Lifting a "higher" mileage truck.. risks?

I would like to get a lift with the new tires thaT I am due for but my truck has a little over 160k on it. I have heard some people warning not to lift higher mileage trucks as it may cause issues. I also saw on another toyota forum that that is only for ford and dodge haha but I thought I would ask to see if any of you had any take on the subject? Will it strain an already "worn" components under the truck? If I would be okay what set up would you recomend? I don't wheel my truck but still like the more aggressive look and yes it has been babied since I got it.

 

What kind of a lift are you thinking about doing?

I never heard of this, but also never looked, so I would be interested in the answer. I lifted a truck with 110k on it (~2.5" with 5100s and eibachs and AAL) but only in the last 2k miles.

 

The risks I would be concerned with when lifting a higher mileage vehicle would be the wear and tear and rust that's been accumulating on the truck. This is a problem doing ANY work on a high mileage or older vehicle. You might end up breaking certain bolts because they won't come off, brake lines can become brittle over time so you need to be extra cautious when removing the brake caliper or moving the lines out of the way. Mechanically, the truck should handle it the lift just fine.

If your driveline is worn, keep in mind that adding larger tires adds more stress. So for a transmission that's already on it's way out, larger tires could just kill it quicker. If everything is still in good condition, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Good time to go through and check for things like worn bushings and ball joints and replace them.

 

If anything its good for it. Essentially you are replacing old worn out parts. Just make sure everything else under the truck looks good and you will be fine.

 

I'm about to lift mine at 275,000 miles...

 

Budget for replacing stock parts. I lifted a 20 year old truck with 200k+ miles on it, ended up replacing a cv axle, tie rods and ball joints.

 

Thanks do it seems like you would all say go for it . What would you guys recommend if I don't wheel my truck? I see there is a giant preference on the spacer vs 5100 debate. But can you justify dropping a grand in parts on a older vehicle that I plan to upgrade in two years? I have the dilemma of wanting to enjoy the lift and tires but don't want to throw money away . Is there a middle ground?

 

What exactly do you have 1st or 2nd gen, 4x4, DC/SC/AC? Do you want 1" - 2" or 3"+ of lift? For a small budget stick to keeping the lift minimal, 1 to 2 inches of lift can look very nice and be relatively cheap. WIth a high mileage truck, you likely want new shocks/struts and the bushings in your current ones are probably worn, so a whole new assembly may make sense to replace the old bushing, get a better ride and get lift. Coils are probably a waste of money if you are going to trade it in soon.

Also keep all your original parts, and swap it back to stock before you sell it, a dealer is going to give you $0 extra for aftermarket stuff like this, so take it off and sell it here seperately.

OBTW - I have some 1" thick spacers for a 2nd Gen if you are interested.

 

1st gen ac and yea if just like the 1 to 2.5 lift and as for trading in I will most likely sell to my little brother

 

Haha the question is what to do... how much to spend... etc lol

 

I don't own a 1st Gen, but I would just go with some 5100s front and back, and an AAL in the rear, and level it out with you stock coils, and be done. If you do the install yourself you should be able to do that for under $500. Alternatively, you can get an AAL, new rear shocks, and a top plate spacer for about $350, but you are adding a crappy riding top plate spacer to likely worn out struts, the ride may be terrible.

Just my .02, sure someone with a 1st gen can point you in the right direction.

 

Well it would be going to family, so its a little different.. I got caught making a few threads on the subject.. I started in suspension and got pointed to first generation by some people in the section where I discovered the question about whether lifting a higher mileage truck was good or not, which brought me back to the suspension thread.. all complicated.

That isnt too bad on price but I also would have to replace some stock components which I don't know what that would cost as well

 

Rust will be your main concern, can turn things into a headache real quick. So if you don't have the right tools or plenty of time I would take that into consideration. Also, the point made about replacing additional parts is true as well, so if this is your only ride you want to plan for that contingency in the event you need to run out for a part. Otherwise, I'd say go for it and it's good to learn the first time on a truck that's a little more beat up

 

Great point man, Yea I like to learn the ins and outs so when I pay more for my new vehicle I wi;ll know what I am doing. .

 

Tell me what to do! Then forge my name do I can't back out!