2016 Tacoma SR5

I have BF Goodrich 265/75/16 KO 2's and Bilstien 5100 with readylift leveling kit. Is this ok to have both, or overkill? Thanks so much!

 

Is the lift already purchased and installed?

 

Unfortunately yes the leveling kit has already been installed. However I really want the dampening effect of the Bilstien 5100's and prevent any damage to ball joints, etc. as I understand it, the stock shocks were never intended to be "stretched" that far??
I just want to do the right thing for the long-term.
Thanks again!

 

I see what your saying. There is nothing unfortunate about it, you had the right idea. The 5100's have an extended travel range so they would work for the lift. The important thing is that you set the 5100's at the 0 setting so that you're not preloading it any more than it already is. How big are the spacers you put in for the front and rear?

 

I'll find out what the spacer details are tomorrow. Had it installed locally. Would it be better to remove the leveling kit altogether and just go with the Bilstien 5100 shocks only? I'm willing to do that if it is best. Will also post some pictures.

 

It would have probably been cheaper to just go with the 5100's, but the max lift you can get out of those is 1.75". The current 5100's weren't designed to be used with 2016 tacoma's, so you can't use the top setting of 2.5". They should be coming out with new 5100's in the next month or two that were built specifically for the 2016. I know a lot of people are waiting for them.

It really doesn't matter too much whether you use spacers and set the 5100's to 0, or just use the notch settings on the 5100's itself. 6 one way, half dozen the other. You're preloading either way. Neither setups are ideal for moderate to heavy off-roading, but imo the 5100's alone are probably a little better by themselves notched than with the spacer setup. Ideally you should have bought a new taller coil springs and let them do the lifting and then set the 5100's to 0. That's just not the cheapest way to go.

Are you just planning on using this on road only? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Your setup will work fine for mall crawling with very little to worry about. It's when you get off road and really flex the suspension that a better setup would be ideal.

The bigger issue is that the Tacoma already comes with a 1" factory lift over the previous generation Tacoma, while most of the other suspension components stayed the same. So if you stick a 3" spacer in the front that's going to put a lot of extreme angles on cv joints, differentials and what not. That's why I asked how big of spacers you got. Once you go over 1.75-2" you usually need new upper control arms in order to get proper alignment. You may also prematurely wear out suspension components by having bigger lifts.

But I digress. This site does have a ton of information on lifting if you want to know more.

 

The guy that installed the leveling kit (readylift) says its either 2 or 2.5" spacers. It seems a bit too high, but I'm not really sure. I thought there should be a little more rake??
I do notice since the tires and leveling kit install, the truck seems to want to go all over the road a tad bit more. I guess more of a bouncy ride?? It was realigned after level install, tire pressure is 38.5 in all tires. This is the reason I'm thinking of just going back to either a bigger coil or stock coil, and using the Bilstien shocks (2016 version) when they come out. To get more of a smooth ride with same or close lift. I only go minor off road (trailing) maybe 10% of the time. What do you think??

 

nice looking truck If you dont mind me asking how much did the rims cost you being looking out the normal kmc xd enduros but real like those one better

 

Thank you. They are XD 126 Enduro Pro 15". I bought at Discount Tire for $185 ea. Probably could have found much cheaper, and they made me pay shipping, lifetime balance, lug nuts, etc. etc.

 

First, put your tire PSI to 32.

Second, Stick to stock coils and a 2" notch on those Bilsteins.

My 2¢.

 

It's hard to tell from the picture. It looks close to level to me. He did 2-2.5" in the front, but what did he do in the rear? Either way you need to measure from the center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender on all four wheels to see what your current heights are. It seems odd that the installer doesn't know exactly what spacers he put on your truck lol.. You can grab a tape measure and get a ball park on what spacer it is as it sits right on top of the strut assembly (See picture and measure the blue part). The factory heights are typically 21" front and 22" rear. So if he went up 2.5 in the front then you need to go up 1.5 in the rear to make it level.. or 2" for some rake to the front. Try airing down your tires to 32lbs like the other poster said. Also what load range are your tires.. E?

 

On a side note... the truck looks great to me with the wheel/tire/lift combo..

 

What tint % did you go with?

 

looks like 35%ish

 

Looks good man!

 

This truck makes me wish I had gotten MGM... Very nice!

 

Thank you. TRDPro4x4, nothin was done to the rear, only the leveling kit in the front. I will take those measurements and adjust the tire pressure (chalk test too) this week. However I'm thinking of going to just the Bilstien (2016 version) shocks and losing the front leveling kit altogether. I called Bilstien and they claim it will be September/October before the 2016 Tacoma intended shocks are available. We shall see.

Not sure about the tint; it came with from the dealer.

 

I would set shock at 0.85 and get rid offf spacers. I'm speaking from my previous experience, even though it was 4Runner. First I lifted it with spacers and ride was harsh. I saved some money and bought bilsteins for all four corners. Ride improved BIIIG time just by replacing shocks.

I was planning on leveling my Tacoma with 5100 but decided to wait for the "right" shocks for 2016. I might go with toytec boss.

 

That tire pressure should make an immediate difference. It will allow the tire to make better contact with road and allow the tire itself to absorb some of the energy off the road rather than the suspension. Truck looks great!

 

Did that, and you're right! Correct tire pressure makes a big difference. Used the chalk method.