Tacoma 2.5" x 12-14" Shock Relocation 2005-2023 2nd 3rd gen Archive Garage

Depends on tire width, 285s could be ok with bypasses and 0 offset and 2" spacers
Just do what everyone does with 35s, trim stock fenders

Only do bypasses for lightweight taco for speed, otherwise get smooth body with compression adjuster

 

I’ve got 1.25” spacers with 16x18 -12 wheels for the bypass and 285s. It clears. Stock bedsides for now.

 

After my shock relocate sitting in the garage for nearly 10 months I put myself and my new welder to the test this weekend. I’ve never done so much metal grinding in my life. And yes, the zip ties are temporary. Here’s to hoping the welds hold

 

Looks good. What size smoothies are those and what angle did you set the tabs on the axle? I'm a couole weeks out from doing the same thing with ADS 13" smoothies except I'm using the archive bump stops

 

These are 13” travel short bodies with welder lowers. I don’t know the exact angle, I just went to full bump and backed off a 1/2”. With my hydro bumps it ended up being mounted higher than 0°.

 

Keep an eye out for remaining shock shaft during articulation, i.e. one side stuffed and one side drooped. Because the lower shock mount is further outboard than the bump stop, it’ll be higher up when that side is stuffed and the other side drooped out. The rule of thumb I like to follow is add an extra 1” of shaft when the axle is level and bumped out.

 

Do you take apart the leaf springs to articulate the suspension or is there a simpler way?

 

Tracking. I lined up the lower mount against the axle with the shock shaft and added the length of the lower eyelet plus a 1/2” at full bump to calculate for the shock being further outboard than the bump stops. I guess that doesn’t factor in the additional articulation from the other side being at full droop, but I won’t really know if it all added up correctly until I test it I guess. Still have the passenger side to do!

 

That would be the best way, and I did do that on my truck but don’t bother on other trucks because it’s not totally necessary. First, I’ll set the axle on jack stands so the truck is sitting at ride height. Then I’ll measure from the strike pad on the frame to the point on the bump stop where I think it’ll compress to. I’m pretty liberal with this measurement and go fairly low on the bump stop to give an extra safety net. Then I add 1” on top of that measurement.

So let’s say your shocks collapsed length is 20”.

Let’s also say that your distance between frame strike pad and compressed bump stop is 5”.

20” + 5” + 1” = 26”

I’ll set the upper and lower mounts 26” apart.

These numbers are made up and not applicable to any truck, but hopefully they help you conceptualize what I’m saying.

 

That makes a lot of sense, thanks!

 

While I was busting my hump at SXSW the suspension gods paid me a visit. Haven’t picked her up yet…but damn she’s gonna be fun.
(Note the spacers are an unintended consequence that will be remedied when we go from metric to inches on the tires. How, you ask? With new wheels…thank god my wife doesn’t read these threads)

 

I see you have a clevis there on your frame. Is it for a limit strap? If so, what size you running?

 

They wound up to be 14” straps. Shout out to Battle Born Offroad for their excellent fabrication work. They actually mounted everything up, then ordered the straps. I went with Deaver Stage 2’s and Accutune 12” Remote Reservoirs. We haven’t put the cross member in that connects the hammer hangers. All-in-all, its a totally different truck. It was tired, loose, and had crappy components on it. Now, it feels incredibly capable…but underpowered. I’m now scheming for ways to re-gear and supercharge. FUN.

 

After some flex testing I definitely need to pick up some wheel spacers, as expected. I’m running 315/75/16’s on 16x8 wheels with 4.00” BS and -12mm offset. After reading through what everyone else has said about wheel spacers I’m assuming 1.25” spacers would be enough. I’m shooting for as small of a spacer as I can get away with but also don’t want to end up buying twice. Any opinions?

 

4.00" BS has been somewhat rare in the past and so it hasn't been talked about a lot and what spacer works for 315s. A 1.25" spacer may be enough, but can't say for sure.

3.5" BS is common, and several have ran 285s without a spacer with 3.5" BS and this 2.5" relocation, but with 315s people need a 1.25" spacer with 3.5" BS.

 

That sounds about right. I was running the KO2 315x75x16s with 4.5" BS and needed 1.5s to clear.

 

My Raceline Defender wheels are 4.5” backspacing w/ 0 offset and am waiting on my 12” x 2.5” Kings to arrive (~June/July) from Accutune for my relocation towers that arrived days after ordering (thanks @ARCHIVE ). Just want to ensure I have everything needed for when the shocks arrive— Icon RXT leaf pack, extended brake lines, and whatever the smallest wheel spacer I can get away with. With 4.5” back spacing do you think a 1” spacer will work? I am running 285’s now, but will most likely make the jump to 34’s or 35’s next.

 

I can't speak to wether or not 1" spacers will rub with your 285s, but based on my experienece, you will almost definitely rub with 1" spacers running a 35" tire and 4.5" backspacing.

I just barely cleared with the 315x75x16s which comes out to like 34.6" tire, so I might even suggest a 1.75" spacer if you jump to a true 35. Just my .02 cents.

 

Min 1.25"

 

Just wanted to give a shout out to @EatSleepTacos for this post. I followed these instructions when installing the lower shock mounts and they came out pretty well. At full stuff I have about 1/2" of bump travel left (see first photo below). With 1.25" wheel spacers I'm getting a little tire rub on the shocks (see mud on shock in 3rd pick below), so I'll pick up some 1.5" or 1.75" spacers. For reference, I'm running ADS 13" smoothies, Deaver U402 Stage 1 leaf pack, hammer hangers and Archive U-bolt flip Option 3. Tires are 255/85r16 BFG KM3's on stock rims from my 2020 TRD Pro (7" wide, 4.5" BS). FWIW, the angle of my lower mounts ended up being -4* (in comparison to the diagram in the Archive instructions). As stated in the directions, each setup is different and the diagram is a guide.