Feedback/Regrets on lift/no lift decision?

Question for the stock suspension owners: any complaints? Feel like you should have lifted?
Question for the lifted trucks: any issues, regrets, pain in the butt?

I'm new to Tacomas... have a built 100 series Land Cruiser, and now a '22 Tacoma TRD Off Road. Will take it off road, but not super aggressively. Hefty dirt trail and outback stuff, rutted stuff, but not climbing, not even medium/difficult rated terrain.

I would love the look of a 2" lift and 33" tires, but don't want to do the chop, don't want to rub, don't want the taco lean, and honestly don't want to mess with the default engineering that went into this truck.

Really want the 17" TRD wheels and AT tire (partial to KO2s). The factory suspension actually seems really solid off road.

Also don't want to invest $1000 in tires then realize I want to lift it, and now the tires look too small

What did you go with, and what would you have done different?

Feedback appreciated!

Thanks!

Matt (Tacoma n00b)

Bonus question: where's the best place to get the genuine TRD 4Runner 17" wheels?

 

2" Bilstein 5100s is the best bang for the buck, and 255 33" Pizza cutters will not rub, nor require cutting.

I upsized to a 265/76/16 Duratracs that looked stuffed inside the wheelwell. Looked mean. Then I got the 2" Bilstein Lift, and now it handles awesome. Bigger better shocks, at a great price. NO REGRETS!!!!

 

'21 TRD OR AC auto.
No lift.
No intention to lift.
Have a Leer 180 cap - no rear sag.
Tow a 3,500 lb trailer occasionally - handles fine.
Will move to Michelin tires when the OEMs wear out. Same size.
Works for my needs as-is.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

The stock suspension is perfect if you use the truck as it was intended. There’s no need to modify it unless you take the truck outside it’s comfort zone and discover a weakness.

EDIT: if were to do it again, I would focus more on tall tires over shock absorbers and springs.

 

Keep it stock, stock is cool.
Wish I wold have left mine alone, I'd be $20K richer.
Good luck with your truck.

 

I regret doing drop bracket - my dumbass at the time got super frustrated blowing up a Bilstein on the trail within 500 miles of use. I was going places that would eventually cause body damage unless I changed bumpers (but who wants to pay shipping to Hawaii?)
So….I made it higher.

Had I known then what I know now…
Would’ve fixed my 3” lift with Fox shocks, custom Alcan pack…other than that, the rest of what I currently have works and works well (CMC, gears, tune, onboard air, Alcan pack (big as F btw), etc)

 

No lift for me. I'm short and not able to climb trees at my age anymore. Plus my last Jeep Wrangler never saw off road once in the over 14 years I owned it.

 

I did a small lift and I am completely happy. I went with the Icon stage 2 lift and I am only about 2 inches higher than stock. The truck handles perfectly and I can load the bed a little bit heavier without sagging. I didn't want to go big as I didn't need to. No regrets. It rides great, serves my purposes and looks cool in my opinion.

 

What are you using for the spare?
Nice truck!

 

thank you

is this in regards to the carrier setup? Or the spare itself?
Carrier setup is from Rigd (shipping was unreal to Hawaii holy crap)
Spare itself is a TRD trail wrapped in a Firestone 35

 

Here's an extreme example for you. This is my current vehicle:



A RAM 2500 with a ridiculous 9" lift and 37's. Trading it in for a TRD OffRoad 4x4 and will be keeping the Tacoma bone stock. The lift was fun and head-turning, but I'm over it. My needs have changed and will be happy to drive the Tacoma with its original factory geometry as the designers intended.

 

My 2012 Tacoma had Fox's on it. No regrets
Just installed a Rough Country 3.5 Lift on my 2021 Tacoma.
Looks bad ass and drives good. 285/70/17's with no rubbing in turns.

 

How much does this setup affect your gas mileage?

 

2016. I regret doing full long travel and 38’s. I wish I would have left it with the icon stage 4 and 285’s. No question.

It’s cool and all but holy money pit…with even more to go.

As for the Icon kit, no regrets at all. It worked great. Needed that over the stock stuff.

 

^^ This. I've done some minor stuff to my truck (KDMax tune, Meso total tail stage 1, TRD skid plate, 4Runner wheels, interior black out stuff from Meso and AJT, pro grille) but that's as far as it will go. Once I get more miles on the OEM tires I will switch out to the Michelin LTX AT2s in the stock 265/65R17 size. The most off road this truck sees are dirt and gravel flat trails and it's a 4x2 so I don't see a need to ever do anything to the suspension. Happy with the truck as it is.

 

Installed the OEM 2" lift myself with an add a leaf. Had too, the winch and bumper I installed on the front initially dropped the front end 1/2". Truck rides well and looks good.

Before:



After:

 

How much, I dont know, nor care. But be warned, that every inch you lift, ever tire you upsize will weight more, and affect your mileage.

If you have to ask........

 

2021 TRD OR.
No lift and will never lift.
I did that stuff when I was young.
I am constantly in the dirt it seems, yet mileage tells me I am on the pavement 99% of the time.
So, do you spend $$$$$ on something you could use 1% of the time and cause suffering 99% of the time?

I have nothing to prove nor do I need to project an image to others to make me happy.

Truck does great stock.

 

No lift. The TRD OR package is pretty bad a$$ right from the factory.

 

I have no regrets lifting my truck . 2-1/4” up front and 1” or so in the rear , upper control arms and bump stop,
275-70-17 on -12 fuel wheels . I had minor plastic trim for rubbing and no cab mount chop was needed . I’m 6’1” so getting in and out is way easier so if done right I don’t see any problems. I am lazy so I had my suspension in stalled at State 48 Overland in Mesa az. Iric and Ben are great to deal with . I love the trucks look and how nice it rides.