Ryan, thanks for confirming what I thought was the concern about spacers. In my opinion though, based on experience with 7 XJs and ZJs now, concern over the springs coming loose is unfounded for a budget lift ON THE FRONT. If you flex out a stock XJ or ZJ and then try to move a stock spring in a stock suspension (even with the shock removed), you'll find that the stock spring is still under a bit of compression. As I'm sure everyone knows, the LCAs are what limit droop. If you add a spacer, that effectively shortens the space available for the spring - you sometimes need a spring compressor to install them with the spacers, although they came out by hand! The spring actually ends up more secure when flexed than without the spacer! This is even true with swaybar discos, because it's the LCAs that limit droop.
Now, with the bent Rancho LCAs, or the offset RE LCAs etc., maybe there's enough droop to let the spring come loose. But for a budget lift, even with discos, you can wheel the snot out of the stock LCAs and the spring will never come loose, even when fully flexed out.
Don't do this in the rear though!! The bumpstop post is plenty long in the front, but no way in the rear! Besides, springs for the rear are cheaper than the spacers!
Would I prefer a long arm setup with all the bells and whistles? Yes!! Who wouldn't! But you can still safely "Wow!" the heck out of your Toyota (IFS) friends with a BB lift and a disconnected swaybar, as I've done with the same spacers for 15 years over 300,000kms in two trucks of my own.
As an aside, I noticed a post about 31s rubbing. Maybe some 31s are different, but my 31"s don't rub anywhere except deep up inside the wheelwells, and then only with the swaybar discoed. I've just lengthened my bumpstops to prevent that much compression (they're now 1" longer than stock). But nowhere do the tires hit the body. It's not the lift that determines contact or not, it's how much bumpstop you've got. 2", 3", 4" doesn't matter if you can still stuff the tire in enough to hit! Lengthen the bumpstop to suit (like the factory did with the UpCountry suspension), regardless of how you lift it.
Unfortunately, none of us have actually answered the OPs question that well. Are there any springs from other vehicles that will lift the front 3" without compromising safety or ride quality? I haven't found any yet.
(I'll get off my soapbox now!!)
>
Front to Rear spring swap, what to use for fronts?
