Pro comp 3 inch spacer lift questions

Hey guys I get the point that spacer lifts aren't the best for wheeling. I plan on just driving around town with my truck and I have some questions. Would a spacer lift damage my truck just driving on roads? Would putting new aftermarket UCAs on bring everything into spec so that the spacers don't wear out parts? Help me understand all this. It's confusing. I have a 2012 Tacoma trd sport. And is there any way a spacer lift can be in spec? Once again I don't really understand all this so I'm trying to learn. Thanks guys.

 

But I want a full 3 inch lift and don't 5100's only give max 2.5. Isn't the ride terrible at the 2.5 mark since it's all preload?

 

First off....top plate spacers DON'T "wear out parts". About 99% of the info you'll see posted on spacers is pure nonsense. They will put your stock shocks at risk for bending/breaking from over compressing them resulting in the shock running out of travel before the suspension does. Simple cure for THAT issue, place a spacer under the bump stop so that travel is stopped before shock runs out of travel.....I've installed a good many spacer kits on trucks (I do lifts for people out of my garage to make a few extra bucks) Spacers, done PROPERLY, pose no further risk than any other lift. There are thousands upon thousands of Tacoma's on the road (and OFF the road) with top plate spacer lifts that have ZERO issues. For the interim, mine being one of them. (Had 2 shocks fail on a suspension lift kit....replaced temporarily with a spacer lift....This truck has been off roaded WITH spacers and performed just as well as was thecase WITH a well respected coilover lift kit)

5100's, when used at the available higher lift settings WILL compress the coil. That would make the same coil ride harsher than it would at the 0" lift setting. That said, some coils are stiffer, (higher spring rate) and with that, far less compliant at higher pre-load settings. ie, some springs work better than others when preloaded beyond their designed intention.

The BEST use of a 5100 to gain lift is to use a longer coil.....One that uses spring length to achieve the lift (ie, 885's, etc....) With those springs, you leave the 5100's set at "0" lift and get the 2-1/2" or so of lift via a longer coil spring. That would give you a compliant ride AND the lift. There are spring options all across the board that give anywhere from 0" lift to 3" (and more) Again, you can get 3" or more lift WITH 5100's and NOT use the lift setting on the shock itself.....

Keep in mind, spring LENGTH and spring RATE are totally different concepts.

Granted, many of the more expensive shocks on the market will perform better as a result of better valving, better design, etc, than the stock shocks. There's the source of the complaints with spacer lifts...the SHOCK....not the spacer.

Now, coil spring spacers are an entirely different animal than the top plate spacer. They DO preload coils to gain lift, which results in a harsher ride in most cases.

ALL coils springs are designed to operate at a predetermined compressed length. Compressing them beyond that length will ultimately have an adverse effect from one degree to another. Shocks are generally designed to operate with a certain coil spring rate, a certain compressed length of coil, and a certain weight of truck.....Altering those parameters will have an effect. As an example, 5100's set to the highest lift setting will ride stiffer than the same shock with the same coil set in it's lowest lift setting. "Ride quality" is almost always purely subjective. Opinions of end users of the same exact shocks with the same exact coils in the same exact settings will usually vary.

I automatically disregard ANY opinion that is based on the cost of a lift as the determining factor in "how good it is". I've worked on trucks with a $100 "ebay spacer lift" that rode better and worked better than $3000 lifts using "top of the line" components.

All THAT said, a well thought out, properly installed lift using high quality components will USUALLY end up with better end results.....

In the end, I'm looking to re-do the lift on my truck very soon. A major factor is the fact that my stock Bilsiens (TRD Off Road) shocks are near the end of their service limit. Plan is to use 5100's set @ 0", 885's with 1/2" spacers, 1/4" trim packer on drivers side for the front, and 5100's on rear with additional leaves added to stock leaf pack by a local suspension shop. If it all works like I hope, I'll get 3" of front lift (from stock) and 1-1/2" lift (from stock) in the rear with a little more weight capacity on both ends. With my previous lift, I got 3" of lift from stock, and was able to get proper alignment specs WITHOUT changing UCA's. If the new lift requires them, as the late Ted Kennedy said, "I'll drive off that bridge when I get to it".....

It is best to avoid a very firm suspension on one end and a very soft suspension on the other....Makes for squirrelly handling at highway speeds.

 

I came across this thread looking for an answer about my Pro Comp lift, was hoping you could help. I am trying to determine what size lift I have. The strut spacers measure 4 inches tall and the front bracket from top mounts to bottom mounts measure 4 inches. Does this mean its a 4 inch lift? Any help would be appreciated, thanks

 

A spacer lift is ok on the road but it will ride a bit stiffer. The truck I purchased had one until I replaced it with an Eibach Stage 1 kit. The ride is much improved with the suspension lift compared to the spacers.

 

Can anyone answer this? Strut spacers measure 4 inches tall and the front bracket from top mounting bolts to bottom mounting bolts measure 4 inches. Does this mean its a 4 inch lift?

 

The spacer itself measures 4"? From what I have been told you get more lift than the spacer itself is because of geometry. I would figure it's about 6" of lift total. Measure from the center of your wheel hub to the bottom of your fender. At 3" lift my truck sits at 23" to give a reference.

 

Excellent, thank you!!

 

A 6" spacer lift is not happening. Not for very long anyways.