I Have A Budget!

The boss lady approved a budget! I have $2500 to spend and I have NO CLUE where to start. I've been doing a lot of reading and studying and I think I need the 5100's for the front? And maybe the AAL's for the rear?

I guess I'm going for a 2-3" overall lift/level and some wheels and tires. I have stock 245/75/616's and the stock rims. I'm counting 3 springs in the back. I'd like some black/blackandchrome rims that are a little wider for a more aggressive stance. I think that's a negative offset correct?

I just don't want to ruin my new truck with cheap crap, nor over do it. I'm not a SERIOUS off roader, just your typical Arkansas Hunter.

Any suggestions!?!?

 

I was going to say go with a full OME setup but since you mention you're not a serious off-roader than you're plan should be fine. Since you're replacing your front shocks you might as well replace your rear shocks as well. Don't forget UCA as well. Built right and Light Racing has decent price on their UCA.

Good luck and x2 on a bumper! Tube bumper maybe? They tend to be cheaper.

 

Welcome to TW from Sparks, NV.
Don't think you are going to get all you want for $2500. You might have to skip the wheels for now you can always upgrade those later.
Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10

A $130 tire with 50K warranty and good reviews.
Total "Out the Door"Price $636.79

From Toy Tech Plus shipping Plus install if you can't do your self
OME Suspension lift kit
Price per Unit (Kit): $734.99

3" lift kit with Bilstein 5100 Height adjustable Coilovers
Price per Unit (Kit): $859.99

Ultimate lift kit for 2005 & UP Tacoma
Price per Unit (Kit): $1 149.99
Leaves $ 600 to $1000 For wheels if you can install lift yourself.

 

Do I need ALL 3 of those Toy Tech items? The OME, the 5100's and the Ultimate?

 

No those are three good choices that all come with an add a leaf for rear. If you want a replacement leaf pack for better load capacity and ride I think it's around $440 more.

 

Based on your projected usage and your budget, 2500 will do it, but you need to be frugal, and figure on doing the install yourself.

That's OK - a DIY is better anyway. No finger pointing if/when things go wrong - you know who did it, and you know who's going to need to fix it.

The majority of the money will go to new wheels and tires. 285/75R16 is a good choice. Pick any good AT tire according to your taste. If you can't make up your mind, BFG AT/TA KO is a well proven good looking tire.

For a silver truck with black fenders, I personally like American Outlaw Buckshot rims that you don't see on a lot of trucks:

But there are about 20 gazillion choices.

For the lift, you'll want 4 5100s, (set at 2.5" in the front) and a 2" add-a-leaf spring for the rear.

You'll want Light-Racing upper control arms so you can get your truck back to aligned.

You'll remove your mudflaps, trim plastic in the front wheelwell, and (almost certainly) chop your cab mount with a grinder, then box it in with a welder.

Provide all your own labor, choose an inexpensive rim, shop around for a deal on tires and components ("downsouth motorsports") live in a state with low sales tax, and you'll total up somewhere right around 2500. Let us know how it turns out.

 

haha youre the man dude

 

Sweet! I'll probably skip the gring/welding part. Hopefully I won't need to with a 265 as opposed to a 285? I can't get it realigned wihout the uca?

 

The short answer is: it's iffy. The higher you go, the more your caster is thrown off.

Lots of members go with "Chris4x4"s recommendation to run 0 degrees Camber in order to get more caster. At zero camber, you *may* be able to get between 1.5 and 2 degrees of caster. Certainly not all members with 5100s set at 2.5 have replaced their upper control arms.

Caster doesn't affect tire wear, only how the truck feels. After six months driving with no caster, I swapped out my UCAs to get some caster back.

You can try it if you want. Worst case, you don't like the way it drives and you go back later like I did, install the UCAs as a second step, and have your truck realigned. It just means an extra weekend and a second trip to the alignment shop.

You're much less likely to encounter tire rubbing if you decide to run a 32x10.5" 265/75R16 tire instead of a 285/75R16 33x11.5" tire. That would pretty much obviate the need for a cab mount chop though you're still likely to need to trim some plastic and remove mudflaps. Depends on how you feel about occasional tire rubbing. Personally, I *hate* rubbing.

 

After much research on TW and many TW members opinions I decided on Old Man Emu. Many members started with 5100s and switched to OME. Many members started with an add a leaf and switched to a leaf pack. I like you only wanted to do one lift and do it right. I decided on OME with Dakar leaf pack and got lucky that a local TW’er was returning his Taco to stock. I got a great deal from him so I didn’t have to wait till next spring to get my lift. He had tried three different suspensions on his ’09 (including 5100s and an AAL) before he got OME with Dakar leaf pack. Did I get exactly what I wanted yes and no. The yes part is 3” lift with a better than stock ride both on & off road. The no part is 5100s on the rear. But like he told me “I would have swapped out the rear 5100s on the rear for OMEs but I couldn’t see spending extra for them since it rides so great as is”. I agree it rides great. I didn’t get his UCAs because I didn’thave the extra cash for them and I could always get them later if needed. I got it up to 85 on the freeway today and it drove fine.

Bjmoose says to go with 5100s set at 2.5 and an add a leaf. This will give you a stiffer than stock ride and would be OK if you had to lift your Taco now but were planning on upgrading it later. What does Bjmoose have on his Taco? OME withDakar leaf pack. He even did a good write up on how to install it.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/su...talls-full-ome-kit-rear-brake-lines-pics.html
Not exactly how we did it but it looks good. The guy I got mine from has probably done it over two dozen times. Hell last week He did 5 lifts. On Tuesday I watched and helped him and another TW member install a lift. Then on Friday we lifted mine and returned his to TRD stock. We each did our own fronts and worked together on the rears. Those Dakars are heavy. Two suspension jobs in less than 4 hours.

1 x
$1 200.99
Front coil options: Med 885 coils
Top plate spacers: No top plate spacers
Rear Options: Complete rear OME CS047R springs with U bolts (+ $469.00)
Front Diff drop kit: No diff drop kit (2WD) (- $29.00)
Add Rear shock stone guards (Pair): Yes (+ $26.00)
1 Product $1 140.94 After TW Discount http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/toytec-lifts/95119-toytec-tacoma-world-discount-code.html
Shipping: $45.33
Total $1186.27
Tires $636.79 Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10 265/75/16
Total $1823.06
Money left for Wheels $ 676.94

If I were you I would do the lift right and ether save up some more for the wheels or go over budget and get them. My tires and wheels are at the bottom of my to do list. I'm getting sliders and skids next. But I'm a trail running off roader.

http://youtu.be/KRCYab6Zz7M

 

Ha ha. I think I've been busted.

But seriously, the reason I recommended the way I did is based on the OP's criteria of

1. Budget

2. Street ride.

3. Allocating money to UCAs

Say what you will about OME having a plush ride, up front those 885 springs are *stiff* and are trading superior off-road performance for "firmer" on road performance. The softer spring rate of the factory springs wins in town and on the highway, unless you live in "Pothole Central" or you already have the TRD offroad "progressive" springs, which OP does not.


The tipping point comes when the road becomes rough enough that the stock springs on 5100s start hitting the bumpstops. At that point, the increased travel and firmer spring rate of the 885s takes over and the OME win begins.

Now, I haven't ridden in an "Add A Leaf" equipped truck. It's possible that AAL loses _both_ on the street and off road to replacment leaf pack.

Finally, it didn't take me long to decide I didn't like the "twitchy" feel of driving a truck without any caster dialed into the alignment. So for folks adopting 885s, I'm going to continue to recommend installing Upper-Control-Arms.

If the OP wants the OME ride, as you suggest, and is going to run the 265-75R16 tires, he should consider 884 springs which sit a little lower and will allow the truck to be aligned to factory specs without requiring replacement upper control arms.

 

good to see the members helping out!!

and just so you know upper control arms arent a MUST. you might want them but you dont need them. im a little over 3 inches in the front on stock ucas

 

Good point 884s & 885s have the same spring rate. 885s are just a little longer.

 

Thanks so much for the posts! I think I've gotten the help I need. I think I'm going with the following.

Bilstein Adjustable lift kit with 5100 shocks

Price per Unit (Kit): $629.99
Number Kits in packaging:1
Number Kits in box:1
Light Racing Upper Control Arms (05 & UP Tacoma)

Price per Unit (Set): $449.99

That's 1079 or so before tax and shipping. I'll probably just run the stock rims for now and just get some BF Goodrich All Terrains TA/KO's for for around 800 bucks or so.

I'm confused about the UCA's....I'll need them correct?

 

That question is highly debatable. Some say yes, some say no, and some say maybe. I went with the maybe put an my lift got alignment then drove it. Got it up to 85mph and it felt fine so for me not at this time. I will revisit this question after I get new tires and/or wheels. Read at least the first post of this and decide. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/11282-tacoma-lift-faq-guide-read.html

Don't forget the TW discount. Most vendors offer a TW discount.

Don't forget to post some before and after pics when you are done.

 

I don't disagree with that. Some members are happy without them. I was not. But perhaps the lesson is go ahead and try it first without, then go back and add them later if you're not happy with Caster. Yes, that's more install work. That's OK. You shouldn't be lifting (or doing _any_ modification for that matter) if you don't like tinkering.

The final thing I'll add on this thread is that using adjustable UCAs is like handing "more than enough rope" to your alignment technician. They get all the adjustments they previously had - plus two more on the upper control arm. So you need a tech who know what they're doing or they'll leave the adjustments on the upper alone (because they're not factory, and the tech doesn't know what to do with them) and dial in everything using the factory eccentrics, possibly leaving the wheel too far back aft in the wheelwell and leaving you with more rubbing issues than you deserve.

If you search on this site, especially posts by "PRS 2 TiFJ" and some by myself, you'll get an idea on how Light-Racing upper control arms need to be adjusted.

 

Lots of folks are very happy with that.