What you need to know about lifting a 2016 Tacoma - Presented by Toytec Lifts

But is the clearance issue not at full bump (fully compressed suspension)? Sorry if this makes no sense to me.

 

Okay I see what you're saying. Took me a second of rereading and thinking. A quality suspension lift will give you additional travel. If you just use blocks or coil spacers you're going to have poor ride quality and the suspension will bottom out lower than it would have normally but you're going to suffer in other directions.

 

I don't know much, I enjoy having my thinking challenged because at my age my ideas are entrenched even if they are wrong. As was suggested in your prior post, lifting by means of blocks isn't what I think should be done but that WOULD change tire clearance. As suspension performance is my goal as is maintaining a lower center of gravity, I do not want huge tires (I don't argue their utility, only my personal objectives). Lifting the body or driveline by moving differentials and such must help with tire clearance but installing coil overs which are 2" taller with 2" extra travel can't help tire clearance at all unless we don't use the extra travel. I will not spend money on suspension I don't use. I do see that more travel could allow softer springs for the same bump absorption and maybe help articulation but changes other aspects of the vehicle when it comes to pitch, tip (sway) and sway bars. The suspension and Overlanding experts in my town tell me I am wrong. I'd like to know what I'm wrong about. I'm open minded but think I understand. This is a danger zone. If I think I'm correct but am mistaken, I'll not be able to come up with valid decisions on my modifications.

 

I don't know what to tell you bud. A 2-in lift will net you 2-in more clearance. Pretty simple math. The longer coils don't magically shrink up into your fenders when they're compressed, there is a limit to how far up they can go. Plus shocks can only compress so far before there is physically nowhere else for the shock body to go. This will prevent you from jamming your tires up into your wheel wells and preventing the additional clearance that you appear to be worried about. ultimately, you have thousands of people driving around with in Tacomas with suspension lifts who aren't stuffing tires into their fender wells and every time they hit a bump. You won't go wrong using eibach, toytec, OME, or Dobson's for a mild 1 to 2-in lift. And at those levels of lift, you shouldn't have any issues with lowering differentials or having to mess with upper control arms or even driveline modifications or vibrations.

 

anyone out there doing the rear shackles lift for the 3rd gen? company that makes it and how’s the ride. Thanks

 

Little expensive, but Hilux style and bombproof

https://archivegarage.com/explore-archive/ols/products/tacoma-hammer-hangers

 

thanks

 

I plan on going that route myself, just as soon as I win the lottery...

 

In that case you are saying the suspension travel is not an additional 2 inches beyond what the stock shocks would have because "there is no place for the shock to go"? In that case it makes perfect sense but that isn't a question that's been answered for me. So, (I'll make up arbitrary numbers) if my stock truck has 6" of bump travel and I add 2" longer shocks and springs, I don't get 8 inches of suspension bump travel? While I'm not the most knowledgeable about this stuff, I believe I'm posing a relevant and reasonable question. Perhaps in the wrong forum?

 

It's a fair question, GQ, you're just not listening to the simple answers being given.

Taller suspension means more travel and more clearance. Done.

 

I appreciate your efforts in explaining this to me I'll finish as well. By my reasoning there isn't a shred of information provided which I consider an answer. I was like that as a kid too, "because I said so" never worked. any clearance improvement would need to be measured when the suspension is totally bottomed in my view. By my logic, If the axle centerline is in the exact same place when bottomed as it was with stock suspension the tire clearance can not be better.

 

see now we're getting somewhere. A lot of aftermarket suspensions, when you do your alignment you should set your caster between two and four, not zero. this moves the axle forward ever so slightly and allows it to articulate freely without binding the tires up into the fender well.

 

Thank you! I am unaccustomed to automotive suspension but am reasonably versed in motorcycle suspension. It can be hard to get out of a thought bubble. Moving the caster makes sense for the front and correctly assumes the average ride height would be more. I personally don't see tire clearance being my problem and want to make sure I don't compromise suspension performance on some compromise (such as a bigger bump stop) that is intended to clear bigger tires than I intend to run. I appreciate your patience. I need to learn more before I leap. A friend installed a new set of rear leaf-springs on his Taco and they are very noisy which is something I will work to avoid. I could make arguments for leaving y truck stock but where is the fun in that. At this point I am looking at offerings from King, Bilstien and Eibach. Ideally I would own shocks that a normal suspension shop could rebuild. For sure I want adjustable spring perches and threaded bodies on the front Coil Overs. I have no interest in bypass shocks. After more digging and pestering, I may change my mind. I really don't know all the things I may be missing!

 

And in other news.....

 

check out this video, they show how your tire has to fit through the full travel of your shocks if you offroad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33VewJFda1Q

 

@DavesTaco68 thank you for that video! Just having you post that lets me know that you understood my question and reasoning. I'm an open minded person so I understand that there is a possibility of that video and my thinking being wrong but it is totally logical to me and I agree with it so it's a good video!

I have asked after that line of reasoning and have been pretty much treated as some sort of unknowing and somewhat stupid person. This could be correct as my Tacoma is my first 4wd vehicle. I think I have a reasonable understanding of suspension dampers, which I can kinda prove by results. I'm old enough and experienced enough to know I can sometimes be sure of being right yet still be wrong. For that reason, I look to those with more experience than I. I feel like I can sniff out BS and would rather not call anyone out or act as any kind of "expert" without being quite sure of myself, which I am not.

Regarding the video, that fellow explained the concept of what I was thinking in an excellent way. He of course glossed over some factors (likely on purpose) such as turning position, elastomeric flexing and chain clearance (Toyota specifically disallows chains on the front).

When I upgrade my suspension, I want to do so by adding some lift with the purpose of adding travel in an attempt to improve performance on rough trails. As much as I would like rolling on 35's I am not prepared to chop-up nor re-gear my truck. I don't expect to do rock crawling but would like to increase comfort and speed on bad gravel roads and simple 4wd trails. Having seen a member of this forum navigate "Fins and Things" in Moab (met them while I was motorcycle riding there) on a slightly lifted stock Taco that looked like mine, I was impressed by what our trucks can do in stock form.

Anyhow, talking about and playing with our trucks is a blast and I appreciate everyone's input. I keep learning.

 

it's funny how that video can show in just a few minutes what a hundred posts on a forum can't quite get across clearly.

 

@CygnusX191 , I wasn't referring to you being someone who treated me as "stupid". I was referring to 4wd shops I have been in as I refers to previously. You are quick because I worked on rewording my original post right away. I did not put it well. I do not think I ignored any advise. Please point out what I missed. It is often difficult following a technical exchange on line, particularly when people don't know each other.

 

That's fair, I can reward my as well. there are definitely a few posts when you asked about clearance four or five times and clear answers were given and you continue to ask the same questions over and over again hence the frustration. Sorry about that, the internet is the internet and no one reads anything exactly right the first time.

 

Does anyone have a have an aftermarket source or know the toyota part# for the OEM coil that comes on the TRD-off road bilsteins? I had the strut, just looking for the coil only.