Need a little help with suspension mods on 2000 Tacoma 3.4L V6

Been around a while and have done a ton of reading which has helped me a lot. So, for all of your help, I thank you, but I still have some cloudy areas with my current suspension project. Even though I’ve read a ton about suspension and lifts on this site I need some clarification and help on deciding how, and how much, to lift my truck.

Current info is:

• 2000 Tacoma 4wd ext. cab, 3.4L V6 and 5spd. Man. Trans. w/stock suspension and 81,000 miles
• Has canopy on bed
• Just recently installed ARB bumper and Warn XD9000 Winch
• Stock suspension all around
• Installation of bumper and winch lowered front end 5/8” from stock ride height
• I’m not going to see how deep a mud hole I can go through our how deep a river I can cross and I’m not going to be getting any “air”. This is a daily driver and my hunting rig. I don’t haul much in the way of heavy loads and I don’t tow anything
• It came stock with 31x10.50x15 tires and they rubbed under full lock on the pinch weld with stock wheels
• I changed to 30x9.50x15 tires on some wheels with more offset I had left over from my 1995 Tacoma 4wd so I could chain up during hunting in deep snow and that is the size I run year round now even though they will also rub on the pinch weld area under full lock and some flex.

I’m wanting to get back to running some 31x10.50x15s and thus I need to raise the front end and will also do the back end to keep it reasonably level. I actually prefer the rear to be a little higher than the front.

My thought is to go with Bilsteins up front and possibly some OME or similar coils along with the Bilsteins and probably just use some 2” shackles in the rear. I’ll probably do the rear springs a little later but for now am thinking just shackles. I know this isn’t the big buck lift some of you do but I’m not looking to do any “extreme rock crawling” and don’t have an unlimited budget.

If I lost 5/8” up front by the bumper and winch installation, will Bilsteins and some coils get me about 2.5”-3” lift up from my current ride height and should I be looking at a spacer kit for the front diff and also for the rear hanger bearing? I don’t want any problems with vibration and don’t want to put unnecessary strain on the cv joints and driveline.

I’ve probably neglected something but hope this gives you a good idea of where I am and where I want to go. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

i had similar needs for my old 2000 tacoma. had a heavy bumper (no winch though). went with bilstein 5100s set at 0" and eibach coils and lightracing UCAs in the front and bilstein 5100s and the toytec AAL in the rear. I didn't need a diff drop, but I did add a beefedtaco driveline drop bracket. Running 31x10.5r15 BFG all terrains. Very much liked it.

 

I have a 2000 extra cab with arb bull bar and winch
Installed ome suspension in front and rear
Then wanted more lift up front so instlalled spacers over the shocks (should have installed stonger springs)
The did a diff drop,
And now wanting to lift the back by adding longer shackles

 

Call Wheelers Offroad and get a full OME kit. It will run u about 1k and ask for Dan. I run it with 882 springs and Dakars and love it.

 

My buddy bought your rig!

 

haha awesome! it was a great truck... i miss it now that i've sold my tundra and gone back to a tacoma.

 

OP:

i would just get some OME coils. You won't want the 3'' lift the Eibach give you and you don't need that much lift at all for 31s.

 

im actually running your 5100's and eibach springs on my truck now

 

You'd be way better off to do an AAL than getting shackles, especially with a shell , firm up the rear with springs

 

Hey man I dont have a winch or different front bumper but I lifted my 03 with Toytec coilovers with the Bilsteins inside of that. I put 2" shackles in ther rear. I got my stuff from Toyteclifts.com. Cost me about $900ish.
This is what it looked like after. Keeping in mind I didnt adjust the Bilsteins in the front, this is how they came out of the box.

 

Thanks for all of the info and help guys. After looking and reading till I'm cross-eyed I'm thinking I'll go with an OME full suspension set from ToyTec with the rear AAL and 882 coils up front.

I know that I don't need the full lift height but I want to run 31s and have to be able to chain up so the diameter of the 31s when chained up will be similar to 33s.

 

Just go big, and roll 35's!



Ha ha! Just playin, OP... my truck isn't for everyone. It's YOUR truck, so do what YOU wanna do to make it look how YOU want it to! That's MY opinion! Don't ask... that's what causes all of us to look the same! Whatever you do, do it proud!

 

have been thinking on the diff drop. how does the diff go down without hitting the motor mount crossmember? i looked but cant see how it would fit. please help thanks

 

I have the same bumper and a warn 8000lb winch and this is how my truck sits with 5100's and eibach coils. The tires are 265/75's which are a similar size to 31x10.50's. I also have full skids which probably weighs the front down a little more too.

 

Really? I've never had that problem.

 

I've got it pretty much all done except for the diff drop kit which will go on in the morning.

Before lift with old tires:



After lift with new tires installed. In both of these pics the truck is sitting on an incline with the front end higher than the rear.

 

Badass dude! What did you end up doing? Those toyos are the tits BTW What size are they?

 

I went with a ToyTec OME-9504TAC Suspension/lift w/882 coils and the rear AAL. The tires are Toyo Open Country 31x10.50x15s. I went with this size instead of 33s so that I could chain up all 4 this winter without any clearance problems up front.

 

That looks really good. Did you measure hub center to fender before and after? Just curious how much lift you gained.

 

I measured before and after. I expected to get 3" in the front and 2" in the rear but I actually ended up with just under 4" in the front and just under 3" in the rear. I'll run then a week or so and see if they settle any.