Need help with 1st gen 5-lug lift

For long story and background read lower paragraph.

For you people that want bare bones info start under this:
I've been looking around trying to find the Fabtech kits for the first gen 5-lugs and I'm not having any luck. I want the 3.5" coils and UCA and the 3" spindles so I'll have around 6" of lift and will probably run around a 32" tire. Does anybody know where I can find the UCA's and coils? It doesn't seem like anyones even selling them used anymore.

At this point I'm thinking I'll have to go with the Total Chaos Taquito kit which is badass don't get me wrong but its gonna cost me alot more than I wanted to spend.


Background and dilemma: I've had my 04 for about 3 years now and never did anything but slap some spacers in it when i was in high school. The whole college thing isn't working out for me right now so I'm taking some time off and working to figure out what I want to do before I waste more money half-assing my way through school.

Right now I'm working a job that will only allow me to support myself and rent a house with a few friends. I am looking for an entry level position at a good company but nothings materializing right now. I do have a $5500 student loan from a year I spent at Clemson last year that I want to get out from under. I won't be spending any money on the truck until I better job and can make a big enough monthly payment on the student loan to pay it off in 2 years. Any extra money after that will be saved and spent on another vehicle or the truck I have now.

With that being said I want a new vehicle or new to me. Its not practical for me to do so now I'm looking at lifting my truck again. Its a reliable truck and would probably be more practical lifted than anything I would buy. I thought I could piece together a 6" kit used but looks like most of these Fabtech kits are gone. For all of you thinking I'm a dumbass and don't have my priorities straight asking about lifting my truck you're exactly right but please keep reading if you can offer advice about lifting this truck (and life if you feel led to express your opinion).

So now I'm looking at the Total Chaos Taquito kit. I would want to run a spindle along with it to get around 7" of lift total. Total Chaos says the kit gives 4" and the spindle would give me another 3". My problem is I don't know what I would do for the rear. I have a feeling slapping an AAL and a longer shackle along with some decent resi's wouldn't cut it. So I need advice on where to get the Fabtech coils and UCA's (I can find another brand spindle) or what to do about pursuing this Total Chaos kit.

If you read all of this you deserve a medal or something but I appreciate any advice you guys have to offer.

 

Let me preface this by saying, I have little (more like no) experience with 5-lug trucks.

With that being said, why do you want a 6" lift kit just to fit 32s? Is that necessary/the norm for 5-luggers?

Fink

 

No you could clear a 32" tire with less lift than that. I was just saying that was my plan. I'm not trying to clear the biggest tires I possibly can b/c I'm not looking to completely ruin my gas mileage.

The more I think about this the more I think the Total Chaos kit might be overkill for what I want.

I'm not sure if they would sell just the UCA but what if I got a pair of the UCA's from the Taquito kit? I could run longer coils (no clue how to go about figuring out where to get them or what I would need). Then I could run a 3" spindle and that would give me the 6" I want?? That sounds way too simple to be possible.

 

The way I always approach these questions, is to first find out what you use your truck for.

6" of lift is a lot, regardless of what you do.

Anytime I lift a truck, I always go with the smallest lift possible to fit whatever tires I need. The biggest tire I would ever go on a DD is 285s (33s).

With that being said, figure out what you're going to be using your truck for, even if it just looks, and go from there.

Proper planning, even for something as simple as a lift and tires, can go a long way in padding your wallet.

Fink

 

I want to lift the truck and do it right. I put spacers in and found out the hard way they will limit downtravel. I bottom out going over speedbumps. I know the spacers have altered my suspension geometry and I'm trying to at least get my stock travel numbers back. I'm looking for ground clearance and looks honestly. I have no clue how the Total Chaos UCAs are engineered but from what I understand a UCA will bring the suspension back in spec and help with the preloading caused by spacers. I'm not sure if the Total Chaos UCAs are bolt on but it says on their site they require drilling out the spindle for the uniball. My thought was I might be able to make them work along with longer coils and shocks like the 3.5" kit Fabtech used to offer. I could add a spindle lift and get a full 6".

 

I had a set on my 1st gen 5 lug but cant remember who i got them from. Ill do some searching because i know someone sells them still.

 

You mean new or used? I'm interested either way

 

Check this out... $78 more than the fabtech kit but you get coilovers

http://www.doetsch-shocks.com/22.asp

They also have one that's just lift coils that's cheaper than fabtech.

 

Those are the ucas i had on my 02. Thanks mowtaco i couldnt remember the name of them. They work great

 

Awesome!! I knew Doetsch Tech made spindles but hadn't seen that kit before.

 

Only experience I have with them is shocks. They had great customer service and actually called me before shipping to verify the information I provided about my truck. Got the right shocks the first time, which is much more than I can say about the 3 times O'Reilly gave me the wrong ones.

 

the tc uppers are 3.5 over. no way you can run that with stock lowers. cj siebler mich be selling his tc kit if you wanna talk to him

 

and from what ive heard all those lift coils they sell give you a super shitty stiff ride

 

You cant put coilovers in the first gen tacomas unless you get a new coil bucket like total chaos has for there taquito kit. I had a 96 tacoma and knew that suspension in and out. I had the fabtech kit and in ran like shit. If your going to be offroading id say get the taquito kit used somewhere you wont regret it. If your just going for lift and its going to be used for street just put a set of billies in it and a 3" lift spindle

 

+1

 

The other alternative is finding a used downey mid travel kit but that could be hard to come by. It replaces your upper and lowers gives you a custom bilstein shock with a threaded shock body and new coil to allow you to adjust ride height. I had it on my tacoma new it ran me 1200.

 

If you still decide to go with fabtech this dude is selling uppers and coils http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacoma-marketplace/150569-95-5-04-5-lug-fabtech-uca.html

 

X2

 

i read all of it!!

hey if you want i can put your name in at work and if theres and opening might be able to get you it

pm me for mo info if your interested!

 

the coils were cut and uppers have been sold tried that lol