A Decision On A Lift

[Notmyrealname]

ok ive got a 1991 1hz cruiser and want a small lift in it right.
Now i could get 2inch extended shackels ($400) for a 1 inch lift and keep the soft springs in it for wheel movement
Or
2 inch heavy duty leaf springs and shocks($1400)
Or
2 inch body lift?

What should i do?
What are the advantages to each thing and wondering if the shackes would upset the axel geometry?
Any help would be great thanks.

 

[ForealBoreal]

what kind of landcruiser is it, a hzj73?
what size of tires are you planning on running?
what will you be doing with the truck.
if your planning on running 33s i would say go the suspension kit.
what brand are you thinking about running.

 

[roscoFJ73]

In the long run ,the 2 inch lift(although they often give you close to 3") will be more satisfying.

The springs you have are probably the originals and once you start flexing 18 year old springs ,they wont last long.

The body lift would be my last option,after everything else has been tweaked.

 

[Gib009]

Contrary to what most people advise, I went for a 2inch body lift and 2inch extended shackles on stock springs. The reason for this is (in my personal opinion) the best way to get suspension travel without doing custom modifications. The springs stay stock and soft, the longer shackles give a little bit of extra travel and the body lift clears the bigger tyres i have fitted. This setup also leaves my short wheel base with a lower centre of gravity, more travel and considerably cheaper than if I were to just get an off the shelf 2inch lift kit.


However, this is not for everybody. It rides well, but like a 20year old leaf spring truck rides it has lots of body roll (also note i dont have a swaybar). A suspension lift would stiffen the springs and lessen the body roll, making it more suitable for a daily driver, or a tourer needing to carry more loads- but the stiffer springs and shorter shackles would sacrifice suspension travel. Decide how you want to use your truck, and then decide which is the better option for you.

Also note if you fit just longer shackles, your caster could be out by a few degrees, you can fix this by using caster correction plates fitted between the springs and the spring perch.

 

[Hulsty]

Rosco, why the body lift being your last option?

I am going through how to lift my BJ74 at the moment. It WILL be getting atleast a 1'' body lift to help lift my long range tank and get more clearance to the ground.

Undecided though on how else to get my 35'' tyres to clear upfront. 2'' body lift or 1'' body lift and chopped guards, which means I will have to loose my factory flares which look so damn good! But then again if the flares do stay the might get damaged off road.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Rosco, why the body lift being your last option?

I am going through how to lift my BJ74 at the moment. It WILL be getting atleast a 1'' body lift to help lift my long range tank and get more clearance to the ground.

Undecided though on how else to get my 35'' tyres to clear upfront. 2'' body lift or 1'' body lift and chopped guards, which means I will have to loose my factory flares which look so damn good! But then again if the flares do stay the might get damaged off road.

The OP mentioned a 2 inch body lift. Im guessing that means lifting the radiator and towbar and anything else that cant stretch the distance.
it also means lifting the body off the chassis.
Some owners who have done body lifts complain about squeaks and other noises.
A 1 inch body is lift is less severe

A 2 inch suspension lift is a fairly simple affair,although parts wise,it will probably cost more than the body lift.
I think SOA is preferable to a body lift. There is a 75 series trayback in my suburb with a mild SOA and it looks really good with 34 or 35s tyres.
Even the cops pulled him over and told him looked cool

I think there is a place in NSW that makes a flare very similar to Toyotas for about $100 ea.
Have you thought about moving the front axle forward?

 

[Notmyrealname]

To the first poster yea its a hzj73
And i got 31 inch AT's on it mite keep them for a while.
i dont think i will move the front axel forward seems like a bit of work (welding and s***)
If i put the heavy duty springs and shocks will it reduce the body roll due to stiffer springs or make the body roll worse due to 2 inchs higher?

 

[Gib009]

The OP mentioned a 2 inch body lift. Im guessing that means lifting the radiator and towbar and anything else that cant stretch the distance.
it also means lifting the body off the chassis.
Some owners who have done body lifts complain about squeaks and other noises.
A 1 inch body is lift is less severe

I had a few nice surprises with my 2inch body lift. Yes i had to lower the radiator shroud and cut the hell out of my low range boots but it also lifted the rear fuel tank 2inchs which made the tank level with the shackles. I got rid of the tow bar and rear bar and my departure angle has dramatically improved. It also lifts the unprotected rear quarters and sills out of the way a bit.

I also was able to move my PTO driveshaft above the crossmember in the front which has the potential to lift the winch up a few inchs for a much better approach angle.

No noises or squeaks although you cant hear much over the sounds of the engine anyway.

To the first poster yea its a hzj73
And i got 31 inch AT's on it mite keep them for a while.
i dont think i will move the front axel forward seems like a bit of work (welding and ****)
If i put the heavy duty springs and shocks will it reduce the body roll due to stiffer springs or make the body roll worse due to 2 inchs higher?

To move the axle forward you only need a drill bit, it is a really simple job especially if you already have the suspension apart.

I would say that the stiffer springs would reduce body roll. Even going round slow corners in my rig it rolls a considerable amount because the springs are so soft.

 

[Notmyrealname]

yea i really dont want the body roll
If i get the heavy springs i mite check the front axel out whilr i got the front springs out.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Location please.

Note that a 1HZ is an engine, not a model. You might want to add both your location and the model of your Land Cruiser to sig line.


~John

 

[Cayman Dennis]

I'm facing the same decision, so I'm glad to see this post topic. I hope this doesn't count as a thread-jack...

I have an '85 BJ70 with what I think is the stock original suspension. I can fit 235/85/16 mud tires (effectively 32") without any problem. Pics are here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/70-series-tech/125297-70-series-registry-8.html#post4947606

Body roll? Yep. And the front sits a bit higher than the back - especially when the fuel tank is full.

I won't be getting bigger tires anytime soon, and my offroading needs are pretty light.

I'm leaning towards a complete OME kit with 2" lift. I suppose that '2 inch lift' value is when compared to a fresh factory setup, though? My 25 year old springs must have some sag by now, so I'm guessing a new 2" lift kit would make at least 3" differences from today's setup?

Any opinions about just getting fresh leaves from Toyota?

Thanks!
Dennis

 

[ForealBoreal]

i would say go for the OME 2.5 inch.
my dads bj70 has that on it. With 235/85/16s it looks wicked. tall skinny works for that truck
as for the 73 he needs to put a small lift in it and run something about 10.5 inches wide.
stupid fender flares.

 

[roscoFJ73]

yea i really dont want the body roll
If i get the heavy springs i mite check the front axel out whilr i got the front springs out.

Its hard to tell how much body roll you have,but some is normal. Do you still have the anti sway bars connected?
If the swaying is really bad you may need new springs but you dont need a lift for 31 in tyres.
Some pics of your springs and shackles maybe helpful.

 

[Notmyrealname]

Yea the body roll isnt bad but i dont want it worse when i get the lift.
And i will upgrade the tires one day. but it will be good to get the main body up a bit.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

I would elect for an OME spring lift. Use the GS1 shackles front and rear.

Body lifts do nothing for ride, and create lots of problems in the long run. The installation is overly complex when you do it properly (steering, brake lines, wires and linkages are all affected).

OMEs give you much better ride, room for larger tires, and a decent lifespan. They are way better riding than the stock springs.

~John

note: I took the front anti-sway bar out of my BJ74 and it's fine. Body roll? Is it really an issue in these?

 

[roscoFJ73]

Yea the body roll isnt bad but i dont want it worse when i get the lift.
And i will upgrade the tires one day. but it will be good to get the main body up a bit.

The higher you go the more roll you get generally (unless your replacing really flogged out springs with new quality springs that give a mild lift).
To get springs that will give good road handling will mean a loss of articulation,its a trade off no matter which way you go.
Rolling around the corners is part and parcel with old landcruisers. I don't notice it much anymore,but I did notice a big improvement when I went back to 31s from 33s.
The 73 series with 33s was fantastic in the sand dunes but sucked around the suburbs as a daily runabout.
With the 31s I get better acceleration and can get round the corners faster and the brakes work better