Installed my Lift this weekend and not all that happy :( (1 Viewer)

[Bluetribal]

So there are a few reasons I am not very happy with my lift but two I was really not expecting this to be an issue since so many FJ's, 4Runner's, and now GX's have already been lifted.

Lift Installed
Used/Re-built 2.5 ICON Extended Travel Coilovers
SPC Upper Control Arms
Used 2" RadFlow Coil Springs (Bought them off a fellow MUD member who used them for a couple of months)
2.0 ICON Shocks

The first thing I was un-happy with was how tight the ABS sensor lines are with the new SPC Upper Control arms. With both hold-down brackets in place the line is a tight as a guitar string at full droop. So I currently only have the top bracket attached to the UCA in places. I have removed the lower bracket and have done a double zip tie loop to keep the lower part of the sensor line in place but free to move and not get tight. I just don't understand how No one else has had this issue? Or have they and I just haven't come across it? Is it solely due to me installing extended travel 2.5 Coilovers?

Here is a pic with both brackets in place at full droop.

DS

PS

Next I move to the back to install just 2" coil springs. And with both springs in place and the axle at full droop I went to re-install the last bracket for the two brake lines going to the axle and it is tight as well! WTF! So I currently have that un-bolted but now the stress will be on the hardlines coiled above the frame. I stayed away from 3" rear springs so that I wouldn't have to worry about extended brake lines.

Here is a pic of my buddy holding the bracket where it should be bolted and that photo doesn't really do it justice on how tight it is.

Finally the feel of the suspension which I have waited to get my alignment done and drive my commute for a couple of days. And the suspension feels fine over bumps at speeds. The thing is still pulling to the left so I will probably take it back to the alignment shop to check it again.
But at slow speeds like just moving out of the driveway and hitting the brakes it feels like I have slinky's under my truck. I mean BOING BOING BOING! So my initial thought was maybe I got lied to by the guy I bought the ICON coilover off of, and they were not really re-built as he said even though he sent me an order form for the re-build. But the shocks feel fine over bumps at speed?
The other issue that could cause this slinky feeling is the mix matched parts? ICON coil-overs but only 2.0 shocks in back or the 2" RadFlow springs mix matched with ICON Coilovers?

Here is how she looked right after the lift with the fronts set 1/2" too high. The shop that did my alignment lowered them down almost a 1/2" to get it more level but couldn't go all the way because the coilovers would be out of spec per ICON if they did.

Before Lift

 

[orion]

I seem to recall having enough slack in the front ABS lines to slide a little more out (towards the hub) at each hold point...so that was a non-issue.

As for the rear brake lines - I bent that bracket up so the lines (the hard ends) were pointing more towards the rear...and that made all the difference.

Hope that helps...

- Brian

 

[danthemanx07]

How much lift did you get in the front?

I have the same front setup, but mine are not cranked up quite as high as yours I don't think. I have been really pleased with the setup.

One thought on the front is the age/weight of the coils. Older coils sag in my experience. Many folks don't include new coils with a rebuild. New ones may freshen up the front end. My coils are not new but they have very few miles on them because the previous owner (I bought mine used too) swapped in 700lbs coils early on.

I will take a look at my rear brakes lines. I have metal tech long travel springs, and I got about 3" or so out of them. I'll give that a look and report back, but I hade to do some work to get them in and I don't recall noticing stretched brake lines.

 

[Bluetribal]

Mine are cranked back down as low as they can go per spec according to the shop that did my alignment, I will have to get an updated picture. Unfortunately I do not have before measurements, totally forgot until I put it up on jacks and had the wheels off with PB blaster soaking the bolts the night before. So I was not going to put it back down just for measurements.

 

[NMBruce]

I added new extended lines on both the front and the back
Welcome to Toytec Lifts -

 

[little_joe]

I suspect on the ride quality issue, this is what happens when you cobble together a suspension. I don't necessarily buy into all the hype the suspension mfgrs produce, but it is reasonable to me that it is one integrated system. Not knowing what valving you have, spring rates and age etc makes it hard to pinpoint: you may have fresh rear springs but with undersized rear shocks or they're not valved correctly; if the front is valved X instead of Y, that may be forcing the rear to bobble.

My guess is the rear springs are not a problem, iirc Eibach makes them for both mfgrs (correct me if I'm wrong) and it's just color/spring rate that varies. I have rear Icon springs w/ all other Radflo components incl 2.5" shocks and mine rides great.

In the end, going with a matched system/components leads to predictability. I suspect you're going to have to do some tuning and/or replacement.

 

[Bluetribal]

Metal Tech, recommended the rear 2.0 ICON's over 2.5 Radflo's I was considering also. I am just curious if anyone else experiences this slinky feeling now at almost no speed. Just lift off the break and hit it again and that's the bouncy bouncy.

My gut felling is that it is the used front coilovers. I will be camping and wheeling this weekend with a couple of buddies so I will have them look at my suspension to see if they can see any issues.

My major disappointment was with the tight lines on such a small lift! I was not expecting those issues. I need to do new rotors before my March Moab trip so I will extend the rear brake lines at that time, until then I will try to tweak the bracket as mentioned above.

 

[GXO]

My front lines are loosely zip tied as well. Never had a problem.

 

[Bluetribal]

The lift worked great this weekend. Camped up near Hemet at Toolbox Springs Campground. Worked out the new suspension a bit on Thomas Mtn. Which was mostly a fire road but we found a couple spots where there was some open side routes that let the suspension fully flex. It was pretty nice not hitting the underside of the truck for once!

Going to get her back on jacks this week or next weekend at the latest and check all the bolts.

 

[GXO]

I ran 2.0 for a whole and hated them in the rear. Went to 2.5s and it was much better. Heavy beast!

 

[Bluetribal]

Yeah, I bottomed out the back twice this weekend. I am now considering 3" springs in back since I will be replacing the rear brake lines to the axles with longer ones anyway. Plus the front is still a bit high un-loaded but down as far as ICON recommends. And when I had just gear for myself with almost an empty cooler it dropped the back 1". So I don't think these RadFlo springs are cutting it. And if I go with 3" springs I believe I will have to change out the shocks too.

 

[NMBruce]

I don’t think the 2.0 shocks are large enough. I don’t know if this applies to Icon shocks, but RadFlo recommends 2.5 shocks for vehicles between 5000-7000 lbs and I believe a GX with just a small amount of equipment is there
Shock Selection Guide

 

[GXO]

3" Icon overland springs are BIG @Bluetribal If you aren't hauling a load they ride rough. I have a set that have been used for a while which might help if you are interested.

 

[Bluetribal]

Hmmm, I am going to do a few more trips with this set-up and then figure out a new plan if still not happy.

 

[Bluetribal]

Well, I put the truck back up on stands to check the torques on all of the suspension bolts and I noticed some more issues that I didn't see before. At fool droop I noticed that the CV boots are contacting the lower control arms and the SPC upper control arms are actually contacting the ICON coilovers.

I think with all these issues I am going to punt on the extended travel ICON coilovers and get something else with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. And see if I can get my money back on the ICONS on CL. And I definitely don't have the coin to drop $1,500 on Total Chaos LCA's!

Driver Side

Passenger Side

 

[JLee]

Well, I put the truck back up on stands to check the torques on all of the suspension bolts and I noticed some more issues that I didn't see before. At fool droop I noticed that the CV boots are contacting the lower control arms and the SPC upper control arms are actually contacting the ICON coilovers.

I think with all these issues I am going to punt on the extended travel ICON coilovers and get something else with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. And see if I can get my money back on the ICONS on CL. And I definitely don't have the coin to drop $1,500 on Total Chaos LCA's!

Driver Side

Passenger Side

Damn. Are you running without sways?

 

[Bluetribal]

Sway bar is connected.

 

[GXO]

extended travel gave me fits as well until I did the upper and lower arms. You may want to try the new MT medium LT springs in the back. Good weight handling and progressive load. You don't have to go full LT to use them, they just won't extend as far with your current setup, but you get a lot nicer ride vs a static spring.

 

[Bluetribal]

First I am going to figure out the front because that’s the expensive stuff and I can always swap rear springs and shocks until I am happy.

So looks like my choices on suspension so far on Holiday deals is ICON 20%, Iron Man 20%, or Dobson 15%

 

[kbahus]

You can always go all-in and get the Total Chaos arm package. If I was still in Colorado and wheeled as much as I used to I would go for it. In the future you are going to be tearing up your lca bushings from flexing, banging into rocks, and your SPC upper arms are going to give you problems sooner than later.

Maybe you can add some pressure to the nitrogen charge on the front shocks to gain a little firmness, if they allow. I know I can do it with my Fox coilovers, I just have not tried yet.

I run 895e coils in the rear and am happy with them. Fully loaded for camping I can bomb dirt roads, two track, etc and not worry. I can't comment on rock crawling though.