desert/sand lift?

Im going to buy a suspension lift pretty soon for my 2wd 04 tacoma regular cab and I mainly just want to do the sand and desert stuff.
I want to try to keep the price as low as possible, but I know these things dont come cheap. Also if some one could suggest a tire that would be awesome!

Any suggestions?

P.S. Im obviously new to the off-roading world so I might ask a stupid question.


Thanks in advance guys!

 

Cheapest lift youll wanna buy is probably some Bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks. They can raise your front by up to 2.5 inches. The rear will need an AAL. Thats the cheapest but certainly not the most comfortbale/quality.

 

i dissagree i have that and its great!.... a lot better than stock

 

lol. Well I guess comfortable is subjective. I have them as well, set to 2.5 and the preloaded spring makes my ride a lot stiffer than stock. I, personally, can deal with the stiffness and really dont mind it but know many that do. REalistically speaking tho, our shocks are nothing compared to the comfort of a LT truck when hitting the whoops. But then again, thats wat $3,000 buys you

 

When you say your Bili 5100 is not most comfortable quality, are you referring to while off-roading or do you notice this while driving on-road as well? How would you compare the on-road comfort of your set up to the way it drove on-road stock? I keep getting mixed signals on here. Thanks.

 

You will notice the difference both off and on-road. Some people can deal with it while others cant, but bottom line is it is indeed stiffer. Use your search feature and type in "5100 harsh ride" and you will see many cases in which people report it. I went through the same dilemma in trying to figure whether I wanted the setup and ultimately the only thing you can do is ride with someone nearby who has that setup and see how you like it. I think ride quality has a subjective side to it.

 

I have a 800 dollar spending limit and want atleast three inches in my lift...I probably should have included that in the original post. But you all are right the reviews on them said 5100's aren't comfortable at all. Anymore suggestions guys.?

 

You can go with OME then is your other option.

 

I was talking with one of the moderators on here and he was explaining to me that whenever you preload the springs on a lift to gain height, youll always get a stiffer ride. It seems like this is what many lifts do. If I were you I would just chill and enjoy your stock ride and save up for some extended coilovers with some spindles or a LT kit. I went the cheap route and spent $300 on my lift and Im happy with it thus far. It keeps my ride looking good and performs decently. Im now saving up for a long travel kit or some ICON coilovers and in retrospect, I dont think spending the $300 on my temporary lift was too bad. Youll come to learn that if you want to offroad right, and "right" meaning the appropriate equipment, it costs a pretty penny. Even after you purchase some coilovers youll shell out money as the shocks have to be rebuilt every few years. Search the forums and gather some info and good luck.

 

I know that that would be the best idea but I'm in kind of a now or never type situation with my truck so I figure I'll get something have fun with it for now and whenever I have alot of extra money I can do it the right way.

I have heard alot about the ome kit they sell on toytec would that be the best for the price and my application.

Once again thanks guys for all the input.

 

The bottom line is, for $800 the closest thing to comfortable that you will get IS the 5100s. A spacer lift, which is the only alternative in your price range, is much harsher of a ride. I have had one myself at one point and I can safely say the ride was absolutely terrible. The 5100s at 2.5 are a much better over all ride.

If you are set on going 3 inches, Old Man Emu (OME) would probably be your best bet for getting near your price range. You can take a look at wheelersoffroad.com or toyteclifts.com and get an idea of how much the front susp. will run you. When you go over 2.5 you WILL need a set of aftermarket UCAs to get your alignment back into spec. If you fail to do this, your truck will wander when driving down the highway and your tires will wear poorly.

 

Im out of town with a friend right now so I'll check when I get back.

 

Didn't even notice he has a 4cyl.

 

Which spacer lift did you have that was a harsh ride? I have heard those with the Readylift liking it whereas I have heard those with Revtek complaining about it.

 

I'm not sure who the question is directed at, although I personally had a RevTek kit at one time. The ride was awful. A readylift kit will be a somewhat softer ride BUT is terrible for the suspension components. It all has to do with how the geometry of the front end works and how the readylift is stacked on top of the OEM strut assembly and the RevTek simply increases your spring rate, not extending your strut assembly. The readylift will result in stressed lower and upper ball joints and possible failure, which can be extremely dangerous if it occurs while going down the highway.

The reason why the RevTek kit has such a harsh ride is because the spring rate is increased to a point at which the OEM shocks can not handle the spring rate. The required rebound and dampening control is just not there.

 

Sadly I have a five lug. So what are my options now?

 

oh well yeah for sure


x2

 

full long travel...

not gonna happen on $800

 

Engage does make a kit for 5-lug first gens right? If not, Im sure total chaos does. With Engage, you can drop for the control arms, but still use your stock shocks because they give you stock shock mounting locations until you save up for good shocks.

 

so if i got long travel with engage, i can keep my icons?