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My lift questions...

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by GIJohnnyB, Apr 23, 2014.

  1. Apr 23, 2014 at 7:03 PM
    #1
    GIJohnnyB

    GIJohnnyB [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Johnny
    Colorado Springs, CO
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    08 SR5 Sport 4x4
    I have been through this section of the forums and no matter how many threads I read my lack of knowledge of the acronyms you guys use, as well as the individual set ups because of different uses has kind of left me in the dark.

    So here is what I am looking for...

    I want a 3" lift with a relatively comfortable ride. I don't do much off roading, mainly daily driving, but I would like the truck to hold its own if I do head off on the trails. We like to camp a lot and being in Colorado I would like to start heading deeper into the back country.

    So, what are these AAL's, UCL's, etc that I keep seeing in each thread? Also, if I buy a lift kit, does this automatically level the truck or would I have to also buy a leveling kit?

    Sorry for the newb questions but I am from an import car back round where lowering was the thing to do, so going the opposite direction is a mystery to me.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Apr 23, 2014 at 7:10 PM
    #2
    Konaborne

    Konaborne Pineapples on pizza Hawaiian does not it make.

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    Cody
    Kealakekua, Hawaii
    Vehicle:
    Lifted 00 TRD Off-Road
    fox extended travel remote resivoir coilovers, 14" eibach 600lb coils, All Pro tubular chromoly 1" uniball upper control arms, All Pro expedition leaf packs, 10" bilstein 5150 piggyback reservoir shocks 265/75r16 Goodyear wrangler MT/R kevlars wrapped around 16" Helo 791 gloss black, Mini H1 retrofits with 6000k bulbs, 18" magnaflow w/custom exhaust reroute various decals, Sockmonkey retro hood stripes
    AAL= add-a-leaf, basically a small stiff leaf added into your stock leaf pack to add lift

    UCA's= upper control arms.
    when lifting the front end of the truck above 2", the front alignment of our trucks get thrown off. aftermarket UCA's have added caster built into them to compensate for the lifted suspension geometry

    misalignment can cause vibrations and uneven tire wear, so we recommend getting a set of uca's with 2-3" lifts

    a "leveling" kit is basically 1/2 of a lift. our trucks come with a 1.5-2" "rake" with the bed being higher than the front end; a leveling kit just lifts the front end a bit to "level" the truck.

    as far as your lift, it all depends on how much you want to spend. The higher end stuff will ride the best DD-wise, and perform the best off-road
     
  3. Apr 23, 2014 at 7:13 PM
    #3
    GIJohnnyB

    GIJohnnyB [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Johnny
    Colorado Springs, CO
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    08 SR5 Sport 4x4
    Thanks for info, that helps a ton.

    As far as money goes, I don't want to go super cheap but I also don't want to spend a fortune...I guess I'd like to go on the lower end of the mid-level of cost, if that makes any sense.
     
  4. Apr 23, 2014 at 7:34 PM
    #4
    Mainmoe02

    Mainmoe02 Well-Known Member

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    Moe
    Austin, Texas
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    01 Gold tacoma SR5 TRD
    3" lift EIBACH coils w/ 5100's front, OME/ Dakar leaf springs w/ toytec adjustable shackles at 1.5" and 5125's out back. 33x10.5x15 KM2's Relentless DIY steel bumper.
    Check out the adjustable bilstein 5100's for the front and maybe an add a leaf for the rear.

    If you want the truck to sit level then set the 5100's on the highest setting which will get you about 2.5" of lift on the front. Then to bring the rear up to match the front maybe a 1.5" or 2" add a leaf will get you level. This will cost roughly $300 and it's better than blocks and spacers in my opinion.

    The next level up would be getting lift coils like eibachs or Old Man Emu (OME) for the front and then new leaf springs for the rear like OME dakars or allpro expo leafs. These are just some of the brands out there to choose from.
     
  5. Apr 25, 2014 at 4:56 AM
    #5
    GIJohnnyB

    GIJohnnyB [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Johnny
    Colorado Springs, CO
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    08 SR5 Sport 4x4
    So, if I am understanding this correctly, I can simply throw in the adjustable shocks and get the lift? This might work out well for me considering I have a finance Nazi of a wife and this way I can kind of split up the purchase...buy the shocks for the front, get level and then when I can squeeze the cash out of her for the tires to fill the gap, I can buy the rear components and adjust the front again to lift it up to the 3" I would like.

    The only concern I have with this is if I have the shocks maxed out up front with stock coils...will this effect the life of the shocks? or the quality of the ride?
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2014
  6. Apr 26, 2014 at 5:04 PM
    #6
    Mainmoe02

    Mainmoe02 Well-Known Member

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    Moe
    Austin, Texas
    Vehicle:
    01 Gold tacoma SR5 TRD
    3" lift EIBACH coils w/ 5100's front, OME/ Dakar leaf springs w/ toytec adjustable shackles at 1.5" and 5125's out back. 33x10.5x15 KM2's Relentless DIY steel bumper.

    Yes if you want to "level" the truck first then all you need is the adjustable billy 5100's. What you do is set the moveable C clip on the 2nd or 3rd setting (depending how high you want the front). Moving the C clip compresses the coil which gives you the lift. The approximate lift heights are pretty accurate.

    As for the effects this has... If you adjust the C clip all the way up to the top setting, then yes it will give a bit of a stiffer ride. Also if you don't add lift to the rear then your gonna be sitting nose high giving you the "Bro Lean". Moving the C clip to the .85" or 1.75" setting wont be as stiff but a tad stiffer than stock. Also if you don't want the bro lean then measure the difference between front and rear heights. The difference will give you an idea of what you need to set the C clip on the bilsteins at.
     
  7. Apr 27, 2014 at 7:12 AM
    #7
    GIJohnnyB

    GIJohnnyB [OP] Well-Known Member

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    08 SR5 Sport 4x4
    I am not a fan of the "bro lean" so I will break out the measuring tape when the time comes. Thanks for the help.
     

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