Do lift kits affect the longevity of the FJC?

Alphonse · 08-30-2006, 04:26 PM

Forgive the noob question, but I am thinking about a Toytec lift. This would be my frist time lifting a vehicle and I am now wondering if the popular lift kits (Revtec, OME, Toytec, etc...) will stress driveline and suspension components, possibly causing excess wear or premature failures.

I just got my FJC about a week ago and one of the things that attracted me to it is Toyota reliability. I would hate to do something to a new truck that could cause problems 2, 5, or 10 years down the road.

Regards,
Alphonse

gpwdFJ · 08-30-2006, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Alphonse previously said:

Forgive the noob question, but I am thinking about a Toytec lift. This would be my frist time lifting a vehicle and I am now wondering if the popular lift kits (Revtec, OME, Toytec, etc...) will stress driveline and suspension components, possibly causing excess wear or premature failures.

I just got my FJC about a week ago and one of the things that attracted me to it is Toyota reliability. I would hate to do something to a new truck that could cause problems 2, 5, or 10 years down the road.

Regards,
Alphonse

I don't know the mechanical answer, but I can guess that lifting would lead to larger tires which will lead to more clearance which will lead to you taking off road much more often which undoubtedly puts more stress on it, BUT it's a freakin Toyota...expect 250-300K out of it no matter what you do to it--you know. I say to heck with longevity. That is probably not going to be an issue with this vehicle.

Again...the mechanics out there (and all you guys who have been doing this offroading thing for hundreds of years) might have more to say...

Just My Humble Opinion.....

GPWDFJ

philipl · 08-30-2006, 05:16 PM

Agree! Toyota made this to be used off road and lifted. They had folks come get measurements (and gave stats) for after market products before it was released.

CO-Jeff · 08-30-2006, 05:25 PM

it is kind of like the void the warrenty thread on cutting the body mounts, who cares, it was made for off road use and people that enjoy this hobby have the habit of making modifications that provide them even more enjoyment.

micrad · 08-30-2006, 05:35 PM

Make it like you want it. Life is way too short to allow a pile of papers to get in your way. Just step off the trail on the way to the barn.

1983FJ60 · 08-30-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Alphonse previously said:

I just got my FJC about a week ago and one of the things that attracted me to it is Toyota reliability. I would hate to do something to a new truck that could cause problems 2, 5, or 10 years down the road.

A lift will wear out your CV joints prematurely.

At the same time odds are less you'll damage your non-lifted rig off road, but you'll take your lifted rig further.

In either case, I doubt that it'll be around in 10 years with no troubles that were lift-related.

Other stuff breaks, too.

fourpaw · 08-30-2006, 06:28 PM

Besides the CV joints previously mentioned. Answer: Only if you roll it due to the higher center of gravity! That will indeed affect its longevity.

**fjal** · 08-30-2006, 07:09 PM

A moderate lift will not effect the longevity of your FJ. You may have to change a CV somewhere along the line. That said even if you do not lift your FJ and you do alot of offroad thru woods and rock you will probably tear a CV boot eventually. Changing a CV joint and boot is not the end of the world. If you change to large tires you can cause premature wear on your driveline over a long time. The FJ is made to go off road and enjoy. When I change a new trucks suspension and tire size I consider myself the new warranty. Most dealers will not cover driveline problems on a lifted truck with oversize tires.

Alphonse · 08-30-2006, 08:07 PM

Thanks for the input guys! I see that Toytech has a 1" drop kit for the differential which is supposed to prolong the cv joint life. Based on the replies above I am guessing this is definitely a recommended item

I am still on the fence with whether to lift or not, but I have decided that if I do the lift, then I'll do it right. Doing it "right" from Toytech seems to be the Light Racing/Donahoe coilovers, Bilstein rear shocks, and Toytech custom coils. It's definitely not the cheapest route compared to other lifts I have seen but I figure if I spend extra up front then I'll likely save $$ down the road and have more piece of mind.

Thanks again,

Alphonse

**mbisson** · 09-01-2006, 09:45 AM

If you go with a moderate lift (2"), you will not need the diff drop. The diff drop does keep you from putting on a new or different skid plate, which might cause more problems. You have to consider all these things.