Lifting/Leveling and regearing

Very helpful, thank you

 

Not a troll, just very new to off-road and modding all together.

 

Oh ok sorry. Hard to tell sometimes.

 

Look into the eibach pro lift kit. I spent $650 for the full kit plus 1 inch blocks in the rear. Truck feels more planted to the ground and the ride is better.

 

I don't have any lift or tire suggestions, but I'll ask- are you prepared to take a several MPG hit on your DD?
I'm not trying to talk you out of dooding up up your truck, but I often read the "how do regain my mpg?" threads and the answer is, you won't.

 

I regeared first and usually recommend it. The reason why is because it’s a large expense that most people don’t budget for and often regret later.

Bumpers, light bars, bedracks and all that other bolt on stuff makes your truck look cool which provides more instant gratification. Because of those a lot of the basics are skipped like skid plates and gears.

It becomes harder to justify the expense after you have already dumped several thousand in the truck and you are left with a pig of a truck.

Planning goes a long way, plan out all your aftermarket mods, their cost, their priority and when you plan to purchase.

 

This has been a helpful thread....here is what I've found....after spending a bunch of money on a mod most guys will rarely if ever shoot you straight on how they actually feel about it or how it has impacted the truck. They are all like...."Oh yeah its great I love it" but never mention the downsides. To me if the truck is a daily driver and your mods drop your MPG down to 12 MPG then do the math....You have seriously cost yourself a $hit ton of money right there. I too LOVE the look of these trucks all modded out. However, my truck already gets crap MPG do I really want it any less. Lift, bigger tires, and a few hundred LBS in bolt on mods like bumpers...LOL my truck is already slow as $hit do I really want to make is slower? My last truck was a F150 4x4 Platinum and I can tell you that even with a V8 I noticed how the addition of bigger tires and leveling it made it doggy with a bit less balls so I honestly can't imagine doing that to this little shift happy V6. I'm already looking to order a Pedal Commander next week just so I can keep from going crazy driving this weak little shift happy truck.

 

HELL YEAH man, appreciate the realness of your post.
I am willing to take the shittier MPG cuz you Only Live Once and this is what I wanna do.

But it does put things into perspective, so thank you.
I still have some deciding to do.

Any advise on exhaust for the tacos? adding horsepower?

 

This is the most accurate response here in my opinion.

I have a separate vehicle for wheelin, another option would be to throw some skid plates and sliders on your Tacoma as well ... you would be extremely surprised where that truck will go with a set of sliders and skids.

 

I hope I can help with a little of my own information.

I have 2017 TRDOR 4x4 DCLB AT
I read a lot in TW while researching before I bought my truck. I narrowed down options searched for and found the truck I wanted, test drove it and worked with the dealer and got what I wanted. 2.5yrs of owning my truck I finally was not happy with the gear hunting while driving. I currently live in Florida and we all know this state is pretty flat. So when the slightest of interstate highways start up an incline and the truck drops from 5-6th gear constantly down to 4th, cruise control is totally useless. While I was working in Colorado and after driving there. I decided a re-gear was needed. I chose 4.88's and couldn't be happier. I do pull an enclosed 6x12 TA trailer about a 3500-4000lbs. when loaded and knew this would help along with Sumo Springs when that was in tow. Could not be any happier today with my truck. I average 18.5-19 MPG since re-gear (of corse not while towing). It is about 1/2 a mpg less than when stock. I also knew that I would one day want to level my truck and I'm really interested in running 255/85/16 so I'm geared for it. Yes I know I'll take another fuel hit but truly it's the only way to improve ground clearance and lift it a little. I'm currently researching 5100's set to the .65" setting using factory springs, to level my front and help make those 255's look great. There is a lot of misconception about preloading the spring's with 5100's that are not all true.
I bought my Tacoma knowing stock it would get me everywhere I need it to take me. Today is about making mods to help improve looks when I look at my truck.

Here is a quote taken out of another thread. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/65-clip-on-5100.604554/
"During installation of the stock Bilstein 4600’s, the stock coil spring must be compressed, just as with the 5100’s.
Once the weight of the vehicle is on the spring, the spring is the same length with the 5100’s as when it is used with the stock shocks.
The ride is firmer with the 5100’s because they have firmer valving. They’re a firmer shock than the stock Bilsteins, and they will provide a firmer ride with the stock coil springs even with the circlip at the “0” setting.
It’s not the compressed stock coils (a common misconception), it’s the shock valving that gives the stiffer ride.
Try the 5100’s at the 0 setting. You’ll have a stiffer ride than with the 4600’s. I guarantee it!
Not all shock are created equal. That is, they all can provide drastically different ride and handling characteristics.
Ask the people on TW that spend big money on some really great shocks for both on road and heavy off road use.
And then there’s the matter of aftermarket coil springs further changing the ride.
5100’s do reduce body roll or lean while driving in curves, so they assist in handling curves better.
The stock Bilsteins definitely provided a softer, smoother ride around town.
With the 5100’s, lift is achieved by raising the clip on the shock body, which increases the length of the bottom tube of the shock below the lower coil spring mount, which is what pushes the lower control arm down, thereby raising the ride height of the truck.
The lengthened shock body below the bottom of the coil mount gives the lift.
After installation, and once the vehicle tires are placed back on the ground and the vehicle weight is pushing down on the springs, the spring length remains exactly the same at all settings."

All n all it's a personal choice. Just do your due diligence and research and understand and know what all your pro's and con's are. The truck is a major purchase and a lot of these crazy mods are too. I have yet to pull the trigger on 5100's due to such misconceptions and my failure to call Marie at headstrong. Tomorrow my be the day I finally talk with her though and I might be back to ground zero starting over with my thoughts and ideas. Good luck on what you choose and sorry for such a long post.