2013 Sequoia Toytec Boss Suspension Lift

Been a long time lurker in the site and have read many outstanding articles and post that helped me make a decision on what lift and tires to go with. I would like to say thanks to everyone for being active members and posting great information.

Now on to the build. Installed a complete Toytec Boss suspension. Red 700# coil overs up front and Bilstein 5125s with OME springs in the rear.

Took two days for me to install with a couple of calls to Toytec and a couple of missing pieces later... Toytec customer service was great and expedited the missing parts once I recognizes they were missing. Front coil overs went in fairly easy but rears were a pain in the rear.

Forgot to record measurements before install but after install with stock rims and tires I was 39 1/2 inches from the ground to the bottom of the wheel well opening and 24 1/2 inches from the center of the hub to the bottom Of the wheel well. Even with the drivers side rear 10mm trim spaced installed the drivers side sits close to a half inch lower than the rest of the vehicle. Didn’t expect that and maybe once all the suspension settles in they will even out a little more. Still only have about 50 miles on the setup and expect some settling.


Had rims and tires installed today. Decided on Fuel Tech 20x9 anthracite rims and Falken Wildpeak AT3 in 285/60r20 all around. Plenty of room in the rear however I only have a fraction of an inch between the tire and front wheel rear mud flap. I removed the front wheel front mud flap to preempt any possible issues so I do not know if the tires would fit with that still installed. No rubbing as of yet but definitely a tight fit up front.

I am very happy with the look and need a little more time before commenting on the suspension. The ride is definitely different than stock and haven’t decided whether I like it or not at this point. This is my daily driver so won’t take me long to form an opinion. I’ll update as I get some more miles on it.

Below are some pics of the set-up.

Before:



After lift with stock rims and bald tires.



Complete set-up

 

Welcome from Alberta

killer looking rig!

 

Nice job!

 

I approve! I think I need a spacer on the front driver as I have a lean and my coils are at Max adjustment for lift. I don't like sitting unleveled left to right.

I dig the flag on the rear window, where'd you pick it up? Is it Sequoia specific?

 

Thanks all. I picked the flag decal up on Amazon from Skull Daddy Graphics. Mine is Sequoia specific but they make them for a variety of vehicles. I think the main difference is just the size and making sure it is big enough to cover the window. It does require trimming around the edges one you have it installed. I did it myself and I didn’t think it was too bad to install. Took maybe and hour to do both sides. Directions were pretty good.

 

How about an update?

now that you’ve had this kit installed for a few months

 

Update (as requested):

I've put about 10,000 on the set-up since having it installed from a mix of around town driving, driving to and from work (70 miles of interstate each way), and a trip to the mountains of Colorado from Ohio (approximately 1300 miles each way).

The suspension has settled at 24" from center hub to wheel well in the front, driver's side rear 24 1/2", and passenger side rear 25". You can see the driver's side rear still sits about 1/2" lower than the passenger's side. This is with the spacer installed and I'm not sure how/if there is anything I can do to fix that. The spacer is supposed to level out the back, but obviously that hasn't happened. Even if there was a good fix, I'm not sure it would be worth the effort to mess with it.

I adjusted the front numerous time and tried to get it even with the back (at least the driver's side) but quit after I got it close enough because it was needing an alignment every time I adjusted it and this was getting expensive so I gave up. It's close enough that it looks good and you don't visibly notice the 1/2" to 1" difference at all.

As for the ride, I love the way it rides and drives. Took a little getting used to because it is way different from stock but once I got used to it, I do really like it. Definitely a lot smoother over bumps and imperfections in the road. My only complaint is that it does feel soft at times. If you hit a bump on the highway at speed in a corner then there is quite a bit of lateral movement. I think this is from a combination of the tires and the suspension but it took a little getting used to. Also, with weight in the vehicle the rear gets really bouncy. I haven't towed with the set-up yet but did have a full load of 8 people and luggage on the trip to Colorado and the folks in the back complained about the car being very bouncy. I could also feel from the drivers seat that the rear was pretty bouncy when taking bumps. The rebound needs to be a little tighter in my opinion. Where before the rear would bounce once or twice when hitting a bump now it bounces 3-4 times. Don't notice it much when only two or three people in the car but way more pronounced with a car load.

Love the tires. Just returned from Breckenridge, CO where they received record snowfall the day before we arrived. Car/tires did an amazing job in the winter conditions. The tires ride smooth on the highway and do have some road noise but it is not bad at all and just a normal conversation in the car drowns it out.

Would I do it again, yes in a heartbeat. Very happy with things overall, my personal preference is for a stiffer suspension set-up and that is my only complaint but I'm really just nit-picking.

Almost forgot, biggest issue is that my gas mileage has decreased by about 2 mpg. I expected a drop in mpg but didn't expect that much of a drop, especially since I drive over 2 hrs to and from work every day.

Hope that helps, more than happy to answer/address any other questions you may have.

Eric

 

regarding the softness and bounce....what are you running for air pressure in the tires? Can't run what is listed on the door typically once you move to bigger LT tires. The air pressure listed is for P load and the specific stock size.

You may need to adjust tire pressure. Best way is to take 20 minutes and do a chalk test on front and rear tires. Here is how to do that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ST54xnhuI

 

Oh, and on the gas mileage- you will drop MPG when moving from P tires to LT AT. They are much heavier and the AT tread has more rolling resistance. Then there is the point that you increased the truck ride height, so more air drag. 2 mpg decrease sounds right.

 

Thanks frichco. I expected an mpg decrease just didn't expect 2 mpg based on other information that I read. It is what it is I guess. As for the air pressure, I'm well aware that I can't rely on the tire pressure on the door jam, and to be honest I don't even know what those specs are. I'm running about 38 psi in the tires. Didn't do a chalk test but did basically the same thing with dirt/sand on the tires and I could see how much tread was impacting the ground. Before I had the alignment dialed-in I had over 40 psi in the tires just so I could drive it to an from the shop while I was still messing with the suspension and the guys at the shop got all over me and said it was waaaaay to much for those tires. I didn't disagree but it was the only way I could get the road manners good enough to drive the 30 miles on the highway to the shop. 38 psi seems to be about right for my ride according to my makeshift "chalk test" and treadwear aspect. Not saying I couldn't get away with a little more in there but I'm already running more that what my tire shop guys said I need to so I figured it was a happy medium.

 

Hey, so I have the OME coils, and the Bilstein 5125s and have noticed the same behavior in how the rear end feels and acts.

I have been thinking about it, and think it is honestly because of the OME coils. They were designed for the land cruiser, which is just a lighter vehicle, while they provide the lift numbers Toytec stated, I don’t think they are rated for the same amount of pounds as the Sequoia specific Dobinsons. The quantity of rebounds the rear end provides over bumps, or even worst big dips is just excessive. My wife jokingly states her car now “really likes to bounce that booty” over bumps.

Kind of disappointed in Toytec for recommending this set up. If you think it is something other than the coils let me know, but I am thinking about switching over to the Dobinson coils like @Jbtaco2002 runs. How are you liking those? Your rear end act at all like this?

cheers,

 

@Toytec Lifts can you offer any suggestions here?

 

Yeh, definitely could be the springs. I looked at the Dobinson coils, and read Jbtaco2002's thread as well, before deciding on what to go with. I don't have a whole lot of suspension experience or knowledge and did a lot of research before deciding on the Toytec set-up and I guess I assumed Toytec knew more than I did and I trusted their judgement in putting together a suspension set-up for the Sequioa. Honestly it was just easier to get it all a a package from Toytec.

Let me know if you go with the Dobinsons and it fixes the issue. I may end up switching over to them with the 5125s if it improves the way the rear behaves. I tend to tow quite a bit and haven't had anything hitched to the back yet but I'm concerned on how it is going to react to the added weight.

Not looking forward to changing out those rear springs again though, they were definitely a ginormous pain in the rear.

 

Ya, Couldn’t agree more! Although I piece mealed my rear end components individually, as I already had front coilovers, and Toytec wasn’t selling the rear set up by itself. But was able to use the part listing in the kit’s instructions and put it together slowly. If I can get some confirmation that the coils are the issue and not the shock, I will definitely be going that route. I just can’t imagine the shock is the issue... I just need to spend a little more time snooping about and figure out the OME weight ratings compared to the Dobinsons.. should be a simple lookup, but still haven’t done it haha

Hearing that I am not the only one with this issue, I’ll probably check it out tomorrow. I’ll report back when I sort it out.

 

How did you install the rear coils? I’m looking at Dobinson 1.75 rears and dobinson rear shocks

 

Very carefully with a lot of elbow grease and a rubber mallet. Haha.

The biggest concern was compressing the springs. Seemed like they needed to be compressed a lot in order to fit into the spring bucket. I loosened all the control arm bushings, and pretty much everything else I could, in order to allow everything to move enough to fit the new spring but still seemed like I had to compress the spring almost all the way together before it would fit. Using a spring compressor from auto zone I got a little nervous the more I had to compress the spring so once I got it close enough I could force it into the boot I went with it. Wasn't that bad on the passenger side but a little more difficult on the driver's side due to having to keep the spacer in place at the same time as putting the coil in.

Again, I'm a rookie so probably made things harder than they should have been and took twice as long.

 

Excellent review update! Thank you! Tons of great feedback.

I noticed on @Toytec description for this kit that they state:

• If you do a lot of heavy hauling or towing please let us know so we can get you a heavier valved shock.

You might investigate that before different coil springs (since they’re such a pain to install).

Thanks again for the great update.

Edit:
Also, with regards to MPG loss, if you haven’t factored in speedometer correction (either with software or with accurately hand calculating your actual MPG) your numbers will be skewed. -I’m probably preaching to the choir on this though.

 

I have followed this thread and others like it,on this topic for rear 2nd gen Sequoia suspension.

I have found the spring weight info for the 2864 Coils as well as the Dobinson 1.75 lift coils and have posted below.

As far as what @Snoozer posted,I speculate that Toytec is using the 2864’s as a “will fit and are good enough” solution. They are not engineered specifically for the Sequoia. Their options about having a different shock available leads me to believe they may offer using a heavier shock,to combat the fact that the Springs aren’t specifically Spec’d for the vehicle.

Again,this is personal speculation.

I am not saying that Toytec or OME are bad,or that anyone did anything wrong. I’m only leading towards the fact that rear springs may be inadequate for our vehicle,hence the bouncing rear ends.

Here is the info on the 2864’s and the Dobinson 1.75 Coils

OME-2864 -- Heavy Load (440 lbs to GVW)
Dobinson 1.75 lift 624LBF/IN

So using the data above it looks as if the Dobinson Springs are rated for an additional 184lbs of weight. I’m still not sure if that’s total per pair,or per each individual coil

I assume if that’s per each individual coil,then you just double the 184, which equals out to the Dobinson being rated for 368lbs more weight than the 2864’s.

If that is truly the case,I can definitely see the potential issues that using the universal 2864’s could cause. It’s just not enough weight rating

 

I dig everything you stated above and it is basically the same assumptions I have made. They are “good enough” but not designed for the heavier rear end of the sequoia.

Thank you for posting the spring coil ratings! I agree, should be individual coil, so about 370lbs of missing lift would make the difference we are feeling. The good thing is that Dobinson coils and installation are still cheaper than premium custom made shocks for the rear end.

 

What offset are the wheels?

 

To follow up on this. I installed Bilstein 5100s in the rear and it fixed my issues. The coils are definitely fine, it is the Bilstein 5125s that can not handle the heaviness of the Sequoia, as they are designed for a Jeep. If you make that change is would solve everything. 1stgenoffroad sells a similar kit that uses the correct 5100s.

 

I installed 5100's front and rear. OEM front springs and kept the rear airbags. The ride quality just with the 5100 was night and day compared to the AVS in sport mode. As for the rear, I inflated the rear airbag to add an inch rake. I am not sold on getting aftermarket springs, if I do go with springs, it will be OEM with Firestone insert airbags for towing purposes. I like the auto leveling whenever I hook up a trailer. I will definitely add this feature with my next Tundra.

To do list:
1.) Fab an airbag perch spacer to add 1-1.5 rear lift with out adding air to the bags. It will make the ride closer to factory, but still stiffer than sport mode.
2.) Get a new set of AVS and install the 2.5 lift Dobinson springs in the front.

@SC_TRD I agree with you with the 5125's if it's originally valved for Jeeps, it's not enough. My Tundra with Firestone and 5100's. It can carry the payload, but not the rebound. I will need a custom valved shocks or adjustable rebound to prevent the rear from bouncing.

 

I have Dobinsons 1.75" & Bilstein 5100s on my Limited '13 Sequoia. I'm having a hard time with alignment although everywhere I look I see under 3" there is enough room to get in spec.

I have the SPC cam bolts for the front but before I go back I'd like to do what I can for the rear, any suggestions for the rear?

The before was after Firestone "aligned" it and let me leave with the passenger rear completely loose.

 

Sorry all been off the forum for a while. Just saw the question from Romoari about the wheel offset. The wheels are Fuel Tech, 20x9, +20mm offset.

As for e30cabrio, I don't have any suggestions for the rear. I know my shop had a little trouble getting the rear alignment in spec but were able to figure it out. It ended up taking two technicians adjusting at the same time for them to get it to work but at the end of the day, they got everything aligned and within specs. Said afterwards that there was plenty of room, just needed a helping hand. So, I'm pretty much out of my league already and sorry, don't have any suggestions.

Haven't switched out the rear shocks to 5100s yet and have actually gotten used to the ride with the 5125s. Haven't been doing much towing or hauling a lot of folks around due to the pandemic over the last year or so, so I haven't noticed the soft rear as much as I did to begin with. Will definitely keep the shocks in mind as a future upgrade and appreciate all the input/testing to help figure out the best rear set-up.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

 

Thanks! I'll suggest it needs another person pushing/pulling.

 

Do you have any body vibration after the lifting?

 

TLDR version: suggest try shocks specific to Sequoia as easy fix for bouncing. Then do stiffer spring or air bags later if need to control squat when towing.


Excessive bounce is very likely the shocks as others mentioned but that doesn't mean the spring is right either.
Generally, springs bounce, shocks dampen the bounce.
Strength or stiffness of spring is what sets how much it squats when a given amount of weight is applied.
Shock valves determine oil flow through shock to control compression/rebound. In other words, shocks help control how fast a spring compresses and many bounces it cycles after a bump. Ideally, shock valves are matched to vehicle weight and spring stiffness to make a good system.

The old fashion shock test was to push on the corner of a truck hard and if it bounced more than about 4 times, assume shocks were worn out (shocks too soft to control bounce).

Stiffer spring will bounce less and sag less when loaded but ride quality may feel stiffer. I had to change rear coils on 4Runner because 1st set of lift springs sagged too easily when loaded or towing but they gave a nice soft ride with no load. Changing to a stiffer spring reduced rear end sag and gave it a more controlled feel. Soft springs do travel further though, as in same force of a bump pushes soft spring further which may be interpreted by passengers as more bounce.

 

Just found this thread searching through. Your truck looks good! I went with Bilstein 6612's up front and Dobinsons 1.75" springs/shocks in the rear..........love the handling and stiffness of this setup! I would also recommend this spring compressor for future use............it works amazing and I had no trouble doing my rear springs!
I haven't measured my fender heights in awhile but after my install I too had a half inch or so of difference from side to side. I'll have to get back out and see what my measurements are now.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/bilstein-6112’s-and-dobinsons-1-75”-springs-shocks.96411/

I was going to say one thing you might want to consider, after reading your input, is adding TRD front and rear sway bars to your truck. I think they really keep the Sequoia from rolling as much and keep it planted on the road even better.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/trd-pro-front-sway-bar-install.104784/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/trd-rear-sway-bar-install.96805/