OEM Front Coil Spacers Installed (7 Viewers)

[El Skywalker]

I was just quoted $730 for everything...
I am aware that everything is more expensive (thanks so and so), but reading thru this thread again, I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought they were a little high!

Adding:
This is from the local Toyota dealership who I have taken it to in the past.

 

[Tex68w]

Should be $400-500 tops at the most expensive shops to include parts, labor and alignment. I paid just under $300 for everything all in with the alignment being the most expensive part of it.

 

[Cincodemustache]

No, he's in south Texas. I wish I had a similar shop like his when I lived in Plano many years ago lol. He did the entire lift on my Super Duty to include Sulastic Shackles, external reservoir coil overs, track bar, rear springs, front arms, etc. for $400. He did the lift on my new RAM 3500 for $200 and knocked it out in under two hours solo. He's thorough, quick, and most of all very fair with his fee, keeping a low overhead and a staff of two to include himself certainly helps. These shops charging $1000+ to install a bolt on kit make me sick and yet people flock to them and recommend them blindly on the forums, it's silliness.

Dragging this up from the dead....With spacers in hand I am getting too many silly questions from DFW shops I call, or "what's KDSS", or the trusted cruiser shops are booked up for months. I do have a trip to Austin in early April, and if your shop is anywhere within a reasonable distance I'd have no issues going out of the way a bit for a competent, recommended shop.

 

[linuxgod]

Dragging this up from the dead....With spacers in hand I am getting too many silly questions from DFW shops I call, or "what's KDSS", or the trusted cruiser shops are booked up for months. I do have a trip to Austin in early April, and if your shop is anywhere within a reasonable distance I'd have no issues going out of the way a bit for a competent, recommended shop.

You don't have to turn the KDSS valves to do the spacer install. It just makes it easier. A few shops around here which are familiar with KDSS don't touch them when doing suspension work because they're afraid of either breaking a rusted valve (salty Chicago) or accidentally turning it too far. Everything can be done without touching the KDSS valves the shop just ends up fighting against the resistance in the system.

 

[timjax]

Westcott Designs has taken the OEM spacer concept a bit further and made a full Preload Collar lift kit. This is not a spacer lift, it actually sits inside the strut assembly and retains the factory suspension geometry. Good for those who want to keep the factory suspension and don't need more articulation as a traditional full suspension lift with UCA's would provide. Stock capability and ride with more ground clearance.

Claims 3.0” front lift and 1.25” rear lift. $425

Land Cruiser (200 Series) Preload Collar Lift Kit - Westcott Designs

Westcott Designs preload collar lift kit for the 200 series Toyota Land Cruiser (2008-21’). This kit is fore the entirety of the vehicle, not the front only.

westcottdesigns.net

 

[highfructose]

Westcott Designs has taken the OEM spacer concept a bit further and made a full Preload Collar lift kit. This is not a spacer lift, it actually sits inside the strut assembly and retains the factory suspension geometry. Good for those who want to keep the factory suspension and don't need more articulation as a traditional full suspension lift with UCA's would provide. Stock capability and ride with more ground clearance.

Claims 3.0” front lift and 1.25” rear lift. $425

Land Cruiser (200 Series) Preload Collar Lift Kit - Westcott Designs

Westcott Designs preload collar lift kit for the 200 series Toyota Land Cruiser (2008-21’). This kit is fore the entirety of the vehicle, not the front only.

westcottdesigns.net

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Can anyone comment (to me, a relative novice) how adding a collar spacer at the bottom of the coil and another spacer at the top of the coil is superior to just one or the other?

Or perhaps what are the upsides to either vs or vs both?

 

[Gr8Daneger]

Can anyone comment (to me, a relative novice) how adding a collar spacer at the bottom of the coil and another spacer at the top of the coil is superior to just one or the other?

Or perhaps what are the upsides to either vs or vs both?

From what I hear 1/2” or less spacer on top is the most you can go giving about 1” of lift. Westcott adds to that by doing a preload collar for the rest of the lift. They said it’s not quite 3” more like 2.75”.

I think it is a great option for someone like me who spends 98% of the time on pavement and appreciates the factory ride.

 

[graham5david]

T

From what I hear 1/2” or less spacer on top is the most you can go giving about 1” of lift. Westcott adds to that by doing a preload collar for the rest of the lift. They said it’s not quite 3” more like 2.75”.

I think it is a great option for someone like me who spends 98% of the time on pavement and appreciates the factory ride.

Seems like it would stiffen the ride with the added preload.

 

[linuxgod]

T

Seems like it would stiffen the ride with the added preload.

Someone recently posted a video around how preload actually affects ride. (@TeCKis300, I think). Basically IIRC so long as you don't fully extend the shocks it shouldn't matter. But if you hit a bump and fully extend them, when they re-compress is when you feel the "stiff" ride.

Lots of preload changes your starting point in your ride height though, which means you have much more compression stroke available but much less extension. Thus you'll fully extend your shocks more frequently (and will feel that impact).

At least that's my understanding

 

[TeCKis300]

Someone recently posted a video around how preload actually affects ride. (@TeCKis300, I think). Basically IIRC so long as you don't fully extend the shocks it shouldn't matter. But if you hit a bump and fully extend them, when they re-compress is when you feel the "stiff" ride.

Lots of preload changes your starting point in your ride height though, which means you have much more compression stroke available but much less extension. Thus you'll fully extend your shocks more frequently (and will feel that impact).

At least that's my understanding

Spot on.

I will add that the 200-series suspension stroke is pretty large. Stock, it is setup with more droop travel than compression travel. Stock ride height has about 3" compression and ~5.5" droop at the front. So even spacer lifting 2.75" will leave almost 3" more droop travel (5.75" compression).

@graham5david Here you go...

 

[NYC570]

Someone recently posted a video around how preload actually affects ride. (@TeCKis300, I think). Basically IIRC so long as you don't fully extend the shocks it shouldn't matter. But if you hit a bump and fully extend them, when they re-compress is when you feel the "stiff" ride.

Lots of preload changes your starting point in your ride height though, which means you have much more compression stroke available but much less extension. Thus you'll fully extend your shocks more frequently (and will feel that impact).

At least that's my understanding

I'm confused about this. Isn't the lower collar just raising the spring without actually compressing it and therefore not adding preload?

In my ISF I have aftermarket ohlins coilovers where you can actually add preload, but this is because they have independent preload and height adjustments. Raising the lower collar on the ohlins actually compresses the springs (adding preload) without raising the car.

 

[TeCKis300]

Can anyone comment (to me, a relative novice) how adding a collar spacer at the bottom of the coil and another spacer at the top of the coil is superior to just one or the other?

Or perhaps what are the upsides to either vs or vs both?

The spacer on top of the coilover, what I call a coilover spacer, is preferred. Because it's not just increasing the neutral ride height, but it is expanding the suspension travel by that same amount. Almost no detractors for ride quality differences.

The coil spacer affects pre-load and the standing free length of the coil to gain ride height. Generally good and fine. But there's limits and too much here can have side effects. Too much lift can decrease droop travel to the degree that it effects ride quality. It can also create coil bind in compression travel, meaning the spring rate increases dramatically at the bottom of compression travel, in a way that's outside of its design parameters.

 

[TeCKis300]

I'm confused about this. Isn't the lower collar just raising the spring without actually compressing it and therefore not adding preload?

In my ISF I have aftermarket ohlins coilovers where you can actually add preload, but this is because they have independent preload and height adjustments. Raising the lower collar on the ohlins actually compresses the springs (adding preload) without raising the car.

Did the coilover have tender springs?

 

[NYC570]

Did the coilover have tender springs?

Are you asking if the springs are soft or are you referring to helper springs? If you're referring to helper springs, only the rear ones have helper springs but all four are adjusted in the same way.

 

[clrussell]

Food for thought… the “internal” spacer such as bottom or top mount between the spring and strut or strut mount will increase coil preload. It’s just the nature of it. Therefore will affect ride quality. You are gaining height by preloading the spring more so than stock therefore increasing height. The strut does not physically get taller with an internal spacer, it’s the same height. The spring does not compress as much when the load is put on it (due to increased preload) therefore the height is taller.

If you don’t believe me put the strut in a strut compressor without the spacer, take it apart, install the spacer, and reassemble. You’ll have to compress the spring more to get it installed, in which it will get more difficult (and sketchy).

I always prefer the bolt on top of strut type spacer for “stock like ride”.

 

[bloc]

People should ask themselves which is more important.

Function? OE spacer.

Form? Westcott.

 

[AnyMal]

How dumb would it be to double stack OEM shock mount spacer?

Also, can someone kindly link a reputable aftermarket option?

 

[graham5david]

How dumb would it be to double stack OEM shock mount spacer?

Also, can someone kindly link a reputable aftermarket option?

Why not just buy aftermarket front suspension.

 

[AnyMal]

@lx200inAR

That ebay link is broken for me.

 

[AnyMal]

Why not just buy aftermarket front suspension.

AHC “unfortunately”. As soon as a long travel ahc shock is out im rebuilding the front end.