trying to find a pretty cheap way to lift my 90 ext cab Toyota truck.... its ifs thats the problem...i dont want to do a body lift. i dont want to drop 800, 900 dollars on a lift kit. its not a crawler and never will be so i have no plans to sas it. im just trying to get 2, 3 inch out of it, for a cheap price........Any idea???????
Help me lift my truck 2,3 inchs
- Thread starter 90extcab
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yeah. For one the IFS is not a problem, it's a DANG good IFS that's just hard to modify and make better.
2, a locker is prolly all you need.
3, b/c you can put a small T bar twist or better, BJ Spacers and make 33's fit.
b/c 4, modding your truck is vicious cycle. One thing will lead to another thing and will lead to another thing and if you start with a poor build plan you won't like Toyota for long.
...You know, b/c the "Squirrel Power" won't turn over your 44 boggers.
If it was me I'd drop the lift plans and get a rear locker or better TRD locker and wire it in.
Then you can run a smaller less-aggressive tire and go in more places than a Bubba Truck.
And your mileage, DT wear and stock gears won't suffer.
lol that really didnt answer your question at all did it. im kinda new to this too but from what i know a 1" or 2" lift is quite easy, all i did to get a 50mm lift on my hilux surf was to buy some aftermarket rear springs, and wound up the front torsion bars. the springs only cost me NZ$170 but if your in the US i imagine you could get some cheaper.
If your trucks leaf springed you could wind up the Tbars n get an extra leaf added to your rear and or reseat the springs. not sure how high u can get from Tbars i just went high enuf to fit my 33"s i have photos in my gallery that could give you an idea.
If you decide to do body lift i hear 1" n 2" are easy, but any higher and you have to extend steering and hoses n some other junk.
hope that helped a lil
If your trucks leaf springed you could wind up the Tbars n get an extra leaf added to your rear and or reseat the springs. not sure how high u can get from Tbars i just went high enuf to fit my 33"s i have photos in my gallery that could give you an idea.
If you decide to do body lift i hear 1" n 2" are easy, but any higher and you have to extend steering and hoses n some other junk.
hope that helped a lil
crank the tbars and use low profile bumpstops or install bj spacers for the front. raise the rear to match with some low lift springs or add another stock leaf or lengthen your shackle or use a combo of these methods. Combine these mlld lifts with a mild 1" to 1 1/2" body lift and you are good to go. Depending on your tire size and rims and how much you flex you might need to trim the fenders.
got a link?
"Depending on your tire size and rims and how much you flex you might need to trim the fenders"
this is a possibility, noone told me before i fitted my 33s and they trimmed my fenders for me haha, folded in about 3inches out the corners by the doors, you cant even tell and noone notices till i point it out to them. dont be a retard like me
, check for clearance BEFORE you go blasting off down the road lol
Special clappsss
merrgghh
this is a possibility, noone told me before i fitted my 33s and they trimmed my fenders for me haha, folded in about 3inches out the corners by the doors, you cant even tell and noone notices till i point it out to them. dont be a retard like me
, check for clearance BEFORE you go blasting off down the road lol Special clappsss
merrgghh
Don't mean to thread hijack, but would the add a leafs in that kit still give you a lift if you are sagging in the rear? Or would you have to get new springs and then the lift kit?
Every add a leaf is different. Basically different spring rates. The problem on answering that question perfectly is that I have no idea what the rate is on those add a leafs nor what yours are currently at. What I will do is take a stab at your question based off of experience and say..... Those are short add a leafs which normally have a high rate (stiff). They will lift your sagging springs just fine back to where you want to be. The longer add a leafs I prefer (softer ride) but are more likely going to get influenced by your sagging pack due to they have to take the full load. This is stupid but I have to say it as I have seen it done. Make sure you place the add a leaf in the correct spot in your pack or you will be trying to influence overload springs which are not going to budge. Toyota is luckily pretty obvious so you shouldn't have an issue.
Again I am just one of thoe guys that are trying to be helpful..... I have lifted zero early 90s type yotas. Ask me how to lift a tacoma cheap as that i can answer confidently as I have done 7. The rears are obviously similar
Again I am just one of thoe guys that are trying to be helpful..... I have lifted zero early 90s type yotas. Ask me how to lift a tacoma cheap as that i can answer confidently as I have done 7. The rears are obviously similar
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id say your about right station, as you said stiff will increase the spring rate and thus make the truck sit firmer and compensate a lil for the sagging springs, they only sag due to old age and losing there pretension and therefor the spring rates. adding an extra one should help bring it up a bit depending on the length of the spring..
Before I get ate up I should mention the arch of those add a leafs factor into the occasion as well. Even a stiff as a board add a leaf wouldnt do anything if it was flat and you were adding them to a pack that was slightly arched while on the vehicle (have load). The add a leafs in the pictures arch reminds me of a rear spring that has been removed and has no load on it. Therefor these will indeed increase your sagging springs as your springs are closer to flat right now (which is why they lift your vehicle even with a good pack more than just the 3/8s or however thick they are).... This next piece doesnt apply to the 90 trucks but to make a point the front yota springs are flat which is why when you put a pair of rears in the front it provides I think 3" of lift (as well as moves the front axle forward or backwards). I hope this makes sense. The down side to the adda leafs is a stiffer ride...... Not too stiff but stiffer. I preferred blocks vs. add a leafs on the tacomas I have done except the ones that were not the tow package. One of them had a different leaf pack in the rear and the add a leaf was a perfect addition as when a four wheeler was loaded in the back it prevously sat on the bump stops...... Mind you these were daily drivers so the axle wrap wasnt an issue nor was even noticeable. BUT they did not have sagging springs either so in the case of the sagging springs go with the add a leafs. If you have good springs go with a block or the add a leaf in the rear.... No biggie either way is fine. The only question we have now is do you just crank the torsion bars to whatever will still be alignable or do you purchase those shiny doo hickeys that (supposebly again I do not know) keep your geometry correct.
One thing that hasnt been mentioned is cranking your torsion bars will make the front stiffer. Just a heads up. Little stiffer I actually prefer.....
One thing that hasnt been mentioned is cranking your torsion bars will make the front stiffer. Just a heads up. Little stiffer I actually prefer.....
I am after the same thing. I am going to go with 1.5" ball joint spacers and add 2 leafs from another set of rear springs I have. If I need I will add longer rear shackels to get the back where I need it.
I need a little extra in my springs because I have wood compartments in the bed and a topper. I also put stuff in it often and I think 3 leafs + the overloads is just not enough, so this will be a good option for me. I do not care for add a leafs, but that is just me.
If you go to the junk yard to get another set of leafs to the rear I would find some that are from a newer vehicl so they have not seen as much use. Maybe a tacoma or other as long as the width is the same you can get them to work. Why buy 20+ year old springs when you could buy 10-15 year old springs for the same price? Just a thought.
I am also going to go with a body lift too in the 1-2" range. I am trying to fit 32's or 33's with out cutting fenders so I will need the body lift.
You will probably want to re gear if you go that big of tire but if you stay with 29-31's you may not have to. Just another thing to consider if you are on a tight budget.
Here is a link to my link:https://forum.ih8mud.com/79-95-toyota-truck-tech/462634-body-lift-not-body-lift-question.html
Lots of good body lift and spring ball joint info there.
Good luck.
P.S. What is the stock angle on the upper a-arm? My truck stance is a little taller than some and I am not sure if my T-bars have been cranked up.
I need a little extra in my springs because I have wood compartments in the bed and a topper. I also put stuff in it often and I think 3 leafs + the overloads is just not enough, so this will be a good option for me. I do not care for add a leafs, but that is just me.
If you go to the junk yard to get another set of leafs to the rear I would find some that are from a newer vehicl so they have not seen as much use. Maybe a tacoma or other as long as the width is the same you can get them to work. Why buy 20+ year old springs when you could buy 10-15 year old springs for the same price? Just a thought.
I am also going to go with a body lift too in the 1-2" range. I am trying to fit 32's or 33's with out cutting fenders so I will need the body lift.
You will probably want to re gear if you go that big of tire but if you stay with 29-31's you may not have to. Just another thing to consider if you are on a tight budget.
Here is a link to my link:https://forum.ih8mud.com/79-95-toyota-truck-tech/462634-body-lift-not-body-lift-question.html
Lots of good body lift and spring ball joint info there.
Good luck.
P.S. What is the stock angle on the upper a-arm? My truck stance is a little taller than some and I am not sure if my T-bars have been cranked up.
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My two cents are: 29 - 31 you will not HAVE to regear and I wouldn't even if someone was kind enough to offer me free gears. 32-33s is where I wished I would have regeared but it does ok with a good motor. However above that kiss 5th gear goodbye and say hello to 3rd a lot.
Meigsrock - i agree i prefer to go with long factory junk yard leafs in addition and cut them down accordingly as an identicle pack will have two leafs land at the exact same spot making for a really hard spot in the pack that has the potential to bend the next up leaf. I agree that add a leafs are not my favorite BUT i do not want to confuse people as on my tacoma it worked perfect... On my 1980 wheeler I am going for a completely different purpose and would not put an actual add a leaf in it
Guys honestly either of the three ways mentioned so far are perfect for the daily driver rig..... longer shackles are fine as well as long as we are talking a little longer..... If you wanted 2" of lift in the rear you would need 4" longer shackles and this is my opinion but it looks about as nice as a body lift over 1.5" tall..... Just my opinion
I think Meigsrock hit it on the head where he wants to haul heavier loads so he is going to focus on adding leafs either junkyard stock leafs or an add a leaf would work. For others that tell themselves I like the stiffness of my rear suspension and do not need any stiffer go with blocks..... Assuming we are talking a 1.5 inch block or 2" whatever it takes to level the rear. I am not stating to put 6" blocks in the rear
Meigsrock - i agree i prefer to go with long factory junk yard leafs in addition and cut them down accordingly as an identicle pack will have two leafs land at the exact same spot making for a really hard spot in the pack that has the potential to bend the next up leaf. I agree that add a leafs are not my favorite BUT i do not want to confuse people as on my tacoma it worked perfect... On my 1980 wheeler I am going for a completely different purpose and would not put an actual add a leaf in it
Guys honestly either of the three ways mentioned so far are perfect for the daily driver rig..... longer shackles are fine as well as long as we are talking a little longer..... If you wanted 2" of lift in the rear you would need 4" longer shackles and this is my opinion but it looks about as nice as a body lift over 1.5" tall..... Just my opinion
I think Meigsrock hit it on the head where he wants to haul heavier loads so he is going to focus on adding leafs either junkyard stock leafs or an add a leaf would work. For others that tell themselves I like the stiffness of my rear suspension and do not need any stiffer go with blocks..... Assuming we are talking a 1.5 inch block or 2" whatever it takes to level the rear. I am not stating to put 6" blocks in the rear
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If I recall correctly from the old Downey catalog the same exact springs could be used in the -94 mini trucks and the tacomas. I believe the result was a taller lift in the tacoma which leads me to believe the tacoma has flatter springs from the factory.
There is one in every bunch
Just kidding!!I bet your right as I recall them being visually flatter but still a similar concept, design, approach as I stated
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Thanks for the info on the Tacoma leafs being flatter, I did not know that, and so to edit my previous post then I would go with 198-1995 rear springs from a pickup if possible. 4 runners use the same springs but take more abuse from the extra load.
That would make sence about the tacoma leafs. I just talked to a guy with a late 90's tacoma and he had ordered a OME 3" lift and he was complaining that he actually ended up with 5" or so of lift. If they use this kit for both Hilux and Tacoma then it was probably quoted as 3" for the Hilux but gave the Tacoma 5". Not sure how right this is but if true that would explain why he got more lift than he planed.
If the lengths are the same then you could swap in hilux springs for tacomas and get a small cheap rear lift.
It is the little tips and cheap tricks that can really help out sometimes.
I picked up my extra springs with a spair axle and were basically free but extra springs should not go for too much at a junkyard. I will probably use those as I think they are better than mine and chop mine up.
I agree with Station wagon here. A little lift from blocks is ok or a little from longer shckels is ok, extremes are no good. I have seen 8" shackes back in the day and that is crazy. I do not like blocks as much due to more axle wrap but you can counter this with the cheap trick in my thread of adding a half leaf to the top rear to help with axle wrap.
That would make sence about the tacoma leafs. I just talked to a guy with a late 90's tacoma and he had ordered a OME 3" lift and he was complaining that he actually ended up with 5" or so of lift. If they use this kit for both Hilux and Tacoma then it was probably quoted as 3" for the Hilux but gave the Tacoma 5". Not sure how right this is but if true that would explain why he got more lift than he planed.
If the lengths are the same then you could swap in hilux springs for tacomas and get a small cheap rear lift.
It is the little tips and cheap tricks that can really help out sometimes.
I picked up my extra springs with a spair axle and were basically free but extra springs should not go for too much at a junkyard. I will probably use those as I think they are better than mine and chop mine up.
I agree with Station wagon here. A little lift from blocks is ok or a little from longer shckels is ok, extremes are no good. I have seen 8" shackes back in the day and that is crazy. I do not like blocks as much due to more axle wrap but you can counter this with the cheap trick in my thread of adding a half leaf to the top rear to help with axle wrap.
In regards to the length of the springs I can not confirm that as I never had a need to measure a tacoma vs. an early 90s but as you mentioned I do in deed recall (memory) the 80s rear spirngs having more arch as compared to the tacoma (yeah maybe the 2" your talking about I would need to look). The way around the length concern (eye to eye) is assuming the center pin is located the same as the other springs you can maintain your main leaf and utilize the other leafs you find to build a new spring pack. You just need to be cautious because toyota rears are offset center pins so it would help to find a pack that had offset as well (and ofcourse the same width) so they would trim up nicely.
Again for a guy on the cheap just buy one of these kits...... I paid 100 a pair for the last two leafs I have boughth at the local junk yard. Then assuming your buiding a new pack you would need to spend a few bucks on new center pins. And often times I see people trying to achieve a height and since its a bit of a trial and error game they end up with more leafs than they should and the ride will knock your wisdom teeth out.
Again for a guy on the cheap just buy one of these kits...... I paid 100 a pair for the last two leafs I have boughth at the local junk yard. Then assuming your buiding a new pack you would need to spend a few bucks on new center pins. And often times I see people trying to achieve a height and since its a bit of a trial and error game they end up with more leafs than they should and the ride will knock your wisdom teeth out.