- Thread starter
- #141
Thanks! But I gotta get the front up atleast close to level.
Intro Xml325 38.5's with no lift 80 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Lcshack
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- Thread starter
- #142
Metal to metal looks like 5 3/4
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- #145
I'd love to drive it daily, drive it to the trails drive it home and climb over whatever. Thinking about trimming all the sheet metal on the core support that hangs outside the frame rails. Then build a grumper that houses the headlights within the frame rails.
BlueCruiser84
SILVER Star
On my chop and bob I have J springs up front and stockers in the back and it still rides ass-high. As far as I know there is no other softer spring out there that will fit the factory buckets so you will probably have to lift the front.
Thank you! Now to ponder what to do if my stock springs lift the truck too much.....
This is what I am finding also.
The LX450s are suppose to have 'no 3rd seat' rear springs. Those are suppose to be in the 150lbs/in range.
That is suppose to be the lightest 80-series spring.
I did find a place that will custom wind springs. That is my plan B.
Coil Spring Specialties
I found a few 4runner guys that where using this place to custom make them springs.
Who ever thought finding lighter weight springs would be a problem!
I did a lot of measuring on my car when it was torn down for sprung/unsprung weight. Near as I can tell a 1996 LX450 has a rear un-sprung weight of approx 350lbs MINUS the tire and wheel package. If your weighing the vehicle you need to know what your tire and wheel package weighs. Stick a tire and wheel on a bathroom scale to get that number. If you can get a rear tire weight you could back calculate sprung weight with that information.
It would be interesting to see how light and long a coil could be made. I think the stock coils only have about 10" of travel available before you eliminate all preload.
BlueCruiser84
SILVER Star
I drop my stockers out easy with an L-shock which measures about 26.5" long. Seems to me like a 24-25" shock would work pretty well in the rear to keep coils retained with all factory mounting.
I'm probably going to end up using a shorter Bilstein 7100 shock with lighter valving. I need to get mine mostly put back together so I can weigh it for an idea of where to start with the valving.
I'm probably going to end up using a shorter Bilstein 7100 shock with lighter valving. I need to get mine mostly put back together so I can weigh it for an idea of where to start with the valving.
Stock rear springs are 18.0/18.5 free length ( LX450 rear coils ). With the inner big rubber bumpstops/overloads pulled, and the axle resting directly on the hard rubber outer stops under the frame, there is 7.75" of space between the upper and lower coil mount. To maintain SOME preload on the rear springs you can only have less than 10.25" of shock travel.
I don't know how close the rear coils are to bind at full bump stock ( on the hard outer bumpstop ) but it would be nice to find a little more uptravel in the rear suspension. With the belly of the frame dead level. The front suspension compresses about 1.5" higher into the chassis. I have been thinking about remaking the outer hard stop to allow about another 1" of uptravel. Then perhaps raise the rear supper shock mount slightly to allow it. Being able to cycle 11" on the stock spring length AND maintain some preload would be nice.
I have a feeling the stock rear springs are going to be too heavy however and I will have to look for other options....ie custom lighter longer springs. It will all be a balance. At some point you run into limitations on how long the spring can be before it will block out on compression.
I am likely going to start with the bolt-in Fox IFP shocks. At $125ish per shock, they are one of the most affordable options that can be revalved/rebuilt. They are also a non-emulsion shock and that is a big bonus for consistency.
I think 3rd gen 4Runner guys use stock 80 rear springs on the rear of their rigs to gain 2 or so inches of lift... I don't know this for sure, but logic tells me the stock 4Runner springs they take out are a lighter rate, and would fit an 80... I don't know if the lift is gained from length or rate or both, but you could likely find some for free/uber cheap and check them out.
Just a thought.
I looked into that. The ( edit for clarification: 2nd gen ) 4 runner springs are drastically shorter in free length. They would drop the truck a lot which is good, but they would basically fall out even the stock shock travel. I don't believe retaining/stretching the coil, on droop, is the way to go.
New link. 2nd gen 4runners lift guide - YotaTech Forums
Eventually that led me to find that custom spring place that the 4runner guys where using.
A coil spring that was lighter in rate, had a bit longer free length, and still didn't block out at full bump would be perfect. I don't know how much of that is possible within the stock mounts.
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It's actually the stock FRONT 80 series springs that are used to lift the rear end of a 3rd gen 4runner (I have done this before). No other yota has the large diameter springs found in the rear of an 80 except the 100, as far as I can tell.
I have found some conflicting reports on 2nd gen 4runner?
2nd gen 4runners lift guide - YotaTech Forums
BlueCruiser84
SILVER Star
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I didn't know the IFPs could be rebuilt/revalved. Do you have to send them in or can you do it at home with normal tools?
I couldn't tell you anything about the 2nd gens, totally different chassis. But for 3rd gens, it is definitely the front 80 springs that are used to lift the rear of a 4runner. So you could run 3rd 4runner rear spings in the front of an 80 if you wanted to slam it, but wouldn't help much with the rear.
I would imagine you need at least a few special tools. From what I remember the eye top version uses a special air fitting that is hidden inside the shock eye. I also seem to remember something about the bearing cap ( bottom of the shock body ) needing a special wrench.
Inside, everything I have seen says they use fox 2.0 shims.
You can see an exploded parts diagram here.
http://www.ridefox.com/dl/truck/FOX_TRUCK_2.0PSIFP_Exploded_A.pdf
Oil volume is pretty critical to keep tuning consistent since the gas chamber is so small with the integrated piston.
I would LOVE to see someone make a sub $200 2.5 sized IFP shock....
You are right, 3rd gen rear coils may swap on the front. I think the problems would still be the same however. The free length of the stock 3rd gen 4-runner is pretty short from the pictures I have seen. I think the coil is stiffer and shorter than the FJ80 front coil?
BlueCruiser84
SILVER Star
Maybe that is why I wasn't considering them. I'm pretty sure you can rebuild/revalve the Bilstein 7100s at home with standard tools. The downside is you have to make new mounts or use adapters.
Yes, the 80 front spring is notably softer than the 4runner rear (no idea what the actual spring rates are, but that's what my butt told me when I swapped them out) and also a lot longer. Maybe 4" longer unloaded? Probably more? I dunno it's been a while.
