Toyota Sienna lift

Any updates on the Sienna Lift Kits? The AWD Sienna seems to have a lot going for it as a adventure vehicle for tamer roads, but gaining an inch or so of ground clearance would make it all the better!!
We have a 2011 Sienna AWD and drove it for 7 years in AK. Biggest challenge was when our street did not get plowed and we had to "push" snow. A little bit of lift would been much appreciated!! :)

Obviously would take the Tundra when it made sense, but making the Sienna more versatile has a lot of pros to it....
 
Thanks Mike. I have seen those, but have not heard any real world feedback as to how they are. Looking for info on Install difficulty, performance issues (if any), etc. Was curious if anyone was running one and what the experience was like.
 

DAWeeksy

New member
I have been over on the Siennachat fourm and stumbled across this one as well. havent seen much over here as far as lifted Siennas. I finished my custom lift just as journeyman came out with his. I would not use custom coil springs for the rear, but instead make some custom AFCO Adjustable brackets for the rear. this will give you the ability to adjust for load after you install to level the van. I dropped the trailing arm 2" and i used lower strut extensions in the front. Currently running Jeep Wheels with +20 Offset and 245 65 17 - Planning on going larger at some point. IMG_20181022_161408.jpgStill a work in progress. I have a few posts over on Siennachat about the process. its very Doable.

DaveIMG_20181022_161408.jpg
 

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chris_the_wrench

Fixer & Builder of Things
Looks pretty rad. How noticeable is the ride height difference and ride quality when cruising the interstate at 75 or making tight turns?

-Chris
 

mep1811

Gentleman Adventurer
I spoke to the guys at Journeys Offroad at Expo West. They had a demo van there. Looked good. They sounded like they knew what they were talking about. I'd give them a call and see what happens.
 

kntr

Observer
Any more info about the Journeyman lift? What is the biggest tire you can run and what is the best offset?
 

nemobuscaptain

New member
I bought the Russian ebay donut spacer kit in 40mm/ front 50 mm back. I will take some measurements and some pics but sadly I did not take a before pic either.

Shipping from Russia took f-o-r-e-v-e-r.... like I thought it might be a scam. but like 4 months later it arrived sort of unexpectedly. (My excuse for the lack of before pics).

As expected, it seems to raise it a noticeable amount but doesnt seem to be putting any strain on the suspension.

We did get a large amount of snow for the lower midwest (10-12) and I drove it on my unplowed drive and minimally plowed dirt road with no issues except some dragging in the front plastic cover under the bumper when I crossed areas where the plow had built up snow (parking lot or end of road).

An unexpected benefit, though foreseeable, is being able to see in traffic better. I'm about as tall as the 4Runners now. And I see over medium sedans better.

Perfect for me so far, because I wont go full bore "offroad" to the extent it alters on-road manners. I may add all terrains, some protection up front, and stiffer shocks in anticipation of a camper arrangement some day. I don't think any larger tires will fit, without significant mods, because of the base of the strut being in the way.

No one seems to notice it's lifted although if I park beside any other minivan it seems taller.

I asked my mechanic what he thought. He runs an Element lifted with similar donuts and some more aggressive modifications. His comment was that he's not concerned at all about the CV angles in this vehicle at this height. he drove it a little bit and said it felt if anything stiffer. I agree. not sure that there's any reliable way to measure this.

I will say that my struts were worn and one of the reasons I added the spacers was because the minibus was dragging on the gravel of my dirt road, and it had not before.

New struts will probably come soon if I figure out if there is any advantage to a different strut which will work a little better with the donuts.
 
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jreddy

Member
Here's my 2018 with the Traxda 2-inch kit and KO2s. I haven't really tested the limits off road, but the road handling has been PHENOMENAL. It tracks perfectly, corners well, no issues at interstate speeds in the left lane. I'm getting 22-23 mpg (actually a hair higher because the tires a slightly bigger than stock). The tire guys flipped out and told me that I'd hate these heavy tires on the road, but they're actually lighter than the OEMs because they aren't run-flats. No spare, but I have a patch kit, a compressor, a couple cans of fix-a-flat, and I'm not planning to do anything too crazy. Maybe at some point I'll get a pakmule cargo carrier to hold a spare and some water for longer off-grid adventures.

1678228098591.png
 

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