How to lift your Tercel 4wd

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BaileySims
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My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
Location: Texas
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Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by BaileySims »

Dat flex! Very nice write up too!
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Hiro
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My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel FWD 5spd

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by Hiro »

How much lift did you get with this? How much of this translates to 2WD models? (I'm assuming very little until we swap front struts from a 4WD)
'86 T2 DLX (114,000 miles and counting)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
teranfirbt
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My tercel:: '86 SR5 4WD, 5AFE, lifted rear, 195/70/14 tires
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by teranfirbt »

Nice, I put Pathfinder springs on the rear of mine and was super happy. What kind of mileage do you get with that setup?
teranfirbt
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My tercel:: '86 SR5 4WD, 5AFE, lifted rear, 195/70/14 tires
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by teranfirbt »

Considering all of the off road driving I do these days (none :P) I've actually been considering going the other way, give it a nice drop. Something to get the tops of the current tires ~even with the lip of the fenders. Living in Texas the height isn't even an advantage in winter, when we *might* get 1/4" of snow. I'll kick myself the first time I load up the back, but so be it.
Hiro
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My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel FWD 5spd

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by Hiro »

Are the spring diameters/hats the same for 2wd as 4wd? Is the pathfinder springs just applicable for 4wd models?
'86 T2 DLX (114,000 miles and counting)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
teranfirbt
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Posts: 519
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My tercel:: '86 SR5 4WD, 5AFE, lifted rear, 195/70/14 tires
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by teranfirbt »

Abra-Cadaver wrote:
teranfirbt wrote:Considering all of the off road driving I do these days (none :P) I've actually been considering going the other way, give it a nice drop. Something to get the tops of the current tires ~even with the lip of the fenders. Living in Texas the height isn't even an advantage in winter, when we *might* get 1/4" of snow. I'll kick myself the first time I load up the back, but so be it.
guess I could just send you my old springs :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I may just take you up on that! :lol:

Hiro: Front springs should be the same dimensions but different rates for 4wd and 2wd. 4wd springs would probably lift a 2wd a bit. The rear is a completely different suspension type, I've never seen one in person but I don't think they're anywhere near close.
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rer233
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My tercel:: Multiple

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by rer233 »

FWD rear suspension is independent mcpherson strut- completely different from 4WD live axle.
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
jimcrazy
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My tercel:: 1985 4wd 1986fwd 1983 4wd

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by jimcrazy »

my 86 fwd ..4wd struts in the front and 1 1/2 strut spacers in the rear
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by Petros »

teranfirbt wrote:Hiro: Front springs should be the same dimensions but different rates for 4wd and 2wd. 4wd springs would probably lift a 2wd a bit. The rear is a completely different suspension type, I've never seen one in person but I don't think they're anywhere near close.
I have found this was not true with a set FWD front struts I took off an '85 Tercel FWD wagon parts car. the FWD struts are an inch (25mm) sorter, but everything else should be identical. I took the FWD struts apart to use the parts, and out of curiosity measured it, their coil dia, number of coils, and length was the same, but the wire dia was thicker off the fwd as compared to coil springs off an '87 T4wd. So the FWD springs were slightly stiffer than the 4wd front springs.

Might be due to year difference, or someone replaced them with aftermarket springs, but I was surprised to learn that the FWD was different. I installed the stiffer springs in the '87 T4wd. Both btw were originally equipped with A/C.

with a car this old and messed with by various previous owners and mechanics, anything is possible.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
teranfirbt
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My tercel:: '86 SR5 4WD, 5AFE, lifted rear, 195/70/14 tires
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by teranfirbt »

Interesting...
Hiro
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My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel FWD 5spd

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by Hiro »

YES YES YES!!!!!

Abra, that is AWESOME!!!! Good work! Did you offset the transmission mount to account for the front lift? Has anyone considered doing the same with the tie rods or ball joints?

Not to completely derail, but does anyone have a second set of front, worn out, 4WD struts they won't miss if I pay shipping? Would love to compare to my factory original '86 suspension...

Petros, when you say the '85 fwd strut was 25mm shorter than the '87 4wd strut, was that just the strut housings by itself without the shock insert you were comparing?
'86 T2 DLX (114,000 miles and counting)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
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BaileySims
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My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
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Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by BaileySims »

Hiro wrote:
Not to completely derail, but does anyone have a second set of front, worn out, 4WD struts they won't miss if I pay shipping? Would love to compare to my factory original '86 suspension...
I should have mine, or at least I think I do. I'm not sure of the condition but I'll check as soon as I get off work today.
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BaileySims
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My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
Location: Texas
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Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by BaileySims »

Looks proper! They should have came from the factory with that lift and tire size.
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jimcrazy
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My tercel:: 1985 4wd 1986fwd 1983 4wd

Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by jimcrazy »

for some reason my 85 sits up nice in the front compared to my other wagons,,all stock front end on 185-70-14 tires
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: How to lift your Tercel 4wd

Post by Petros »

Hiro,

the factory strut has built in shock tube, piston and valve, not sure if it is different, it might have a slightly different travel length. The insert you buy is the same for FWD or 4wd, so for what it is worth, your travel length would be the same when you install an insert.

you need to watch the amount of front lift you get with taller springs or struts, it puts a sharper angle on the front cv joint, which means more movement in the joint every time it rotates. It causes the cv joint to wear out faster. ideally you want zero angle on the cv angle when it is neutral loading, minimal angle. using larger dia wheels and tires helps give more ground clearance without the larger angle (though you have to verify you do not rub in the wheel wells on rebound). The only way to reduce this CV angle with lift is to lower the transmission (and the engine comes with it). but than you loose the center clearance that you wanted to get by rasing the body.

So check your CV angle, likely you would be okay with about 1.5" of lift, but another form member (Synth) found he wiped out a new set of CV axles in only a few thoursand miles. He also damaged the upper seal on the strut because they were topping out on the rebound, so you also want the strut to be approx at the cente of its travel when it is at rest.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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