I just added a swing away tire carrier and spare tire after years of not carrying a spare. It looks, to me, like my truck is sagging a little in the back now. I ordered some 30mm spacers for the rear springs from Dobinsons, is this a good way to go? Is there a good spot to measure front and back height, so I don’t just have to eyeball it?
Measuring ride height
- Thread starter cville80
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I think most people roughly measure from the center of the wheel hub, straight up to the wheel arch/fender
Nothing wrong with using spacers to level it out, if that's what you're asking.
voodu3
SILVER Star
There are several ways to measure as mentioned above.
1. center of cap to the bottom of the flare is probably the most common.
2. The FSM has you measure through the coil spring
3. @Delta VS says to measure the difference between the pan hard bar mounts from the ground
Any of them will get you an idea of how much to add.
1. center of cap to the bottom of the flare is probably the most common.
2. The FSM has you measure through the coil spring
3. @Delta VS says to measure the difference between the pan hard bar mounts from the ground
Any of them will get you an idea of how much to add.
CrabCake
SILVER Star
Honestly I'd look at a set of new springs at least in the rear...yours are somewhat compressed now due to fatigue/age and they won't have the same travel with the spacers and will make the ride a bit harsher and maybe even unstable (based on old/worn out shocks if you haven't replaced lately). I know that you have some new extra weight back there, but it should't drag it down that much in my opinion. Remember that the rig should ride correctly even with a spare back there as it is behind the axle already from the factory...the weight of the swing arm and the extra leverage of moving the tire further back will have some effect, but again, in my opinion, not that much. A decent HD stock height spring should help a lot, and not really that expensive or difficult to install (same as stuffing the bushings in there!).
I use a 30mm in my rear end, but mainly just to help with height adjustments/leveling on new springs (3" or so lift on Dobinsons progressive rate springs).
I use a 30mm in my rear end, but mainly just to help with height adjustments/leveling on new springs (3" or so lift on Dobinsons progressive rate springs).
- Thread starter
- #6
The springs are only 5-6 years old, but you may be right about them sagging too much. I bought the softest springs at the time because I didn’t have heavy bumpers or whatever. Now, with the tire carrier and a ton of tools, I may need a stiffer spring. I already ordered the spacers so I’ll throw them in and see how it goes, but I bet I’ll just end up with new springs soon enough. Good excuse to put in a bigger lift.
I'
I'm not sure that springs "wear out" so to speak. No doubt that the wrong rated springs will sag like a witches tit but bump stops and shocks - even blown shocks will keep the springs from being used outside their designed limits.
CrabCake
SILVER Star
Older springs will definitely fatigue and loose some of the OEM characteristics such as static height under load and rebound rates...just ask my 2nd gen 4Runner that I had...headlights pointing to the sky with no load in the rig and all stock suspension (those had rear coils). That said, if the OP replaced within the last 5 years, but admittedly with a soft option, they're not the right ones for his application now. The spring packers are just a bandaid to get the height corrected in his circumstances and it's almost just as easy just to put the correct springs in as it is to put the packers by themselves. I would agree with the OP that since he has the packers now, just give those a try to see how they do since the springs aren't that old.
I'm certainly no engineer, so this is obviously just my opinion trying to help out.