Anyone reduce the lift on your vehicle?

[Lindenwood]

My 2002 4Runner is lifted about 3" F/R on 33" MTs. However, while the suspension setup was specifically selected for extra weight, even with about 500lbs of added weight with armor, storage, and accessories, it is still a bit stiffer than I expected or would like. Not to mention, I think I'd like to lose an inch or so both for aesthetics and for a bit more stability.

The combo I am looking at would probably leave me around 1.5" up front and 2.25 or so in the rear, over stock.

Other than the expense of new springs (about $400-500), the only disadvantage I can think of is, obviously, slightly less baseline obstacle clearance. I have driven straight over fallen trees close to a foot in diameter, so I certainly do appreciate every little bit. But, since it is a daily driver, it would probably be worth that modest sacrifice.

Anyone do anything like this and regret it?

 

[TerryD]

I think its a good direction to go if you're not happy with it. A friend of mine was very happy with the heavy load Old Man Emu kit he put on his 4Runner. He uses it for his contracting business and it is routinely loaded with generators and tools. Its also a good height for 265/75/16 tires.

 

[Lindenwood]

I am definitely keeping the 33s either way!

I have even pondered on trimming the springs a bit (maybe .5" off the top on both ends to drop the front by 1" and the rear by .5"). This comes partially because I was thinking about the stability issue, and stiff springs actually would help to reduce body roll compared to softer ones. And, of course, it would save me at least a few hundred by not needing to buy new springs.

 

[4xFar Adventures]

I would not recommend trimming your springs. If they haven't sagged, you could probably sell them and cover a good percentage of the cost of the new springs. Or, you may be able to do a straight up swap with someone.

 

[Lindenwood]

Yeah, trimming the springs was probably more of a murmuring than anything, heh. Right now they only have like 6k miles on the set, so you're probably right.

In any case, the real debate is whether I might regret losing 1-1.5" of ground clearance, of course :P .

 

[Cort]

I really think low center of gravity builds are the way to go. I have a lot of past experience in the more extreme Offroading and that has suited me well. Losing lift height while maintaining full articulation of your wheel is good in my book for many reasons.

Springs won’t just sag overtime, they need to be cycled. Get some full articulation going and you will see them settle a bit. You might lose 1/2-3/4” but not likely more than that.

 

[MazeVX]

I'm going to lift my jeep only about 2" because I already know that it is more than enough for me. I gives me more confidence offroad and staying lower is positive in so many ways.
So get a new set of springs! Trimming or cutting springs can cause serious trouble don't try it!

 

[Lindenwood]

Okay, I am over it! Happy again with the current lift :) .

 

[w0lfpack91]

In any case, the real debate is whether I might regret losing 1-1.5" of ground clearance, of course [emoji14] .

You only loose ground clearence with tires. You may loose some articulation and gain some tire scrub.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[TreXTerra]

I like my current lift, but my vehicle is also my dedicated off-roader and does a lot more than just overlanding. I enjoy technical trails and challenges that would stop most rigs built just to overland (stock ride height, light-duty armor, etc).

The down side is that I'm a lot heavier, so I make sacrifices in camp comfort.

 

[jim lee]

I see you decided not to, but trimming springs will make them stiffer. (Less spring to flex)

-jim lee

 

[Smileyshaun]

I dropped the lift on my Tahoe from 6 inch down to 4 inch and a much happier with using it for daily life ,much easier to get in and out of load stuff in. If you plan to keep it lower just make sure to put some good skid plates on it then you can drag it over whatever you need to and not worry about damage

 

[Grantnr]

Another thought, what ply tires do you have? If you have 10ply truck tires vs a 6ply LT tire then you would get a much stiffer ride. 4runners don't weigh enough to get 10ply tires to absorb road shock the same way a tire in 6ply would.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I can't speak too much on a 4Runner, but I went with the OME 2in springs on my WJ in the heavy duty variety. They were initially stiff, especially with the Bilstein 5100's. My issues with it have slowly worked themselves out aside from the worn out bushings. I'll get those address as well as new, larger tires. I would suggest either a lower rate / lighter duty spring, or downsize to 31's with a shorter lift. If you can keep more tire for ground clearance, that would be ideal, but trimming might be needed on the fenders/flares.

 

[Lindenwood]

I am doing a complete swap for springs that are about 20% softer both front and rear with a guy who wanted my setup, and weare both paying only shipping! I am expecting about a 1" reduction in height, but more importantly a softer ride. I drive like a grampa so I don't mind a little braking nose dive or body roll.

I do have E-rated tires, but those provide a different kind of stiffness (that can largely be mitigated by airing down). The stiffness to which I was referring is that the vehicle feels like it pitches and rolls over even mild trail undulations like a hotwheels car. These things become really noticable when wheeling with a sleeping baby.

I'll be knocking it out this weekend, then report back.

 

[Lindenwood]

You only loose ground clearence with tires. You may loose some articulation and gain some tire scrub.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Also, would "obstacle" clearance be a better term? My concern was that I can currently drive right over ~12" logs, whereas lowered slightly I might not be able to do that.

 

[MazeVX]

I am doing a complete swap for springs that are about 20% softer both front and rear with a guy who wanted my setup, and weare both paying only shipping! I am expecting about a 1" reduction in height, but more importantly a softer ride. I drive like a grampa so I don't mind a little braking nose dive or body roll.

I do have E-rated tires, but those provide a different kind of stiffness (that can largely be mitigated by airing down). The stiffness to which I was referring is that the vehicle feels like it pitches and rolls over even mild trail undulations like a hotwheels car. These things become really noticable when wheeling with a sleeping baby.

I'll be knocking it out this weekend, then report back.

This kind of stiffness is often caused by the shocks, you probably know that before... It's the reason why I want to go to bypass shocks the moment I got the money to buy them...

 

[Lindenwood]

That was also one of my thoughts, but others with the same shocks and softer (or even OEM) springs haven't reported this kind of ride.

But, if that does end up being the case, Ill swap the shocks out as well and call it good!

 

[MazeVX]

Then you are most likely on the right way, keep us updated!

 

[Lindenwood]

Had a fun day! I drove about 100 miles, ranging from city and highway, to gravel roads and deep mud.

Stance / Height:
Front: 36.7 (prev 38.25 at this air pressure)
Rear: 37.38 (prev 38.75 at this air pressure)

Lost about 1.55" front and 1.38" rear, and am estimating about 1.25-1.5" above stock up front, and 1.75 above stock in the rear.

Ride quality
City: Noticable, especially as the roads get worse. I had actually been running my E-rated 33s at 25 PSI the last couple days to experiment with the feel, and my new suspension was still notably softer even with the tires aired back up to about 36psi. My wife rode with me for about 5 miles of this city driving, and she quickly commented how it was a smoother ride. Brake dive has increased, but Id say any technical increase im body roll is, in actual road feel, pretty much offset by the lower roll center.

Fast dirt / gravel roads with occasional potholes and washboard (30-50mph): Notably less jarring to hit those unexpected bumps.

Bumpy / undulating trails (3-15mph): A nice difference here! Whereas before I described it as not unlike being in a hotwheels car as the body seemed to pitch and roll over every bump, I could now feel the suspension articulating as a tire or axle went over a bump. I won't pretend it was like a fancy stadium truck with big cushy shocks and 16" of wheel travel that soaks up everything without spilling the driver's drink. But, it should really help minimize the kid's head-bobbling.

Load capacity:
Going with the 190lb/in spring rates, combining to 380lb/in, I should theoretically be able to carry another ~250lbs over the rear axle before the rear sags lower than the front. For simple overnight camping trips with my wife, kid, and dogs, that is more than enough. To be fair, I could see myself going camping with two extra adults and another 100lb of gear, which would add about 400lb roughly over the rear axle. This would result in roughly .37" of reverse rake (rear 3/8" lower than the front). Historically, all such trips have been over short distances, and occurred once or maybe twice a year, so I am not sure it is worth investing in airbags. However, 10mm trim packers could be useful to get an extra .4", which would perfectly offset the above hypothetical load.

I simulated ~400lb of tongue weight by throwing 22gal of gas and 25gal of water on my swing-out tray (390lb).

Result:
Front: 37" (lifted about 3/8"!)
Rear: 36" (dropped about 1-3/8")

This is a very extreme case for us. I don't own a trailer or boat, and would only ever carry that much liquid weight for bugging out from a hurricane or zombie attack. And, in reality, Id probably try to stuff the water in the floorboards and probably the gas in the cargo area to spread the weight and, to be frank, hide it from prying eyes.

Before:

After:

Before:
After:


Extra Weight: