3" lift w/ 33" tires or 6" lift w/ 35" tires

I'd have to agree. My one friends dad has a Silverado 2500HD with a 6" lift and that thing looks mean. 3" is good for a mid size truck IMO.

 

I'll have to disagree about the 17" max size for serious off road. That's probably true if you're in a 4cyl. I'm not opposed to going with a 17" wheel, I just think the 20" wheels look better. I have plenty of friends with 20" wheels and they no more problems when off-road than my other friends with 16's or even 17's. They mostly have Rubicons however, but I'm even going there lol.

HAHA, I like it when I get honest opinions

 

Db lifts lose clearence on the front diff and end up having the truck lead "chin first" into rocks, and there aren't really any skids that protect them. You also are left with stock (if not a little less) front wheel travel, but your truck is not 6" higher

On top of that, most db lifts come withblocks giant blocks for the rear, which kill leaf packs offroad

With 20s, you leave the wheels without much protection from rocks, and lose the ability for your tires to be aired down for better traction. I've seen 20s break/get seriously damaged offroad.

Just my. 02. There's many guys that run db lifts offroad but I would rather invest in a quality 3.

 

Let's get a few things straight:

- "Extreme" offroad action is not possible with these trucks without a solid-axle conversion. Well-equipped IFS trucks however can handle just about any moderate trail out there.

- 3" lift. If you want 35s or larger, start cutting, but understand the drivetrain has a hard time with anything bigger than 35s. 6" with 35s has less running ground clearance than a 3" with 33s. 3" with 35s is the best of both worlds. 6" lifts also preclude you from running IFS skid plates, which is one of the more major problems they cause.

- Invest in traction aids. Selectable lockers are expensive...they are also mandatory.

- Gears first, supercharger, if you must, later.

 

Listen to this guy ^^

 

im running a stage 2, 6 inch lift on 18's and 33 now. way better then when i was running 35's even trimmed and body mount chopped they still rubbed a little. saving my coin now to buy a nice 3 inch lift.

 

You gotta choose between looks and function here

 

get 3inch lift 33s on 15 inch rims it will look sexy trust me

 

15s do not clear 2nd gen brake calipers. 16s and up.

 

20's would be for looks and give a harsh ride. (do to little side wall correct me if im wrong) 17's are nice and tires are a heck of alot cheaper. im running 18 inch monsters and wish i would've bought 17's

 

oh i have first gen sorry then 16s would be my pick

 

How does engine size have anything to do with wheel diameter?

 

Please allow me to clarify, if I do go with a 6" lift, it won't be done with spacers or brackets (or as cheap as possible). I will probably go with a body lift or possibly a long kit. This lift will be done right. Clearance will not come from just the bigger tires.

I do understand that with 20" wheels, they are very likely to be damaged. I just got some pics from my cousin that has a neighbor with 20" wheels on his Tacoma. The 35" tires almost look like low-profile's, so i'm now leaning towards the 18" or 17" wheels .... I now have to decide on which size tire to go with if I do so. I "think" 35" tires would be a bit much on that size wheel, which is why I am thinking of 33's, I just don't want to rub.

Umm, no to your first point. My 97 Taco did just fine without a solid axle in "extreme" off road. And in "extreme", I mean in places with holes big enough to submerge the whole truck underwater if I were stupid (or ignorant) enough to drive in those area's of the camp. As I stated before, I won't be jumping sand dunes.

If I go with a 3" lift, I only need 33" tires as I do not want to cut any of the fender. But even with 33" tires, I still see people who say they rub, so I may even have to downsize to a 32".

Lockers go on early summer, so that's already in the plan. If you had read my earlier post, it stated gears would be added at the time of the charger.

I just love how this thread has started to deviate from my original question

Do you have any pics of your 18's on 33's?? The pics of the 20" wheels on 35's just don't look right and i'm probably going to go with 17's or 18's now.

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

 

Have you ever driven a vehicle with a 4cyl engine that has 20" wheels??

I have, and it did work out so well for the dumbass that owned it. The wheels looked nice though

 

Drop brackets are the only way to get 6" with a 4x4... Oh, and a body lift is not "doing it right"...

Drop bracket > body lift

 

18's on 33's

 

OP,

People have tried to steer you in the right direction and you are not getting the answers you want.
It sounds like your mind is made up about the wheels so just do what your first intention was and see how it works out

 

You said "extreme offroading". I see now what you meant to say was "mild offroading".

Let's be clear: Extreme offroading isn't defined by what you can drive around.

Again, what does fender trimming matter when you're going to get body damage from offroading? But again, we have a definition problem.

 

You obviously have a limited amount hours lifting vehicles. Drop brackets alone are not the only way to lift a 4x4. And the body lift is just "part" of the lift. Just a body kit by itself would be ... well stupid.

 

2gen tacomas, if you want more than 3.5" and anything approaching a humane ride, you're looking at a drop bracket kit or SAS. Long travel IFS may get you there, but there'd be so little downtravel left it'd be hell to actually use.