REVIEW 3rd gen suspension on 2nd gen

So the 3rd gen suspension levels out a 2nd gen without a 1/4” spacer on the drivers side? I was planning on installing my 3rd gen stuff tomorrow but now I’m worried as I bought a 1/4” and 1/2” spacers. I assumed the 2nd gen is side specific too therefore still needing a spacer to fix the lean.

*EDIT: Well I got the fronts on today and will do the rear with the AAL tomorrow. I ended up using just the 1/4" spacer on the drivers side. So far I've noticed the ride is a lot smoother. The truck now looks "level" or close to it, so I'm hoping the AAL will give me the slight rake I was after.

 

All finished. I hope the rear settles some, as the AAL raised it more than I expected it to. I went with the 1/4” spacer on the drivers side. The front is now even and exactly 1” higher. The rear is almost a full 1.75” higher even though it was only supposed to be 1.25”.

 

stiff & crocks

 

Some great info in here. I'm shopping for a 2nd gen and it'll likely have high miles and need new shocks. A 3rd gen suspension upgrade seems like a no brianer since they seem to be cheap.

 

Looks good but you may want to go to a 1/2 or 3/4 spacer in the front to match the rear. I have 1/2 on both side but would like to go to a 3/4.

 

Your spring seats are upside down. Probably rides like shit and is also dangerous.

 

When you flip them, the notch/step in the seat should face rear of truck once installed. Most guys don’t worry about spring orientation, (myself included) but Toyota claims that is the proper orientation

 

Yeah, I wussed out on doing my original plan of 1/2" on driver and 1/4" on passenger. I already decided the rear AAL is coming off as it gave me way more than I wanted. I'm just going to do a 1/2" spacer in the rear, which should give me about 1" difference from front to back.

 

Final set up

Now
Front sits at 38.25
Rear is at 38.5
Running 255/75/15

Running 2019 OR
front spring with the 2.5 spacer
Rear 4leaf pack with 2inch blocks

Pic are out of order but
Stock
Than level kit
Than 2019 OR kit with new tires

 

So I took the AAL back out and installed 1/2” blocks in the rear. I now have right around 1” of rake which is what I wanted.

 

So I am about to install an ARB bumper on my 2nd gen. OP. you mentioned that 3rd gen coils are 700-710? is that both sport and offroad? Thanks

 

Installed '17 trdor (with 5k on it) on my '05 trdsport; rears last week, fronts today. Was pretty straight forward. Elected to remove sway bar and undo upper ball joint to get things out and in. Got about 1.5" out of the front. Did a short test drive, no vibration; can't say i noticed a significant difference in handling yet; time will tell.

 

I've read through this whole thread and some other threads and need some advice. I'm considering a 3rd gen suspension swap for my 2013 AC, 4x4, 4 cyl base with 77k and I have some questions. I don't really want to lift my truck, more interested in just a suspension upgrade, as driving on roads in RI/Mass is borderline off-roading. Ideally I'd like to score a complete set of TRD-OR front coilovers, rear shocks, and leaves.

1. Seems like most people doing this swap have a dcsb w/v6 motor. Has anyone done it to a 4cyl 4x4 AC long bed? Would 3rd gen front coilovers give a 4cyl 2nd gen more than the 1" of lift that v6 owners see?
2. My bed currently looks like it sits a little lower than front, and looks to have only a 3 leaf pack that is pretty flat. If I put in stock 3rd gen TRD OR leafs should I expect some lift on the rear?
3. After reading about people doing this swap/or a lift and experiencing vibration/drivetrain issues (ecgs bushing?) I'm hesitant to lift the truck. If I were to do a complete swap of the base suspension with the TRD-or without any spacers and such, should I expect and vibration or drivetrain issues?
4. If I were to do the complete swap with the above components how much front and rear lift should I expect?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to find the best way to upgrade my suspension without causing future problems or excess maintenance.

Thanks

 

Sounds like your current leafs are pretty flat. Upgrading to the new 3+1 pack will definitely yield you some lift compared to your sagging leafs.

Any lift at all in the front and you will prob have some vibes but every truck is different. Once you change the angle of the CVs the stock needle bearing rattles around on the drivers side and caused a loud hum/vibration at 30-40 mph. The ECGS bushing has a tighter tolerance inside the diff.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering what's out there for suspension upgrades that retain the stock ride height? I wouldn't want the 3rd gen trd front suspension to lift the front end too high. I'm thinking being a 4 cyl I would get more than the 1" that the 6cyl owners are seeing.

Based on everything I've read it seems like lots of people do the ECGS bushing while doing a suspension swap while they have things taken apart already. If I end up going that route I think thats what I would do.

 

2007 V6 4x4

Overall about 1"-1.25" lift depending on how the truck sits.

Front: Installed 2018 TRD Sport coil assemblies w/ drivers side 1/4" lean spacer

Rear: Installed 2019 TRD Offroad shocks

The truck now rides really smooth, tighter up front with the sport shocks, making cornering more fun but softer in the rear with offroad shocks making it less bouncy.

Last summer vs now with the new shocks

 

Keep in your mind that your 4cyl is an IRON BLOCK. The 6 is aluminum. Your engine may actually be heavier.

 

Very good to know thank you! I was hoping I could add trd coils and shocks and not have any front end lift and have to worry about doing ecgs bushing.

 

I love those wheels!!!

Sorry it's been a while. I don't specifically know that the springs are 700lbs but that is what I have read elsewhere. The part number on the springs for sport and offroad are the same. The main difference is the damper that is used. The sport valving is more aggressive and stiff (for lack of better words). The offroad is valved softer and allows for a nicer ride. It took my sport from somewhat of a rougher riding truck to a smoother truck. My wife even noticed a difference and she doesn't even notice car stuff most of the time unless it's visual.