Leveling install question

I was looking on YouTube to see how to install a leveling kit on my Tacoma and came across this video. Looks to be an easier install than pounding my upper ball joints loose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdyE8VkIqPg

Was wondering if anyone sees any issues installing the spacers going this route instead of removing the upper ball joints?

Thx for any help.

 

Yeah. Itll work. Just mark your alignment tabs and get them as close as possible when you retorque. You will need an alignment afterwords anyways though. A lot of people just pry down the lower control arm downward or use a bottle Jack to get the new extended assembly to fit.

The big issue I see with this video is that it is giving a false assumtion that spacer lifts are a good option to make your vehicle more capable off road. I highly disagree. If you're going to be on a lot of dirt roads and attempting to "catch air" like the truck in this video, please don't get a spacer lift!

 

Won't be going off-road much right now my stock tires are shot and I want something more aggressive looking. Later on if I do start taking it off-road more often I will be getting a real suspension lift. The Houston area is flat no hills at all figured a spacer kit would get me by for now.

I have an appointment Monday to get my truck aligned at the shop.

 

The adjustable Billstein 5100 series shock is a far better way to level...

 

That may be true but this lift kit was free friend went for 35" tires vs 33" tires. At some point I plan re-gearing and going with 35's like my old gen 1 Toyota when I get a better lift kit.

 

Free is good...

 

I've got a free spacer lift too that I want to put on for the time being before I eventually get Billy's. If it wasn't free I probably wouldn't do it. Anyway, this video almost makes it look too easy! The only difference is mine is 2 front spacers and 2 rear AALs. I think those will be fairly simple to put on. I'm worried about messing with the front struts. I think it would probably be easy but I've seen a few videos that reference using spring compressors, which I don't have. If that is the case I think it's more difficult than this looks.

I also don't have access to a lift/shop so I'll be doing this all with a jack. Is it doable to jack up one side at a time and do this?

 

I am going to put my jack stands where the lift he is using in the video is supporting the truck. I will have my floor jack in cause I need to raise the front suspension.

 

Put my lift on yesterday don't do it this route. Much easier doing the ball joint method. Could have saved myself 2 hours haha.

 

How does it look? What was your total install time?

 

Took me 6 hours because I thought I was taking the easy way of installing the front spacers. Spent an extra 2 hours on the front passenger side because of it. Back took longer because the U-bolts that came with the kit were too long. I will post up some pix Tuesday of the truck with the lift and stock tires and the after pix with the 33's. Wheels and tires get put on tomorrow as well as the front-end alignment.

Overall the kit was not that hard to install it just takes patience sadly I do not have a lot of it.

 

What did you do in the rear? I have an AAL I'll need to install.

You sound like me on the patience. I installed wheel spacers last week and it took me almost 4 hours. I feel pretty confident that should've been done in 90 minutes or less

 

Front was a a 3" lift and the rear was a 2" lift. Came with the kit.