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1995-2006 Toyota Suspension Kits - "Towering" Toyotas

Mild Lifting For Late-Model Toys

Photography by Andrew Schear
Superlift's basic late-model Toyota kit consists of front and rear spring spacers and necessary hardware to create 2 to 2.5 inches of lift, depending on vehicle. For the Tundra, the rear blocks are optional (to retain the factory rake), as are rear Superide shocks and the TruSpeed speedometer recalibrator.

Superlift's basic late-model Toyota kit consists of front and rear spring spacers and nece

Many late-model trucks and SUVs do dual purpose as weekday commuters and weekend fun machines. Enthusiast owners often want a little lift to make their trucks stick out from the crowd but without sacrificing daily driveability and fuel economy. Mild 3-inch-or-less lift kits are popular for people who want a more aggressive look and stance but don't want to deal with the domino effect that comes with moderate-to-tall lifts (axle regearing, potential wheelwell modifications, steering correction, brake upgrades, and so on).

For '95-'06 fullsize Toyota owners, Superlift is one aftermarket manufacturer that offers an affordable and fairly simple kit that accommodates up to about 32x11.50 tires. In the front, the stock coilovers are retained and spaced down from the body with CNC-machined aluminum coil preload rings. Polyurethane isolators fit between the spacers and the coil to absorb noise and vibration. Superlift also includes laser-cut steel indexing plates that match the factory coil tower pattern to ensure that the spacers fit and seat properly.

The Superlift Tundra kit retains daily-driveability by fitting 32x11.50 tires.

Rear lifting is also accomplished with spring spacers. In '95-'06 4Runners/Tacomas and Prerunner pickups, rear 1.5-inch tapered blocks combine with the front spacers to yield about 2.5 inches of lift. The same basic Superlift system raises '99-'06 Tundras and Sequoias about 2 inches: Sequoias are leveled with rear polyurethane coil spacers, and Tundra owners can opt for the 1.5-inch rear blocks if they want to retain the OE raked/rear-high look. Rear extended-length Superlift Superide hydro shocks are also offered as an option, as is the TruSpeed speedometer recalibrator to compensate for larger-than-stock tires.

Installation
Although the kit isn't complex, Superlift recommends that the front coil spacers be professionally installed on the factory struts. The reason is that coil springs store potentially lethal amounts of energy, and a suitable compressor tool is required to safely remove them from the front struts.

Superlift also addresses the details for the different Toyota models. For example, the included rear axle brackets retain OE calibration of the brake proportioning valve and e-brake cables.

Superlift rates the job a "3" on its 1-to-5 degree-of-difficulty scale. Estimated shop time for professional installation of the basic kit, minus any optional parts, is three hours.

  • 1. With the vehicle raised and secured and tires/wheels removed, disconnect the sway bar from its links.
    1. With the vehicle raised and secured and tires/wheels removed, disconnect the sway bar f
  • 2. Unbolt the struts at the lower control arms. The factory struts are made by Bilstein, which also offers heavier-duty aftermarket units for most Toyota applications.
    2. Unbolt the struts at the lower control arms. The factory struts are made by Bilstein, w
  • 3. Remove the three nuts from the top of the strut tower.
  • 4. The Superlift kit uses these spacers to change the preload on the front coilover struts.
    4. The Superlift kit uses these spacers to change the preload on the front coilover struts
  • 5. Professional disassembly of the front coilovers is recommended. First, the coils' position is marked on the top plate.
    5. Professional disassembly of the front coilovers is recommended. First, the coils' posit
  • 6. Randy's Tire used a pro compressor tool to tear down the strut assembly. With the assembly compressed, the strut's top nut can be safely removed.
    6. Randy's Tire used a pro compressor tool to tear down the strut assembly. With the assem
  • 7. After carefully unloading the spring, the top plate can be removed. The factory rubber spacer isn't reused. It is replaced by the Superlift poly spring isolator and coil spacer.
    7. After carefully unloading the spring, the top plate can be removed. The factory rubber
  • 8. The top plate's factory studs are pressed or hammered out. The kit's replacement bolts seat in the spring spacer's slots. Use the reference marks to align the top plate.
    8. The top plate's factory studs are pressed or hammered out. The kit's replacement bolts
  • 9. The top nut and washers are hand-threaded into place.
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