This is for all of you who have or are planing to, make your own lowering kit due to the lack of aftermarket kits. SOS has come out with thier 2/4 lowering kit, and then a 3/5 upgrade soon. Some of us have or plan to make our own custom kits with even more drop. All of you who know something about doing this, either in therory or in practice, chip in! If you know nothing, and have questions, fire away!
alright... I have found a lot of information by searching the internet, calling everywhere and then calling everywhere else. Special thanks to SoS Performance (http://sosperf.com) in Florida and Cutten Customs (281-537-6748) in Texas. If you just want something like a 2/4 drop, give SoS Performance a call. They just came out with a kit that members here get 10% off of! If you are like me, and are looking for something more along the lines of a 4/6 drop, read on:
Front Lowering
Front Coil Spring - You can find somewhere local that will take your stock spring, and shorten it for anywhere from 75-200 dollars. Cutting or heating springs is not the way to do it correctly. When you cut or heat a spring you throw the spring rate out of whack, giving you a rough ride that will bottom out easier.
Coilovers - AIM Industries has come out with a line of coilovers called LOWBOYZ. The Tundra version lowers the truck from 0-3". At 3" you have to remove or replace the bumpstops and bore out the holes on the control arms for alignment.
Spring Perches - SoS performance sells lowered spring perches in the 1" to 2" range.
Suspension Travel - The bump stops will have to be cut off. This is something I am still figuring out. To get a decent drop in the front, it seems that you may have to do some cutting and welding to the area that the bump stops mount too.
Alignment Issues - Getting the vehicle back to specs alignmentwise is something that seems to vary greatly with each individual truck. SoS performance says as a general rule of thumb, 1-1.5" will align fine, 1.5-2" will be 3* out, but should be align-able, and anything more is a craps shoot. Cutten Customs in houston texas (the shop that did MicroDots 3/5 drop) says a real alignment shop that actually knows what they are doing should be able to get everything aligned correctly even with a 4+ drop.
Rear Lowering
4 Link Suspenson - SoS Performance has come out with a weld-in 4 link suspension kit for the Tundra for maximum performance. This kit is spendy at 1500 bucks, from what I hear it is well worth the money.
Flip Kit - A flip kit simpy takes the rear axle and places it on top of the rear leaf springs instead of under them. This should give you approximately 3-4" of drop. You have to replace the perches, and adjust the rear brake load arm. I personally have princed out a 6" flip kit (flip w/blocks) for 56 bucks. See this post
Block & Shackles - You can either use lowering shackles or blocks to get even more drop. You can replace the shackles to get anywhere from 1" to 2" more in lowering. Blocks are the cheap way to get more, and are placed between the leaf springs and axle when a flip kit is used.
De-Arching - Another way to get your vehicle closer to the ground is to have the rear leafs de-arched. This process is fairly affordable (75-150) and simple. It does stiffen up the ride in the rear, which is what alot of people are going for anyway when they lower a vehicle.
Suspension Travel - The bump stops may have to be cut down, or moved. You also may need to C-Notch the frame to gain travel back depending on how low you go.
Below are some pix of tundras with various drops to better give you an idea of how you ride may look with a certain amount of drop (First number is front drop, last is rear):
When I do my custom 4/6 Drop I will make a how-to on it with lotsa pix and a cost spreadsheet. I cant seem to get anyone else who has already done a custom job to give too much information, besides MicroDot & Native (thanks again!) Since I am a DIY postwhore (the moderators at another car forum actually gave me the title by editing my profile!) I would like to see more information on this posted for others to use.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
Last edited by DigitalFusion; 05-08-2005 at 08:39 PM.
Reason: UPDATED INFORMATION
I have aftermarket springs (lowered 2.5" all the way around) and I got them from a guy in California. Don't ask for the number, he never calls you (or me) back. I had a local guy install them and I'm glad. I purchased the SOS front lowering kit (2") but haven't put them in yet. My 2.5" springs will be available as soon as I get off of my fat butt. I'll get the 4" springs for the rear as soon as they are available.
Just FYI for anyone who I keeping up with this....
I just got my quote back from coilsprings.com on having my stock springs lowered anywhere from 2-4" while retaining the stock spring rate. They quoted me 150 plus shipping for both springs.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
Just FYI for anyone who I keeping up with this....
I just got my quote back from coilsprings.com on having my stock springs lowered anywhere from 2-4" while retaining the stock spring rate. They quoted me 150 plus shipping for both springs.
Does this mean that the springs will just have less travel?
__________________
"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile." -C. S. Lewis
Native has been extremely helpful and answered a lot of questions I had. One of the big issues was lowering the front. I can get the entire rear dropped 6" for a total of 70 bucks, plus my time. The front is another story. The front bumpstops are really close to the lower control arm and there is not much room for travel:
The prototype TRD kit that Native has tackled this by using a 2" lower Eibach spring, and a 2" shorter spindle (to get 2" of the drop) in combination with a 2" block below the spindle and above the lower control arm, giving another 2" of drop, and more room for the bumpstops. The first method I am going to test is simply getting a lower spring, removing the bumpstops, and notching the frame above the bumpstop mounting location. MicroDot's 3" drop in the front was obtained by simply putting a 3" lowering spring in, and that was it. It also aligned perfectly. Native removed his lowering kit due to aligment issues. The insides of his tires wore noticably in only 300 miles. To tackle this, I am toying with methods of making the lower control arm to spindle connection adjustable. From the factory this connection is rivited. If a person were to remove the rivits, and fabricate some type of sliding adjustment, the camber could be corrected. I have yet to verify this with any alignment shop as the Project WRECK is still not on the road, waiting for paint and license plates. As soon as its on the road I will be stopping by alignment shops and furthering the research on doing this or other methods to correct the infamous alignment issues that go with lowering any vehicle. Honda Civics for example have aftermarket camber correction kits. There has toi be some way to apply that technolgy to a tundra.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
Sounds like your truck will be pretty sweet when it is done. I can't wait to see it. I'm sure there is a way to incorporate that technology on the Tundra. The question will be can you do it for a reasonable amount of money or effort.
__________________
"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile." -C. S. Lewis
thanks i will definately be posting pix and whatnot. It also will cost me less than an 2/4 from SOS to do my 4/6.. so money isnt really the issue so much as figuring everything out.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
update: not that anyone is actually following this thread anyways...
The 150 from coilsprings.com is for NEW drop springs. I still can retain my OEM springs in case in need to switch back or something. 75 a piece isnt bad for completely custom drop springs!
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
glad to see atleast two people are following this thread. I have some more news... A fabricator friend of mine is working with me on making chromoly (sp?) tubular upper and lower control arms with an adjustable lower ball joint connection for alignment! I anyone has an OEM lower control arm laying around I need to get my hands on it to use for prototyping.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
DF,
There are many "behind the scenes" people following this thread (like me ). Keep up the good work and keep us updated on your progress.
BTW, you may wanna check on member "QuikToy" on the control arm mods. He is a very serious custom show truck enthusiast and his ride has been shown on numerous sport truck publications. I'm not sure if his ride remains the only Tundra laying frame (maybe even a full body drop by now - fully fabbed/modded front end). One of his first mods were Tundra control arms that were designed to hold airbags. He had them for sale at one time.
Glad to hear there are even more folllowing this thread, even if they are are "behind the scenes". QwikToy has seemed to drop off the face of the ..err.. the internet. I cant get ahold of him here, and I found another website that has posted on and had a gallery, no repsonse there either. I would love to chat with him and pick his brain, and maybe even get some pix of his control arms, but I cannot track him down.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
Newbie here with my first post. I have a 2003 Tacoma Double Cab and I was really interested in lowering it, but on www.customtacos.com it is impossible to bring up a lowering a prerunner thread without getting my head cut off even though you cannot buy a 4dr w/ rep 2wd susp. How different exactly is the Tundra suspension from the Tacoma prerunner? Besides the fact that the upper strut mount has the holes farther apart from what I have heard. I have been an auto mechanic for almost 10 yrs now, but I really haven't had a chance to look at the suspension that good on either trucks. I have only owned mine for about 2 months, but I did notice that I think that someone else said that the lower control arm is VERY close to the frame already so even a small drop spring is basically going to put the Lower CA on the bump stop, so someone really needs to make a drop spindle for these trucks.
How different exactly is the Tundra suspension from the Tacoma prerunner? Besides the fact that the upper strut mount has the holes farther apart from what I have heard. I have been an auto mechanic for almost 10 yrs now, but I really haven't had a chance to look at the suspension that good on either trucks. .
I have yet to do an acutal side by side comparison, but from what I have read and understand the suspension is competely different. It would be interesting if someone did a side by side with photos. I have a set of "test" upper and lower control arms coming, perhaps I can get my hands on a set of taco control arms to do a comparison.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcab03
I think that someone else said that the lower control arm is VERY close to the frame already so even a small drop spring is basically going to put the Lower CA on the bump stop, so someone really needs to make a drop spindle for these trucks.
It was me who was saying the bumpstops are so close, the folowing image is a pic of the lower control arm/suspension on my 01 2wd Tundra.
__________________ 2001 Salvaged Tundra SR5 2WD Access Cab:
95% complete - Molly Grill, Color Matched Mirror Covers, Clear Turn Signal Lenses, Optima Red Top Battery,
XS Power headers, Phillips Crystal Vision Bulbs, Detata Trax 18x9 wheels w/245-55-18 BFG GForce T/A's
Waiting to Install: Components for 3-4" front, 5-6" rear DIY lowering. (waiting on front struts)
DIY: Lowering: Lets get a tech thread going
). Keep up the good work and keep us updated on your progress.
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