New to the Forum -- Lift advice?

I have owned my 05 Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 since 2007, and have thrown 80K miles on it. The only thing I have changed is throwing a set of BFG TA/AT 265/75/R17 on it about 50,000 miles ago. It has spent plenty of time in the dirt (multiple trips to Anzo Borrego Springs, CA) and have always been impressed with this truck.

It's about time for a new set of tires, the shocks are sloppy and show evidence of oil leaking, and my rear leaf springs have flattened out. Since I need to replace the suspension components and tires, it looks like a good time to throw a lift on the truck.

I wanted to throw a feeler out there and see what y'all have to say. I am looking for a 4" to 6" suspension lift. I am looking for a solid balance in looks, ride quality (primary vehicle), little to no decrease in hauling / towing capacity, and off-road performance.

If anyone has any advice to throw in on the subject, I am interested to hear what you have to say.

Thanks!!

 

Welcome to the forum!

Do some digging around in the "Suspension and Lifts" section. There are a lot of opinions on what is the best lift out there. A big question is how much do you want to spend?

 

I am looking in the neighborhood between $3-4k for everything. I want something quality, but no reason to go overboard. The Tacoma is very capable off road as is for what I use it for. I just want to make sure I am getting something that isn't going to cause continual problems.

After looking around a bit, 3" of lift is all I am really going to go for.

 

Wow for $3-4K you can get a nice Icon mid travel setup if you do the work yourself. Or you can go for a OME kit and still have money left over for wheels and tires.

 

Does that price include tires & are you installing yourself ?

 

I heart spacers.

 

The best overall for looks and performance would be sticking with a 3" lift. And with your budget you could go with some nice stuff. At 6" you're really only going for looks as it would have to be a drop bracket and you're gonna lose some ground clearance up front.

 

For your stated purpose, and the money you've got to spend, you could go with old man emu setup with the Dakar leafs, light racing upper control arms, wheels, tires, installation, and still have a little money left over.

Old Man Emu setup isn't for everyone, but it sounds right for how you say you use your truck.

 

I say 3" lift. To get the same amount of clearance with a more "usable" lift. A mid travel setup is great. Icon, king, walker Evans, blah blah.... Now for looks a 6" looks great but very high and less "usable" than a 3". The drop bracket gets in the way and is more than likely has a spacer involved. I have about 1600 in my lift and am very happy with ride and performance!