Spacer Lift or Coil Spring Lift? EXPLAINED! 

Dont know if you guys gives a shit but if you are bored like me atm you can watch pretty much all of the latest movies on InstaFlixxer. Been binge watching with my brother for the last couple of weeks :)

@Bobby Elon Definitely, have been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :)

@Bobby Elon yea, been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :D

@Bobby Elon Definitely, been watching on instaflixxer for since december myself :D

@Aaron now you run on spacer and spring?

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks!

Okay so I want to a buy 2’5 inch lift for my Silverado for cosmetics reason only and it rides real nice OEM. So spacers are a better choice ?

@@natenorcutt6751 thats a pretty large lift. I would not go withspacers on anything over an imch and a half

Good to know. I do a bit of rough gravel in my Tucson at times and want an economical method of getting a bit more space while not messing things up too much. 30mm spacer kit it is.

nakapag lift ka na boss?

We appreciate that! Glad it helped!

lenny351 I initially had a 2.5” spacer lift on my Rubicon. Eventually upgraded to a 3.5” zone off road with upper and lower control arms and adjustable sway bar. Honestly, the spacer did just as good as my expensive lift other than not being as tall.

What brand was your 2.5 leveling kit?

Spacer kits are great, especially when there are limited choices for full replacement suspension kits.

Just upgrading to Falcon shocks should not have given you any lift. You either need a spacer or a taller/heavier spring to lift it. A 1" spacer is a great way to add a little height to an existing 2" lift coil. A new 3" coil has the benefit of being longer (taller), so it could potentially travel more if the rest of your suspension has the ability. This would be my recommendation if you spent a lot of time off road. The choice really is up to you, both are good solutions. For chocolate chip cookies, it is hard to beat the original Toll House Cookie recipe: Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 1 cup chopped nuts Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

@@northridgenation The added height currently remains a mystery. Thank you for your guidance. I'm going to try the spacers since I just purchased the springs. And, of course, I absolutely appreciate the extra effort with the legendary cookie recipe. Our community is STRONG.

@@northridgenation I'll be ordering spacers from your site today.

Too many variables to be that concrete in your statement. First and foremost is the vehicle being lifted and what type suspension it is.

@@northridgenation variables are many, but the statement is still much more often correct that not.

Many people get by without them, though we'd definitely recommend treating a 2.5" spacer lift just like any 2.5" spring lift kit and use the same parts.

Damn, don't get Tech Tim started or we'll never hear the end of it.... 🤣

You can add a 1" spacer on top of your 2.5" springs as long as you have all components needed for a 3.5" lift.

It really comes down to total lift you are installing and what are lift parameters of your vehicle. We don't see the Jimnys here, so don't know what they're lift parameters are. Looking at the Old Man Emu suspension kit for the the 2011 Jimny, they are listing 40mm (aprox. 1.5"), so you might take a look at their lift kit to see what comes in it. We would definitely say either longer shocks or shock extenders would be needed.

Great way to sum it up.

These are the words I needed to hear to help me decide which to do. Thank you.

@@northridgenation for just normal driving do the spacers change the feel of the truck?

@@apolloorosco6852 Not really. Spring rate will be the same but center of gravity changes so it will feel more 'tippy' unless you go with a wider stance. A few inches you probably won't even know. I've personally never lifted anything I own less than 4".

@@kdigiacomo So... spring spacer, then add a wheel spacer the same size, and we're good?

Yes, adding a set of aftermarket springs will help account for the extra weight of the bumper and winch.

For that application we'd definitely recommend replacing the springs and shocks, especially if you already have a lot of miles on the truck.

what would be the range of a "mild lift"?

@@mystupidfacebook 2inch

Default Name under 2”

Glad it helped!

Running a large spacer lift is even tougher on an IFS vehicle due to the operating angles of the A-Arms and CV shafts. Make sure whichever kit you go with has provisions for a diff drop.

Thanks for watching!

You bet!

We really recommend a spring lift as you go above the 2" mark.

The Caliber shares the same platform as some Mitsibushi vehicles, unfortunately it doesn't look like anyone is building any strut/coil lifts for that platform. As far as installing parts from bigger vehicles, anything can be made to fit, it will come down to how much time and $$$ do you want to put to the project.

There is more to lift height than the number of coils. Free height of spring, diameter of the spring wire itself and the number of coils all work together to give the spring rate. If two springs are identical in free height and coil wire diameter, the coil spring with the higher count of coils will be softer (it sounds opposite, but it's true).

The towed camper variable is a big one. Best case scenario would be to add in an air bag kit, that way you get the lift you want and the air bags take up the extra bumper weight from the trailer. Unfortunately right now there isn't a bolt-in air bag kit for lifted JTs yet.

OME is about your best bet for the WK and yes, you'll only get about 2" of lift. You do have to be careful lifting the WK independent front too much or you could have issues with handling and CV life.

@@northridgenation Thank you! My little fantasy is to rip out the entire suspension, drivetrain and steering, and replace it with Dana44s and your good components, but I think the WK, my income and I are about 15 years too late for that...

Adding a 1" lift spacer or a 1" thick spacer? Due to the leverage ratio of the arms, a 1" thick spacer will net you more than 1" lift.

Typically with 2" of lift or more, you will also need to run shock extensions.

Depends on your vehicle and shocks. At minimum you'll loose droop travel from the shock, so it would be a good idea to look at a set of shock extenders like these from EVO manufacturing for the JL/JT: www.northridge4x4.com/part/shock-mounts-brackets/3004b-evo-manufacturing-front-shock-extension-set www.northridge4x4.com/part/shock-mounts-brackets/3005b-evo-manufacturing-rear-shock-extension-set

A spacer kit would be perfect for that application. One of our more popular small spacer kits is the 1.5" spacer kit from TeraFlex. It will fit 33" tires and keeps you nice and low. www.northridge4x4.com/part/0-2in-lifts/1165200-teraflex-1-5in-performance-spacer-lift-kit

Because most trucks and SUVs have a rake to them, with the nose lower than the tail, most lift kits don't lift the front and rear equal heights. They typically lift the front more to help level the vehicle.

That's always a big question and a big can of worms to try to answer easily. Basically a mild spacer or spring lift shouldn't void your warranty. For a little more info check out our Magnuson-Moss Act video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u9NcEyHFKXA.html Also check out what the FTC and SEMA has to say on aftermarket parts: Federal Trade Commission- Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975: bit.ly/2BF77Hl SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Assoc) - FTC Validates Right to Install Aftermarket Parts: bit.ly/2MMkdZP Harrington Labs SEMA Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: bit.ly/2WbuBNF

We don't know the answer to that Q straight out. Get that Forrester flexed out and take a look. Is it hitting hard or just barely? If it is only just barely hitting the steering arm, then dropping it a 1/4" might help out.

Strut lifts are similar. A spacer lift will give you lift, but won't add the performance benefits you can get with aftermarket struts and coils.

Add up all total lift and make sure you have all the parts needed for that much lift. So in your case, if you have 4"s of total lift, you'll need all the components that would be used to correct the steering and suspension for a 4" lift. Diff drop, brake hoses, extended knuckles etc.

That is something outside our realm of the 4x4 world, but the same rules apply. However there are compromises to everything and an IFS/IRS will take more engineering to get a 2" spring lift in there and make things work properly. We would say take a hard look at the suspension as a whole. Is the suspension on a sub-frame? Can you build a spacer kit to drop the complete rear suspension 1"? Then you just need to find a 1" longer spring.

Btw Here's my specs..11.27 free length and 8.5 compressed..with 4.04 inside diameter and 0.59 bar diameter at 331 lbs...so I was looking at 14.25 free length and 11.5 compressed..same inside diameter..0.70 bar diameter at 741 lbs..thinking that my fall within the range..I mean I'm a novice at this..you guys are the PROS..thanks again

That's where spacers really shine, just adding a bit to an already existing lift. If it fits within the package that is.

You must be talking IFS....? Lifting IFS is more complicated. A coil spacer that gives 1" of lift will put the same amount of strain on the ball joints as a coil that gives 1" of lift. They are both lifting 1", the strain will be the same. Spacers that are used under or over the strut/coil-over(shock) mount can cause other issues. It is always best to look at it in terms of overall lift and make the modifications necessary for the amount of overall lift you are gong to end up with.

Don't know all the specifics for a C-series Chevy. I would guess you'll need longer brake hoses and some steering mods, quite possibly a new set of lifted spindles to get the geometry correct..

That's a little outside of our field. If we had the car here, we could take a look. But without seeing how it all goes together, we would be guessing. Lifting independent suspensions 3-4"s can take a lot of engineering to get it to drive right. Most mild independent lifts you'll see are only 1-2".

Typically, on an IFS lift over 1.5", you will need extra components to get the IFS suspension back to align-able specs. We haven't done a 2WD Durango yet but we're going to guess that 3" spacer kit will cause other problems without more components. A small body lift is a great way to get some extra lift. So maybe think about a 2" suspension lift and a 1" body lift or some other combination.

2" coil and 1" spacer would give you a 3" overall suspension lift, so you would need to plan to do all need mods that are standard for a 3" suspension lift on a Disco 1. The body lift comes with a whole different range of changes.

That depends on what you already have for a leveling kit. The typical F150 leveling kits we've seen are already a 2" lift, by adding 2" more to the coil, you are ending up with 4"s of lift. So make sure you have all the components needed for a lift that size for your truck.

There currently isn't a 2.5" lift spacer listed for your Sienna, so it would be a matter of trying to match it to an already available spacer or make one. That would be a big lift for a small IFS, so there may be many other components needed to get it all right.

Spacers are fine to use if they are kept mild and you install all needed parts for the amount of lift you are shooting for. It is also quite different between a live axle and an independent suspension. So make sure you are aware of what is needed for your application.

Please explain the difference in 'live axle' as opposed to independent suspension.

That depends on the suspension geometry. If the suspension loses camber as it droops, then that could help a little. If the suspension gains camber as it droops, it would make it worse. A set of replacement upper arms that correct the geometry would be your best bet.

Where are you rubbing?

We did a little searching, doesn't seem to be a leveling or lift kit on the market for the Traverse yet.

Spacer kits are quite common for the Rav4 peeps and they seem to work OK up to around 2"s. If you want something that'll help out with ride quality, take a look at the Old Man Emu line of suspension for the Rav4s.

Ok..ok..Thanks 👍👍👍

As long as you have all parts needed for the total combined lift and the suspension can accept that much total combined lift.

Yes.

That would give you 4" total lift. Do you have all the components needed to do 4" of total lift in your WJ?

What vehicle?

@@northridgenation 2011 jeep JKU rubicon

Spacers would be the easiest, but you will have a max height limit depending on the suspension geometry. With a short A-arm independent suspension like your A5 has, 2" might be too much. You really need to chat with a company that does A5 suspension products to see what they think.

If it is an IFS, YES. For live axle, no, just need to adjust the drag link to center the steering wheel.

You can depending on how much lift that suspension can handle.

@@northridgenation what do you mean by suspension? Shocks and struts?

You want to look for a leveling kit in the 2-3" range. On an IFS, because of the A-arm leverage ratio, the spacer won't be an exact 2-3"s in height.

@@northridgenation thank you very much 💪🏽

As long as your other components are designed to work with 8"s of total lift height, yes.

We really don't recommend spacers for anything over 2-1/2"s. As with any lift, coil or spacer, you need to address shock length, steering angles, trackball angles etc. There are many advantages to a longer spring, more travel and better spring rates are the two biggest benefits. So when you are talking tall spacers vs. springs, we would rather see you take advantage of the benefits that a taller spring will give you.

You can't. By design, if you lift the IFS suspension, it will push the arms down. Did you get an alignment after the lift?

@@northridgenation nope threw in Ranchos and the upper controls arms are level now so the wheels riding flush. But I only got a 1½" lift now, I want the 3 or 4 back. I'm thinking of buying the Gen 1 Raptor Fox Struts and installing them they add about 3" lift.

​@@northridgenationI noticed the Ranchos set where the spring sits higher up on the strut which keeps the control arms level. Fox Struts got three settings for perch as long as the spring isn't too long should be okay. I hope so at least. Also hope I won't need to get the SVT LCAs, because they're pricey as hell.

1" spacer kit in the front for leveling it. For a lift, most people are going with 2" to 2 -1/2" spacer kits for the newer Tacomas.

Can I put 33” wheel if I lifted 2” on the front?

@@mikeu3660 Every application is slightly different, depending on wheel offset and other variables. However most Taco's we see at minimum need a fender / plastic inner liner trim and often a CMC, or Cab Mount Chop to clear anything bigger than a 32" tire: ru-vid.com2WlqOP7_OsM?feature=share

@@northridgenation ohhh ok thank you

You can combine spacers with springs as long as they fit together correctly and other components are designed to work with the total amount of lift. If your spring has 2" of lift and your spacer has 2" of lift, then you will have a total of 4"s of lift and you'll need to have all the necessary components for a 4" lift.

@@northridgenation you said "all the necessary components for a 4" lift", all I know so far you need to put the right UCA for the right lift, are there any other components I should be aware about for lifting my truck?

@@A.A.HadiWhite Extended brake hoses? Longer shocks? Driveshaft spacers or mods? Drop brackets? Bump stop extensions?

Sorry, we don't list anything for that vehicle. Doing a quick google search, it looks like spacers are the most common way to lift them.

Depends on the length of your shock. Look up the part number and see how much lift they are rated for.

It really depends on what you are trying to do. If you just want the lift for bigger tires to look good, then go with spacers. If you want the lift to fit bigger tires for going off road, go with a lift spring.

We're not SXS experts, but we'd say make sure you have all the other components needed for a 3" lift to go along with whatever spacer you decide to use. Spacer tech is very different on independent suspensions than on a live axle suspension like the Jeep.

@@northridgenation yea my sxs have fox live valve dynamix

How does it ride? Does it feel too soft to you?

​@@northridgenation i just feel a little bit of softness. nothing major. Do you think i need spacer leveling? or air lift?

@@northridgenation Actually, i feel that the current springs are not allowing the shocks to work 100%. the shocks are not open smoothly. i feel they are not performing the way they should as the springs are making them shorter. no room to perform. I was told i need to replace my springs and the car will befitted 5 cm. any advise plz?

You're right on the edge. Most OE shocks are good for an extra 1". Most aftermarket shocks start at +2".

@@northridgenation How do you know if the aftermarket shocks in question can take on a 2'' lift?

Look at the advertised lift for the shock.

A spacer is a spacer, there really isn't much difference. However there may be reasons why you see them in the top or the bottom position. Component clearance would be the number one issue we could think of.

@@northridgenation so you’re saying that a puck on the outside of a coil over is the same thing as a thicker spring seat adding preload to a spring?

​@@OrganizedMud Very different if we're talking coil-overs. A spacer on the top or bottom of the coil over mount itself will add lift. A spacer in-between the coil seats will add lift and preload.

@@northridgenation which one is better?

@@OrganizedMud It depends on what you need.

The best thing you can do is give us a call at 866-601-5340 and chat with our team.

If you already have a 3" spacer up front and everything is working, you should be able to swap it out with a 3" lift spring no problems.

@@northridgenation thanks do you think I can run both the 3 inch spacer and longer coil spring?

Add up the total lift and see what is necessary to run that combined lift on your Grand.

That will put you at 3.5" of lift. Can the other parts on your Jeep support 3.5" of lift? Shocks? Steering?

1.75" to 2" are the standard for Ram 2500/3500 leveling kits. We sell both the Readylift and BDS Ram leveling kits. They are good quality kits. FYI-It is recommended that you upgrade the shocks when you add in a leveling kit. It'll be a longer shock to match the extra height gained.

@@northridgenation your websites n parts # pls.

@@denden01161 The Ram kits are not on our website yet. Shoot us an email: sales@northridge4x4.com or give us a ring at 866-601-5340. Tell them you were sent from our RU-vid channel, they'll get you set up.

It depends on how much lift you have now and how much your truck can take.

@@northridgenation I think it's about 2-2.5 inches of lift now. I have to see if I can even rotate my coilovers 1/4 turn to get a spacer to line up. No clue if it will even work. I can get a UCA that allows clearance for 2-4". Im running the current lift on stock UCAs with zero issues. I guess my main concern is the axle shaft angle being too sharp.

A difference in height between the front and rear would make no difference in tire wear. Make sure your vehicle has a proper four wheel alignment and that all the components are in good condition.

@@northridgenation thank you very much

Reach out to our sale dept: sales@northridge4x4.com, they can get you a quote.

That depends on the spacer, can they be stacked? It'd be to consult the manufacturer. In general, you could stack them, but you would need to make sure you have all the needed components for the total combined lift. In your case 4". Longer brake lines? Longer shocks? Steering components? etc.

We don't have any spacer lifts for the GX470. We do have the Old Man Emu coils and shocks available. It would be best to email sales@northridge4x4 and ask for pricing on an Old Man Emu kit for the GX470.

There are lots to choose from. Old Man Emu and Icon are both well know for their Tacoma suspensions. What are your goals? How much lift?

Northridge4x4 so for my 2nd gen Tacoma id like to accomplish a 3” lift and eventually move up to bigger tire sizes and re-gear my diff. I want these upgrades to have a good performing off-road rig to be able to go anywhere I need (living in Utah, hunting/fishing trips, sometimes trails can’t get hairy especially in fall/winter months). I have a steel front bumper with a winch, sliders, and rear bumper on the way. I’ve looked at options from OME, Toytec, and icon as far as lifting coil springs but not too sure what length or spring rate I should be running with the extra weight in the front just yet. For the front shocks I have been looking into getting bilstein b8 6112 shocks but just need to confirm what lifting coil springs will work with the 6112 shock. After all this modification I plan to upgrade my UCA’s to fix alignment and premature ball joint/ tire wear issues also. I’m open to all genuine advice and would like to see other 2nd gen Tacoma builds of this kind.

Spacer kit would be your best bang for the buck.