Beware Easy Spacer Lift Kit Installation Videos
The old adage “don’t believe everything that you read” should also apply to YouTube videos – don’t believe everything that you see.
ZoneOffRoad.com has put together an excellent video depicting the install of a basic above coil spacer / rear block Tacoma lift kit that is really nicely done. They definitely paid for professional production and they did a good job of showing you how to install the kit using basic tools – and they should be commended for sharing that info.
HOWEVER, they dropped the ball in one key area (at least in my opinion): they neglected to show how difficult it is to re-assemble the front suspension after you install a longer coil assembly. Check it out:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdyE8VkIqPg[/youtube]
If you watch at about the 1:35 mark, you see that they’re just moving the lower control arm into contact with the strut and steering knuckle using basic hand pressure…and I gotta call bullshit. You can’t just “push” the arm into contact with the lower strut mount and then expect the steering knuckle to just bolt together.
When you add the typical above-coil spacer kit to a Tacoma, you’re increasing the length of the strut/coil assembly from 1-1.5″ – and that means you’re going to have to compress the coil 1-1.5″ to get the steering knuckle to bolt together. (See our explanation of Tacoma lift kits for an illustration).
In order to make things work, you either need to pry the lower control arm into place or – even better – use a ratchet strap to compress the coil. That reduces the length of the coil during install and makes it easy to re-attach the steering knuckle to the lower control arm.
I’m not saying that ZoneOffRoad.com has done anything intentionally wrong here – they probably didn’t even think about including footage of the ratchet strap or prying – but it’s really important for do-it-yourself installers to understand that above-coil spacer kits aren’t necessarily easy to install. They’re simple, but you’ll want a strong-armed buddy to help you put everything back together.
Has anyone heard anything negative about spacer lifts? I have heard it throws geometry off and things can break because of.
TBelle – In the purest sense, spacer lifts are a “cheat” because they trade suspension travel for additional ride height. If you need all the travel you can get, and you need additional ride height as well, your best option is to purchase a full long-travel suspension kit. Purists argue (perhaps correctly) that this is the only choice.
Of course, long-travel kits cost money (figure $1200 just for parts at a bare minimum) and involve a lot of labor too (install can cost as much as the kit). A nice little spacer kit can be purchased and installed for $400-$500 (including alignment), so here’s what the question really boils down to: Are you willing to trade a little suspension performance for ride height? If you very rarely push your truck to it’s limits, a spacer lift is a very logical alternative to a full-blown long-travel kit.