Spacers were a horrible idea

So naturally in my infinite wisdom I went against EVERYONE'S advice and decided to throw some 2.5" spacers on my truck so i could fit the 285/70R17 that I so desperately needed. Now a year later I have worse alignment issues than Forrest Gump in his kindergarten years, a front left tire that looks like a whoops section on a motocross track, and a noise coming from the same tire that sounds like i have a hubcap rubbing the concrete instead of the nicest konig wheels money can buy. I've been pretty down and out about it and almost given up completely and returned my truck back to stock, but everyone here knows we cant have that. So after a long hiatus I return to the forum where it all started and began looking for solutions. Obviously the answer is to get rid of the spacers up front ASAP. Then I'm left with a couple options to still retain the lift that I want in the front. I've been looking and the most viable option for me at the time seems to be the toytec 3" coil springs in place of the spacers. My question is (and I'm pretty sure I already know the answer) if I get the toytec 3" coil springs and just the coil springs will i still run into alignment issues on down the line? Any input is appreciated, especially the "awe man your so dumb for getting the spacers in the first place". Hopefully this post will blow up so everyone can see it and I will be the last person to ever make the horrible spacer mistake. Thanks in advance.

 

Sometimes you just have to learn lessons the hard way.

 

More people run a spacer lift than run a suspension lift; Toytec notes that their leveling spacer lift is the number one seller for lift options. That's less than 3" though.

I have a hard time thinking the spacer design is the issue. I'll readily admit I'm a lift newb, but my research prior to getting a 2.5" / 1.5" leveling spacer lift of my own was that the spacer puts no more or less stress on components than any other sort of lift. Granted that's hard to know for certain since people cloud threads with random thoughts, bias, and conjecture and individual use varies.

I guess, literally, YMMV.

 

At that height, You will have alignment issues no matter what method of lifting you use. Aftermarket UCAs will allow you to get your alignment where it should be.

 

IDK it may not be the spacers maybe I just have that in the back of my head because of everything I have read, but as of now the only changes I have made to the front end are spacers, wheels, tires, and sway bar delete. Out of those upgrades the spacers seem the most likely culprit to screw things up.

 

Read bout 5 lines, lmao, ADHD kicked in...... Squirrel, hippo, green, hashbrown

 

The spacers are most likely the culprit considering your alignment is "way off". What did the alignment look like after you first installed the spacer? I know my spacer lift virtually maxed out my UCA which could be similar to what you are experiencing. Do you have the mechanical know how to remove the spacers? If so, remove them and see how everything checks out.

 

Well first off, 3 inch lift means you need aftermarket uca's for proper alignment
Second, fuck spacer lifts
Third, you seriously removed the sway bar on a spacer lift!?

Fuck

 

^^^ this.

It's not a "spacer only" issue. Anybody who has even a vague understanding of how suspensions and alignments work knows this. UCA's will fix your alignment.

 

Well see I'm not real sure if the alignment is off or if i have something broken up on the front left. Either way I'm sure whatever it is is a direct result of the spacers. I first noticed the issue when my tread started to wear really weird, every other tread is shorter, so my front left tire tread looks like this _-_-_-_-_ its kind of hard to explain. Shortly after I notice the tread wear issue the same side started making a noise when I would turn right but only when alot of pressure was on that side (mostly when getting on the interstate). I'm not exactly sure what the issue is but plan on getting to the shop ASAP. And the sway bar came off after I figured it would be easier to remove it than to get those damn sway bar links back in after the spacers were installed.

 

Get UCA's, ditch the spacers for coils and struts, buy a new tire, get an alignment

or

Get UCA's, put the sway bar back on, buy a new tire, get an alignment

 

It's a direct result of lifting your truck and driving with a poor alignment.

 

You don't say?


ANY lift at that level is going to have the same results with stock control arms.

 

^^^ these are your options. Either way you NEED upper control arms to fix the issue. Don't listen to inexperienced people who don't understand what the actual issue is.

 

We understand that. No one was saying the coils that provided 3" of lift were going to be okay. If you can comprehend what OP was asking about, he was inquiring about his alignment issues. I reply that the spacers are the issue. Like they were in my case. Check yourself before ya wreck ya self.

 

Uhhhh obviously if he removed the lift his alignment will be set properly. Derrrrrrrr

 

Let me lay this one out for you since you feel the need to nit pick my post. If OP believes something else is causing his alignment issue, he can remove the spacers to see if the alignment/noise is resolved. You must not realize that every spacer lift doesn't cause alignment issues. I was within spec, but I didn't like the angle of the UCA, so I opted out of the cheaper lift. You're acting like you know everything.

 

To properly answer your question(since some people can't read), YES, you will definitely 100% run into the same exact alignment issues with 3" coils as you are having with the spacers. Not having UCA's is your "culprit".

 

UCA's it is. Next question..... Anybody got a few hundred bucks??