Aftermarket control arms are not required when fitting the vehicle with less than 2-2.5” of lift, Independent Front Suspension vehicles run into various issues when changing the suspension geometry, these issues are more apparent when lifting 2-2.5” or more. We recommend using Dobinsons upper control arms on vehicles lifter over 2.5” Unless you own a 100 or 200 series Landcruiser which require Upper control arms for anything over 2” of lift. Dobinsons UCAs provide 3° of caster which will correct for the lost caster when lifting the vehicle. (Upper control arms will NOT help with camber and toe alignments, for best results we recommend going to an off-road specific shop for alignment)
A disadvantage of Independent Front Suspension are CV axles, when lifting the vehicle over 2.5” it is common to see the CV axles at a steep angle, this is a problem because it will cause constant strain and can lead to premature wear in the CV axle joints. A differential drop kit, as the name implies is used to drop the differential about 1”, by dropping the differential the CV axles will be at a slacker angle and will help reduce strain and premature wear.
Standard travel shocks will be longer than OEM but will not require any aftermarket modification. Extended travel shocks, paired with aftermarket upper control arms and a diff drop kit will unleash the full amount of droop your vehicle is capable of with stock spec lower control arms.
Twin tube shocks also known as Gas Shock have a separate cylinder inside the shock, the inside cylinder is where most of the oil resides and is also where the piston moves up and down, the outside cylinder is used to keep the gas and some of the oil, low pressure nitrogen gas is used to prevent aeration in the oil. One downside is the fact that twin tube shocks have a smaller piston than a monotube shocks and aren’t as effective when it comes to dampening and shock fade.
IMS shocks use a Monotube construction with an internal floating piston. Monotube shocks are divided into two chambers, one chamber being the one that holds all the oil in the shock, this is also where the piston and shaft slide up and down. Separated by the internal floating piston, the second chamber is used to hold the high-pressure nitrogen gas, this also helps when there is rapid compression of the shock, the gas pressure in the shock ramps up and provides additional damping force. Since there isn't an internal tube in the monotube shock, the piston is larger in diameter with more surface area to provide better dampening. Also, more volume of oil in the shock body for better cooling.
MRR 3-way Adjustable shocks are also monotube shock construction but with a remote reservoir. The shocks offer adjustability in valving with adjusters for High-speed compression, Low-speed compression, and Rebound. The internal floating piston is inside the reservoir, separating the oil from the nitrogen gas. Other than Oil Volume, the Remote Reservoir also helps with cooling the oil. With the 3-Way adjustability, these shocks provide you with enough adjustments to fine tune the valving you need.
Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System is a hydraulic sway bar system designed by Toyota to improve on-road handling. If you own a 5th Gen 4Runner, GX470, GX460 your vehicle may be equipped with KDSS, one easy way to tell is by looking at the front of the vehicle, if the sway bar is attached to the lower control arm, your vehicle is equipped with KDSS, if it is attached to the spindle, your vehicle does not have KDSS. If you own a 200 Series Landcruiser, in the US they are all equipped with KDSS.
When building a kit, it can be hard to identify the right coil for your application, all our coils are listed with the part number first, followed by the lift height and at the end, the weight rating.
- C59-302 - 2.5" Lift Stock Load
- C59-314 - 2.5" Lift w/ 80-150lb Added Load
Highlighted in yellow are the part numbers, In blue the lift height and in red is the load capacity of the coil at that lift height. The weight rating of the coils refers to constant load, constant load are things such as bumpers, a winch, drawer system or accessories that will remain on the vehicle 100% of the time. Towing a trailer or camping gear are not considered constant loads. If you purchase a coil that is rated for 2” of lift with a 220lb load rating, but there is no load, the coil will yield a taller ride height.
How much lift do you want in the front ?
How much lift do you want in the rear ?
How much extra weight in accessories is in the front ?
How much extra weight in accessories is in the rear ?
Does your vehicle have kdss?(4runners and gx)
Do you want rear long travel shocks?(4runners and gx)
Seat height measurments are pulled from the center of the lower bushing eye to the bottom of where the coil ends the coil seat (Diagram shown below). Measurment must be in cm or mm.
Flat lengths are measured from the center of each eye to the center pin.
Camber is measured from 1st leaf to the top of the eye. (Place on a flat surface upside down and measure from the first leaf to the surface)
On the 60 series land cruiser the rear leaf springs include a spacer to correct for lean. It is included at the bottom of the leaf spring and can be moved to the top to correct a lean.
Step 1: Measure the Hub to Guard and determine which side of the vehicle is higher than the other.
Step 2: On the higher side of the vehicle, remove the spacer from the bottom of the leaf spring and replace on the top.
