adding Ball Joint spacers to the OME 2" lift kit??

[ih8seals]

ok, it's still in the planning stage, 2" suspension lift for 2nd gen 4Runner, 4wd.

most people would suggest the OME kit, and i like the package deal at 4x4connections Complete Kit: $629 + S&H
2x Front Torsion Bars,
2x Rear Coil Springs,
2x Front Shocks,
2x Rear Shocks,
1x Steering Damper.

i believe whole bunch of guys on this forum have successfully done it setup. but just last couple days, while doing my research, one thing pop'd out, it's some thing called "Ball Joint Spacer" made by San Diego Off-Road (SDORI). my question is: this BJ spacer thing is kind of "necessary parts", or "it's nice to have it on as upgrade, but no necessary required parts".

http://trdparts4u.com/PD-BJS1.aspx?MakeID=1

any reviews on this thing? in regarding how it functions and how much of effort it adds to the installation process.

thanks.

edit: i'm going run it with 31/10.5/15 tires, nothing crazy. it's my DD, too.

 

[Bear80]

The OME parts you have aren't necessarily a "lift". I would need to know what rear springs you got, but usally OME makes coils to support more weight. IF you run light, the OME springs will yield lift. Run with the rated weight, the springs will set level. Unless you have specific 2" lift rear coils.

As for the front t-bars you will need to add pre-load to gain ride hight. With a larger diameter t-bar this isn't such an issue. However, each bar will have a "sweet spot" with a certain amount of pre-load. Usally the less you crank on the bar the better. Using a bj spacer you gain 1.5" of lift without having to adjust the t-bars. The bj spacers also will give you that more drop and since you can back off the t-bars, they will allow for slightly more compression. Either way don't plan on re-using the stock upper bump stops, get a low profile poly snubber.

I also don't know the lengths of the OME front shocks but they might come up short with the bj spacer. You should read some of the posts in the IFS upgrade thread, look at post 30 for closeups of the spacers.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=139974

 

[Bear80]

Ok, duh, you didn't buy the part yet. I jump the gun sometimes.

If I were you this is what I woud buy/use:

1. Find some 80 series land cruiser coils to use in the rear. $60ish, check the 4sale section here.
2. OME torsion bars - $160
3. bj spacers - $80ish used, they pop up often at forums like yotatech
4. low profile upper arm stops $20
5. shocks in whatever flavor you want
6. steering dampener from the parts store for $30 is just fine for 31x10.50s

my way is more leg work but nearly half the price of just the OME parts.

 

[slosurfer]

If you plan on keeping your inner cv boots intact, you will have to keep your stock upper (droop) bumpstops or possibly even shim them. YOu can however, run low pro lower (compression) bumpstops. Unless you are running a heavy bumper/winch combo up front, I would stick with your stock tbars and just use the bj spacers. This would give you a nice flexy (well as flexy as IFS gets) setup.

x'2 on the stock cruiser coils!

I am running this setup and have been very happy with it, especially that I haven't spent a ton of money on it. I have used it for just about everything, hard rock trails, high Death Valley, and even Pismo Dunes. The dunes was probably the only place that the aftermarket tbars may have helped.

This shows compression with stock tbars

still could compress another 1/2" if needed

cruiser coil flex

 

[Red_Chili]

Heavier T-bars yield a harsh ride and reduced flex in my experience. Cruiser coils are excellent. So are OME H-D coils. The advantage of ball joint spacers is preservation of the ride, and flex, adding only mechanical lift.

 

[Bear80]

So with the same low profile stops you have for the lower arms will cause the inner cv boots to stretch past their limits when used for the upper arms?

 

[slosurfer]

So with the same low profile stops you have for the lower arms will cause the inner cv boots to stretch past their limits when used for the upper arms?

It isn't so much that the boot won't stretch that far. When they stretch that far, the boot flattens out and will get pinched in the joint. It isn't stretching the joint far enough to actually bind it real bad but the joint will pinch the boot causing a hole. Once there is a hole, it doesn't take long before it has a massive tear in it. Not a huge deal if you have manual hubs, but if you forget to unlock your hubs and hop on the freeway, the grease will fly everywhere. That is why the instructions for bj spacers say to use your stock uppers and to check to see if you need to shim them. My driver side needed to be shimmed but my passenger side was fine.

 

[Bear80]

Good to know, I'll see how turn out with my dad's '87 this weekend.

 

[ih8seals]

thanks all of you guys who chimed in. let's see if i get it right:

what i need this 4Runner to do are:
a.) daily driver
b.) light off roading, just enough to get me to some back roads when i go hunting.
c.) not for wheeling
d.) not for rock crawling


2- OME901-Heavy load rear coil springs
2- OME N72F- NitroCharger Shocks
2- OME N98 -NitroCharger Shocks
2- SDORI Ball Joint spacers
1- Monroe steering damper
all about $550

if i sub the springs to used FJ80 spring ($50), the total should be a hair below $500

am i good to go?

 

[slosurfer]

If you use the FJ80 spring you, I think you need a longer shock than the
OME 72 F. Also, with the bj spacers or any kind of tbar lift, it is advisable to get manual hubs if you don't already have them. At the increased angle, the ribs on the boots are touching and you will wear them out faster if they are spinning all the time like with ADD.

Edit: you can click the link in my sig to see what all I am running and you can see pics of how it looked with cruiser coils, bj spacers, and 31's.

 

[r0nin89]

Those BJ spacers were designed to relax your torsion bars not add lift FYI.

 

[slosurfer]

Correct, sort of, but it was for those who had their tbars cranked already, either with aftermarket tbars or stock tbars. They lost some flex and this returned it to haveing some flex, plus it added to the total travel.

 

[beatdown83fj60]

Wow! That second gen actually does flex pretty well for IFS! Maybe it just seems that way because I haven't had one in so long. I know my taco (my last IFS vehicle) didnt do that well in the front. I like that rig! I'd definitely get the cruiser coils in the rear if I had one of them.

 

[ih8seals]

if ONLY to bring the rear to level with front, is replacing rear coil springs (i.e. OME or FJ80) alone can do the trick or do i NEED to pair them with longer shocks?

 

[slosurfer]

With 80 series coils you will need longer shocks, with OME's you may be able to get away with stock but you are better off getting longer ones. Here is a link that may help linky

Also, the 80 coils will bring your rear up higher than the front with bjspacers.

One thing I didn't see on there was a "panhard drop bracket" you can get them from downer or 4crawler. I have the 4crawler one because it is longer than the downer one and works better with the 80's coils.

Beatdown, thanks I find that I surprise many solid axle guys (especially heepers) and I am not even locked yet.