What kind of lift if any should i get?

So after talking with Headstrong Offroad I decided to go with Maxtrac 4"lift spindles in the front and then get some add a leafs in the back to make it level. And if i wanted to go higher I believe(could be mistaking) that I could still get the 5100s. I haven't ordered them yet, but I'll keep ya updated on what i think of em once i get em. Get some before and after photos.

I am happy i have like minded individuals on here. Its our truck, we should be able to do what we want with it haha. On top of the fact, like someone else said, since when is more clearance a bad thing.

 

Well said!!! Good choice on lifts, I also like the people on this forum. You couldn’t of said it better it’s our trucks we can do what we want with them. You should think about adding a locker, I went with the Detroit true trac. You never know you might need that little bit of extra insurance.

 

Yea, i was thinking about that. I was wondering about the pros and cons of lockers.

 

I got another question, might be a dumb one so bare with me. If i get the maxtrac 4" lift spindles is that the actual ground clearance i will get or is it gonna be less depending on variables?

 

That is actually not a dumb question. You will only get more ground clearance with bigger tires your axles will not be raised with you lift Only everything above the axles will actually be lifted 4 inches.

 

I hope that is the correct answer, I am pretty new when it comes to lifts and things like that too

 

Ok. So then the cab would be higher but the frame and everything else will be the same until i get bigger tires? Is that right? And it says after the spindles i can fit 33 inch tires. I have 265/65/17 right now, what size brings it to 33" ?

I appreciate everyone's help

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-maxtrac-spindles.416793/

Checkout the maxtrac thread. There’s a lot of useful information in it for you. You are correct in thinking that if you get the spindles you could also use Bilstein 5100s in the front to get more than 4 inches of lift.

 

A 285/70r17 is one of the more popular tire sizes for the 4 Inch spindle lift. Spindles increase ground clearance, so your frame as well as other pieces of the truck would be higher up from just the spindles alone (not dependent on tires although tires increase clearance too).

 

Just so I’m clear are you saying spindle raise the axle up. I thought you could only get more clearance from the axle with bigger tires

 

If you look at page 24 of the thread I linked you will see the difference between the stock spindle and the maxtrac spindle. You’re essentially moving the hub down 4 Inches which pushes the front of the truck up. Hard to explain. But your front cross member is left stock (unlike drop bracket lifts) so your clearance from the cross member to the ground will increase.

 

Awesome thanks for the link and info. So would 4" lift spindles actually lift it 4" from ground?

 

Wow, that is good to know. I wish I would’ve found this post earlier I might’ve went a different route on my lift.

 

I may not be the best to ask that question, hopefully chad will chime in at some point so he can tell you. But in theory yes you should see the additional clearance at your front cross member from the spindle.

 

Could always add spindles to your fox coilovers. Crank them down and get better ride quality while still getting the 4 inch lift from the spindles. Or use the coilovers and spindles to get more lift; like 6 inches for example.

 

Just when you think you got a plan for your truck, you get some good info and change the plan. That is a good ideal. You say it would ride better? I think I would go with the 4 inch lift. Thank you for the advice,I think I might go this route

 

So then. To be absolutely clear before i drop some major dough and have the mrs ringing my neck... 4" spindles would in theory lift it 4 inches and then i could get the 5100s and have it be lifted even further? I looked at the thread you provided and im 99.9% sure im correct in thinking this... But I am not always confident in my comprehension skills hahaha

 

That depends, it could end up feeling exactly the same. It would ride better than if you have your coilovers cranked up a lot to get the lift you want. A coilover cranked up past a reasonable limit will be more stiff then one left at a factory setting. Spindles keep your factory geometry which is a big benefit since you won’t need upper control arms to get your alignment within spec (until you combine lifts to get something like 7 inches up front).

 

I'm going to need to spend some serious time looking at that thread you provided. Its a lot of info but it covers a lot of my questions. Thank you again for providing it.

 

You are correct. For example spindles with 5100s could get you up into the 6 inch range if you desired. Or you could combine the spindles with a lift coil to get extra height up front as well. If you go towards the end of that thread you’ll see someone used 5100s to get extra lift over the spindles.