AxleIke

I have an 87 4Runner, and i am wondering what height lift springs to get. First, i am planning to get 1.5 inch ball joint spacers for the front, in order to be able to keep my torsion bars dialed back enough to give me a smoother ride. I have 1.5 inch lift spring shackles in the back currently to get rid of the sag, along with some add a leafs. However, i want to replace them with either a 2 or 3 inch lift leaf spring from downey. My first question is, are the downey leaf springs any good? and second is what height should i get with the front being the way it will be with the spacers? I am looking for the back to sit only slightly higher than the front. Thanks

drainsbe

I did a lot of research on the Downey.. and there were a lot of claims that after a couple of years the saggy butt returned or the springs broke... although I don't know how hard they were wheeled, etc... I decided to spend the bux and get 2" Alcans... they are custom built for the weight you haul and the wheeling you do... and have one of the best reputations in the industry... but they do cost... bout 450 for the pair shipped.
Hopefully will get my spacers on this weekend...

SoCal4Running

I just got the 2" rear springs from Downey, delivered to my door for 210.00. They have Military wrap front on the second leaf. This truck is a daily driver - weekend wheeler so I will keep tabs on body height vs. milage driven to see how they sag over the years.

Ilovemountains

Hey, I’ve got the Downey 2" rear lift leaf springs and the 1.5" BJ spacers up front on my 88 truck which would be just like your runner. The Downeys used my stock load leaves but I’m not sure the runner even has them. The only thing I don’t like about my Downeys is they are a little stiffer than I thought they would be but they are getting better now that I have a few thousand miles on them, they also come with new bushings for the springs only so you will need a set for the tops of your shackles. Also I had to cut my old springs off the truck, the front bolts were totally rusted to the springs, I went to a local welding supply shop and bought 2 of the best bolts they carried, way better than a grade8 that the local Napa auto parts store tried to sell me and other than that it was really a painless swap. With the BJ spacers and the rear springs my truck sits a good 1.5" higher than stock and looks good. Just my .02! Email me if you have any questions since I just did this swap a few months ago! Matt Mbernazzoli@hotmail.com

SoCal4Running

Was planning on the bolts not coming out without the saws-all. Whats the diameter of the front spring bolts, I would like to have them onhand?

SoCal4Running

I think I set a record for changing the rear lift springs. It only took 50 min. from start to finish, that includes switching the overloads from the old spings to the new springs.

I took measurements and it is a true 2" taller than with the old leaves.

Didnt have one bolt get rusted to the sleave in the front of the springs, that probably saved me a good 10 min per side. Greased everything before reassembly so next time I change them it should be just as hassle free.

No more saggy ass.

Tugboat

This thread has been dead for awhile it seems but I'll try it out for the sake of not starting a new one. Has anyone tried the replacement springs from Northwest Off-Road? I also have a saggy 87 4runner and I'm looking into options. Any opinions on Downey vs. Northwest? or other recommended options?

http://www.northwestoffroad.com/parts/2stage.php

Tugboat

AxleIke, what did you end up going with in the back? Did you like the ball joint spacers over cranking the torsion bars? Did it help keep the ride in the IFS better?

nmtoy

I had Downey 3" springs, BJ spacers and relaxed torsion bars with a 1" bodylift on my 86 4runner.

I had 33x10.5 Bfg mud terrains and had no rubbing and it worked very well off road.

Downey is no longer in business so I think OME might be your best option for bolt on lift springs.

AxleIke

Yes, Downey is no longer in business, so you can't go that route.

I didn't like the springs anyway, they sagged pretty quickly, but oh well.

As far as the ball joint spacers go, I put them on, but very quickly relaxed the torsion bars back, so that with the ball joint spacers, the truck sat at stock height. The ride was still crappy, but a LOT better than stock.

After that, you can see the evolution of the rear suspension which is in my signature, before finally doing away with it all together.

Cheers!