Sienna Update #2

3.5" Lift kit installed

Our Sienna AWD has taken us down plenty of gravel tracks, forest roads and rutted campsite entrances, and every time the front lip and the exhaust came a little too close to the ground. So before the next season it got a 3.5" lift kit from Journeys Offroad: spacers on top of the front struts, spacers and drop brackets at the rear, and the extra parts that keep the driveline and exhaust in line.

How much higher?

We measured the same points with a tape, on the same gravel driveway, before the car went to the workshop and after it came back. The numbers are read from the photos, so give or take a few millimetres.

Front wheel arch before and after the lift, about 70 mm higher — Front wheel arch: about 70 mm more

Rear wheel arch before and after the lift, about 95 mm higher — Rear wheel arch: about 95 mm more

Rocker panel at the front wheel before and after, about 65 mm higher — Rocker panel at the front wheel: about 65 mm more

Rocker panel at the rear wheel before and after, about 80 mm higher — Rocker panel at the rear wheel: about 80 mm more

Four days in the workshop

The car spent four days at TenCAR in Elizówka. There was more to do than just bolting in the kit: the whole exhaust had to come off to make room at the rear, and while everything was apart we also had the brake discs skimmed and replaced the pads and the caliper slide pins.

Exhaust off the car and the new rear shocks — Exhaust on the floor and the new rear shocks going in

Front struts and the front subframe on the lift — Front struts and the front subframe

Rear spacers, drop brackets, differential mount spacer and driveshaft support — Rear spacers, drop brackets, the differential mount spacer and the driveshaft support

We have been taking our cars to TenCAR for years and can recommend them without hesitation.

Wheel alignment

A lift always changes the suspension geometry, so the last step was a full alignment. The printouts show the before and after: at first the front camber and toe were well out of tolerance, and after the adjustment the toe is back where it should be.

Alignment printouts before and after adjustment — Alignment report: initial and final measurements

How it drives

Honestly, we can hardly feel any difference. It does not drive worse than before, it is not floaty or nervous on the road, and yet the ground clearance has gone up dramatically. Exactly what we wanted for the gravel roads ahead.

The Sienna AWD after the lift — Back home, ready for the next trip

Next step: wheels and tyres. With the extra height the stock rims and road tyres look a bit lost in the arches, so a set of chunkier all-terrain tyres is next on the list.