5th gen Low cost 2/1” lift setup

Our new (to us) 2022 SR5 is great, but I didn’t like the stock stance. I’m planning on a Bilstein 6112/5100 or better setup sometime in the next year, but I didn’t want to wait to get it up off its belly. So I started looking for a good, safe, low budget lift setup.

So far I’ve spent less than $300 on a 2/1” lift, including new front sumo style bump stops. A Cornfed 2/1” spacer kit was $200, shipped. The bump stops were $58 shipped. I’ve got a set of rear sumo style stops on the way, add another $65, they’ll be here in a few more days, but I don’t think they’ll be as important to the ride as the front.

The Cornfed install video is great, shows the work step by step. I watched it several times. The installation, including the front bumpers, took right at 2 1/2 hours.

The ride and handling are as good or better than stock. It still has a bit of the stock wallowing, but the sumo stops are a big improvement in adding control over bumps/dips. It’s still stable, cornering is still good, considering the price it’s a great setup!

For the lift spacers, I went to https://www.4runners.com/threads/cornfed-suspension-lift-leveling-kits.33722/ His service is great!

The front bump stops: https://www.ebay.com/itm/389617179259

Rear bump stops: https://www.ebay.com/itm/389538196850


Edit for clarity: The 285s and Spidertrak wheel spacers might not clear on a stock car. I trimmed the front of the fenders and did a body mount cut/plate before adding the suspension, wheel spacers and tires. There’s still some trimming left to do if needed on the front fenders, but so far nothing has rubbed..

 

Here it is, stock wheels with 1 1/4” Spidertrak spacers, 285/70 tires and the low budget suspension!

 

Those preload/top hat spacers really aren't bad. Way better than just slapping a 2" chunk of metal over the coilover.

Looks good, don't forget to retorque those wheel spacers!

When you do eventually move to the 6112/5160 setup you won't be disappointed.

 

Save money for what you really want. Doesn’t make sense to buy something you don’t want.

 

The only parts that I bought that won’t stay for good are the lift spacers, and I’m pretty sure I can get ~ $125 for them used. Not much loss there, and I’ll take the time to learn more about exactly what I want long term.

But thanks for the advice..

 

I looked at the super cheap top load spacers, not going to use them, ever. Cornfed is a low cost lift done correctly, IMO.

Already retorqued the spacers once, I’ll do it again next weekend.

 

Might want to check for CV and Ball Joint bind at full droop...

Large front top hat spacers are a bit dangerous since they lower your entire front coilover assembly, increasing droop beyond the factory range.

A 1" spacer (granting a 2" lift) may be alright but it's certainly pushing it. Max I'd recommend is

.5" for stock shocks (1" lift)
or
.25" for extended travel shocks or the Pro's Fox suspension. (.5" lift)

You're on the right path with the bump stops but depending on their compressed height you may want to add shims. This will avoid bottoming out the shocks internally before the bump stop is fully compressed.


My bump stop setup for reference: compensating for .25" top hat spacers over extended travel Dobinson IMS.

... Purposefully added spacers to allow for more droop but even with a diff drop the CV boot bind is present. CV's themselves, ball joints, and UCA to spring contact is super close but no binding. I wouldn't generally recommend this setup as it's super close to the limits of the CV's and ball joints. Maxed out mid travel

 

Agree 100% about top load spacer lifts, they extend the strut for all of the lift provided, not good! I see 3” lift top load spacers and cringe!

My Cornfed 2/1” setup has a 3/8” top load and a 1 1/4” preload spacer, but since you remove the rubber isolator it makes for about 2” of lift. I didn’t measure heights before install, it looks like it might be 2 1/4”-2 1/2” lift..

With my setup the ball joints look happy and the UCA doesn’t contact the coil spring. It should be safe. That’s why I went with Cornfed, I like the engineering of their design. Maybe others use similar designs, it’s nothing magical, but for a cheapskate lift it’s the only design I’d ever run.

My rear bump stops are on the way, I’ll post some pictures of the front and rear whenever they’re installed. The fronts have a 1/4-1/2” of space at ride height before they make contact, seems about right..

 

The rear bump stops arrived today, 15 minute install. Jack up and block one side at a time, small impact driver made it easy.

The photos show the gap at ride height, I think it’s just about right. Haven’t driven it with the rear bumps installed yet, I’ll update this in a day or two.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with it so far. No decrease in ride or handling from stock and the front bumps made a good difference in bigger bumps/dips. As long as the rear acts similar, I’m calling the suspension done for now.

 

Closing this one out. For the money spent, I’m really happy with the Cornfed spacer lift and the front bump stops. They’re doing great considering it’s a $250 setup. The front bump stops will likely stay on the car permanently, or until they fail. If they fail soon I’ll get a set of real SumoSpring bump stops for the front, even though they’ll double the cost of my suspension, lol!

The rear bump stops are pretty good, but they have a slightly harsh engagement. Since they were very inexpensive, I experimented with them by drilling a 1/2” hole through the bump stop, along the axis of the axle. This definitely helped, the engagement is smoother now. But since I’ve compromised the structural integrity by drilling through them, I don’t expect them to last very long. Whenever they come apart I’ll get some better stops, maybe the Perry Parts?

 

I've got the Perry Parts. They're pretty awesome for non hydrobumps, and their customer service is awesome.