3 inch or 4 inch issues?

[Benno244]

Have a 2012 sr duel cab
Just wondering about any mechanical issues with this lift kit that i might have? If any one have run the same or similar set up cheers
https://www.superiorengineering.com.au/ ... arch=Hilux 4 inch lift kit

[HK1837]

Far more important questions to ask:
Do they Engineer the vehicle for you? And what does that cost? Important questions to ask them if you intend to use it on the road. If it is used on the road without being Engineered you may have no Insurance in the case of a serious accident.
From what I can tell you can legally lift 50mm plus 50mm tyre (25mm lift) so 75mm overall (tyre diameter also limited to 7% increase so whichever is the lower, 50mm or 7%) and self certify it but over that you must Engineer it.

[Benno244]

Far more important questions to ask:
Do they Engineer the vehicle for you? And what does that cost? Important questions to ask them if you intend to use it on the road. If it is used on the road without being Engineered you may have no Insurance in the case of a serious accident.
From what I can tell you can legally lift 50mm plus 50mm tyre (25mm lift) so 75mm overall (tyre diameter also limited to 7% increase so whichever is the lower, 50mm or 7%) and self certify it but over that you must Engineer it.

Already been over all of that stuff mate just looking for someone (preferably not a know it all pleb) to answer the question

[hiluxxury]

Haha you'll find know it all plebs everywhere, especially on the internet and even more so at places that benefit financially from providing you their advice.

4 inch lifts are full of issues on an ifs hilux. It doesn't matter what brand. No doubt if you take it further than a mall-crawl and it breaks they will say it was used improperly. Been there done that.

[HK1837]

Far more important questions to ask:
Do they Engineer the vehicle for you? And what does that cost? Important questions to ask them if you intend to use it on the road. If it is used on the road without being Engineered you may have no Insurance in the case of a serious accident.
From what I can tell you can legally lift 50mm plus 50mm tyre (25mm lift) so 75mm overall (tyre diameter also limited to 7% increase so whichever is the lower, 50mm or 7%) and self certify it but over that you must Engineer it.

Already been over all of that stuff mate just looking for someone (preferably not a know it all pleb) to answer the question

At least you can't say you weren't warned. If you are on top of it good for you as you'd be the one in each 50 or more that is.

[Benno244]

Thank you hiluxxury and you alone!

[TOYZX]

If ya plan on doin any wheeling then a better combo is to do a 2 suspension, this will keep all ya components within their limits and far less likely to break or wear prematurely, then do a body lift. Loads of us on here run this combo and it works well. If ya building a mall crawler then by all means throw the big suspension lift in and go to town... so to speak lol.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[Benno244]

If ya plan on doin any wheeling then a better combo is to do a 2 suspension, this will keep all ya components within their limits and far less likely to break or wear prematurely, then do a body lift. Loads of us on here run this combo and it works well. If ya building a mall crawler then by all means throw the big suspension lift in and go to town... so to speak lol.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Thanks mate a good contibution to my question, Any way you can lift the bull bar with a 2 inch body lift?

[hiluxxury]

Benno244, I have no experience with this kit but it does look like an incomplete photo of parts as I can't see the diff drop which imho is crucial for these high lift kits.

The kit need to have a real diff drop like the phat or buds products. Who knows where these shocks or UCAs are made so it might be worth looking at the dobinsons, caloffroads or ultimate suspension options and reviews that can be found here.

[taresk]

I have to agree with TOYZX on this, with 4" of actual suspension lift, you have almost no downtravel left (droop), makes it bounce over obstacles off road rather than walk over them, can also give you a lot of bump-steer on the road.

If you don't want to do a body lift, then a lift like Ultimate 4" kit that actually re-mounts the diff and lower control arms on a sub-frame with longer, reinforced spindles would be the go, that gives you the height while maintaining full standard travel.

In my personal opinion, it's best to do the bare minimum of lift needed to clear the tyres you want, low centre of gravity with maximum droop works best off-road.

[Myralga]

X3 for ultimate

Anything over 40-50mm heavily impacts on CV angle, brake lines, in newer cars ABS lines all need to be extended/relocated etc. steering is wild also I drive on and off a couple of different JK’s running 4” lifts both don’t drive nicely compared to 2” (I know live axle vs ifs but gives you a idea). Long story short if it’s not done right it will drive you nuts.


You really need to do the whole thing properly and as stated above go with a reputable and well tested/reviewed product.
Your kit mentions a diff drop but having seen a few different drops on a few cars it is not a true drop it is more a re alignment of the axle.
Most space down the front of the housing 20-30 mm so the angle is different. It’s not a true drop.
I went down this line of questions back in 07-08 when I did my ute back then.
2” done right and installed expect to spend $2500 and up.
3” + done right through ultimate back then the kit was over $5k from memory and it still needed to be engineered afterwards.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gipsy]

Far more important questions to ask:
Do they Engineer the vehicle for you? And what does that cost? Important questions to ask them if you intend to use it on the road. If it is used on the road without being Engineered you may have no Insurance in the case of a serious accident.
From what I can tell you can legally lift 50mm plus 50mm tyre (25mm lift) so 75mm overall (tyre diameter also limited to 7% increase so whichever is the lower, 50mm or 7%) and self certify it but over that you must Engineer it.

Already been over all of that stuff mate just looking for someone (preferably not a know it all pleb) to answer the question

Looks to me like the mind is made up. "looking for someone (preferably not a know it all pleb) to answer the question" sounds a bit like I want someone to tell me I made the right decision but don't want to pay for it! Disrespectful!

After only 5 posts I suspect this one is a bit of a social loafer.

[HK1837]

There is nothing wrong with him asking Gipsy, and if he is on top of his requirements to make it legal well good on him. However most that ask such questions are ignorant of it or are hell bent on creating an illegal essentially non-insured vehicle and don't care. You see it on the highways everyday with fully loaded Rangers, 200's, even Hilux's towing vans well over their legal GCM, and also with 4x4's especially Rangers with big negative offset wheels and tyres with big flares way exceeding the capacity of the brakes and the bearings. I am an Engineer, not an Automotive Engineer but an Electrical Engineer, and I see people with ideas everyday trying to achieve an end goal. There is NO WAY in hell I will give advice to anyone on something that I know is potentially illegal and unsafe without first telling them the facts, especially on a public forum. Sure you get pig headed, sarcastic answers especially from younger than Gen X people and there is always the temptation to give it back but what is the point?

I looked at bigger lifts than 50mm when I did my 2011 at Ultimate, looked at the work, the componentry and the expense of the Engineering involved which can be as much as the lift itself (hence why I suggested the two questions to ask), but it was way too expensive and compromised the vehicle in a number of ways so not for me.

[Gipsy]

Well the use of the word "plebs" kind of sums it up, and I doubt legality is an issue here. I suggest the expert could advise, but any expert who is not a "pleb" is not likely to come for free!
Yes I too am an engineer by the way.

Correct, as you said, "there is nothing wrong with him asking Gipsy, and if he is on top of his requirements to make it legal well good on him. However most that ask such questions are ignorant of it or are hell bent on creating an illegal essentially non-insured vehicle and don't care."

[Gipsy]

Thank you hiluxxury and you alone!

So my guess is the rest of us are "know it all plebs" hk's comment re: engineering cost is pertinent here and something I assume he wants to avoid, otherwise he wouldn't have asked us "know it all plebs" and gone straight to a qualified engineer.

[hiluxxury]

I'm no engineer lol but my partner is (with experience in the auto industry) and she laughs/cringes a lot at some of the rangers and cruisers out there.

Us plebs try to gently explain that things like 4in lifts are a waste of time... but ya know... us plebs

[TOYZX]

Who you calling a pleb!!? Lol. So if we aren't engineers then our comments don't count!? A number of us on here work in the 4x4 industry and aren't engineers either but I guess we aren't allowed an opinion cos we know stuff all is that it!? Imagine how silent the internet would especially the forums if only engineers and people worried about the legal side of it all commented and all us so called plebs didn't comment. Everyone has the rite to comment and have their own opinion without the do gooders having a cry about it. It's up to the individual to take any advice given. I guess thats the problem with the world now... too many glass half empty people and it's a shame they have discovered the internet lol. Rant over! To answer another question, it's usually pretty easy to raise a bullbar after a body lift, all depends on the brand.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[DeadlyBeast]

Well done for keeping cool heads
This thread has been monitored
Thanks HK1837 for providing sound advice on legalities and to everyone else for level headed replies and input
Funny how some hit and runners project their issues onto others

[Benno244]

This is my second question ive put on this site, incredible how so worked up people can get over one word i technically wasnt calling any one.

[HK1837]

Don't sweat it mate, it can be very easy when you are not speaking face to face to get and give wrong impressions. If you are serious about a big lift take the advice of those like Taresk and Myralga regarding looking at the Ultimate kit and what it entails before considering a cheaper variant. I went all over the car they had there with a big lift but the work/time involved and the cost to achieve another 40mm or so above the 50mm I had done was just not worth it. The cost of Engineering alone turned me off it.