ToyTec Lift Install - Full Writeup and Pictures

[Jelopy]

How to install a toytec lift:

On a scale from 1 to 5 wrenches, this is a 3 wrench job. Figure about 6 hours with 2 people provided you have the equipment to do the job.
Tools needed:
Air compressor that will hold 100 psi. Compressing the springs would be near impossible without an impact wrench.
2 sets of Harbor freight spring compressor kits ($6.99 each) or 1 Sears or equivalent ($50). The compressors will more than likely be destroyed when you are done. Do not even attempt with only 1 set of the cheap Harbor Freight compressors.
Floor jack(s). 2 or even 3 floor jacks help. You can do it with 1 floor jack and a host of other jackstands and/or smaller jacks.
A good set of metric wrenches and sockets. 14mm, 17mm, and 19mm if I remember right, were all we used.
The ability to read and follow the written instructions with pictures.

Front: Follow the instructions, drop the sway bar bolts, the ball joint mount bolts, the lower coil-over bolt and the nuts from the top of the coil-over.
Remove the coil-over assembly, you can figure out how yourself by moving the stuff you unbolted around a bit and letting the coil-over sneak through the gaps you create.

Now the fun? part. Compress the OEM spring about an inch so you can remove the top nut. Remove all parts from the coil-over remembering how they go back together. Compress the new spring. You know your far enough compressed when you can get the nut started on the top of the coil-over. Pound out the OEM top plate studs and put in 3 toytec studs then put the whole assembly back together. Important: make sure of the alignment of the studs and lower shock hole is correct before tightening, just like the instructions tell you. Below is a picture using 4 harbor freight tools to compress. I dare you to get enough compression with just 2.


Put the assembly back on the vehicle using a combination of twisting, spinning and force to get it through/by all the suspension components. Remember to put the spacer on top of the coil-over before putting it all the way in. Do the other side then put everything back together. You may want to drop the front skid plate for easier access to the sway bar mount bolts or just fight it like we did.

Now for the rear springs: There are no instructions for the rear, you just have to figure it out on your own, but it's pretty straightforward.
Pull the wheels off, drop the shocks and unbolt both sides of the rear swaybar.

Have a jack under the differential and we chose to jack from under the rear hitch also. Raise the veicle as far as you can from the hitch jack. Lower the differential jack and that should give you enough clearance to pull out the rear springs. To compress the new toytec rear springs or not? We chose to compress them to get them in, others have said you don't have to. Do whatever you gotta do to get the new springs in. You will have a little battle on the fuel tank side if you have spring compressors on, but you can figure out how to remove them. Let off the hitch jack to help compress the springs, then work the spring compressors off. Hook your rear swaybar back up, put on your new shocks, mount your wheels and thats it.

After driving around for just 1 day after lifting my rig, it sure seems to handle better going into corners, the corner roll is gone. The ride seems just as good as stock, but it feels firmer. I'm very satisfied and glad I went with toytec.
Thanks to Son of a Son and Noisycow for helping out yesterday.

[FJ Guga]

Good write out and nice pics. Sounds like a lot of work though

[gsgmac]

Nice work.

Any alignment issues after the lift install(s)?

gsgmac

[FJAggie07]

Awesome write up! Mine got delivered, and am going to have toyotatech1 put it on for a price, but now seeing your little write up, I just dunno.....Nah I will let him do it and align it after he is done!

Thanks for the write up!

[bigbill25]

First, thank you Jelopy for letting me use your garage. I'm glad you didn't kick me out after yours was done. [oh, you need to update your signature line!]

The install took time. This isn't a solo job at all. If I would have done it alone at my place, it would be a couple days! When Son of a Son and Noisycow where there, it was even nice to have a third hand on a lot of things.

So, here is what the lift gets you. Before the lift:



After the lift:



Front done:



Both ends done:



All my pictures are here: http://www.pbase.com/bigbill25/fjtoytec

--Bill

[bigbill25]

gsgmac previously said:

Any alignment issues after the lift install(s)?

Mine drives nice and straight and brakes nice and straight. I think I'll have an alignment done after I get my Nitto's on, just to be sure, however.

--Bill

[Baja500]

what wheel tire combo are you running?

[MissFJ]

Nice job Fellas! Good to see some forum members getting together and helping each other out.

Jelopy, I hope you checked Bill's pockets before he left your garage!

[Jelopy]

MissFJ previously said:

Nice job Fellas! Good to see some forum members getting together and helping each other out.

Jelopy, I hope you checked Bill's pockets before he left your garage!

Actually, I may have one of his 14mm wrenches. Bill-check and see if you're missing a 14mm wrench, it could be mine, dunno?

what wheel tire combo are you running?

I'm running Amp, Fortyone-2 Black wheels (17X8) with 285/70/17 Kumho AT's. The wheels are a Les Schwab exclusive, $155 each.

[bigbill25]

Jelopy previously said:

Actually, I may have one of his 14mm wrenches. Bill-check and see if you're missing a 14mm wrench, it could be mine, dunno?

I will check... Thanks for the heads up!

--Bill