Level Kit Settled

Replaced my suspension a year ago when i crossed 172,000 semi hard hayfield highway miles. went from stock everything to 4 corner Bilstein 4600's and a 2 level kit in the front. Brand new OEM lower control arm and balljoint from the dealership and a lift compatible upper control arm from freedom off road. Well it settled and i want the front a little higher. I was advised coilovers would be a better investment. So i'm debating a 3 inch lift puck or this 1 to 3 inch lift strut and ditch the lift spacer. just wanted some input from yall. how much would it conflict if i left the 4600s on in the rear and put the coilovers in the front?

 

Ball joints are a wear item, if you needed one side done, is there a reason you didn’t do the other? Just curious, it’s best to proactively replace with OEM joints and new mounting bolts every 125k-150k miles to avoid catastrophic results, failure is far more costly than the joint, and they’re easy enough to swap at home.

Freedom Offroad’s products aren’t bad but not that great either, there are better uppers out there, but I realize that’s not your question.

Pucks are not the right way to lift, they effectively push the strut downward, but I’m surprised to hear anything about settling, since it’s a rigid part. You’ll get better results out of a regular strut with lifted spring, or a coilover as you said. Fine, if that’s what you want to do, just don’t mix pucks them with regular suspension.

There’s a lot of options here, depends on what you’re looking for and whether you intend to lift the rear. Much of what you’d want or need to know is in the suspension section halfway down the 1st post here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

Really, once you scope that out for some ideas, would be helpful to know what you’re thinking, what your lift measurements are now (center of hub to fender, and ground to fender) front and back, and where you would prefer to be. If it helps to visualize, this thread has other member trucks before and after lift, but remember, larger tires also provide lift (and can rub like a MF’er). https://www.tundras.com/threads/how-big-is-yours-measure-up.46186/

 

Pucks are trash.

And from what I've been able to see. The larger you go the more likely this type of shit will happen to you

https://youtu.be/4-uodQ2GMQg?si=SHBCzwyWcA_Cjxmw

either be happy with what you got or get some lift springs or even get some decent coilovers

 

Worth saying: The number of bent knuckles/spindles, and knuckles that are cracked at the UBJ ring I've seen these last couple years is nuts. At least half of the cases I’ve seen were with people over-lifting, and that typically involved the owner either mixing, or allowing a shop to mix pucks in with their lift. Several have been people using some kit Rough Country must be advertising as a 4”-5” lift, either that or it’s a popular thing to do on Fords or Chevy’s, because everyone I’ve seen with that setup is either complaining about something being wrong or has clear damage. It’s always dudes, too. I guess it just goes to show, some people really feel like they gotta have that extra inch or two, even if they don’t know what to do with it, and don’t really need it to get the job done.

 

I want another inch.....


But yeah, stay far, far away from the pucks. 5100s will be your cheapest option, but not your best. I have the coilover version of 5100s with the Toytec boss series, and Freedom arms to boot. The Freedom arms are getting the boot ASAP, as they don't provide what I need as far as alignment goes. The Toytecs are too, but I also exercise my truck off-road fairly frequently.

 

well if your friend in the Chevy/Ford is sitting 2-3" taller than you for the same money. Some people's egos/dicks get sad. Which leads to decisions based on fallacies as opposed to suspension geometry

 

Thought this was a good watch on spacers -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiPwsjCU-3g

 

Very clearly explained. And I appreciate the guy using a spacer lift posted it, honestly.

In the video, when suspension is at full droop with the spacer installed, looked like the UCA would've been sitting on the spring if it'd been installed.

 

my fault. i meant to say a 2 inch lift puck. also both ball joints and arms were done. on both sides

 

honestly the spacer lift was just my attempt at leveling the truck. At this point Im game on removing the puck and getting a leveling coilover.

 

ok. you got it. ive been scared straight. im ordering coilovers and doing it the right way.

 

Ok, and you know the difference between a coilover and strut, right? Both can provide lift. One is infinitely adjustable. The other can be semi-adjustable but is typically static once installed.

 

https://freedomoffroadusa.com/1-4-adjustable-coilovers-fo-t904f/

hows this for adjustable? im gonna put some miles on these for a year or so while i find a more permanent solution to carry me through the next two timing belt changes.

 

I personally wouldn't buy Freedom Offroad products. Not only b/c of problems folks here have had with them at a business level, or that they but that coilover itself looks really cheaply made, and if you live anywhere they salt roads, it looks like it'll rust all to hell on the bottom half, like it's cast steel. Which would make it heavy as fuck too.

Fairly certain their products are all China-made, their UCA were Hardrace (Taiwanese) repops. A lot of products on the market right now are made in the same factory, like KSP and lots of the random brands on scAmazon, etc. I've seen a couple few failures with that style of non-gusseted UCA, where the balljoint ring shears from the tubular arm. But anyway, I digress. Freedom is a company I lump in there with Rough Country: Cheaply made and generall problematic.

But, if you need cheap, that's the cheapest non-RoughCountry coilover I've ever seen. Like, suspiciously inexpensive.

 

if you want that sort of reliability. I wouldnt go for anything less than Toytecs

 

This was my thought as well.

I will say, the 700# springs on the Toytecs are too stout for my AC, I can imagine they'll be brutal on his RC.

 

are you level? Or raked? If level, maybe drop a wee-bit and see if that helps unload some of the preload? That 20-50lbs of preload may help soften up the ride a tad.......

 

ok so something new every day. found these two on toytecs. thoughts? or were you suggesting the $1000 entry

 

the first 2 you posted are not true coilovers.

And yes. The $1000 entry that will allow you you read adjust your suspension after it's done settling.

 

Sounds good. Got a return on the freedom offroad before they left the warehouse. Guess christmas will be good to me this year lol. Thank yall for the help. Never would have heard of toytecs otherwise.

 

Just know, those Toytecs will be really, really stout (stiff). If they're stiff on my heavier access cab with V8 and 4WD, they may be a bit brutal on your reg cab.

And yeah, that OME kit would over-lift you. Actually, the Toytecs may provide too much lift also. But ...

 

These are the ones I have. I don't remember them being the same price as the alumas, but whatever. You can get them with 650lb springs and they come preset at 2.5" of lift, but it'll settle down to 2". I'd recommend.

 

I'll upgrade my suspension when the funds are available but with my driving (concrete queen) and updated axle boots, I feel like I'm in a good place till the money rolls in...