Did the front lift on my t4

[fadeone]

I finally did the front lift on the tercel. I used a 1990 v6 camry front strut with few modifications. It gave it about a 1.5"-2" lift. Everything bolts right up except I used the stock upper mount and for the bottom, I had to weld some washers to index the stock hardware in the larger holes. The v6 strut has stiffer coils and is about the same height.


A few pics...(sorry but I did forget to take before pics but you can reference my other post of it at stock height https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8394 )

I will take more pics of the modifications when I pull the old wheels and tires off

[dlb]

how does it drive? any clunks or odd handling? my camry springs topped out the struts when going over speed bumps and potholes at any speed more than a crawl.

[LittleRed4wd]

Nice! I'm also curious about the ride. Throw some bigger tires and you'll be set!

[Petros]

the camry springs can have a lower spring rate than the stock Tercel springs, and you still get a higher ride because the spring is longer.

take a few measurements for me and I can calculate the v6 spring rate as compared to stock. I need the diameter of the spring wire, the over all dia of the coil spring, and the total number of full turns the spring makes.

you want the compression to end up at about half the travel of the strut (fully down to fully up) to give the best ride and to prevent either bottoming or topping out the strut. If it tops out (too much spring for the amount of weight on it), when you go over bumps and pot holes, the piston tops out against the seal at the top of the strut and wipes out the seal. Many have learned this the hard way.

Also, watch your CV angle, you want it fairly close to straight, too much angle makes them wear out too fast (large amount of motion in the joint every time the wheel turns). You can lower the front of the engine by spacing down the cross member about 1/2" with spacers under the bolts, this will drop the front of the engine/trans and reduce the angle of the CV joint a little.

good luck.

[fadeone]

how does it drive? any clunks or odd handling? my camry springs topped out the struts when going over speed bumps and potholes at any speed more than a crawl.

It drives amazingly! I am actually suprised at how well it handles the bumps at speed. I dont hear anything out the ordinary so everything seems fine. Since i used the whole camry strut assembly, i.e. struts, shocks, and springs, i shouldnt have a problem topping out the the struts.

[dlb]

my bad, i didn't realize you swapped the whole strut. very cool. you should post a pic of the washers you welded because i'm sure others will be interested in trying your lift out too.

[Petros]

Since i used the whole camry strut assembly, i.e. struts, shocks, and springs, i shouldnt have a problem topping out the the struts.

That is not necessarily true. The camry is a much heavier car and the struts will be further compressed when "at rest" than in the Tercel. It is possible the weight of the Tercel does not compress them to near their center of travel, and you still run the risk of topping them out.

the solution is fairly easy, cut the spring down until you get near the center of the strut travel. this will also stiffen the spring as well.

how did you deal with the larger diameter bolt holes on the end of the strut mount where it gets bolted to the Tercel steering knuckle?

[fadeone]

That is not necessarily true. The camry is a much heavier car and the struts will be further compressed when "at rest" than in the Tercel. It is possible the weight of the Tercel does not compress them to near their center of travel, and you still run the risk of topping them out.

the solution is fairly easy, cut the spring down until you get near the center of the strut travel. this will also stiffen the spring as well.

how did you deal with the larger diameter bolt holes on the end of the strut mount where it gets bolted to the Tercel steering knuckle?

I welded washers with the t4 bolt inside diameter to the camry strut. I could have made a sleeve to sit inside, but the washers were a cheaper and easier way to go. Once I got everything lined up and tacked together, it was smooth sailing from then on. I really do like how it rides now, especially climbing hills and blastin down dirt roads.

[fadeone]

Just picked up the shocks for the rear lift
I will post pics of the finished lift with the pathfinder springs tonight

[scotisha]

And how did it turn out?