What you need to know about lifting a 2016 Tacoma - Presented by Toytec Lifts

All I can speak on is Icon, and I have had years of reliable performance from my set up. (ran it for roughly 60k miles on my 2012). But I have also heard great things regarding the BOSS and Fox set ups as well. I've got some fox suspension on one of my mountain bikes, and they definitely make a great product. I guess what it really comes down to is preference. What I can say is that my Icon stage 5 set up on my 16 is great. Rides extremely well on rode, and equally well off road. Downfall for that kit however is the price tag. Not cheap but given that I now have roughly 70k miles on it without any issues, I'd say that it was worth the investment.

 

Hey Jerry, followup question for you: What is your assessment for how the Icon's digressive profile handles sharper hits like highway expansion joints, reflector pucks on highways, or potholes? Is it jarring compared to stock & does it rattle you? Or is it soaked up? I am curious if the potential downside of digressive (firm fast) is noticeable.

Edit: I would be curious if you have impressions at moderate speeds on dirt/backroads also. Still trying to understand this progressive vs digressive choice...

 

Soaks up that stuff with ease. I was just out in the Los Angeles area where the amount of expansion joints on the freeway was mind numbing, and the truck rode very smooth. Could you feel a slight bump? sure, but nothing jarring at all. Same with potholes and the like. Trying to think of something I've hit that has rattled me in the truck, but it honestly rides really well. I need to get @OuTkAsT to take my truck for a spin so that he can back that up.

 

I think you just need to come back out to Northern Nevada!

 

Ha ha, yup. I may be driving up there in July.. I mean I'll be heading up there regardless, just haven't decided if I am going to drive or not.

 

Well I'm sure you already know my vote!

 

In town I get about 14.5 on the highway with a tail wind I can get 17.4. TRD off road 285/75/17 BFG ko2

 

Great to hear, just take a left and swing on up to Seattle when you're done.

The smoothness is great to hear. In one of your earlier posts it sounded like it was rougher on your 2015, so I was a bit concerned about on-road highway performance. Riding with load E tires on stock suspension is a Terrible Experience, and I'm hoping to get trail performance improvement but also a much smoother on-road ride, especially with our awful highway conditions up in the PNW.

 

Yeah, the Icon suspension was definitely more rough on my 12 than it is on the 16. Keep in mind, that I do have the remote resi, extended travel co's with the cdcv and for day to day driving keep the cdcv on the softest setting.

Having said that, in the 11k miles I've had this truck, i've been on various different surfaces and have not once complained about the ride quality.

 

Jerry,

I appreciate your insight above. As I am aware that you have had good luck with Icon. For an individual like your self, do you know anything about the Stage 1 versus Stage 2 for Icon? Any preference? That's my price point as I really do not need anything further as far as hard core as that.

Also, what are you estimating as far as height gained with the icon kit?

 

I back that up! Washington here!

 

Also, is it possible to upgrade suspension without the lift? e.g., can I run a stage 5 ICON kit and leave at roughly stock height? Don't necessarily want to go big (yet), but definitely want improvement of the suspension upgrade.

 

I am looking at a 2"-3" lift using bilstien 5100 shocks in front and back and a 2" AAL in the back. The shop I got a price from recommended doing a shafts drop in the middle of the back shaft, a clamshell bushing install front diff drop also. Is this all needed to be done?

 

Stage 1 is the front coilovers and rear 2.0 shocks. In the stage 2 you get the rear shocks with resis and a progressive aal in the rear.

 

Sent you a pm.

 

Are these good kits? So stage 2.

 

how much lift do you have?

 

Yeah to make sure everything in spec for an alignment you will also want to make sure to upgrade your UCA's. I'm personally thinking of running the extended travel coilovers(which you'll need aftermaket UCA's) with 700lb coils for a plate bumper, light racing UCA's, a wheelers 3 leaf progressive aall and then I can't decide to get the rear shocks with or without the resis. Icon makes a really nice product and it will be a huge improvement over stock. You'll need some type of aal or a new leaf pack to lift the rear of the truck or you'll have bro lean.

 

Are 700 lb coils an upgrade from ICON outside of the stage kits? Are you doing steel bumper?

 

Yeah if you order through a place like wheelers offroad they'll add the 700lb coils for $100 more I think. I'm not sure yet between going aluminum or steel. Probably aluminum but that and the winch and my full set of skids and then my sliders once they're ready are going to add a fair amount of weight up front.