Lift and Tire Question

Hi everyone, I have have question that I'm betting may have been answered somewhere but so far in my searching in research have not been able to find it.

When I bought my 4runner it came with an adjustable lift (from what I was told was 3.5in in the front and 2in in the rear) and wheels and tires, trd pro tires (+5mm offset I have to assume) and 285/70/17 tires. Ive been looking at it for awhile and looks to tall for me and I have been considering lowering it. I don't know what the exact kit is but I know its Eibach and I was told it was adjustable (the front I confirmed is, the rear on the other hand I don't know how it goes down if it can) I also have the adjustment tool.

I took measurements of the lift (from the center of the hub/center of the rim to the fender arch) and I'm not good at math and I don't have a great reference for the stock height but it looks like the rear is higher than I was told it was:

Passenger Front: 23in
Driver Front: 23in
Passenger Rear: 24.5in
Driver Rear: 24.5in

Currently, I'm fairly certain I'm rubbing at full lock in reverse (from my research with this tire size and offset is expected) and if I lower it I don't want to make the rubbing worse. That said I've watched tinkerer's adventure on Toyota ifs and putting larger tires on ifs. If I understand it all correctly it shouldn't get worse but I'm not 100 percent certain.

( the picture on this thread is a bit deceiving, in person it looks much higher)

Is it possible to lower the rear? Should I? If I do will I rub more? Should I leave it alone?

I appreciate everyones input and help in advance!

 

Those gold wheels go well with the lime green!

I agree, the lift is too much.

 

Please include more pics of the actual components both back and front so that folks can give you more precise recommendations. I am sure you can lower both sides.

 

The rear is sitting a bit high but perhaps the previous owner did this setup to accommodate a lot of weight on the rear? Unless the rear is the Eibach ‘Load Leveling System’ you may only be able to lower it by changing spring size. Or maybe there’s a spacer in there…

*long diatribe*
I’m not a suspension expert but one thing I can say is to look at the UCA articulation angle. Note that its pivot axis is angled rearward. What this means is that as the suspension is cycled it very slightly changes the wheel hub position within the wheel well fore and aft. E.g., as the front suspension compresses the ball joint where the knuckle connects to the UCA actually travels rearward. With the LCA being a fixed position this effectively ‘tilts’ the steering pivot axis thus moving the tire aft. By how much I’d rather keep my sanity and not do the math (but it’s something like stroke / Tan theta)


(Drivers side)

Here’s the thing, lowering may alleviate rubbing against the front of the fender but may start rubbing against the body mount…it’s a catch 22. This is where Tinkerer speaks of adjusting the UCA AND LCA together to horizontally shift the tire’s position within the wheel well…for a specific ride height. This is where I elected to take my rig to a reputable and dedicated off-road shop that has a track record of setting up not just Toyotas but all makes of off-roading rigs and set-ups to do my alignment. Granted that was with a stock (265/70 R17) tire size but I’m going to chat about my options for fitting big pizza cutters on my current ‘2-inch’ lift. Presently it rides high in the back because I don’t have a full gear load on the rear springs but will drop down to a 1” rake when fully loaded up.

 

Here they are sorry about that, didn't even think about it.

 

Man, I'd leave it alone. Minimal problems now. Why potentially create some?

 

Looks to be this kit, https://eibach.com/products/pro-tru...VBmzx4GZGgZslG__Xxecx3TTaXcql7n9_830QsyW8TeGW

 

I see two options:

1. You go to a shop that can adjust/compress essentially lower the height of these coils. I'm pretty sure the front is doable, not sure the back. This is a trial an error thing because I believe these are already pre-set for the height desired that the original owner wanted to achieve.
2. You find a stock suspension online on MP or someone here on the forum would usually remove all the OEM components and upgrade to something different. This happens all the time. You can revert everything back to stock, except that you probably will rub with the 285's and you might not have room to adjust on the front end with the OEM suspension.

I don't know....seems like a lot of rework for a few inches down IMO. It would ride better and softer that is for sure if you go lower, but forget about clearance and other goodies that comes with a lifted unit. Good luck!

 

I'm pedantic mostly lol. I like things a certain way and they will bother me until the end of time if I don't put them the way I like them. I haven't decided if I'm going to do it depends on cost and how much work will be involved

I've considered a shop but I don't know of any shop near me that specializes in offroad and/or Toyotas. I'm in the Delaware area.

 

Not sure but those rims looks to be a wider set then the 7" / -5 offset OE pro rims.

 

It looks like these but I'm not willing to swear to it.

https://autoparts.chathamparkwaytoyota.com/products/product/trd-bronze-wheel-ptr2035110f5

 

I'm guessing the rears are not easily lowered like the front regardless of the kit? What I have seen in research it appears that way. Then again I can't find anything on how I would lower it if it could be.

 

I understand that images can be deceiving and we like what we like, those measurements are not extreme I don’t know how long you’ve had it, but if it’s fairly new to you, give it a few more months. The previous owner may have set up the rear for carrying a load. That’s what I’ve done on mine so when it’s empty, it sits about an inch taller than when it’s loaded and I have the eibach system front and back both have adjustability
Also if you find if you locate a good front end shop, they can do that work. Lastly, you can call eibach and they can assist you with this issue & Recommend what you need. I spoke to them a couple times before I purchased my set up

 

Correct, it is not adjustable in the rear. You would need to replace the rear springs with shorter ones (perhaps OEM?) to unlift it. I agree with what others have said and think your rig looks great as-is! That Eibach Stage 2 kit that you currently have is one of the options that I’m seriously considering for my own rig.

 

Your rear looks like an Eibach lift spring PLUS a spacer on top of it. By your measurements that means its likely the Eibach 1" lift spring plus a 1" spacer setup. In which case you would be able to remove the spacer and drop the rear 1" or however tall that metal looking spacer kit is.

 

Good call, I didn’t spot the spacer in there. Either way, I guess key question for OP is whether he wants to shoot for level or retain some rake if the rear is lowered.

 

Id like it to get level. Currently it looks like it's raking to the front (rear is higher than the front) but I'm not certain if its my drive way or just more of a optical illusion that makes it appear that way and it's actually level. I wonder if taking the spacer out will make the rear lower or level it. I honestly can't tell.

 

Eibach is having 15% off sale right now. Just ordered stage 2 today. I had stage 1 on my Tacoma and was impressed with it for over 4yrs.

 

The specs for the Eibach Stage 2 kit advertise 2” to 4” lift in front (adjustable) and 1” in rear with the included springs (but they sell taller springs as well, it could be those). In your photo, it looks like the front is set somewhere in the middle of its range, and as @Airdam noted you have a spacer in the rear adding perhaps 1” additional to the rear. So your setup is probably something close to 3” front / 2” rear lift over stock, which is what a lot of guys want for the 285/70/17 tire size. You could remove the rear spacer or run a smaller one to be more level, and adjust the front downward if needed. But then you might end up with rubbing in the front. I think it looks awesome as-is and wouldn’t mess with it.

 

You are probably right. As much as I want to change it I know that's only inviting more issues and problems for me almost certainly. I'm going to leave well enough alone. I appreciate everyone's help and input!

 

It can be a Pandora’s box.