The ToyTec BOSS Lift Thread

275 or 285 mostly

 

Has anyone considered a 255/80/17 with the boss lift? Tire is very intriguing.

 

Nice setup. That is what I am looking at also. How is the ride with the Boss 2.5. What did you do in the back?

 

For what's it's worth I got the Boss 2.0 with their AAL and think the ride is fantastic!

 

What's your opinion on Fox vs. Icon? I have 5100s set at 1.5 on stock coils right now. I installed the BOSS kit on my 2006 4Runner and I really did like it, it ran super smooth on the access roads I travel. I can't run those roads nearly as fast now with my current setup and I'm looking for something that will really suck up the bumps and not rattle the truck all over the place. I'm not prerunning it or anything, I just need it to be able to take potholes at 40mph with E load K02s...

Thanks in advance

 

I heard adding a toytech lift makes your tacoma into a boss bitch

 

Ride is just fine, not harsh at all, soaks up bumps with ease. I used wheelers 8 leaf progressive pack in the rear. One thing I did add since the original install was 1/2' spacer on drivers side front to compensate for the Taco lean. yeah you could just crank on the preload adjustment to do that but that make the ride harsher. the spacer solved that issue easily. the rear springs were side specific to eliminate the lean in the rear.

 

How did you get this for $500? Was it a good find or what? Why is it that the complete kits I find with the Total Chaos UCA's are over $1800?

 

He paid $500 for the installation

 

Ok, that makes more sense. The post he replied to asked how much he paid to install and for the kit, which led to my confusion. So to confirm, to have a shop install, the total cost would likely be upwards of $2300-$2400?

 

Pretty much, yeah. Honestly, have you done any research on how to install? It's really straight forward and even a novice mechanic can install a full kit in a day. I'd look into that, save a good amount of money and learn a ton about your truck! Just my .02

 

I appreciate your .02. I would like to do the work myself, but I just worry about getting into something I can't handle. That mostly comes from owning a 3rd Gen 4Runner prior to this and having to have a shop do all of the work because of all the rust issues underneath. I know that problem wouldn't exist on a new vehicle, though, so I guess it's just a fear from the bad experience from the car cancer.

I'll do more research on the installation, though. I do have access to a large air compressor and with my limited knowledge it seems like that paired with an air impact driver would be the major tools needed??? Anything else that comes to mind that I might overlook?

 

I'm glad you didn't take what I said offensively like folks on here often do. It's a really awesome way to get to know your truck and form your own sense of accomplishment, but I definitely understand where the fear of wrenching on your $40k brand new truck comes from.

Sounds like you've got a head start over most already! Couple a floor jack, some sturdy 2 ton + jack stands, a torque wrench and solid set of sockets and you're set, minus the space to do it (a garage would work fine). I would recommend checking out some threads on here for install instructions. It may seem complicated, but once you get into it, it's pretty straight forward!

 

All of the instructions I've found online don't include the 2016 models. Are the instructions the same as the 05-15's? I can't seem to find a thread on here for the 3rd gens or anywhere else online.

 

Same process as the 2015's. I don't believe they actually changed anything between the two body styles, minus the additional height from the OEM coil over assemblies. Basically, unbolt the front sway bar, unbolt the knuckle, unbolt the coil over (top 3 nuts, bottom bolt), remove and replace with new coil over, bolt back together in reverse.

The rear depends on what setup you go with (Add-a-leaf vs. New leaf pack vs. Lift blocks (highly un-recommended) )

 

I would probably go with the AAL's. Seems like that's what most people go with and recommend. Can you explain the difference between the rear shocks that are included and the reservoir 2.0's? Is the installation for the reservoir's extensively more work and are they really that much better? 90% of my "off-road" driving will be dirt roads (some unimproved), so if they aren't a noticeable difference in ride quality, I would assume it would just be extra money to spend.

 

You're not going to notice a difference in ride quality with the remote rear res. shocks off the bat since there's no change in the dampening effect. That being said, remote reservoirs are intended to hold additional shock fluid, cycling it through the aluminum reservoir that acts as a cooling effect, which will allow the shocks to work a little hwrder, for longer, without losing much of their dampening efficiency.

I know that was a long winded explanation, so the gist is this- generally, unless you're hitting the washboard roads for extended periods of time or doing some type of driving that would exercise the shocks extensively, you're not going to notice them if they weren't there.

They're a great upgrade if you have the extra coin or plan to upgrade later, but there are also better options for the money, IMO. For what I plan to do with my truck, they work great and perform as expected.

For the rear, an AAL works just fine. You gain some rigidity in your rear end (no pun intended), lift, suspension travel, etc., without having to do much. Install is also straight forward. I'd recommend picking up some medium to large sized C-clamps to make the install easier (clamping your leaf packs together makes it a ton easier to align your leafs and bolt the pack togwther).

 

Thank you for all of the info. I know there has to be others in my position that would just like more information, but feel afraid to ask because somebody would complain that they could have found their answer by searching. AFAIK there isn't much detailed info about the BOSS kit itself, so let's keep this going lol. (it is the ToyTec BOSS Lift Thread)

What are the benefits/ need of replacing the UCA's with aftermarket ones? I see that people recommend it, but I'm unsure why?

Also, doesn't the complete BOSS kit include new rear shocks as well? It looks like you're saying that the AAL option will only include the extra leaf spring and you don't have to change anything else with the rear suspension.

EDIT: I see that the aftermarket UCA's will help with the alignment/caster of the wheel and can help with tire wear and a smoother ride. BUT, do I really need to spend the $660 on the Total Chaos? The other option isn't much cheaper at $485. Is that price justified for what I would need?

 

Haha yeah man! I'll admit that all of my 'knowledge' comes from experience and that I've been working on my own vehicles since High School. From that I've been able to gain a solid knowledge base of how most systems work and the benefits/drawbacks from each. That and trial and error, at the expense of my own bank account. But, I enjoy it!

The BOSS system does come with new rear shocks. I believe they allow the rear suspension to travel an additional inch, but don't quote me on that. Jerry from @ToyTec Lifts is awesome and extremely knowledgeable, so I'm sure he can correct anything wrong I'm saying.

From what I know, you can run an AAL on the stock rear shocks, but, why chance the shocks being the limiting factor? I'd want the shocks to out travel the leafsprings so there's be no way they would be damaged by everyday use.

As far as UCA's go, they're tubular (most brands/styles) and one could argue they're stronger than OEM. They also allow, as you stated above, for more adjustment of camber. There are two different styles-ball joint or heim joint. Ball joijtts are not as strong as heim joints and will wear out eventually. Heim joints are incredibly strong and easy to service, but they often squeak and are not as 'forgiving' in absorbing shock and over a long period of time (like, longer than you'd own them) that could affect the overall structure of the UCA's. Again, I seriously, seriously doubt that last bit would affect you at all. Ever. But though I'd throw it out there.

 

So I should go ahead and bite the bullet and spend the extra money on aftermarket UCA's to be on the safe side and for better ride quality? I'm all about pinching some pennies here and there, but I'd like everything to be quality on my new vehicle. I've experienced bad quality (rough country 3 inch block lift kit on 3rd gen 4Runner) and while it served it's purpose just fine, it was like driving an old jeep any time you hit any kind of bump.