Help me choose the best lift for my rig. (1 Viewer)

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foolforthecity

SILVER Star
Joined
Feb 17, 2021
Threads
12
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84
Location
Ohio
2021 LC with 23,000 miles. I purchased new and have been slowly adding modifications and now it is time for a lift. I have DIY'd 100% of the work to this point and don't plan to change that if I can help it. I plan to keep this vehicle forever so everything I do I want to do to it right with a long term view.

Use case:
Daily Driver - 10-12k miles per year.
Car camping, fishing, hiking, skiing, biking, road trips.
I transport bikes with a hitch mounted carrier and on the roof with a rhino rack attachment to the rhino platform.
I transport skis on the rhino rack with a rhino ski carrier attachment.
I transport a hitch mounted stowaway rear cargo carrier for pavement road trips.
Other than forest service and fire roads I will do ~3 to 6 dedicated off road excursions per year. I am not afraid to run it hard off road and will take risks but this is a DD so I try not to tackle trails that are too advanced or highly technical but some of the trails I run do require driver skill and are reasonably technical or >intermediate. No rock gardens for me. Lots of creeks and puddles but no deep water crossings.
Most all of this is done with my wife and three kids in tow + a vehicle full of gear. In other words the rig is pretty darn heavy on the trails.

Major mods/weight additions so far:
I want to make sure the lift that I choose can accommodate the weight I have added to the rig.
BB Sliders
BB Skids. Bash plate is steel and rest of the skids are aluminum for weight savings. I skipped the gas tank skid (for now but may add later)
Trail Tailor hidden winch mount + 12k winch.
Dissent aluminum rear bumper.
Rhino rack platform on roof.
There are a bunch of other mods but this list cover the ones that added the most weight.

Mods I am considering in the future (more weight added):
On board air
Lockers
Dual Battery
BB Gas tank skid
Rear mounted tire carrier for Dissent bumper
I am NOT considering a front bumper
I WILL keep the third row and will not add drawers
I DON'T tow other than when I rent equipment occasionally

I am currently running 275/70/r18 Toyo AT3 and will keep that set-up initially. I have the OEM spacers with 1.25 spidertrax and I did not rub at all until I added the weight of the winch mount + winch and now I rub at full lock. That tire size is just "good enough" for the trails that I do but I would consider a slightly larger size if the lift could accommodate it.

Installation difficulty is a consideration since I will be tackling this alone without a lift. I DIY'd the OEM spacers so I am reasonably capable. Are some lifts easier to install than others? Do I really need to add aftermarket UCAs? These are questions I don't fully understand.

I am looking for the best blend of performance for a DD without having to sacrifice off-road capability and long term durability.

Thanks for the insight fellow mud members!
 
Easy choice in my opinion depending on budget. Kings.

Also, welcome! Also, pics or bust.
 
Lift 2"+ then yes, you will need UCA's. I would look at Dobinson's MRR, King's, the new ADS stuff Slee is supposed to be putting out soon and Ironman Foam Cell Pro, OME, or Bilstein on the cheaper end. Avoid Icon's.
 
I had Iron man foam cell pro 2" lift and UCAs on my 100 series. I really like it overall. You have a very wide usage range so I would look for something adjustable.
 
I bought an LX specifically for the adjustability of the suspension as I use my vehicle similar to yours and I tow a 26ft camper.

Here it sits in high mode.

Good luck with choosing. I don't envy you!!

20230425_174325.jpg
 
UCA are very straightforward in the LC. It took about half a day in my home garage to install the entire lift including UCAs. There are a number of install videos that a make it paint by number. Sounds like you have done a number of things to you LC that are harder like the hidden winch.

That was a real pistol on the LX. I take UCAs over that any day!
 
I think when it comes to suspension work I am still snakebit from the very first lift I put on a vehicle back in the late 90s. It was a Jeep and it ended up with death wobble. Not a fun experience!!
 
You need more tire. Many of your mods and skids are compensating for a moderate tire size. You can get more performance and clearance from a larger tire like a full 34-35" tire. That can require less suspension lift for better drivability and compliance. And also require less armor with less likelihood of contact. Pay attention to overall weight as that'll have impacts to performance and efficiency.
 
I think when it comes to suspension work I am still snakebit from the very first lift I put on a vehicle back in the late 90s. It was a Jeep and it ended up with death wobble. Not a fun experience!!

The equivalent to death wobble for the 200-series with too much suspension lift is toe steer. It's not as unpredictable but it's not fun compensating for directional instability over bumps and acceleration/decel. With a bigger lift, like UCAs for the front, plan on a panhard correction kit for the back.
 
The equivalent to death wobble for the 200-series with too much suspension lift is toe steer. It's not as unpredictable but it's not fun compensating for directional instability over bumps and acceleration/decel. With a bigger lift, like UCAs for the front, plan on a panhard correction kit for the back.

I have not been able to find a good tie rod adjustment kit for the 200. I would love to be able to reverse mount it, but the cone seat would be flipped.
Any good solutions out there?
 
I have not been able to find a good tie rod adjustment kit for the 200. I would love to be able to reverse mount it, but the cone seat would be flipped.
Any good solutions out there?

I haven't stared at this enough. What would it be trying to address?
 
I have Icon Stage 6 and like the digressive valving. They have 25k plus on them with no leaks, squeaks, or issues. When rebuild time comes then I’ll get them rebuilt.

I daily drive my HE and take it off-road occasionally.

I’ve had Icons in the past (Jeep Rubicon AEV and F150) with no issues and my customer service experience has been positive. My Jeep has 80k on them and they’ve been rebuilt once at 60k with no issue and good service.

You’ll obviously receive a ton of opinions, but I believe that you have to determine your needs/usage.

To me the premium brands are all good and debating it is like debating oil, tires, etc.

I’ve had Fox, King, and Icon and have nothing negative to say about any although they have their differences.

Ive never owned OME, Dobinsons, or Ironman. Ive never had stock suspension on a Land Cruiser either.

Good luck as you sort it all out.

Note: My HE came with Stage 6 installed by ACC in 2020 (previous owner) and they have 25k miles on them and I love the street ride and the CDCV adjustability to dial them down if I want a cushy pavement ride.
 
I haven't stared at this enough. What would it be trying to address?

Just a super simple tie rod steer point correction. As the lift is lowering its neutral position, just mount it from the top. Trying to reduce as much lift induced excess movement from its new normal ride position. If were being nit-picky , which I always am.

Basically flip this bolt and arm orientation upside down.

1682713818690.png


Sorry I dont have a great picture on hand.
 
Just a super simple tie rod steer point correction. As the lift is lowering its neutral position, just mount it from the top. Trying to reduce as much lift induced excess movement from its new normal ride position. If were being nit-picky , which I always am.

Basically flip this bolt and arm orientation upside down.

View attachment 3309773

Sorry I dont have a great picture on hand.

Guess I don't see a need for such a mod. If you don't mind me saying, part of your frustration with these things is perhaps modding too far outside od design envelopes. There's a balance and less is sometimes more. With complex systems, I'm sure you understand it's never just one thing and changes can result in cascading or unintended impacts. Especially as we don't have the keys to design parameters or software.
 
2021 LC with 23,000 miles. I purchased new and have been slowly adding modifications and now it is time for a lift. I have DIY'd 100% of the work to this point and don't plan to change that if I can help it. I plan to keep this vehicle forever so everything I do I want to do to it right with a long term view.

Use case:
Daily Driver - 10-12k miles per year.
Car camping, fishing, hiking, skiing, biking, road trips.
I transport bikes with a hitch mounted carrier and on the roof with a rhino rack attachment to the rhino platform.
I transport skis on the rhino rack with a rhino ski carrier attachment.
I transport a hitch mounted stowaway rear cargo carrier for pavement road trips.
Other than forest service and fire roads I will do ~3 to 6 dedicated off road excursions per year. I am not afraid to run it hard off road and will take risks but this is a DD so I try not to tackle trails that are too advanced or highly technical but some of the trails I run do require driver skill and are reasonably technical or >intermediate. No rock gardens for me. Lots of creeks and puddles but no deep water crossings.
Most all of this is done with my wife and three kids in tow + a vehicle full of gear. In other words the rig is pretty darn heavy on the trails.

Major mods/weight additions so far:
I want to make sure the lift that I choose can accommodate the weight I have added to the rig.
BB Sliders
BB Skids. Bash plate is steel and rest of the skids are aluminum for weight savings. I skipped the gas tank skid (for now but may add later)
Trail Tailor hidden winch mount + 12k winch.
Dissent aluminum rear bumper.
Rhino rack platform on roof.
There are a bunch of other mods but this list cover the ones that added the most weight.

Mods I am considering in the future (more weight added):
On board air
Lockers
Dual Battery
BB Gas tank skid
Rear mounted tire carrier for Dissent bumper
I am NOT considering a front bumper
I WILL keep the third row and will not add drawers
I DON'T tow other than when I rent equipment occasionally

I am currently running 275/70/r18 Toyo AT3 and will keep that set-up initially. I have the OEM spacers with 1.25 spidertrax and I did not rub at all until I added the weight of the winch mount + winch and now I rub at full lock. That tire size is just "good enough" for the trails that I do but I would consider a slightly larger size if the lift could accommodate it.

Installation difficulty is a consideration since I will be tackling this alone without a lift. I DIY'd the OEM spacers so I am reasonably capable. Are some lifts easier to install than others? Do I really need to add aftermarket UCAs? These are questions I don't fully understand.

I am looking for the best blend of performance for a DD without having to sacrifice off-road capability and long term durability.

Thanks for the insight fellow mud members!
King 2.5 or BP-51 with the right front springs and rear OME springs to suit the load weight. The Eimkeith PCK is a worthwhile upgrade.

I'm very happy with my setup and run it daily and on everything, including offroad up to periodic rock crawling. I am very heavily loaded, lots of armor, and am running King 2.5, 600 fronts (probably moving to 650), OME 2724 rears, eimkeith PCK. The 2721 was a nice setup before I loaded it heavy.

If you go kings, I highly recommend Ben Brazda at Filthy Motorsports. He'll make sure you are set up with a suspension that matches your personal needs.
 
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Guess I don't see a need for such a mod. If you don't mind me saying, part of your frustration with these things is perhaps modding too far outside od design envelopes. There's a balance and less is sometimes more. With complex systems, I'm sure you understand it's never just one thing and changes can result in cascading or unintended impacts. Especially as we don't have the keys to design parameters or software.

Yeah… I know. And don’t mind at all P. But we shall persevere!!!

This is part of the game. Weve got bigger issues on the boards than mine for sure like frame horns shearing off etc. We don’t always need to see eye to eye but your minimalist ethos ive said many times is very wise and shows your experience.

Right now two things that are most frustrating are my fault. First is the cheap amazon shock spacer failing that has me needing to rebuild up front. Second is the “cheap” aftermarket wheels i bought. One definitely is out of round or something in the rear right I believe (inducing a slight hop).
It took a lot of rotations to isolate it… although no machine has detected it, I will dial it soon myself.
Second one isnt really my doing though, just my luck lol.

Also, the brake lines I got from centric are not up to snuff since it seems at least one was defective. Going to have to swap that soon.

Otherwise not much else I will do to the truck outside of slightly bigger fitment, a proper gas tank size (need to avoid evap issues that have plagued some of yall), bumpstops, sliders, and a roof rack with tent.

Then I will park it and stare at it for a while lol.
 

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