2018 SR5 Toytec/Bilstein 3" Lift Kit questions? ( I have no idea what I am doing lol)

I am new to lift kits and pieced out this kit from talking to companies and reading articles.

I plan on installing this kit With these UCA Wanting to run
285 70 17'S AT/ MT

Questions
One tells me for a 3" lift I need a diff drop the other company tells me no?
One tells me for a 3" lift I need aftermarket UCA the other says no.?
I wanted to run the 3" rough county lift $250 https://www.roughcountry.com/toyota...6620.html?find=2018-toyota-4runner-4wd-378997 but everybody laughed at me.
With this setup and tires with factory wheels and 285 70 17 tires will I need to do a body chop?
Am I missing something or going over kill?

Thank you for you time

 

How much off road driving do you plan on doing? If the answer is any at all I'd opt for something that will provide you more travel... Which is not a spacer lift like the RC kit. If this is simply for looks the RC will do you just fine. Spacer lifts get a lot of hate but I'd bet there are a helluva lot more people running spacer lifts outside of the forum world than there are full strut/coil replacement for long travel.

It really boils down to your usage and budget.

 

75/25 off-road with abuse.
Is this a good combo for 285 70 17 With these UCA Or should I look at something else

 

With that much off-road planned definitely skip the RC lift, it provides you no extra travel... Only ground clearance and the ability to fit a larger tire.

There are a lot of decent coil/strut kits out there with Dobinson, Bilstein, Eibach, OME... I don't really think you can go wrong with any of them. I've exchanged a few PMs with Mike from Dobinson and he has been extremely helpful and everyone speaks very highly!

3" does seem like a lot to skip over doing uca/diff drop. I'd probably opt for both just to be on the safe side but I like to go overkill with stuff lol.

 

Keep it at 2.5", you're not losing anything, and you save having to do UCAs. You wouldn't need the diff drop even at 3".

Toytec is okay but you can buy as good stuff for less from other vendors. Wheelers or Dobinsons come to mind for similar decent "budget" suspensions.

I personally was unimpressed with my Toytec BOSS setup but am quite pleased with a simple (and cheaper) Wheelers- Eibach/Bilstein setup.

 

How cheap are we talking?
Do I need to piece it together or do they have kits?

 

The problem that I ran into is one says one thing and the other company was completely opposite.

 

They have kits but honestly you will probably save money by piecing it together.

Look, people make suspension lifts way to complicated. They all boil down to the same thing: 4 coils and 4 shocks (or struts, I guess). That's it.

Figure out the lift you want and buy coils accordingly.

For $800 at Wheelers, you can get 2 front coils (Eibach T1), 2 Bilstein 5100 front struts (set at 0), 2 rear coils (Eibach T13), 2 Bilstein 5100 rear shocks. The lift is gotten from the coils, and that particular setup gives you about 2.5" front and 1.5" rear for close to level, and clearance to run 285s easily.

You do not need UCAs or a diff drop at 2.5", probably not even at 3". Guys are going to tell you that you do, but I'm telling you - based on several lifted trucks with and without aftermarket UCAs, you do not. UCAs are a scam. You're buying nothing useful and actually are giving up the lack of maintenance of the OEM units to spend time adjusting and greasing the damn aftermarket ones. Diff drop is similarly useless, although at least at like $40 it's not as big of a monetary hit.

From my research and personal experience, that is about the cheapest good quality setup you can get. It's what I have and I'm no mall crawling douche (I am a douche, however).

Call Wheelers and talk to them, they know their shit.

This is a recent shot with the Wheelers setup I describe above and AT 285s. It is squatting / appears to be squatting a tad in the front due to winch weight / appearances from the uneven ground.

 

Ton of great info in this post

 

1. No
2. Yes
3. I'd laugh to thats not a "lift".
4. Depends on what caster you can get and rim/tire choice

 

So the Rough Country kit doesn't provide more distance between the fender/hub and more ground clearance?

 

I've had spacer "lifts". It ruins the suspension and is back braking. Anyone who says others wise hasn't rode in one with proper shocks and springs.

 

I called wheelersoffroad.com today, cant remember the guys name but after talking to him this is the setup he helped me with. Please critique my build list
Thank you

 

T1/T13 with 5100s all around seems like a great combo from what I've read and will give you more travel than a spacer lift will.

I presume with the diff drop and ucas you'll be setting higher than 0?

 

I am new to lifts and have zero knowledge on this.
Is that good or bad?

My wife will kill me if I destroy the 4Runner

 

I honestly can't speak for the ride of the Bilstein struts period.

I was just speaking to what meefzah had commented above, that he opted for just the T1s and setting the struts at 0... he didn't need the diff drop/ucas.

 

You mean the struts set at 0?
Yes that is what wheelersoffroad recommended.

 

I'm telling you, man, you don't need UCAs or a diff drop. We have the same truck and that's my setup.

Fair notice, I also do have two trim packers (small spacers) on the driver's side, one front, one rear. I didn't mention this earlier because I didn't want to overcomplicate shit. There will be slight sag to the driver's side with aftermarket coils. This is because the truck weighs more on that side. OEM coils are side specific and the drivers side one has a slightly higher spring rate to balance the truck. Aftermarket ones are not side specific so there will be slight sag on the driver's side unless you compensate with small spacers (10mm or so). Again, Wheelers can help you and explain all this.

 

In Clarksville as well. Let me know if you need a hand

 

@MeefZah Could i ask for help/suggestion?! I'm wanting to go with the set up you have. I actually called Wheelers Off Road about it. They told me this will for sure give me a good ride on my 2012 4Runner Limited. I'll be pulling out the XREAS system and putting what you recommended early in this discussion. I want to make sure I am using the right Trim and Spacer for the drive side. Both front and back. Are these the ones you used? Thanks!

 

I was planning on putting on eibach 112-620 up front which will give a 1.6" lift plush 2x 1/4 inch spacers to get ~2" up front.

So based on what you are saying a 1/4 inch spacer on each side will not work? i would have to put a 1/4 inch spacer on the passenger and a 1/2 on the drivers side?

 

The rear one is for sure, but the front one I thought was 1/4"- but I might could be wrong on that. Wheeler's assembled my front coilovers for me so I would think they should know what spacer corrects the lean. Did you ask them specifically about installing driver's side spacers to correct the lean? They should know what front spacer immediately.

 

It will work but there will be slight sag on driver's side unless you have a thicker spacer on that side.

 

@MeefZah Awesome. Thanks, man. I appreciate you getting back to me. I'll double check for sure. How much lift all around did this set up give you all around on your Runner? Did you have to move the Bilstein 5100 struts at all?

Was this the Spacer you used?

 

Yeah that's it. I was almost sure it was 1/4" but then I started doubting myself.

My Billies are at 0 so all the lift is from the T1 coils. So, if that is what you mean by moving them, no I didn't have to.

Netted me 2.5" up front and 1.5" rear for a almost level stance.

 

@MeefZah sweet! So it did give you a higher stance all around though than regular stock height though? I currently have 3inch spacers on my runner and I’m done with the poor ride quality. My struts are leaking and I know 3inch spacers really affect the load on OEM springs the runners has. I’m ready for something that will improve the ride but, I still want to have a higher ride. It’s okay if it’s not a full 3inches. Enough to be okay with 275 tires.

 

Yes. I am 2.5" higher in the front than stock and 1.5" higher in the rear than stock. This gives clearance for 33" tires (285s).

 

Lift isn't the problem when going to 285's.

Its the possible rubbing in the front back which lift won't solve.

 

48 seconds with a razor solves it

 

Depending on rims its not always that easy.