Comprehensive 5-lug 2nd gen lowering info.

By both I mean both struts left side and right side

 

FYI... I just ordered the Bilsteins yesterday. The best price I could find was CamelBack Toyota. Here's what I paid (front struts are the $59.94 prices):

48520-A9310 SHOCK LEFT $59.54
48540-A9200 SHOCK ABSORBER $35.42
48510-A9640 SHOCK ABSORBER $59.54
48530-A9330 SHOCK ABSORBER $35.42

 

Thanks that's what I needed to know and those are best prices I've seen

 

Camelback in phoenix? That sounds about right for employee cost on them. That's what my girl got them for at Right Toyota just north of camelback

And yeah you want both sides

 

I was about to order those x runner bilsteins but when I type in the part numbers 2 results come up one says shock another shock absorber does it matter which one i select I was thinking the one with the diagram that has the box aroundthestrut

 

Please don't mind my stupid questions. I've never modified any of my previous cars let alone lowering a taco.

I have a stock 2005 Tacoma (4 cylinder, automatic) and wanted to lower it no more than 3 inches.
So on to the questions:

1.) If I read and understood the guide correctly, all I need to do is buy the DJM kit and that will lower my stock height 3 inches?
2.) The stock ride of my Taco is pretty rough. Will buying the XR Bilstein struts smooth out the ride with the DJM?
3.) DJM + coils + Struts = how much of a drop?
4.) Do you recommend any other type of struts for a smoother ride besides the Bilstein?

As you can see, I know nothing about any of this. I’ve googled and been to other taco forums, but most of the stuff out there is about raising the truck. Also I will be taking my taco to a shop to get everything installed and lowered.

5.) If you could estimate, how much do you think labor will cost?
6.) If you had to make a list of things to buy to take to the shop so they can lower it 3 inches what would be in it?

Thanks,

The Noob

 

DJM offers several kits. If you want to make the job of lowering your truck as easy as possible with a stock ride, get the DJM2816-3 kit with 3" blocks. That would give you a 3"/3" drop and save you the cost and hassle of having to 'transplant' the ball joints.

I'm assuming the Bilsteins are stiffer than the stock shocks and struts. I have the Bilsteins on order right now, so I sure hope they are a little stiffer or I'll be a bit miffed

I don't think there is anything you'll be able to do to make a stock pick-up ride nicer than it did stock with 15" wheels... short of perhaps a 4-link suspension with coil-overs (but that's just crazy talk.) DJM's lowering kit shouldn't do anything to make the ride worse, but it won't make it better either.

Assuming you mean drop coils, the drop would probably more than a noob should take on as you're going to have all sorts of issues. (BTW, struts don't lower your vehicle.) If you think your ride is rough right now, try adding drop coils to a DJM-lowered truck...

I don't think there are any??? There are QA-1 shocks for the back, but we're very limited as to what we can use for struts on our trucks. What's crazy is that the OEM struts actually cost about $20 more than the Bilsteins. Go figure.

My suggestion would be to find a mechanic who can do the work before you take-on this adventure and start ordering parts. Here's a step-by-step installation of the DJM kit that you might be able to show the mechanic so he can give you an estimate. Here is Wisconsin, labor rates seem to be somewhere between $50-$80 an hour. Assume a worst-case scenario of 8 hours at $80/hour, that's $640 labor.

Note that the DJM kit requires that you put a notch in your trucks frame to give the rear axle room. Unfortunately, with our trucks, anything beyond a 2" drop will need a notch. I personally don't like the bolt-in notch reinforcement plate that comes with the DJM kit... it takes away too much metal and doesn't reinforce the frame enough for my tastes. I'm in the process of trying to find a shop that will put a custom weld-in notch in my truck and it hasn't been easy. Since your in LA, perhaps you can contact Brian of StreeTacos.com and see what he charges to do a weld-in notch. Pretty much every weld-in notch you see on this forum was done by him.

The DJM front kit with ball joints, 3 inch lowering blocks from Brian, and have Brian weld-in a notch. (I wish I lived about 1,500 miles closer to Brian so he could notch my truck. )

 

Djm 3/3 will get you where your want to be, you csn get by without a notch and low pro bumps with a 3/3 drop.

As for ride quality, lol you think that ride is rough? Its so plush, you will want qa1s in the rear, 18way adjustable. Tgey are described on the first page. The bilsteins will travel through the stroke more smoothly so they are a necessity. Base 5lug coils are a .5" higher then xrunner 5lugs. So its up to you If you want to stiffen the front up. The qa1s for the rear are a necessity as well.

As for price, most side shops that will do this will probably charge 80-110hr. Front will be 6-8hrs in labor and rear will be an additional 2hours. It will be an additional 3 hours to do a notch.

I welded in a notch kit using beef's weld in kit. Either way you will want to go lower then 3 once its done and said with.

 

I'd say just go with DJM UCA and LCA and if you want a better ride upgrading the front struts would be a good choice

Haha combining drop coils and DJM will be very low that's what I'm running

I've ran 2 inch blocks out back not problem I would say get the DJM 3/3 kit and upgrade the rear shocks to either Qa1s or stiffer drop shocks it will give a better ride as well as keep you from bottoming out

Honestly 3 inch drop out back via 3 inch blocks and stiffer shocks and running low profile bumpstops you shouldnt need a notch anything more definitely you will need to notch

Hope this helps

 

Thanks guys. I am getting to understand it all now. Two more question after reading all your comments.

1.) You all mentioned to get http://djmsuspension.com/products/djm2816/ for an "EZ" 3/3 drop. On the DJM website it says 3" front drop and 4" rear drop. Wouldn't that make it 3/4? I don't want to notch.

2) Speaking of notch, I see some of you guys say conflicting things about the notch. Hot Taco mentions you need one with a 3" drop. The others say I'll be fine as long as I don't go lower then 3". So which one is it?

Thanks again guys. I am learning a lot.

 

Djm offers their kit with either 3 inch blocks which is 3/3 or 4 inch blocks which is 3/4
If u get the 3/4 u will need to notch cuz IOU will bottom out all the time

With 3/3 kit all u need is low profile bumpstops and stiffer rear shocks and you should be fine you'll have about 2-2.5 inches from the bumpstops which u shouldn't hit unless u carry a lot of load and hit a big bump

I recommend buying the djm kit with ball joints already installed saves time and whole lot of stress it's about $90 more but trust me well worth it installing was a breeze!!

 

What we are saying since we are slammed. I believe Ry also states in the beginig of this thread that 3" is ok with no notch. If u beef the rear shocks you should be ok w/ no notch.

As for the balls I went with doing my own with the greasable balljoints so I could send my arms out to get recoated since djms is subsub par (the subsub is intentional). And I had to grind down welds to ensure my balljoints seated properly

 

I run 3" blocks in the back and QA1 shocks with no notch and everything is ok.

 

you will not need a notch with 3 inch blocks and low pro bumpstops

 

Brah that's why I didn't wanna put in my own ball joints I was afraid of that

Wheni ordered em with it installed it came with Moog balljoints all around which are greaseable and came with grease already inside I suggest it to anyone who doesn't know any shops near em

 

Only problem with that is you can't get the arms chem dipped and recoated with ballz installed. I'm more afraid of rusting over chasing down shops that will install balljoints.

 

Yeah agreed!!! After seeing some guys with djm installed for a year the DJm powder coat just goes to shit!!

I might go under the truck and spray undercoating or sand it down a lil and give it couple layers of black lacquer I wish I did it before installing but too late

 

Only cost me 125 for atextured coat with warranty

 

FYI... I just got my DJM front arms back from the powder coaters and from having the ball joints pressed in. Rather than repeating the post here, you can find the details and costs of my project over on the XR-Underground.

As for needing a notch for the rear with a 3" drop... where you live probably plays a big role in whether or not you'll need the notch. Two inches of travel (or less) and ultra hard shocks won't cut it here in Wisconsin. In the South where roads never get ruined by frost heaves, perhaps minimal suspension is good enough. I have to put sand bags in my truck in the winter, and I can only imagine how awful the ride would be with the QA-1's being the only thing keeping my truck from bottoming-out. When it's zero degrees outside, everything on one's vehicle gets rock hard to begin with, there's no way I'd want to be running rock hard shocks, too. My Gen 1 Taco had 4" rear blocks and no notch, and that worked fine most of the time. However, in late Winter and Spring, driving anywhere was brutal... even with my 15" steelies on

 

Hes in LA, he'll be good without notch.