Removed spacer lift today. I'm not taking any more chances. I had a friend over and we where talking about that guy that just got out of prison after spending 2 years for manslaughter because his gas pedal stuck on his Toyota. If the Government had not check into his case he would of spent at least another 6 years. And it was not his fault in anyway. Then I started thinking about all the people that have installed above strut spacers and had problems with upper ball joints coming lose and other ax;e problems and decided I’m not going to lift my truck with someone’s $65.00 to $200 suspension lift kit so I can look cool driving down the street. If the upper ball joint brakes driving down the Hwy you lose all control and the truck is going to go where it wants to. Just to look cool you put not only your own life on the line, but also your loved ones in your truck and anyone your truck may hit. If someone I loved got killed because I needed my truck to look cool, I know I could never live with myself and I think about the pain I might cause to another family If I killed another person just minding there own business over a cheap unapproved suspension lift. I have talked to a lot of people in shops and they all tell me the 3” above strut spacer keeps them real busy replacing ball joints. They tell me the 1” and 2” level lifts seem to be ok, But the 3” is just way too much. I’m not even going to take a chance selling my lift, It is going straight to the trash can. If you have this type of lift I recommend taking it off. It is better to be safe than sorry. 99% of the people selling these spacer lifts don’t even have liability insurance. Read there paper work or ads. Almost everyone states in very small type that the buyer of the lift accepts full responsibility of installing the lifts and any damage or injury that may result in using there product. What does that really tell you? Give me your money and good luck. I meet one seller of the lifts and he doesn't even have one installed on his trucks. He runs adjustable coil overs.
Removed 3" spacer lift Big Problems
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Wouldn't you if you could? A coil lift is a coil lift according to your ball joints. All you're doing is extending the length of the coil spring/strut assembly. Allbeit an adjustable coilover setup, a strut spacer, or a donut sitting on your coil spring. All coming to the same amount of lift and same amount of stress on your ball joints.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Routine maintanance and checking your truck should be common place. I check mine very regularly. Replaced upper, lower ball joints, as well as tierod ends and CV boots this weekend. You gotta pay to play.
Sorry but your are mistaken about adjustable coil overs and
top mount donut type spacer lifts.
An Adjustable coil over strut is the same length as a stock strut
and both act as a limit strap, In doing that the stock strut or Adjustable
will not allow the front Suspension to drop fare enough to allow the ball joint to hit the strut spring. So with an Adjustable coil over no matter how high you try to raise the front, You will get a stiff ride and add a little stress to the ball joints but they will never have an interference fit between strut and ball join. Just the length of the strut will not allow it.
You get the same effect with inside coil spring lifts, You get a stiff ride
but the strut still acts as a limit strap.
On the other hand when you install a 3" spacer lift to the top of a strut
you increase the up and down travel of the strut by the thickness of the spacer. And although the 3" top mount spacer is only 1 1/2" thick, That is to much and your strut can no longer act as a limit strap and the up down movement is to much so the upper ball joint hits the coil spring. I don't think you would go out to your truck and beat on the ball joint with a hammer would you? Well that is what is happing every time you just drive over a speed bump with top mount spacers.
Here is something you can try to prove it to your self.
Take a 95.5 thru 2004 stock truck park on flat ground,
Block the rear tires so it wont roll, Take a floor jack and raise the
front off the ground, Take a look at the upper ball joints, ( No problem )
The strut did it's job and stopped the down travel before anything hit the ball joint, Now take a truck with an adjustable coil over and try the same thing ( No Problem ) The strut did it's job.
Now do the same thing with a truck that has a so called 3" top mount spacer lift. ( Big problem ) The upper ball joint starts hitting the strut coil spring before the truck is off the ground. I wont get into the damage that is being caused to the front axels and CV joints. If don't understand the above just try What I recommended and you will see for your self.
I know I was surprised when the Mechanic at my front end shop showed me. If you want a safer but stiff ride stay with the Adjustable coil overs or
the inside coil spring spacers and let your struts do there job.
You will be very sorry If I’m right ( Which I am ) and some one gets hurt or worse.
top mount donut type spacer lifts.
An Adjustable coil over strut is the same length as a stock strut
and both act as a limit strap, In doing that the stock strut or Adjustable
will not allow the front Suspension to drop fare enough to allow the ball joint to hit the strut spring. So with an Adjustable coil over no matter how high you try to raise the front, You will get a stiff ride and add a little stress to the ball joints but they will never have an interference fit between strut and ball join. Just the length of the strut will not allow it.
You get the same effect with inside coil spring lifts, You get a stiff ride
but the strut still acts as a limit strap.
On the other hand when you install a 3" spacer lift to the top of a strut
you increase the up and down travel of the strut by the thickness of the spacer. And although the 3" top mount spacer is only 1 1/2" thick, That is to much and your strut can no longer act as a limit strap and the up down movement is to much so the upper ball joint hits the coil spring. I don't think you would go out to your truck and beat on the ball joint with a hammer would you? Well that is what is happing every time you just drive over a speed bump with top mount spacers.
Here is something you can try to prove it to your self.
Take a 95.5 thru 2004 stock truck park on flat ground,
Block the rear tires so it wont roll, Take a floor jack and raise the
front off the ground, Take a look at the upper ball joints, ( No problem )
The strut did it's job and stopped the down travel before anything hit the ball joint, Now take a truck with an adjustable coil over and try the same thing ( No Problem ) The strut did it's job.
Now do the same thing with a truck that has a so called 3" top mount spacer lift. ( Big problem ) The upper ball joint starts hitting the strut coil spring before the truck is off the ground. I wont get into the damage that is being caused to the front axels and CV joints. If don't understand the above just try What I recommended and you will see for your self.
I know I was surprised when the Mechanic at my front end shop showed me. If you want a safer but stiff ride stay with the Adjustable coil overs or
the inside coil spring spacers and let your struts do there job.
You will be very sorry If I’m right ( Which I am ) and some one gets hurt or worse.
Correct myself on 3" lifts
I'm sorry if I led anyone to assume that all 3" spacer lifts are equal or Bad
They are not,
I do say that any cheap Top mount 3" lift spacer you purchase will damage your truck and maybe get you, A loved one, or even a stranger hurt or worse, And the only one liable is the Owner/Driver of the truck. Even if it goes to court, You are the person liable if anyone gets hurt or worse not only will you go visit the gray bar Hotel You will have to live the rest of your life with what you did, ( That can get pretty heavy. )
Don't get me wrong I'm not a bleeding hart, I loved to Drive and see Lifted
trucks. I'm just going to learn from other peoples mistakes and not look for the cheapest way to get the lift done.
I still don't know who sells the best lift, But I do know who sells the worst.
Most of the people selling on ebay don't even own a real business, They give themselves a cool name and in some cases have a web site, But that is not a Business, That is smoke and mirrors, As soon as some one comes after them they will be down the road.
I think I have found 2 maybe 3 and there could be more Business's that will sell you a good product and stand behind it. Visit toyteclifts.com or
revteck.com to start they both offer a 3" lift but only a very small amount
it is mounted outside the coil spring, Because they know the danger. And they don't want to lose them over building dangers crap.
Plus they do have other lifts to chose from.
Please chose with care your life may be on the line.
I'm sorry if I led anyone to assume that all 3" spacer lifts are equal or Bad
They are not,
I do say that any cheap Top mount 3" lift spacer you purchase will damage your truck and maybe get you, A loved one, or even a stranger hurt or worse, And the only one liable is the Owner/Driver of the truck. Even if it goes to court, You are the person liable if anyone gets hurt or worse not only will you go visit the gray bar Hotel You will have to live the rest of your life with what you did, ( That can get pretty heavy. )
Don't get me wrong I'm not a bleeding hart, I loved to Drive and see Lifted
trucks. I'm just going to learn from other peoples mistakes and not look for the cheapest way to get the lift done.
I still don't know who sells the best lift, But I do know who sells the worst.
Most of the people selling on ebay don't even own a real business, They give themselves a cool name and in some cases have a web site, But that is not a Business, That is smoke and mirrors, As soon as some one comes after them they will be down the road.
I think I have found 2 maybe 3 and there could be more Business's that will sell you a good product and stand behind it. Visit toyteclifts.com or
revteck.com to start they both offer a 3" lift but only a very small amount
it is mounted outside the coil spring, Because they know the danger. And they don't want to lose them over building dangers crap.
Plus they do have other lifts to chose from.
Please chose with care your life may be on the line.
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