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Spacer on top of coil over bad??

8K views 28 replies 4 participants last post by  whistler 
#1 ·
So on a recent trip to 4Wheels parts, i was talking to the guy about installing my soon to be ordered coil over and he said they would not do it because they were not a dealer and therefore did not install parts. He offered me icons but i told him i was not interested because i could not add a spacer on top to get 3 inches of lift and not max out the coil over.

He went on to tell me it was a terrible idea, i would bind up my CV shafts and joints and destroy it all offroad. Especially on a 4x4 truck.

My goal is to get the PRG Advanced coil over kit with a new upper a arm and add a 1 inch spacer in the coil over set at 2 inches to not max it out and have a rough ride. Is this a bad idea??

The guys fro Nisstec have said that a 1 inch spacer won't be a problem, more an it will. Inputs on this anyone??

PRG Products
 
#2 ·
You would not max out the coilover with either the Icons or the Radflos. You are just moving everything down an inch.Your control arms angle remain the same with the spacer or not.Your shock shaft exposed/ non-exposed will remain the same.
What changes is your droop/bump
Percentages depending how much you change your ride height.
 
#3 ·
Well the purpose of me adding the spacer is to not have too stiff or a ride. When adding the one inch spacer on top, i will have more droop and that is what the guy told me to watch out for. Too much droop would bind up my cv shafts since everything would be pushed down.

He said he did not recommend it but if i did, look into a living strap. Even then he was against it.
 
#6 ·
No,why would it? Let's say it takes 1000lbs of Spring rate to maintain ride height. The 1000lbs. does not change by adding a spacer or using the adjusters. Does the spring compress more when you do this?No,it remains the same.
 
#5 · (Edited)
How do you figure by adding the spacer it will lessen the stiffness of the ride?
I mistated in my reply that the control arms angle remains the same.I meant to say the control arm angle remains the same whether you use a spacer or use the adjuster.
Same with the amount of droop.
By raising the truck it reduces the droop.The problem is not having enough droop.
You don't have enough droop or either does a stock suspension to bind up the cv's. Bucket arm contact would not allow it.
Limit straps would be necessary if the arms could pass the buckets which they can't.
 
#19 ·
I was just concerned over having CV joints destroyed but it does not seem to be the case i guess. Seems like a lot of people do it. Th big issue i goes would be not having sufficient shock travel.

Now as for the spacer making the ride worse, i do not see how that would be as you would only be raising your shock mounting position.
 
#8 ·
If it pogos, it seems like your shocks are not dampening. You sure the shocks are still good?
 
#10 ·
They are your stock shocks and springs, right?
 
#12 ·
Only thing I can suggest is to take out the spacers and see if it reacts the same off road as it does now. Obviously something is not right.
If it road better without the spacers than you should remove them but I really don't think that is the cause.
If you think the spacer made it stiffer than there should be l even less pogoing.
If you had no springs,just a solid bar replacing the shocks there would be no pogoing at all,right?
 
#13 ·
Pretty sure it's because of the stock UCA's. No room for travel. I purchased some Radflo coilovers and SPC UCA'S that I'm gonna replace everything with.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
Is it pogoing or hard abrupt hits?Are you getting coil bucket contact? Big difference than pogoing.
The SPC arms will help with coil bucket contact but very little to increase travel. They are stock length arms.
 
#16 ·
Another question.When you put in the spacers did you do anything to the rear suspension?
 
#18 ·
If you only put in spacers and it started to pogo than maybe it was caused by the spacers but I doubt it would.By just putting on the shackles it changes the suspension dynamics.
For example,I just changed out my suspension completly.I took off the PRG/Deaver race pack with a custom Deaver spring pack(increased lift).It seemed like the rear springs were too stiff. Re-valved the front shocks and it cured what we thought were the springs.
Too many variiables. To me when the pogoing gets so bad you have to stop,it sounds like it's the terrain. That is what happens when you hit whoops.Unless the terrain was exactly the same when it was stock,you cannot know the cause.
Good luck.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Yes , too much droop can cause cv damage(so will too much bump travel). Like I said before,the coil buckets won't allow it to happen.
You can see that I have no coil buckets which would allow the cv axles to over extend(old front suspension). By using limit straps you can prevent this. I use limit straps and bump stops to protect the shocks. If you set-up your suspension correctly(compressed/extended length of the shock is correct,shock shaft percentage is correct,etc.) then your cv's will be protected also.
If the seller,fabricator did his job,then there should not be a problem with a shock having having insufficient or too much shock travel.
By raising your truck 3",whether with spacers,the adjusters or a combination of both severely limits your droop. This might be alright if you keep it on the pavement but not off road.Especially rock crawling where you need need a lot of droop I have been told.
 

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#23 ·
Thats what i have been told. Nisstec says it would be fine but i would want to get a second opinion from PRG before i pull the trigger. I know i won't rock climb but i do go affording every now and then.
 
#21 ·
Still have not been able to post more than one photo per thread.
 

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#22 ·
Belgium Grand Prix is starting.
 

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#24 ·
Don't want to sound mean but you should learn the basic concepts of suspensions systems.
Learn the terminology and what it means.Things like "unsprung weight",ACF,"spring rate","wheel rate",etc. This way you will have some clue as to what people are telling you.
It is always good to get different opinions.If you only believe one thing I said.Believe this.
By going up 3" of lift the way you plan,you would be better off leaving it stock.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all the honesty. I can do that but at the same time it seems like that is a little too much to just get a darn lift kit for my truck. But the again it really isn't because it is good to understand everything behind it.

Its not stock anymore so its hard to leave it that way but i may end up not getting anything else done too it.

Thanks for all the help.
 
#27 ·
I guess I look at it the opposite of most people. I don't lift a truck for the lift.Lift is just a by-product of a well designed off road suspension.
Takes too much time,energy and money to get it wrong.
Just don't have much confidence in "just a darn lift kit".
Probably the machinist in me.
 

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#29 ·
Yes,it takes money to build a truck. It also takes know how. If I had to pay a shop at 90$ an hour,no way could I afford this truck and racing it. I did pay to have things dealing with safety(cage,harness and seat mounting,etc.
I have to keep having to do things over to a minium because of cost.
It cost over 5k just in entry fee and pit service the last time I entered. Heck,I am wearing close to 2k in gear when I sit in that seat.Can't afford that and break 10 miles down the course.
I am not going to apologize being able to afford what I do.Anybody with a decent job,work 60--70 hours a week for 30 plus years.save money , invest wisely can do the same.
 
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