Greetings all!
First Land Cruiser, 2001 with 238k miles, bought a few months ago. I've been reading this forum since, and have replaced timing belt, water pump, heater T's, plugs and valve cover gasket, as well as new leather on front seats. I am now on a quest to fix the suspension. I've read many posts about this topic, and can't quite find the answer.
Summary of vehicle and current suspension:
2001 Land Cruiser, 238k miles
Tires: BFG T/A KO2, LT285/75R16 (E load rating); currently running @ 35psi
Hub to Fender, Rear: 23.25”
Hub to Fender, Front: 20.25” (3” rake)
The kind folks at IronMan4x4 were able to track down the order delivered to the previous owner, who installed the lift. The parts from that order:
1) Front shocks, nitro gas, part# 12795GR
2) Rear shocks, nitro gas, part# 12796GR
3) LCA Brackets; part# BRACKET100
4) Rear Coil Springs, 2" lift, Heavay Load (440-880lbs), part# TOY025C
5) Torsion Bars, part# TOY050
6) Front Diff Drop Kit, part# IDD100
Symptoms include a very high and obvious rake, and the truck rides very rough and unstable.
Though the truck has a custom top rack and sliders installed by previous owner, these are not adding much weight to the rear axle, and there are no plans to add storage, tire rack, bumpers, battery, wet bar, etc. that would add weight to rear or front compared to stock. In fact the rear axle may be a bit less with the removal of the jump seats. There are no plans to tow anything really heavy like a ski boat or camper, just an occasional short trip with a utility trailer or some camping/long-term travel, but nothing that would require substantial overland gear, and not enough off-road to justify much of a lift. I have been able to get around to most places near and far, muddy or not with previous stock 4Runners and Tundras.
Observations:
The heavy load rear springs installed are too high and stiff for my situation. IronMan folks say I should replace with “medium” load springs if I want to keep the 2” lift (Part# Toyo13B-100). However, I’m wondering if even these would be too stiff/high for my situation. All I really need is “clearance” for the 33” tires, and some lift for the occasional trip down an Ozark or New Mexico logging road to access a camp site that a Toyo Prius can’t quite muster.
Other options appear to be to reinstall the original springs with spacers; but I hate to reuse the original coils given their age. Maybe I need to diagnose the harsh signals from the front before settling on a solution for the rear.
The front rides way too stiff. I feel every little bump, like when I run over a cigarette butt. Is this because of the thicker, stiffer IRM torsion bars installed without any additional weight in the front, or as noted in some on-line discussions, is this caused by the IRM gas shocks? I really don’t need any more than an inch or inch and a half lift. Right now, I think I’m at about 1 ¾” above stock in the front. I’m OK with this, as the diff drop is already installed. I could go higher if I needed/wanted to. This beast has the IRM T-bars and rear springs to trick out with all of the overland whistles and bells. I not there, at least not yet, so for you guys in this camp, keep an eye on this thread, as you might get a really good deal on a set of springs and maybe T-bars.
As I read this forum, the higher the lift, the more we’re changing other aspects of the geometry that beg for other parts, e.g., a new UCA to get wheel alignment back in sync with OEM, as well as extensions to the sway bar links to get the rear to settle down a bit? I don’t really want to go down that rabbit hole, if I can avoid it, as this truck needs a lot of other stuff to bring it back to its second or third life. (Such includes new bushings on the sway bars/links, and possibly new upper ball joints. So maybe I might as well chase this rabbit.) This is my first trip through suspension augmentations in a very long time, and the only reason I’m here is because I inherited my first LC lift, and it’s like driving a bob-truck on a vehicle I have revered as being the Rolls Royce of SUVs. Also, the suspension shops in my area are not that familiar with Land Cruisers, and I need to be able to direct the work of a third party shop, as I don’t have the space and tools to DIY right now.
… looking for guidance from the collective mind of this global forum. Many thanks in advance.