Lift Kit / Tire Question in Light of Fuel Consumption

Hey Guys,

Okay i want to make my tacoma look a little beefier (2003 Tacoma Double Cab TRD, all stock except for Pacesetter Projector Headlights), so i figured lift kit. And bigger tires.

Right now on a full tank of gas i get 400 Kilometers. About 16 MPG highway/city mixed.

I don't offroad, i may consider it later on. But its highly unlikely, w.e changes i do to the truck are going to be strictly cosmetic with the potential of being used at some point and time (but the likelihood of that happening is dim, or very minimal use).

So what sort of lift can i get ? how much will it cost ? how long does installation take ? Could i just add a leaf spring to the back instead of getting a body lift ?

What sorts of lifts are there ?

I am a complete newb when it comes to trucks, this is my first truck. I saved 100 bucks a month for 8 years to buy it lol. Right now i use it to tow stuff around, boats, trailers w.e nothing heavy duty. And i drive it to University and work.

How badly would larger tires and a lift effect my mileage ? I don't drive like most 23 year olds, i drive for MPG not to stay ahead of the pack. Money is tight, so can't be throwing money away racing around.

This is my baby so i want the best for it, without breaking my wallet. Would a used kit be reccomended ? or is it safer and better to justs tick with brand new.

What sort of tires can i get that will give me the type of aggresive/offroady look that i am looking for, without going overboard and having a monster truck (which btw look ugly esp the ones you see crusing around town - maybe they are compensating for a lack of ?).

Anywho, lots of questions and concerns. You guys are the most active Tacoma forum users, and from the amount of posts i would imagine the best and brightest when it comes to DIY rig upgrades.

Thank You All For hearing me out, and hopefully i can decide based on the responses i get.

Afraz

 

read this:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/11282-tacoma-lift-faq-guide-read.html

for your budget, you would probably want to go with 5100's and an AAL. you will also want to go with a 265/75/16 or 265/70/17 tire. depending on the brand and type of the tire, you might see a 1 mpg drop in gas mileage.

 

I lost about 2-4 mpg on my 05 AC prerunner by lifting 2.5" and running 285/60/18s. 18" rims were already on truck when I got it. 16-18mpg. On the 08 RC prerunner with 265/70/16s lifted 1/2" up front I'm getting 22-24mpg. Both are 5 spd 2.7 4 cyl. If mpg is most important and money is tight then I would say do tune-up & maintenance, stay with what you got tirewise & maybe just get wheel spacers to make the stance look better and keep the mpg the same. If you happen to have heavy E load tires then get some lighter C load ones same size and get better mpg. It will be tradeoff no matter what. Better looking = less mpg for the most part. I got rid of skinny heavy E load 245/75/16s on the 08 RC and put wider 265/70/16 C loads on it and the mpg did not change. Tires are wider but lighter.

 

given your questions, i'd say most of what you asked can be answered using the new members section and doing some light reading in the process. your questions are tough to answer when different wheels and tires on different vehicles are going to change all the variables. best of luck with your hunt!

 

x2 on the light reading, but I recommend you do it in the Suspension (rather than New Member) forum.

x2, and this.

 

This sounds like fantastic advice, i have no clue what you are talking about. But where do i get these wider tires that are lighter ?

Also will this affect my towing capacity ? or winter driving ? I seldom tow more then 3000 lbs, my hitch is rated for 5000.

I live in Toronto, so it snows here. Not so much but still, i don't wantt o give up safety for lighter yet wider tires.

Also, these spacers sound awesome. Have the tires out further i would assume, this won;t affect my stock wheel wells if i stick to the original tires but get them in the C w.e it is. Thereby getting the wider look without having to kill myself gas wise.

Also will spacers effect MPG or moreso, safety ? like i said i tow stuff every now and then and i don't want shiz breaking on me.

Finally what sort of spacers can i couple with those wider C class tires you were talking about and be safe yet look good at the same time ?

Thank yoiu everyone for your great advice, i really appreciate it all