Suspension adjustment for new front bumper

Hello. I have a 2001 sequoia limited and I would like to add a new front bumper at some point. Something like the brute force bumper but I have no plans for a winch, just lights and a full brush guard. My question is, my suspension isn't that old and it's all from 1st gen off-road. I don't have a lift and there is a slight rake after the shocks, struts and coils were replaced.

What I'm wondering is if the additional weight of the new bumper will cause issues for my current suspension, and if adding spacers to the front would be a less expensive way to get the bumper without having to replace the almost new suspension.

From what I can tell the stock bumper weights 60-70 lbs and the new bumper will be 160 or so? If I would have to replace the front suspension I would just forget the new bumper and go for a brush guard or something lighter.

Thanks for your assistance.

 

What suspension did you put on the front? If you got Billie’s, you can crank them up a notch or two to raise the front

 

Frenchy asking the real questions here. Knowing what strut & spring you chose will determine the answer.

If using non-OEM lifted spring on an adjustible strut like the 5100, you really should stay on the bottom notch, so expect to drop about 1/2" up front.

If using OEM stock height 4WD spring to match the drivetrain, your 4WD Seq can get 1/2" per circlip raised on the 5100, if you're using 5100, but there is (IIRC) a limit to how high you can go circlip-wise, and your ride may be harsher.

 

attached is what I ordered. There were also 1/4” shims Josh from 1stgenoffeoad said I needed. I had them mess with the coils so I could just plug and play.

 

from what I can tell, these aren’t adjustable, at least according to their description on 1stgenoffroad.

 

Unknown what the outcome will be from my POV. Don't have enough people running your setup here. I'm going to guess you'll probably see half inch of sag depending on which bumper you go with. But I'm literally pulling numbers out of my ass based on what other bumpers have done to folks, which is typically 1/2" - 7/8"

 

Adding spacers will not achieve the desired effect. They will raise the front end so it doesn't look like your springs are sagging, but your springs will not be supporting the added weight and your ride will not be good. Additionally, if you add weight to the front and use a coil spacer, you definitely need to add spacers to your bumpstops otherwise you will bottom out the shocks and destroy them. Spacing out your bumpstops will reduce your available wheel travel which is a negative. Spacers can also cause issues with clearing your UCAs, depending on whether they are stock or aftermarket.

Your best option here is to swap the springs that came with your Dobinsons for ones that are longer. The C59-342 springs you have are meant to maintain stock height with no weight added. Switching to Dobinson C59-344 would be the best way to maintain your current shocks. C59-344s are meant for 1.75" lift with no weight. With your added weight, they will provide less lift.

If you're going to shop for shocks again and do not want to go down this route ever again, go for a fully adjustable coilover such as Fox, King, ADS with preferably a 700lb spring for added weight. You get what you pay for, but you can really fine tune the ride height with these types

Bilsteins are fine too, but not as preferred as fully adjustable coilovers. They have the pre-load perch as previously mentioned, but with the Bilstein design, you will get the best results from using a spring with a heavier duty spring rate, preferably set to one of the lowest perches.

 

I appreciate the detailed reply. Sounds like I’ll just need to find a brush guard or something that would help protect the front but not be so heavy. Back to the drawing board!

 

Brush guards are trash

 

Yep, look no further than how little they helped @Tundra2 with his deer encounters.

If it were me, I'd pick out some front armor, install, measuring before and after to see how much things dropped, and adjust accordingly.

 

I’m unfamiliar with front armor. Is that a brand?

 

Brush guards are damage multipliers for most things including wildlife and trees, and don't offer much protection.

I think he means any type of armor or weight that's towards the front of the truck you intend to install; bumper, sliders, skid plates, also winches, etc. Pretty much suspension is the last thing to be upgraded after you add all the weight that will be on the truck full time. It's a little backwards from how most people do it, and where fully adjustable coilovers are helpful. As you add weight to fully adjustable coilovers, you have some wiggle room on the coil adjustment before you need to jump to heavier springs.

 

They literally mean "armour" so when you see those trucks with saggy fronts and you see a huge steel bumper up there. That's what it be; armoire that legit weighs a few hundred pounds but does well at protecting the front end.

brush guards on the other hand are utter trash

 

Ahh, ok, makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.