My struts are close to needing replacing, want to try a leveling kit fist

The front struts on my '07 are original (SR5 with off road package and 160k miles) and are in need of replacing. I don't use the truck much so I don't spend too much on it to customize it as I would normally. It came with 285/75 18 K03s. They don't rub but it really makes the gap between the top of the tire and bottom of the fender look tiny. It also came with running boards so it does look kind of too low to the ground.

I ended up with two different style leveling kits. One is a spacer that sits below the coil spring and the other is a spacer that bolts to the top of the coil. I can align it close enough for now. I'm wondering what are the pros and cons of each style. I'm thinking the coil spacers would give me a feel more like an adjustable coil over.

If I like the leveling kit I'll get the coil over shocks and do it right. If I don't I most likely will just go with standard struts and call it good. Since the price difference can be quite a bit of money I want to make sure I'll be happy with the results. I'm not so much concerned with too stiff or soft but more the feel. I figure that will be something I can decide when picking a coil over. Things like geometry and how if feels when steering are more what interest me.

I could do the strut spacers and then the coil spacers to try each one but I would rather pick the one that will come closest. For how I drive the truck, nothing off road or abusive, I'm not sure if there's going to be that much of a difference.

 

The spacer that sits below the coil spring (sammiched between the coil spring and mount) achieves lift by pre-loading the spring. This increases ride stiffness and isn't a great idea except for maybe if adding as now plow.

Adding a spacer above the spring assembly (sammiched between the top hat and Coilover bucket on the frame) achieves lift by pushing the entire coil over assembly further down, away from the mounting point. It is popular and cheap, but not great, IMO. You run the risk of collapsing a strut on a pothole or large bump since it can now be fully compressed before the A arms and bump stops engage to stop suspension movement. You can mitigate this by extending the bumpstops, but now you are losing range of motion in both directions, making for a suspension that doesn't move much (and is prevented from doing it's job well).

Best cheap alternative is a something like Bilstein 5100's or Eibach Pro Truck shocks. The fronts are ride height adjustable via a circlip that is adjusted before the spring is mounted. It reuses your factory spring and top hat, so you do have to disassemble, then reassemble the strut, but the cost of entry is minimal - maybe $300 for the front shocks shipped. And you are getting new shock absorbers.

They adjust ride height in a somewhat similar manner to the spacer between the spring and mount, but in a safer, less intrusive manner. The higher you move the spring perch, the stiffer the coil becomes, so many choose NOT to run it on the top setting but the second to top setting. Part of the stiffer ride actually comes from the fact that you are shifting weight on to the back axle when leveling the stance, but that usually helps with the unladen ride from the rear axle, so it becomes moot.

5100's are also designed to accommodate the differing ride heights without binding/collapsing/over extending/etc, so they are safe to run. IMO, they offer a superior ride to stock, especially compared to worn out stock shocks.

There are several other price points, but for a not much more than some spacers, you can get a MUCH improved suspension, IMO, so there's not much reason to use spacers in the first place.

 

Skip the spacers, you have plenty of 2ish inch lift Tundra pics here on this site to see how it looks. Or just look up pictures of TRD Pro models, they are 2 inches higher in front.

Especially since you need new shocks and such, just get some new coilovers and call it done. It will ride and perform much better than any type of spacer lift.


5100s, 6112s are options and it is hard to be the Eibach setups as it comes assembled, includes rear shocks, is set for 2 inch lift out of the box and it really is a nice upgrade over the stock suspensions at a great price.