2018's only have a 1" rake.. So why level 2 inch's?

I just got my new 2018 Tacoma Sport and was going to level it so the new 31" BFG's don't look stuffed in the front wheel well. But here is the problem, it only has a 1" rake to start with. I found an RV dealer with a perfectly level hookup landing to do measurments. I measured from the fender to the ground and fender to wheel center of all four wheels and the average rake is 1 1/8 inch. I also went back to the dealer and measured all the Tacoma's and they also have a 1" rake.
However, the vast majority of the leveling kits out there are 2+ inches. It seems there are only two leveling kits that are one inch or under on the net. So, am I missing something? Does the front have to actually be 1" higher than the rear for the truck to look level? For those of you with 265 70r17s or 265 75r16s on 2018 Tacoma's without a full lift kit... Did you figure out another way to level it that didn't involve replacing out the struts/shocks? Did your 2018 Tacoma have a 2" rake originally? Did you leave the height alone and if so, how does your 31's look in the front?

(I know 5100's would probably work but I'm willing to admit my truck will be a street princess and am just going for looks with the softest ride possible.)


It looks like the rake is 2+ inches but no mater how I measure it, it is 1"

 

I jacked up the front 1" and it looks level right?

 

3rd gens lift at 2".

 

When I did my lift it was with a 1.5” in the rear and ~2.5” up front. This brought me level 23” hub-to-fender all around. I was 21” front/22” rear when my truck was stock. ‘Level’ kits typically come with 2” in front and 1” rear. Level kits do level the truck, but typically lift the rear as well.

I think you should consider your looks vs ride quality set up. A cheap spacer lift will give you the lift you want while a more pricey coilover setup will give you lift and ride quality.

 

Looks nose high to me in that pic.

 

2" is what most mfgs suggest for a lift on 3rd gens. Not sure where you're reading just doing 2" in front is supposed to level

 

With all the research I've done it seems anything I do in changing out the struts will stiffen the ride though. I'm actually going to take out the Sport's Hitachi shocks and install the stock Off Road 4600s because the Off Road was soo much smoother test driving but the Sport had the body/trans setup I wanted.

 

You plan on adding lift to the off road shocks?

 

'cause geometry

 

I know the 4600s can't be lifted which is why most people suggest the 5100s. Les Schwab had me sold on them until I found out they are stiffer than the 4600s. It was at that point I bailed on the idea of a full lift. Pre-loads, adjustable coilovers, AAL, blocks etc all would stiffen up the ride. Well, with enough money I suppose there is probably a way.. So why on earth did I buy a truck then right lol?

 

I understand the math and like the diagram. Using this example I need a 5/8" spacer to get the 1" lift I need.

 

Stiffening will depend on your setup. Some are meant to ride stiff, other soft. The RIGHT lift setup can improve your ride quality and there’s many options out there to fit your needs. Check out the first post in this thread for some suspension basics:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-lift-faq-guide-read-this.11282/

 

Thank you for your input..

 

OME 885s with the bilsteins set at 0 and the front is as plush if not even more so than stock. Lift is about 2 inches. I did have the 5100s on with stock spings set at 1" and didn't notice any difference in ride from stock. With a 1" block and sumos in rear the rear is a bit stiff and I still have a slight 1/2" rake.

 

Looks like the front is slightly higher, but do the measurements.

I’ve got 1.5” lift in the back with an AAL and 5100s all around front set 1” lift. With weight in the back, it’ll settle at .5-1” higher in the back which I like.

 

Thank you for this post! I've been trying to figure this out as well.

I like this and it makes sense. Does the upper control arm make a difference? You have the upper and lower control arm which keeps the wheel moving parallel to the truck body vs. arc from having only 1 arm? I am new to this as well so sorry if my questions is blatantly stupid!

 

So your 2018 came stock with a 1" rake as well? It's sounding like the standard is doing a 2/1 lift to level the truck, which, is a net 1" lift in the front.

 

I did some geometric research on my stock truck and think I figured out where the standard 2 inch front lift is from (see picture). The distance from the wheel well to the wheel center is only 1 inch different but nose of the truck is two inches lower when looking at the plain extending from the bed rail. So, a 2 inch front lift would level the bed rail and window base. But if you notice the tail of the truck comes stock level with the hood scoop. After lifting the front 2 inches the majority of the hood would be above the level plan and the front wheel well space would be 1 inch higher than the rear.

 

I guess you would have to choose what you want to 'level' and go from there.

 

http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p30/HS_1/2"_Top_Plate_Spacers_-_TT05512-TPS.html

1/2 inch of spacer will give you 1" of lift