Long travel kits for a beginner

Hey guys,

I am about to pull the trigger on the All Pro +2 LT kit and had a few questions.

I read the thread (http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lo...-considering-long-travel-read-here-first.html) which says LT kits are a PITA, everything breaks, and you have to be good with cars to do the upkeep. I am a beginner to cars and trucks, and am worried I won't have the skills necessary to fix it and know what is wrong if something breaks.

I will be using the LT kit for its functionality, mostly daily driving and offroading. Nothing wild like jumping, etc. Do you think it will still give me problems if I use it like this?

 

no expert in lt kits, but you are essentially changing one of the most, if not THE most important aspect in regard to your trucks driveabillity.

lots of people do it, but imo, once done, your truck is not as much of a truck anymore. more of a race-car, looks awesome, performs awesome, but is not at all the factory taco you bought.

what im getting at is, Toyota had the r+d to try and give you the most versatile system possible, and it works. your lt kit supplier likely hammered the piss out of it in some whoop sections and said its good as long as this and that and the other thing are checked and maintained.

Toyota made the system so that it impresses average joe driving through gravel, impresses grandma as she crosses over rr tracks, and keeps the truck from rolling over when your wife decides that emergency braking is not complete without cranking the wheel full right. all this while ideally lasting the lifetime of the truck

I dunno, im babbling, your getting stronger than stock, but YOU have to keep it that way, and if you go through the hassle of install, then you will know which components to watch, lubricate, etc. have faith in yourself, and go for it!

 

Thanks for your input! I'm trying to get as much information as I can before pulling the trigger on a lift

 

What lifts do you think doesn't jack up the truck?

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/long-travel-suspension/180457-considering-long-travel-read-here-first.html

 

My truck is 100% daily driver, grocery getter, and my weekend toy. I have Total Chaos' 3.5+ kit, and I use it for dual purposes (desert running and rock trails). Other than greasing the zerks on each joint once or twice and recharging the nitrogen in my shocks, I've never had to do any other form of maintenence you wouldn't have to do on a bone stock Tacoma.

I think it's way too exaggerated when people say you lose the driveablility. The only thing that changed for me was my steering doesn't come back to center as fast, and that's only because I'm running big heavy 35's.

Hell, even mid travel I had to check my nitrogen and grease the UCA zerks...it's all the same. All in all, going LT was the best decision I made on my truck, and going with Total Chaos Fabrication was the best choice for me. After seeing the kind of engineering they put into their products, and how they're proven, I was sold.

Watch this video we made on their company, and you'll see they didn't "just weld some shit together and hammer the whoops."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvRgFzoQyIE

 

if you're going to do "nothing wild" why are you looking at LT?

 

Thanks for your input Traveler! The LT kit has given you no problems? Do you jump your truck etc?

I want a truck that can take me anywhere..whether that be on the beach, up some rocks, through the trails or up the mountains. From what I read I figured LT kits would be the best. Do you have any suggestions on what would give me that capability if not LT?

Also, just to confirm, long, mid, and extended travel kits are different from coilovers such as King, Fox, Icon, Bilsteins right? The coilovers seem to not have much travel, thats why I was looking at LT. Any help would be AWESOME!

 

Solid axle conversion! !

 

I am on an OME (old man emu) lift and I still go everywhere. Driver experience and locked front and rear helps tremendously.

 

I beat my truck pretty good, jumps, desert roads, sand, rocks, I put it up against everything. Been a year, so far no problems at all. Been extremely happy with it!

Coilovers will give you a few inches of extra travel if you get the ones with extended travel shock shafts. But that, in combination with an upper control arm, make up the front components of a mid travel kit.

 

Can I get some pics of your truck?

How much did your whole setup cost you after install?

 

Do LT's move the front wheel center forward?

 

$3205 for the kit, $1400 for coilovers, $605 for axles, and I did the install myself.

That is all caster angle. Mine is rather center for my 35's.

 

You DO not need lt for an all around bomber, the bigger track width can kinda screw you on sum 4wd trails, truck is big enough as it is, plus the amount of money u spend on an lt front end can give you a pretty solid front and rear mid travel setup that will perform very well. And you should consider the additional stuff u should be doing that goes with a lt kit like spindle, cam, and tower gussets, minimum, if u really womp on it, engine mounts, engine cage...the list is endless really. And if your just gunna buy a lt kit and think your set your wrong. It's your money and do whatever u want, but you really should look at the whole picture.

 

I have a solid mid travel setup and all my shit is gusseted, helps if you know how to weld
My truck will go just about anywhere and it hauls ass off-road to where ur butthole puckers, next is a crawl box and it'll climb a wall. The amount of cash u spend on long travel for a grocery getter is kinda silly. And a long travel front with a standard rear end is retarded unless you like bucking broncos, if you want to jump your truck learn to weld and build the proper rig cause half assing shit is stupid

 

Just thought I'd chime in here at the end of the day it's your truck and you do what you want with it, but all I've done is add sliders and tires and remove sway bars from my truck and it's done everything I've asked of it on and off the road, and I'm talking some of the best trails around locally to the daily to and from work, will I be upgrading absolutely but that's only because I've reached the limits of stock suspension, and even then I've decided to go with a nitro charger shock and spring combo vs a coil over or lt, but that's because I believe lt is more suited for high speed desert running vs the slow crawl terrain that bc has to offer, there are lots of examples of setups from various builds in suggest you read up and learn from others, I know I have learned greatly from reading but even more from getting out on the trails to the point where for me locking is more important than lifting

Good luck

 

the thing i can't stand about LT is that the front tires stick out wider than the rears. i just think it looks goofy.

 

I ran the AP LT kit on my '08 Tacoma. It is a great kit that didn't require a whole lot of maintenance, but that can vary depending on climate. For me, the main benefit was being able to run 35s for a noticeable change in ground clearance, as well as the tires having more contact with the ground due to the increased travel, giving better traction. Of course ride quality is improved as well and a front locker definitely helps too, but most important is driving ability and having a good spotter on tough trails... just my 2 cents.

 

What is gussetted? I saw your truck.. wouldn't 12" coilovers be considered long travel?