Will installing a 1/2 inch front spacer be as bad as everyone says?

I want to level out the front a bit. 90-95% of the time it's on pavement but I still want to go on some forest service roads in the summertime. Can this type of modification withstand some light rocks and potholes and bumps?

 

Here’s the thing, top plate spacers move the coilover down which can cause it to bottom out internally before the lower control arm hits the bump stop. 1/2” may or may not cause this issue but if you hit hard enough, the coilover can bend. This is why proper replacement shocks are more recommended than spacers. Many people run spacers but don’t run into issues but I wouldn’t.



So then you look at spring spacers but the issue there is you add preload to a spring not designed for it and you end up with a caca ride. Another reason replacement shocks are recommended.

If your end goal is shocks anyway, just wait. There’s no race to be lifted.

 

Check out the YouTube channel called tinkerers adventure he does a lot of testing and myth busting of suspensions.
According to him there’s enough travel in the stock shocks to use 1/2” spacers without a problem.

 

Contact 20164RunnerSR5 here or call him at 631-202-8245. His name is Chris and he's a Cornfed dealer. He sells and installs Cornfed spacers. He can answer any questions you have with actual experience and knowledge.

 

Agree! Besides the potential problems described above, too much spacer lift can also cause the suspension to over-extend. This is because the the shock is what limits droop/extension. A spacer moves the shock lower, hence the limit lower. This might cause your UCA ball joint to pop out, or your CVs to bind.

So if you do spacers make sure to do your research so you dont go too high!

 

Do a proper coil lift and ditch the thought of spacers. As @whippersnapper02 mentioned, the big thing is you are increasing the preload of the spring. In Lehman's terms, compressing the coil X amount is going to increase the force on the spring by whatever length you are compressing it and the spring rate. This is going to result in a harsher ride. Usually the idea of swapping suspensions is to have a better ride and more capability. You are taking away both of these when you do a spacer lift/level.

 

I've had 1.5in spacer on stock shocks on my SR5 giving 3in lift and ran some good trails without breaking anything.

My buddy with another SR5 have the same spacer lift and now the lift probably have over 60K miles.

Another buddy also have the same spacer lift on 2021 TRD Offroad.

We all did lot of trails and never had any problems. Only difference is we never did stupid things like jumps. On rough roads we did ran at medium speeds and no damages.

Right now my TRD Pro has 1/4in spacer giving 1/2in lift. I can't say anything since I didn't do any proper Offroad after the spacer other than medium speed runs on the rough road on my Ironman FCP video. I don't expect to see any damages the way I Offroad.

However I did few little jumps when I had my OME sport shocks but I could have very well damage the shocks since I didn't have extended bump stops. With my 4x4shop buddy I saw few examples on Bilstien5100 and Toytec Boss shocks bent, so its really not about spacers imo since there were no spacers in those cases.

I could be wrong but I don't see the problem with spacers if you run carefully not to bottom out hard and not stretch to the point UCA hitting the spring. With 1/2 in spacer I don't think you will ever be on that state.

 

All of that is wrong. Spacers do not compress the spring. If they did, ride height would go down. Spacers simply move the coil pack downward, at the same installed height, to push the lower control arm down thus raising the front.

If you're going to come back and say spacers do compress the spring, then please explain how a shorter (compressed) spring raises the truck.

 

Remember that there’s 2 kinds of spacers. Top plate spacers do not add preload to the coil and move the entire coilover down. Coil spacers do add preload to the coil but do not move the entire coilover down. The lower coil mount does not move.

 

I understand that, but neither one compresses the spring - which sets ride height. If either one did compress the spring, it would lower ride height. I'm open to hear how compressing a spring raises the ride height because I just can't see how that's possible.

On the kind you are talking about, that goes between the spring and the upper mount, yes the lower coil mount moves relative to the upper with a spacer. The mount itself is fixed to the shock body, but the the shock itself extends when the spacer is installed on this one. That's how you get the higher ride height. One spacer moves the whole entire thing down, which does not change the shock travel. The other, which you are talking about, moves the lower portion of shock down to the same effect, which actually does change the shock travel a bit. But neither one "compresses" the spring.

 

A coil spacer does. When you adjust aftermarket, coilovers you adjust the collar down which adds preload to the coil and lifts the vehicle. Basically the suspension pushes down harder to bring the vehicle up.

 

Edited above - please address the new comments.

And, would you post a pic of one of these aftermarket setups? I'd like to see how lowering the spring mount raises the truck - unless the collar is at the top, which is doing the exact same thing as a spacer and my reasoning still stands.

 

Top plate goes at the top and moves the entire coilover down. There's no added coil preload.



A coil spacer adds preload.

 

No, it does not. Look at the shock minus the coil - just below your yellow mark. That's where the upper and lower portions of the shock join. All a "preload" spacer does is push the lower part of the shock, that is mounted to the lower control arm, downward. Hence, raising the truck. The only possible way to raise the front end (minus drop spindles) is to lower the lower control arm. You still can't answer my question of how "compressing" - thus shortening - the spring can raise the truck.

This "preload" thing has been around forever and I guess you just can't see your way past it. I've said what I needed to.

 

If your explanation was correct then the lower shock mount would also move down but it doesn't. Aftermarket coilovers work in the same way in that you move the top collar down which preloads the coil more and lifts the vehicle like a coil spacer. You can see the adjustment rod in the collar.



https://youtu.be/UzpK4tsHDg0

 

I should have clarified that I was talking about the preload spacer type, not the coil spacer that moves the whole ASSEMBLY down. You can achieve lift with both types. One does compress the spring AND adds lift. You are increasing the preload by compressing the spring a small amount in a fixed area. It's not a 1-1 ratio. If you put in a 2" spacer, you may compress the spring by only .25" which will increase the force by the spring rate multiplied by that .25" and give you a taller ride height, but you have to have a shock that can accommodate delta

 

That exactly proves my point. And yes, the lower shock mount *does* move down with a spacer - because the whole lower portion of the shock moves down. Ugh. No wonder this myth persists. Anyway, have at it. Horse-->water-->fail.

 

A TOP plate spacer moves the entire coilover down while a coil spacer or preload spacer does not. It's not a myth, you just need to visualize it.

 

You're really not reading my posts, whip. Yes, a top plate moves the whole thing down. But the one that goes between the coil and top plate moves everything down too except the top plate. It pushes the spring down, which pushes the lower shock body down, which pushes the lower control arm down, which raises the truck. But at this point, as above, you can lead a horse. I'll let you guys figure it out.

Simple question - the pic you posted of the aftermarket shock with the TOP mounted adjustable spring perch - how do you think that setup raises the truck when you adjust the collar down? Do you think it is compressing the spring?

 

The lower mount don't move with a preload spacer. It is in the same location on the coilover body. However if you are talking about the upper coilover mount moving as a result of the increased preload which raises the vehicle, then yes it moves up with the vehicle. No one questioned that or even brought it up.

 

Good lord, yes it does. This whole conversation is ridiculous. I know I said it once, but in the hopes of you seeing the light I came back - but I'm out. Good luck.

 

K. Thanks for explaining.

 

You're not thinking about this right. Most adjustable preload coilover lifts have a range of lift. 0-3" lets say. If you want the stock, 0" setting, the way to achieve this is to add NO preload to the coil. The amount of suspension sag due to the weight of the vehicle will settle it at an OEM height. If you want the vehicle at the 3" setting, you usually have to MAX out the preload... ie turn the collar down and compress the spring...which at that point there will be very little sag in the system. Which is going to make the ride more harsh.

So there are trade offs. This is why going to a coil lift is better in most cases. You get the lift and the better suspension characteristics because the spring rate is actually different compared to the OEM spring rate to be able to achieve a lift height without making the ride harsh.

 

How much sag are you trying to recover from? A 1/4" spacer gives 1/2"-9/16" lift, and you don't need to change to top hat mounting bolts to longer ones. That size space is cheap and easily found, and for your needs it won't hurt anything.

 

Gotta agree. The only thing compressing the spring is the weight of the vehicle. Putting a spacer on or under a spring is not changing the weight of the vehicle. With that vehicle sitting on the suspension as normal, the ride height will be changed by the spacer but the spring will remain the same length. You’re just extending the shock with one type or pushing the vehicle up with the other type. There may be some trivial mechanical advantage against the spring through the arc of travel of the A-arms as ride height increases or decreases.
The only instance where a spacer added into spring/shock assembly is compressing the spring is when it’s sitting on the bench fully extended.

 

I've beat this drum for years, but finally gave up. When you crank that adjuster down, you're raising the truck, not compressing the spring. If it were the other way around, there'd be no reason for Kings to exist, as far as changing the ride height; the only reason then for the adjuster collar would be to make the ride crappier.

 

Yup, you're just changing where in the shaft extension it sits/settles. If at rest the shock shaft is 50% in the body and 50% outside of the body, then moving the collar down 1" or adding a 1" coil spacer just makes the shock shaft extend 1" out at rest. Length of the coil with weight on it stays the same.

 

I mean it’s called a preload adjuster…

https://trail4runner.com/2019/02/18/king-suspension-preload-adjustment/

https://accutuneoffroad.com/preload-adjustments-on-oem-fit-coilovers/

“Preload is the initial (pre) tension (load) on your springs before carrying the weight of the vehicle.”

 

I think the argument above was about compressing the spring = lift, which doesn't make sense.

You can lift by:
1. Changing the mounting height of the shock assembly (top plate spacer)
2. Changing the length of extension of the shock shaft when sitting (coilovers, coil spacer) In this scenario, the spring isn't compressing. It's pushing out the shock shaft equal to the length of adjustment to make that lift in height. You can't gain height from nothing. Something needs to lengthen.

 

I think the last line in @whippersnapper02 's post explains the term best. The word before is key.