Dumb Lift Questions

Hello everyone!!

I get it, it's another dumb lift post. You're all tired of seeing them, but if you're patient enough to be willing to answer a few things for me, keep reading, and I'll appreciate any helpful suggestions/comments! I want everyone to know I made an appointment to talk to my local dealer about all this in the accessories dept., and I got brushed aside pretty quickly and told just to do ProComp and wouldn't answer the ancillary questions I had below. I've read up, but so much of the recommendations are argued heatedly by all of you who know better than myself, I just need to have a few guys weigh in for me here.

Quickie Truck Info:
*2020 TRD OR DC M/T 5' bed superwhite, premium.
*Stock suspension/tires.
*Yakima OverHaul bed rack
*Rear seat delete

How I Use My Truck:
*Mostly around town during the week, but weekends I'm hitting logging trails and some 2 tracks in the middle of nowhere. Most of these are doable on stock tires/suspension for sure, but there are a few I go on that have some serious drops and technical approach that for someone that has never been taught any of this makes my heart stop for a second.
*This is my fishing truck to get me and a dog into some tight corners. Paint is all scratched up already and the dog has destroyed my DIY GooseGear replica platform, but that's ok - it's a truck. This is a tool to me, not something I take huge pride in.
*I am not mechanically inclined, but I am handy. I do much more construction-level quality on my spare time and some finer woodworking pieces, but I can't work with metal and I don't know a damn thing about trucks.
*This truck will be mine until it gets irrepairably destroyed. I have no interest in ever getting rid of this truck for any reason.

Goals For Adjustment:
*Obviously better tires. I had great experiences with KO2's on my F150 (all stock) getting me where I want to go, and would like to run 285/70/17's with them. I plan on just buying the TRD 17" wheels (I am not a flashy person here)
*I need it to be level. I'm 6'1" and the angle looking through the windshield is garbage to see anything. I also like to step up into a truck... These are why I want it lifted other than just running smaller, better tires that would fit on stock suspension.
*I have 6" to play with from the top of my garage entrance to the antenna
*I need it to handle some pretty rough roads (my pitch/roll has been in red multiple times before...)

Questions About Lifting
*My budget for wheels/tires/lift is ~$8k if needed, but obviously I'd be stoked to not spend that.
*Do I really need new UCA's and brake line extensions with this size lift?
*Any companies to stay away from, or you would recommend?
*What stage would you recommend, given the above info and goals?
*What happens to the rest of your Toyota Warranty when you make these kinds of adjustments?
*I assume you need to re-calibrate your speedometer after the adjustments, but how about the cruise control/auto headlight functions? And who does that kind of thing, Toyota? And what does that cost?
*Are there ways to mathematically work out if it needs to be cut? I really would like to not, mostly just for one more thing to go wrong, and again, I don't know how to do it.
*Someone please help explain offsetting for me. I get the concept of what it means, but is it just for cosmetics or does it really serve a benefit for a wider base or something? If it's cosmetic, I couldn't care less.

Stupid Ancillary Questions for Those Kind Enough To Still Be Reading:
*What do you do for a jack with a truck at this size? I assume that stock one won't work, but do you have one you all like that fits in the storage area?
*Does anyone have experience with powered step bars? I'm not a big fan of the styles out there for fixed bars
*What other maintenance things should I be concerned about checking for afterward for signs of wear in certain areas?

Thank you for all those that have helpful comments. I know you all know way more about all this than I ever will from going through this on your own and likely doing it all by yourself, but my hope is to get this done and really never have to think about it for a long while until something goes wrong.

If anyone knows any shops in N. California I'd also love recommendations. I plan to hit up their thread too.

 

I will give you a few thoughts.

1. What happens to the rest of your Toyota Warranty when you make these kinds of adjustments? If a part goes bad that is in anyway related to your lift, Toyota will most likely deny warranty repair. Look into the Magnuson Moss act. Warranty remains for parts unaffected by the modification.
2. I assume you need to re-calibrate your speedometer after the adjustments, but how about the cruise control/auto headlight functions? And who does that kind of thing, Toyota? And what does that cost? Any Toyota dealer worth their salt will not recalibrate your sensors. Too much liability for non Toyota approved modifications.
3. Are there ways to mathematically work out if it needs to be cut? I really would like to not, mostly just for one more thing to go wrong, and again, I don't know how to do it. If you are asking this question, don’t cut up your truck. Pay a professional to handle it.

Stupid Ancillary Questions for Those Kind Enough To Still Be Reading:
4. What do you do for a jack with a truck atthis size? I assume that stock one won't work, but do you haveoneyou all like that fits in the storage area? Look into Hi-lifts.

You need a professional installer to sit with you and patiently answer your questions.

And FYI, this post is way too long. I understand what you’re trying to do, but information overload is real and most people reading this click away when they see a novel.

 

I would suggest you read a lot and search a lot here. Pretty much all of your questions have been answered on this beautiful site we call TW.

As far as lift goes, your budget is huge, so spend the extra money on things like upper control arms and full leaf pack. Find a local person to install (like myself) to save on labor. Or DIY. Shops will charge you double or triple what us local installers, working in our driveways, charge.

Shock rankings in my opinion for Tacomas. This is in order of performance/quality:

KING
FOX
Bilstein 8112 or 6112
Ironman 4x4
Dobinsons

Rear leaf spring options IMO:

Deaver
Icon RXT

 

Your ask is too broad. Do some research and test your stock truck offroad and determine what needs to be upgraded to meet your needs. You will get a million different answers and combos with that budget and ask.

 

Do I really need new UCA's and brake line extensions with this size lift?
*Any companies to stay away from, or you would recommend?
--
uca's are a recommended item with a lift at 2" or more to help correct caster and camber.

*What happens to the rest of your Toyota Warranty when you make these kinds of adjustments?
--
if you go the route of the trd lift installed by a dealer generally you will retain your warranty. Anything beyond that is at the dealers discretion but it gives them all the excuses to void it. Typically they need to show a relation between the mod to failure but all depends on the dealer.

*I assume you need to re-calibrate your speedometer after the adjustments, but how about the cruise control/auto headlight functions? And who does that kind of thing, Toyota? And what does that cost?
--
i had my speedo calibrated when i had my tune done for the trans but i never did anything else for auto highs or the radar cruise.
Again if you go the trd kit a new grille is included to relocated the radar sensor lower. I have the heritage style grille on mine and have had 0 issues with any function.

*Are there ways to mathematically work out if it needs to be cut? I really would like to not, mostly just for one more thing to go wrong, and again, I don't know how to do it.
--
Assuming this is in regards to a cab mount chop. At a 285 a uca and good alignment you should not have to do a full cmc. Maybe a touch of fender liner trimming and moulding but nothing major. I ran mine for a year like this with no rubbing on the cab mount.

*Someone please help explain offsetting for me. I get the concept of what it means, but is it just for cosmetics or does it really serve a benefit for a wider base or something? If it's cosmetic, I couldn't care less.
--
Wheel offset is 90% looks 10% uca clearence. The best clearence to look ration on a 285 i would say is a 0. Sits right about flush with the fender and offers ample room to the uca but doesnt push your scrub radius to a point that you need to consider a cmc.

Stupid Ancillary Questions for Those Kind Enough To Still Be Reading:
*What do you do for a jack with a truck at this size? I assume that stock one won't work, but do you have one you all like that fits in the storage area?
--
So far the factory jack has been sufficient for me.

*What other maintenance things should I be concerned about checking for afterward for signs of wear in certain areas?
--
Increasing wheel offset may have a bit more wheel bearing wear but from what I have gathered from others running a -38 long term it's negligible.
Expect to replace your front diff needle bearing sooner than later the lift often causes some weird vibes due to the play in the needle bearing.
Cv boots will wear out faster

Now a few thoughts from my experience modding my truck.

-Anything over 2" lift is to much on stock control arm geometry and shock length. You lose downtravel and articulation.
-If you can handle the additional body roll dropping the sway bar was the best mod for smoothing out fire roads.
-Alignment is more important than lift amount. Find a shop that understands these trucks and how to fit oversized tires.
-Pay attention to the weight of the tire and wheel and try to drop that weight as much as you can.
-say goodbye to your fuel economy ahead of time these trucks get hit really hard when you bump upto a 33.
-If this truck is an auto plan for a trans tune to get some drivability back.

Modding the truck is worth it as long as your ready to accept the trade offs. Our uses sound quite similiar, I don't daily the truck so the drop in economy doesn't bother me but if it was a daily I would reconsider the tire size and just stick to a 265/70 with very little lift upfront if any. I ran the truck on that smaller size for a year and took it alot of places without issue. I would still upgrade suspension though regardless of a lift.

Long winded but it's alot to touch on and I had issues getting some clear answers when I was researching for mine.

 

@Veet-88

Thank you so very much for that response, it was exactly the kind of information I was hoping to get from even one person and I learned so much from it. I appreciate you taking the time to write so much in depth - it helped!

 

I asked the dealer before I left the lot about lift and warranty..She said 3 inch front with 2 in the rear you good..I had the same on my 2001 taco and it took me anywhere I needed...I'm gonna keep the same size tire as the 265 70 is the same as a 32 inch tire...
Unless you plan on heavy duty rock crawling you don't need huge tires

 

I'm enjoying my rough country lift with their vertex 2.5" resi shocks

 

No problem its best to make the as informed decisions as you can so you can hit your goals and buy once cry once.
One thing that isn't mentioned in here if you havnt done it yet good skids should be added on sooner than later. The factory ones are barely splash gaurds.
Few pictures that might help visualize the 265/70 vs 285/70 a bit better.


265 stock sport suspension all around


285 with the lift sitting around 2.25/1.5

 

Just for example, my lift: 2021 TRD Sport DCSWB. I am built out for Overlanding: Bed rack with roof top tent as well as a roof rack with storage cases. So full time I carry some extra 400 lbs. More when packed for camping. I go out about every other weekend and my truck is a daily driver. The lift I purchased is in my garage and I am installing it this weekend. Oh, still on my stock 31" tires even after the lift. When these wear out I will go to 33"s.

Front: Rough Country 3.0 inch M1 coilover/shocks
UCA: JBA Upper Control Arms
Rear Shocks: Rough Country V2 shocks
Rear Leaf Kit: Icon RXT option 3 (should give about 2.25 inches of lift under load)
ECGS Needle bearing replacement bushing
Delete front sway bar
New alignment come Monday morning from a true offroad shop
*** Might need: rear diff drop, driveshaft spacer, 2-3degree shims for rear leaf springs. I will add these individually if needed for vibration remediation.

Total lift related spend is approx. $2,250 -> Saved approx. $900 installing everything myself.

The reasons for the choices I made were mainly cost/benefit of my individual situation. Would I have liked to go full Fox or Icon? Sure, but the cost of these excellent systems was not inline with what I do and how often I do with my truck. I wanted 3 inches of lift since where we go (Mainly in the Southeast some Ozarks) has a lot of water crossings as well as high angle approach and departure areas, not many rocks, average mud and lots of rough forest service gravel roads and pavement in-between different trails. I have extended my diff and transfer breathers for the water crossings. This is just lift related stuff as I have bumpers, winch, recovery gear, sliders, etc...

Other systems considered were: Fox, Eibach, Bilstein, Icon, Deaver and Ironman4x4

Please pick apart as needed for educational purposes.


***** Best purchase so far: Morrfalte TenSix and 4 tire inflation/deflation system!!!! *****

 

Start with tires, sliders and a skid plate. Make sure you have a shovel. You have a 2020 so unless you bought an extended warranty I don't know why you are worrying about a warranty? From what you are saying I would suggest the Eibach 2-3" lift kit. You can buy that for around 800 bucks. Try to find someone in your area that will let you help install this simple lift. If you want to upgrade you still have about 5,000 dollars in your pocket to start with.