medium springs $ 170. Crank your torsion bars $ 0. Good hose clamps around cvs $ 3. Did this myself, with help of a friend, following the explicit step by step instructions found here on the board. Install was straight forward. A shop should be able to do it in 2 hours, but they'll probably tell you longer.
It's been over a year with plenty of off road and the cvs have no leakage. I left the OEM shocks on for a while before going with OME sport shocks. The shocks made a huge improvement, but they're not mandatory.
It doesn't have to be expensive.

 

[bkgee]

if cost is an issue, think about starting with tires and shocks. eg 285/75-R16 Bridgestone Revo 2 ($900) and Bilstein HDs ($300). Remove your running boards and you will have your 3" lift (1.5" from tires plus 1.5 perceived) and a superior ride. Crank torsion bars 1 - 2 inches to level it out some (free). you can add the 2" OME lift later if that does not satisfy... this is the route i am moving towards (so slowly)

btw, shocks do no support any weight (referring to your original post?), but if i read it the other way, no you should not need new (longer) shocks with a lift kit unless yours are blown or you will be maxing out the travel.

 

[perk]

No need to crank tbars if you don't replace rear springs. Installing 33s will not change the level.

 

[TheFuzz]

No need to crank tbars if you don't replace rear springs. Installing 33s will not change the level.

Depends on what you're going for. There is no need...but often times there is a want. Theres a pretty large amount of rake in the stock suspension from front to rear - adding bigger tires accentuates it by quite a bit. I don't care for it - not really "stink bug" yet since I don't have rear springs, but enough to make me want to raise the front some. I will be leveling mine out to match the rear this weekend if I can get around to it.

 

[Brock]

If budget is a concern and you have no idea what you are getting into...I would recommend the following:

1. 33" tires max
2. new shocks all around
3. keep current springs
4. rock sliders


drive for a year or more while you get used to feel of tires, your offroading demands, and save some money. Then go for new springs all around, diff drop, and start hunting for the latest and greatest offroad tire everyone is talking about either in 33" again...or step up to 35". That gives you time to learn your vehicle and needs based on YOUR DRIVING style and environment rather than what we all think we need in our own areas.

Good luck.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

I'm thinking about putting an old man emu 2.5" lift on. I'm trying to assess all the costs and specifics before I dive into this. Here's what I have so far:

OME 2.5" lift $350
Install lift kit $350 from local shop
New tires $750 (estimated)
Shocks ????

Do I need to get new shocks to support a lift kit of this height?

What size tires would be good to have with this size lift? I don't want a big bulging tire or something that rubs the wheel well. Just something that fills nicely.

I have a bone stock 1998 100series with stock 16 inch rims.

Do I get the feeling you want to keep prices down while lifting your truck?

Or, do you want to lift and upgrade the suspension to the OME gear?

There's great ways to accomplish both.

 

[paulbgardner]

I cranked my T-bars for free, put 40mm spacers on the rear coils for $60 and slapped on 295/75R16 BFG AT's for around $1200. For the type of off highway travel I do it works really well. I will eventually switch everything over to an OME setup but for starters this got me from a mall cruiser to a much more functional truck.

 

[wngrog]

Yep, 33" tires, crank front torsion bars to match rear.

Rock out.

 

[ddog]

I would say take a vacation this summer to Colorado and have Slee put the lift on in 4-5 hours and go play.

 

[3rd Cruiser]

I cranked my T-bars for free, put 40mm spacers on the rear coils for $60 and slapped on 295/75R16 BFG AT's for around $1200. For the type of off highway travel I do it works really well. I will eventually switch everything over to an OME setup but for starters this got me from a mall cruiser to a much more functional truck.

X2
This is a great low cost starting point. Drive it for a while and then you will know if you need the OME or not. Take you time, drove mine offroad quite a while before any changes from stock.,

 

[1loudLX]

I would say take a vacation this summer to Colorado and have Slee put the lift on in 4-5 hours and go play.

x2

 

[mpho]

Road trip to Utah...see the sights...then, stop by Cruiser Outfitters and talk to Kurt.

I went with an OME lift right away, but I did have some knowledge of the OME route with my 06 4runner. The new sport shocks are great! Enjoy the ride; whichever way you decide.

 

[farinvail]

Spend the money on recovery gear, this guy's dvd Bill Burke and gas toward a good trip camping and off-roading. The experience will teach you what you need. Lifts and tires will only get you stuck further away from home. I agree with wngrog. Raise the front a little and get an alignment. Buy tires when you need them next. 285.75.r16. budget $1000+ for tires you need 5. Think flat tire and stuck miles from home. You will soon need an air compressor, sliders, a front locker, a winch, bumper to mount the winch, then dual battery, then fridge, then HAM to talk to your friends, skid plates, HID lights, roof rack, rear bumper.... and the list goes on and on.

Welcome. There is never a perfect way to do anything. Doing it cheep is rarely the best option.

 

[jonharis]

Spend the money on recovery gear, this guy's dvd Bill Burke and gas toward a good trip camping and off-roading. The experience will teach you what you need. Lifts and tires will only get you stuck further away from home. I agree with wngrog. Raise the front a little and get an alignment. Buy tires when you need them next. 285.75.r16. budget $1000+ for tires you need 5. Think flat tire and stuck miles from home. You will soon need an air compressor, sliders, a front locker, a winch, bumper to mount the winch, then dual battery, then fridge, then HAM to talk to your friends, skid plates, HID lights, roof rack, rear bumper.... and the list goes on and on.

Welcome. There is never a perfect way to do anything. Doing it cheep is rarely the best option.

Everything stated above is true. You just bought a truck that was 50-60K new. don't half ass it. My total build will take 4-6 years. I could do it in 2 using shortcuts and cheap parts but doing it right will save many headaches. I've done it right and I've done it wrong on Jeeps that I've owned and doing it right is worth every penny. Before putting a lift on it, consider driving it for a few months or a year. My non lifted truck will go just about anywhere I want it to because I can drive off road half way decently. I've out-wheeled people in twice the truck that I have. Unless you are specifically going for looks or are adding heavy aftermarket equipment (bumpers etc.) there are a lot of other things that are more important.