Anyone swap rear springs? (2 Viewers)

[TeCKis300]

Front stock spring rate is 500 lbf/in
OME springs rates are:
2700: 625 lbf/in, 420 mm free height, 18mm bar diameter (1" lift, stock bumper)
2701: 720 lbf/in, 425 mm free height, 19mm bar diameter (1" lift, steel bumper and winch)
2702: 625 lbf/in, 430 mm free height, 18.5mm bar diameter (2" lift, stock bumper)
2703: 720 lbf/in, 435 mm free height, 19mm bar diameter (2" lift, steel bumper and winch)

Stock rear spring: 170 lbf/in
OME rear springs:
2720: 270/350 lbf/in, 420mm & 410mm free height, 18.5mm bar diameter (OME says drops rear .75", I don't feel it does)
2721: 270/350 lbf/in, 440mm & 430mm free height, 18.5mm bar diameter (more lift than OME states of .75" lift)
2722: 275 lbf/in, 440mm & 430 mm free height, 19mm bar diameter (.5mm thicker bar, would equal a constant 220 lbs load over 2721)
2723: 340 lbf/in, 450mm & 440mm free height, 20mm bar diameter (constant 440 lbs load)
2724: 400 lbf/in, 445mm & 435mm free height, 21mm bar diameter (constant 880 lbs load)
2725: 440 lbf/in, 445mm & 435mm free height, 22mm bar diameter (constant 1300 lbs load)

Awesome that there's a breakdown of specifications for these. While I don't have a horse in the LC suspension camp, I do have some experience to share.

In general for this thread:

IMO, more spring rate is not always better, in regards to an off-road rig where flex is a primary consideration. It's the contrast between a load carrying setup like a F350, vs a slinky RTI'ing Jeep. Too high of spring rates is going to kill RTI and make for a stiff legged truck. One that does not like to tuck tire, lifting the other tires into the air.

If you think about the stock rear spring, 170lbf/in. That's spec'd to carry half the weight of the rig with that axle. For sake of discussion for our ~6k lbs rigs, say 3000lbs. Is one adding +3000 more lbs to the rear to justify an almost doubling of spring rate? Because that's almost what needs to be done to maintain the same RTI as stock. Any less, and it's going to be way stiff legged. Looked at another way, that stock 170 lbf/in is spec'd for the rig and whatever portion of the 1250lb payload. Doubling the spring rate in the 2723's even is a lot of spring, enough to support 2 rig rear ends and almost 1250*2 payload.

To my main point, spring spacers seem underused in this community. Part of the goal in springs is added payload. But a lot of people are using spring rate to level the ride which not really what one wants to do. This would be better served by spring spacers really, which extend the free length to get the desired ride height at whatever load. The final ride height is always a compromise between empty and loaded.

If I had an LC, the 2721 should suite just about anything. With 10/15/20mm spacers to tune height depending on loads.

 

[Mineral]

Good discussion. Very helpful.

Sounds like both @TexAZ and @Willy beamin both suggest the front 2702 shocks (625lb/in w/ 2" lift) are likely too light and should be swapped for the next size up 720lb/in front springs.

This leaves two potential setups (Here's the OME spec sheet, to follow along):

1. Swap rear back to the 2721 (270/350 lb/in) and keep the 10mm rear packer (dropping the rear ~1/4" and back to a 1/4" rake) then change the front to the stiffer 2701 (720 lb/in w/ 1" lift) and keep the 10mm front OEM spacer (dropping the front ~1"). The result would likely be a ~1.25" rake unladen, a more comfortable ride, and a slight rake to level ride when towing.
2. Swap rear to the 2723 (340 lb/in) and keep the 10mm pakcer (raising the rear ~1/2" due to +10mm free height and extra stiffness, creating ~1" rake) and then change the front to the stiffer 2703 (720 lb/in w/ 2" lift) and keep the 10mm front OEM spacer (keeping front at roughly the same height). This would likely result in ~1" rake unladen, a firmer ride (but not horrible), overall taller stance, and *slightly* higher likelihood the rig will stay level or raked when towing. Also, this setup would set the rig up for armor, bumpers, aux fuel tank, etc, later in life.

Given @TeCKis300 input, it seems #1 would be more conducive to RTI until/if the extra weight were added.

Another observation is Option 1 is about 1.5x the stock firmness numbers (1.44x up front and 1.58x out back) where Option 2 is 1.44x up front and 2x out back. This indicates that Option 1 might be closer balanced, at least relative to the stock setup. But, I am not a suspension guru and am making a lot of assumptions with that last statement.

Regardless, hopefully this experience can be helpful to others considering the OME setup for their rig.

Feel free to chime in with your opinions. Feedback is definitely welcome.

 

[Mineral]

Note: I will say, if I were not towing the trailer, I would be happy to keep and recommend forward the 2702/2722 setup.

 

[Mineral]

And here is a picture of the initial lift (2702/2721) vs stock:

LC200 Stock Suspension vs OME 2702/2721 Setup

• Mineral
• Mar 5, 2018

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Awesome that there's a breakdown of specifications for these. While I don't have a horse in the LC suspension camp, I do have some experience to share.

In general for this thread:

IMO, more spring rate is not always better, in regards to an off-road rig where flex is a primary consideration. It's the contrast between a load carrying setup like a F350, vs a slinky RTI'ing Jeep. Too high of spring rates is going to kill RTI and make for a stiff legged truck. One that does not like to tuck tire, lifting the other tires into the air.

If you think about the stock rear spring, 170lbf/in. That's spec'd to carry half the weight of the rig with that axle. For sake of discussion for our ~6k lbs rigs, say 3000lbs. Is one adding +3000 more lbs to the rear to justify an almost doubling of spring rate? Because that's almost what needs to be done to maintain the same RTI as stock. Any less, and it's going to be way stiff legged. Looked at another way, that stock 170 lbf/in is spec'd for the rig and whatever portion of the 1250lb payload. Doubling the spring rate in the 2723's even is a lot of spring, enough to support 2 rig rear ends and almost 1250*2 payload.

To my main point, spring spacers seem underused in this community. Part of the goal in springs is added payload. But a lot of people are using spring rate to level the ride which not really what one wants to do. This would be better served by spring spacers really, which extend the free length to get the desired ride height at whatever load. The final ride height is always a compromise between empty and loaded.

If I had an LC, the 2721 should suite just about anything. With 10/15/20mm spacers to tune height depending on loads.

I feel like we have had this conversation before. Anyway, with 2725s... and no rear bumper or drawer. The rear axle flexes right along with the terrain.

Also, flex doesn’t matter much when your rear end saga and you start bottoming out on even the smallest rocks. You need to keep the back end up, you just do.

I’m not the biggest fan of spacers. It just moves a potential pivot point from a nice sunken mount to just out on its own. I’ve seen enough coil springs shift and come unseated from 1” spacers.

As of now, I’ve had 2721s, 2722s, 2723s, and 2725s in my truck with stock weight. I’ll play with 2723s and 2725s when I get my Drifta drawer next month and my BudBuilt rear bumper.

 

[Mineral]

Driving the kiddos to swim class tonight, can’t help but like the 2702s up front. The 2722s could be firmer out back.

Let’s take subjective feel out of the equation.

Anyone see, from a vehicle handling/dynamics perspective, why it would be a bad idea to keep the 2702s up front and just swap out the 2722s w 2723s, keeping the 10mm spacers front and rear?

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Driving the kiddos to swim class tonight, can’t help but like the 2702s up front. The 2722s could be firmer out back.

Let’s take subjective feel out of the equation.

Anyone see, from a vehicle handling/dynamics perspective, why it would be a bad idea to keep the 2702s up front and just swap out the 2722s w 2723s, keeping the 10mm spacers front and rear?

I currently have the 2723s back in the rear with stock weight, no trim spacer. While I prefer the firmer ride driving around (except for rough downtown roads). That’s said, it’s very tall out back. I can’t compare to your 2702s up front, as I have BPs up front with 28mm of preload, and the rear is still 1.5” higher than that. And the front of mine is tall, I just want to make sure your front end is as tall as mine. It looks like it is from your picture, but lets check with a tape measure. Too much rake can start effect cornering handling.

Could you measure the height from the wheel center to the fender lip? I just want to make sure the rear end isn't going to be too high for you.

 

[Mineral]

Height from wheel center to fender lip w/ 2702/2722 combo:

22.75” up front
23.1250 rear

 

[Mineral]

Yup, I misspoke in an earlier post - the 2702/2721 rake was +1/4”. But, the increase in rake going to 2702/2722 was only only +1/8” not +3/8” as earlier indicated.

 

[TeCKis300]

I feel like we have had this conversation before. Anyway, with 2725s... and no rear bumper or drawer. The rear axle flexes right along with the terrain.

Also, flex doesn’t matter much when your rear end saga and you start bottoming out on even the smallest rocks. You need to keep the back end up, you just do.

I’m not the biggest fan of spacers. It just moves a potential pivot point from a nice sunken mount to just out on its own. I’ve seen enough coil springs shift and come unseated from 1” spacers.

As of now, I’ve had 2721s, 2722s, 2723s, and 2725s in my truck with stock weight. I’ll play with 2723s and 2725s when I get my Drifta drawer next month and my BudBuilt rear bumper.

We've been circling around these topics for sure. Good conversation as a different POV is often useful.

Yes, it'll still flex with more spring rate. Predictably less, and much less with the spring rates that more than double the stock rate. The very definition of spring rate tells us so, as it's rated at lbs it'll support per inch deflection.

I hear you that maintaining height is important. But as all suspension tuning, its a conflation of concerns, and a balance of tuning. On-road handling vs off-road flex.

Ideally, a spring would be custom built exactly per our requirements. In lieu of that with the spring building blocks we are given, spring spacers are a useful tool to tailor lifts. Yes, I wouldn't use a 1" spacer either. But certainly below that, they are a useful tool to level ride height per load added.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Height from wheel center to fender lip w/ 2702/2722 combo:

22.75” up front
23.1250 rear

Alright... my 2723s with no trim spacers are 24.5” from center of hub to fender lip edge.

With no trim packer, you have 1.75” rake. My recommendation if you have a modest camping setup would be to put in 2723s without the trim packers, then test your camping load. If you need the extra .4” of lift, then through them in later.

It’s tough to compare the camping load sag from 2722s to 2723s, but obviously the 2723s can take it without looking like a saggin’ wagon as bad as the 2722s.

If you know you are going to put people, plus 600+ pounds of gear in the back like I do, then I’d put the trim packets in from the get go.

For me to get to that load I have fridge fully stocked, 20 gallons of fuel, dry food, small tool kit, small recovery kit, some extra fasteners, a 24” duffel bag for each person, one cold weather duffle for everyone, shower tent, OzTent, a Kariba stove/shower, a dragon fly stove, sleeping bags, pads, some helinox chairs, and a toilet. It all stays at headrest height if anyone is wondering. I don’t carry a hi-lift, spare parts other than a fan belt, or fluids other than water.

Hopefully that helps kids compare our setups, if you like a firmer “truck” ride, 2723s are not bad. And they are wonderful going down the highway.

And if you are still unsure, wait a couple months, and I’ll have 2723s added to my growing list of rear springs for sale, for cheap.

 

[Mineral]

Super helpful Taco2Cruiser.

Also, btw, I looked up BP51 recommended preloads, given your 28mm comment. Holy crikey! No accessories = 10 mm; Bar only = 15mm; Bar and winch = 20mm. 28mm is off the charts! Have a lot of respect for your style.

Wow - 24.5" from center of hub to fender lip. 1.75" (keeping 2702s w/ 10mm OEM spacers) is a much higher rake than I anticipated going to 2723s. I suppose if I went 2703s up front, the rake would be reduced. Good data point; super helpful.

So, I talked to the folks over at Slee earlier today.

2723 comments

• Slee's observations, leaving spacers and packers out of the equation, is if I do 2703/2723 (Slee HD setup) combo w/o weight - the truck will be "over-lifted" and won't fully utilize the full travel of the shock/struts.
• If I kept the 2702 front and added the 2723 rear, keeping spacers and packers out of the equation, same problem of over-lifting will occur - just in the rear, not front.

So, what are the general recommendations?

1. Put back in the 2721s. Reason is the 2721s will actually compress less than the 2722s when towing due to the progressive nature. I hadn't thought that would be the case, bc I was comparing the top rate of the 2721 (270 lb/in) with the 2722 spring rate (275 lb/in) where he said I need to consider also the bottom rate of the 2721 when putting on trailer load.
2. Remove the OEM spacer from the front. He believes the funky handling dynamics I experienced w/ the 2702/2721 initial setup were likely more to do with the 10mm spacers "over-lifting" the front, causing the strut to not fully be utilized and behave funny. It might be that the 2722s are just masking that better than the 2721s did by slightly raising the rear and offering a slightly firmer rear top rate. This is inline with @Markuson comments earlier to look at the front.
3. Use packers in the rear to the extent needed to compensate for the trailer weight on the rear. (Sounds similar to @TeCKis300 comments.) Slee didn't say it, but the recommendation is to stay within 15mm for rear packers, per the forums.
   1. So, after #1, keeping the 10mm packer, the rake would be 0.25".
   2. After #2, removing 10mm OEM spacer, the rake would be 0.65".
   3. If I expect a 1" drop w/ the weight of the trailer, I need 0.35" of additional spacer to level while towing.
   4. An additional 10mm (20mm total) packer gets me 0.4".
   5. However, I read somewhere on this forum (a couple of times) it is recommended to go up to only 15mm packers.
   6. 15mm packer would give a fairly reliable max of 0.85" rake w/ my specific 2702/2721 setup.
4. Which leads to Slee's fourth recommendation: purchase Timbren SES (which I already have) and add Timbren spacers (bought in 1" or 0.5" increments, they can be stacked) This will compensate for any weight bringing the rear down more than the determined rake.
   1. I played with the math on no packer, 5mm, 10mm, and 15mm options.
      
   2. Long story short, keeping distance from bottom of Timbren to top of rear axle less than rake, adding 15mm packer and throwing on the 1" Timbren spacer seemed to be the best option.

Translated to action, this means:

• Remove 10mm spacer from front
• Swap out the 2722 back for 2721
• Put 15mm packer in the rear (the existing 10mm OME packer plus need a set of 5mm OME packers)
• Add a 1" Timbren spacer to the Timbren SES

I totally respect @Taco2Cruiser style. The temptation is high to just "over-lift" the front and the rear by throwing on the 2703/2723 combo to the unladen rig and get rid of any semblance of Mall Cruiser that may remain.

The other party on the opposite shoulder begs for prudence and following the recommendations above.

Leaning towards following prudence, unless anyone wants to get wonky and offer further clarity or counterpoints to the above.

Am truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and individuality on this forum.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Super helpful Taco2Cruiser.

Also, btw, I looked up BP51 recommended preloads, given your 28mm comment. Holy crikey! No accessories = 10 mm; Bar only = 15mm; Bar and winch = 20mm. 28mm is off the charts! Have a lot of respect for your style.

Wow - 24.5" from center of hub to fender lip. 1.75" (keeping 2702s w/ 10mm OEM spacers) is a much higher rake than I anticipated going to 2723s. I suppose if I went 2703s up front, the rake would be reduced. Good data point; super helpful.

So, I talked to the folks over at Slee earlier today.

2723 comments

• Slee's observations, leaving spacers and packers out of the equation, is if I do 2703/2723 (Slee HD setup) combo w/o weight - the truck will be "over-lifted" and won't fully utilize the full travel of the shock/struts.
• If I kept the 2702 front and added the 2723 rear, keeping spacers and packers out of the equation, same problem of over-lifting will occur - just in the rear, not front.

So, what are the general recommendations?

1. Put back in the 2721s. Reason is the 2721s will actually compress less than the 2722s when towing due to the progressive nature. I hadn't thought that would be the case, bc I was comparing the top rate of the 2721 (270 lb/in) with the 2722 spring rate (275 lb/in) where he said I need to consider also the bottom rate of the 2721 when putting on trailer load.
2. Remove the OEM spacer from the front. He believes the funky handling dynamics I experienced w/ the 2702/2721 initial setup were likely more to do with the 10mm spacers "over-lifting" the front, causing the strut to not fully be utilized and behave funny. It might be that the 2722s are just masking that better than the 2721s did by slightly raising the rear and offering a slightly firmer rear top rate. This is inline with @Markuson comments earlier to look at the front.
3. Use packers in the rear to the extent needed to compensate for the trailer weight on the rear. (Sounds similar to @TeCKis300 comments.) Slee didn't say it, but the recommendation is to stay within 15mm for rear packers, per the forums.
   1. So, after #1, keeping the 10mm packer, the rake would be 0.25".
   2. After #2, removing 10mm OEM spacer, the rake would be 0.65".
   3. If I expect a 1" drop w/ the weight of the trailer, I need 0.35" of additional spacer to level while towing.
   4. An additional 10mm (20mm total) packer gets me 0.4".
   5. However, I read somewhere on this forum (a couple of times) it is recommended to go up to only 15mm packers.
   6. 15mm packer would give a fairly reliable max of 0.85" rake w/ my specific 2702/2721 setup.
4. Which leads to Slee's fourth recommendation: purchase Timbren SES (which I already have) and add Timbren spacers (bought in 1" or 0.5" increments, they can be stacked) This will compensate for any weight bringing the rear down more than the determined rake.
   1. I played with the math on no packer, 5mm, 10mm, and 15mm options.
      
   2. Long story short, keeping distance from bottom of Timbren to top of rear axle less than rake, adding 15mm packer and throwing on the 1" Timbren spacer seemed to be the best option.

Translated to action, this means:

• Remove 10mm spacer from front
• Swap out the 2722 back for 2721
• Put 15mm packer in the rear (the existing 10mm OME packer plus need a set of 5mm OME packers)
• Add a 1" Timbren spacer to the Timbren SES

I totally respect @Taco2Cruiser style. The temptation is high to just "over-lift" the front and the rear by throwing on the 2703/2723 combo to the unladen rig and get rid of any semblance of Mall Cruiser that may remain.

The other party on the opposite shoulder begs for prudence and following the recommendations above.

Leaning towards following prudence, unless anyone wants to get wonky and offer further clarity or counterpoints to the above.

Am truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and individuality on this forum.

In the end, as long as you’re happy, then it was the right way to do it.

This isn’t to sway you about 2723s. But I have to really disagree with whoever at Slee talked about the 2723 on an unloaded rig. I have quite a lot of crawl time on that setup. And the only thing that stops that rear axle from moving upward, is the bump stops.

For kicks, as I mentioned earlier, I put in a 2725, unloaded and drive it up an RTI ramp. And that didn’t limit up travel and flex one bit.

So I would tell you the whole “over lift” thing, is not a thing at all when it comes to our trucks and available rear springs.

So I would recommend that you focus on just flat driving payload capacity and your personal ride feel to help you make a decision.

As you can see, this forum is a great place to get real information, and for example, when you have guys like me and guys like @TeCKis300, where we regularly disagree with each other (love yea bro, don’t ever think I don’t value you opinion). But in the end, it’s not about us, it’s about you. So that’s my recommendation, 2723s do give you an awesome lift, but you just need to be ready for all that lift. Nothing wrong with staying with a 2721 and a trim spacer, then adjusting the front off of that.

I personally find the right rear spring for my payload, then match my front accordingly to the rear. Not find the front, then try and match an appropriate rear. That’s just how I do it. Doesn’t make it right. Good luck with your set up.

 

[Mineral]

When you get bored w/ the 2723s, reach out; maybe I'll pick up some 2703s at that time and post a comparo to the community for kicks and giggles.

Then someone else can have a shot at the leftover setup; I'm sure there will be a reasonable taker for either (2702/2721 w/ 15mm packers or 2703/2723).

Meantime, I'll report back once the above is completed by @murf over at Camelback Toyota and see if reality matches expectations. I'm especially curious if the removal of the front OEM spacer will cause a notable difference in handling compared to last time I had the 2721s in.

 

[TexAZ]

I personally find the right rear spring for my payload, then match my front accordingly to the rear. Not find the front, then try and match an appropriate rear. That’s just how I do it. Doesn’t make it right. Good luck with your set up.

The rear is much less forgiving to set up since there is no ability to adjust the spring compression or height, and the demand on the rear suspension changes so much with the addition/removal of weight. This is one reason the 2721s work very well for a variety of situations.
if you want to dial in the front to match the height of the rear, think about investing in some adjustable coilovers. I've messed with 10mm, 20mm, 27mm spacers on top of the coilovers combined with varying degrees of spring compression to get the smoothest ride I can without sacrificing wheel travel.

I've got two kids in carseats in the 2nd row, so I've got my current setup softer than I would like to accommodate their bobble heads.
trying to dial in suspension with gas shocks and spacers will give you fits.

another thing you can mess with without changing hardware, is to add a load to the rear of the truck. (sand bags work well for this)
you can add a known weight (4x40bl bags = 160 lb) and see how it affects the ride. Also check your tire pressure. Too low and these trucks tend to wallow. (yes I know low tire pressure will make any vehicle wallow, but it seems to me to be more pronounced in the 200)

and with all that, you've got my $.02 for free.

I'm just south of Phoenix, we'll have to get together for a ride comparison.

 

[Mineral]

Welcome the oppty to meet up TexAZ.

These 200s sure do make great adventure rigs for the the family!

Am starting to question my wisdom in not going coil overs from the get go. At this point, am committed to the yellow OME path - at least for now.

27mm? that's an interesting measurement; any story there? hazarding a guess - variances in manufacturing tolerances; your combo just happened to stack up to 27mm

Why is it recommended to stay under 15mm packers and what is your real world experience exceeding 15mm?

Running psi @ 41 in all four corners currently.

 

[Mineral]

Got the 200 back from the shop Saturday and near immediately loaded her up with the family and gear to spend the rest of an extended weekend in Puerto Penasco. (4 hours south of Phoenix.)

The difference was noticed immediately going with the 2702/2721 and 15mm packer setup. The vehicle felt more planted on the road than either of the two previous setups. No wandering within the lane, no squirrel-like sensations. Even felt comfortable taking the 45 mph curves along Maricopa Rd at 70+ mph; there was slightly more body roll than stock, but the wife and kiddos stayed comfy. Wasn't quite up for pushing the "double minus ten rule", that would have registered complaints.

The ride is notably firmer than stock, but not uncomfortable. My wife likes it better; she says it feels more like a truck should. The increase in firmness was apparent not only off road down in Mexico and on their streets, but even on some highway stretches stateside. For example, the one year old would belt out an "aaaahhhhhh" for stretches that would then oscillate her tone with the subtle vibrations of the road coming up through the vehicle. She got a kick out of it, tho, and would laugh after running out of breath. This OME suspension setup hits the spot for us; just pointing out where I suppose the extra money for the coil overs likely goes.

At this point, I'm pretty sure the culprit in the previous suspension iterations was the OEM spacer combined with the 2702 front springs. And the 2722 rear coils likely just masked the issue better than the 2721. Perhaps with the 2700 front spring, the OEM spacer would do better. (If anyone wants a lightly used set of OEM spacers, PM me and I'll work to get them over to you. 3/23 Update: OEM Spacers found a new home.)

Interesting side note, all the previous theoretical calcs relative to this new setup materialized. Am left with 7/8" rake and 1.375" from bottom of Timbren to top of rear axle.

As captured in another thread, this setup did yield faint rub of the 285/65R18 STT Pros against the front sway bar that SPC techs validated could not be remedied without either moving the sway bar or pushing the tires out. So, I'm going back in for spidertrax spacers later this week.

Hat tip to @murf and his crew for their continued patience and willingness to work with me dialing in this setup. Camelback Toyota has been thoroughly great.

 

[Mineral]

Spidertrax wheel spacers are in now; sway bar rub gone.

Minor rubs against some of the plastic pieces within the front wheel wells now (under very specific conditions); nothing a little bit of trimming shouldn't be able to fix.

 

[Mineral]

Mud flap trim complete;no more rub.

Still need to address the rub against front bumper wheel well trim at full lock in reverse. I notice it pretty much whenever backing into a parking spot - which is my customary parking method. So, it’ll need to be addressed. After spending time under the vehicle, unscrewing and re-attaching plastic pieces, am thinking to heat gun the inside elevated channels and then push them in. Just need to address the lower couple inches of the plastic. The theory being the necessary clearance will be gained when the plastic cools.

 

[mcgaskins]

Mud flap trim complete;no more rub.

View attachment 1661730 View attachment 1661732

Still need to address the rub against front bumper wheel well trim at full lock in reverse. I notice it pretty much whenever backing into a parking spot - which is my customary parking method. So, it’ll need to be addressed. After spending time under the vehicle, unscrewing and re-attaching plastic pieces, am thinking to heat gun the inside elevated channels and then push them in. Just need to address the lower couple inches of the plastic. The theory being the necessary clearance will be gained when the plastic cools.

View attachment 1661731

Nice. How do you like the STT Pros? Are they loud? They must run pretty big for that size. Do you have any pics that show the whole truck you can share here?