Opinions on lifting an '85 Toyota Pickup?

I want to lift my 85 toyota pickup 4x4, but i have heard a lot of different opinions about that modification. Some say the truck is best left alone while others are all for the lift. Under normal circumstances I would keep the truck with the stock suspension, but my springs a totally shot. I have been looking around and it seems that i can get a pretty high performance (reliable!!) 2" lift for cheaper than i could buy a set of 4 stock springs. Just looking for other people's opinions on the matter.

Thanks Anders

Reply to
Anders
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You could get a set of Rancho 9000s or Bilstiens for about $300. I have not seen a 2" lift cheaper than that. One more thing you may have to consider is you may have to buy bigger tires, to make it look right.

JW

Reply to
Joseph Wind

Shocks will not provide you with any lift. The best off-the-shelf 2" lift option is the OME (Old Man Emu) spring/shock kit. Most ARB dealers carry it, try

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Reply to
Roger Brown

Your not trying to overcome week and sagging springs with a 2" lift are you?

As for lifting in general. Unless you need it for rock crawling or playing in the mud with big tires, everything else is a down side. It's going to handle poor with the center of gravity higher, and "high performance" springs tend to be stiffer so get ready for some bounce. Then you will need longer shocks and larger tires. The larger tires comes with their own problems.

Its up to you and a lot of people like the lifted look, and I do too, but for my long drives, comfort is higher on my list.

Reply to
Eddie

I'll sell you 4 used springs cheap. I'm in SW Michigan.

Reply to
chuck

My '85 was SO much better riding and handling after I replaced the stock sagging suspension with a 3" lift. No longer did I bottom on on the smallest pebble on the road:

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kit I used included springs and match gas shocks and it rode verynice. Also, replacing the worn out rubber body mount bushings was also a big help, made a dramatic improvement in ride quality:
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A good 2" spring lift kit like OME would be a great setup for a daily driver. I know a few people with that setup and they all love it.

Reply to
Roger Brown

I'm not talking about correcting worn out springs with a 2" body lift (blocks) I'm talking about replacing all four springs with new 2" lift springs, which would be cheaper it seems than buying a set of the stock springs. Also, the lift I'm most interested in is manufactured by North West Off-Road, a well know reliable company. Their springs are said to be manufactured to give a softer ride than a stock setup, which I can belive since spring technology has advanced a lot in the past 20 years (since 1985). What ever I do, it can't possibly give me a worse ride than I have now because every time I hit a dip in the road, my shackles contact the frame!

Anders

Reply to
Anders

The OME 2" lift kit (springs + gas shocks) would be your best option. Check

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With the NWOR springs, you'll need longerspring shackles, at least for the front (BTDT). The reason is that theNWOR springs are about 1" longer than stock when flattened and they willcause the spring shackles to flatten back against the frame. I had torun ~1.25" longer shackles with my NWOR springs.
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Reply to
Roger Brown

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