Feedback/Regrets on lift/no lift decision?

Great answer. Thanks.

 

Honestly all, this is a great discussion. I think I'm going with the 265/70/R17 (partial to K02s) and the 17" wheels and run with that for a while and decide on a lift later. I was on the fence and this thread was super helpful. Will post pics when done.

 

That's what I'm doing. Wheels and tires are on. Just need to figure out suspension. Thing rides almost as hard as my last Trans Am. Lol

 

I have a 4-cyl/4WD SR - I put E-load AT tires on it in the stock size (Firestone Destination X/T which weigh 39 lbs in 245/75-16) and it did everything I asked out in Colorado without even breaking a sweat. Medano Pass, Ophir Pass, lots of the trails around Ouray.

I have a Leer camper shell (cab-hi, not a high top one) and went with the light-ish tires on the stock wheels and won't be lifting it because MPG is important to me. I lost about 1 MPG city/hwy with the AT tires compared to the stock car tires. It gets 25 MPG at 65 MPH which is great and equals a range of almost 500 miles/tank. Around town I get 20-22 MPG depending on traffic and A/C usage. The only thing I might do at some point is a helper spring or add-a-leaf because the rear sags a little when loaded down for a trip. It's not really an issue with clearance, but I don't like the slight bounce in the suspension it does when loaded and it causes the headlights to blind people on dark roads with the front angled up a little.

I say just put some better tires on it first and then decide if you want to do anything else. I haven't broken anything, didn't scrape anything, didn't bottom out, I even still have the chin strap/air dam and only brushed it on a few things a couple of times. It is a little stiff/bumpy on rocky roads, but with the E-load tires you can air down to 20 and it really smooths it out. Really happy with this setup, it is great for long trips and camping. While it rides more firmly on pavement, it's nothing terrible (mostly due to the 45 PSI these require) and it has SO MUCH more cornering grip and just sticks instead of the OEM tires that would roll over onto the sidewalls and howl.



This is at Tail of the Dragon, I couldn't believe how much more grip it had compared to the stock tires, it felt like putting stiff summer tires on a sporty car

 

I take my Land Cruiser out there... especially when they used to have 100s in the Hills. Good stuff!

I'm fine with that trade off. That's why I love my KO2s. Having a really solid tire is a game changer.

 

You could always go with the factory lift kit

 

https://pressroom.toyota.com/step-up-new-tacoma-trd-lift-kit-now-available/

"The Tacoma TRD Lift Kit comes with all the necessary hardware for installation and is only offered as a dealer-installed option. Manufacturer suggested retail pricing for the kit is $1,450 (not including labor, which is estimated at 4-5 hours). The Tacoma TRD Lift Kit is available for all V6-powered 4×4 models, with the exception of Double Cab Long Bed Tacomas and TRD Pro (2WD and 4-cylinder models are also excluded)."

Dang it! I have a double cab long bed! No go?!?!

 

It will work, just toyota being toyota, its just rebranded 5100s and a block though...

 

Looks great. You still haven’t had any rub? This is the lift I’m thinking about getting and also the tire size. I just don’t want to have to trim at all.

also. Do you mind sharing what Toyota charged for the TRD lift? I was quoted $3,200 for kit and install. Seemed high. But idk what to compare it to.

Considering other options that are less expensive like 2/1 spacer and block. I’m looking to lift just for the “look” of the truck and to fit slightly bigger tires.

 

I spent $2400 on the TRD Lift Kit in Salem, OR last year. That included the kit itself, the pro grille, the labor, the alignment and TSS recalibration

Wheels $660 shipped, tires $1000. Most will say avoid a spacer lift. And I don't do any offroading so I can't give you any feedback in that department but as my daily driver I love the way my truck feels now. I still have never experienced any rub since it was installed last year. I use the OEM Mud flaps and I did not do any trimming, cutting, or heat gun.

 

Thanks for the info. $2400 seems way more reasonable.
With that TRD lift kit your truck is sitting completely level now? Hard to tell in the picture because of the slope. Also, I would love to see any additional pictures you have of this.

 

Yes it's level.

 

Feel the same way. A skid plate and sliders would be nice though....

 

I took a little bit of a different approach. I had 5100's, an AAL and LR UCA's on my 2nd gen. It was about 2.25" higher then stock. It looked cool but the driveline angles of sucked. The ride was also not great.

On my 3rd gen, I went with 6112's, 600lb springs, JBA UCA's on the front end and air bags w/ cradles, 5160's, hammer hangers and stock leaves on the rear. Lift was about 3/4" in the rear and maybe 1" in the front. There is a 1" rake. 31.7" tires. Vibes from the rear are no worse and front CV's are very slightly inclined from horizontal. The fins do not touch at static height. I decided to chase overall movement and angles instead of static height, this time.

It was a big im inprovement for my kind of offroading-meaning forest roads, etc that I can carry some speed on. I don't drag my truck over rocks (frequently), bury it in a mud pit, or try to bounce up a ledge until a CV breaks, especially when I'm 2000+ miles from home. My take is that the Tacoma is a solid foundation for what I do- carry some weight over some distance, with interstates, back roads, fast forest service roads, occasional fire roads, and rarely 4 low type situations. Every system has it's limitations, and were I an offroader, I would not have started with a Tacoma. My drive line angles, alignment, and center of gravity are all in a great place and the truck glides over unimproved dirt roads, including washboard corners, with enough supplies to live comfortably for 2 weeks in it, with improved on road handling and minimal, if any, increased wear. It is seriously planted at 70mph over moderate dirt roads out west, but it's compact enough to fold the mirrors in and weave through the east coast woods.

A 2" lift will get you 2" everywhere but the LCA's and rear axle/shock mounts. 33's (32.8) will get you 1" all around from stock tires. Will the resulting drive line angles and rotating unsprung mass, at a longer moment arm (and chopping to make it fit) be worth it? YMMV. I personally can't judge the height of an obstacle from the driver's seat with +/-3" of accuracy. If someone should be spotting me, I'm not having fun to begin with. When I get a break from domestic life, I don't spend it trying to break or otherwise ruin my truck, but that's just my take.

I think driving dynamics are often overlooked for aesthetics, and an honest evaluation of where and how you want your truck to perform, how much it will weigh, and what mechanical changes will get you there, should be undertaken before you cut that check.

 

for those who had a 2" lift without uca's then added uca's... did you notice an improvement on driving performance like in a straight line and alignment issues?

 

These trucks are very capable off road when stock. My first 4x4 (an ‘03) was fantastic stock. On & off road, it never let me down. Had the truck maybe 5 years, I got the itch & decided to lift it 2”. SwayAways up front with rear custom leaf packs from Alcan. Kept the stock wheels with 265 70 16’s. That truck handled perfectly! Never had any issues with the suspension setup. Wish I still had it. It was killed last year by a kid that ran a red. Although I’m happy with this 2018, I just installed some 5100’s up front & some 4600 in the rear, it handles much better than the stock shocks & also leveled it out too. I’ll keep it stock for now, but I’d like to put a lift on it in a few years…

 

All stock for now. Hopped this curb like a champ!

I might look into small lift 1-2" and 255/85s in the future.

 

How much can you comfortably carry with this setup? We have a similar kind of offroading; researching my options, hoping to get my truck into the shop in the next month. Thanks!

 

The suspension does great with significant weight and it will never sag because you can change your preload. In fact, the airbags are pretty uncomfortable without weight on them. I've had 750lbs of shingles in it and it felt fine. You will not have bump stops anymore though, and they bottom out very hard. It can be tough to find the right pressure to balance the ride quality and minimize the bottoming out.

I don't think you will find the weight carrying limit of these bags on a Tacoma. I stay around 28-30psi with my full load out in my previously posted picture, which is getting real close to GVWR. They are able to go up to 100psi, as I recall.

If you have a good idea what you payload will be, I'd consider getting the proper leaf springs. The air bags are good, but they have some particular drawbacks.

 

I did 2" all around with Bilstein 6112 and 5160/Icon RXT leaf pack Option 2 in back. No regrets, rides great. Like you, I don't do any crazy off-roading but I wanted peace of mind of the lift. I also went with Durabump bump stops upgrade as well.

For tires I went with Falken Wildpeak 265/75/16 for just 1" larger and did the SL model to keep rotational weight down. I have not noticed a diff in MPG, slight perceived difference in acceleration and braking. The larger tires look great without the need for a chop anywhere.

I spent about $4500 including labor for my upgrades and feel like it was worth it even though for what I do I probably could have stayed stock.