Adequate 3” Inch Suspension Lift

I’ve really been itching to get rid of the mediocre rough country spacer block kit on my truck.

I have Mastercraft MXT LT 285/70/R17s which rub significantly, but I do like em.


Reason I want a 3 inch full suspension lift kit is, I do like the look I have , but want some go with that look too. Form & Function.

Had a 2014 Base 4x4 V6 with a Rough Country 4” about 8 years ago, but OEM 31” tires and it was too brief to well remember (April 2015 to April 2016).



Don’t remember it being dismal and did long road trips with no issues. However, seeing horror stories about Tacos with 4-6 inch lifts being used off the pavement, I’m trying to keep below that range.

Current suspension setup just sucks tbh. I had an awkward experience, where I was trying to get out of this desert spot, very paranoid I was going to sink into some soft sand from moving too slow and risk burning the clutch trying to stay free.



Ended up bending my driverside stock Bilstein 4600, because one of the 3 previous owners was a dumbass who put on those RC spacers.

Proper articulation is likely compromised more than stock TRDs I’d figure, so I haven’t been off-roading since 9/16 to not risk damaging anything out there again.

I want a decent 3 inch lift kit that takes care of moderate off roading in that given environment.

I am not sure what to look for, because everything seems to point to the third GEN and although they’re similar, I’m not taking any chances.

Thought about Bilstein 6112s, 5100s and even some stuff from Icon & OME, but can’t figure out which best meets my needs. Even open to a comprehensive RC suspension lift.

Just want to keep it where it is height wise in terms of form, while adding more “function” with better room for travel and not just wannabe looks that will destroy it off the beaten path.

I’m actually not 100% sure about what kind of spacer lift I have on this truck in the first place. It only has a Rough Country warning label like my old truck with their 4 inch, but definitely not a suspension setup as I have stock bilsteins for all 4 wheels.

 

I have a 2015 TRD Sport. 2 1/2” Old Man Emu with Toyo Open country 285/70-17s. I like the stance and the ride.

 

There is definitely a lot of great options depending on your budget.

One thing to keep in mind is that lift height will not affect if the tires rub or not. The wheel will travel in the same path, what will change is how much up or down travel you have. Generally you want at most 75% up travel and 25% down travel. I’d go 2.5” lift to keep the down travel in check.

Adjustable coil overs are a good choice if you have the budget. I highly recommend Accutune as they custom valve their coilovers for the Tacoma and have great customer service.

OME BP51 kit is a good option if you are looking for adjustable compression and rebound. I found this is a good option if you want to mess around with adjusters. These also have an internal bypass. This is the best direct (OEM) fit kit in my option. It really is all you need in one package.

I’d say the bilstein 6112 kit is a great budget option (best bang for your buck) but rides a little firmer on road than the adjustable coilovers. I ran a 3 leaf AAL with the 5160 rears and it served me well for a while.

I have personally tried all the above suspension options except king. Really can’t go wrong.

 

Even though you have a much longer wheelbase compared to me, looks great.

I’m not even sure what lift is currently, OME seems like a good place to start.

Really great advice, thanks for sharing. I had that one open and saw this kit before I made this post.


Due to seeing some others, my indecisiveness made me ask here which was best.

I think budget wise,I gotta wait and plan more, as my budget was under $2000. The place I was gonna go locally closed down became Total Offroad & More, so it means I won’t be going off-roading until I replace that stupid spacer block setup.