Review of my lift while waiting for turkey

While I'm home for the holidays and waiting for the turkey to get done I figured I might as well escape a little overwhelming "family time" and write a quick review on my lift which finally got sorted out yesterday just before the 500 mile road trip home.

This review will be more for guys who want a basic reliable lift and are looking for some detailed information. If you live in so-cal and bomb the deserts, no need to waste your time reading this.
The issue I ran into while looking for specific details on components was that there were too many reviews either saying "this lift kit was garbage" or "this kit was nice". Hopefully my experience will save guys some time and answer some questions while they're searching for the right combination of parts.

My original plan was to go all out with a high end coil over, which left me disappointed after the install. My current setup is Toytec assembled coil overs, Desert Products Upper Control Arms, Allpro standard 3" leaf pack and rear bilstien 5100 RCD EXTENDED shocks. I recently took off Radflo 2.0 extended coil overs which rode extremely rough at a setting of just 2" of lift. These shocks seemed to have far too little dampening and rebound at such a small amount of lift. They also made severe rattle and clunk noises which I attribute to low nitrogen out of the box. First of all, radflo customer service is excellent and I know they make many great shocks for many different models of SUVs and trucks, however they just did not seem to work for my Tacoma very well. One major issue with the radflo coil overs for me was that they use a self sealing rubber valve which requires a nitrogen needle just to check the pressure and to refill the nitrogen charge. The vast majority of auto shops do not carry a nitrogen needle, however most motor cycle shops do carry this to service their shocks. The problem is most motorcycle shops will not service your coil over unless it's removed from the truck. If you do choose to run a higher end coil over, save some headaches and choose one with a schrader valve.
Now, what made me purchase the toytec coils was the fact that they are so similar to a set of all-pro coil overs which I had run for years with absolutely no issues. They stood up to midwest salt extremely well! Obviously the toytec coil over is simply an eibach spring set on the bilstein 5100 shock with a threaded sleeve and a toytec proprietary top hat. But this simple design works! It is warrantied, maintenance-free, the rubber bushings will out last steel heim joints, the spring which toytec has chosen is a 16 inch 600 pound rate spring versus the 14 inch spring most other coil overs use, making for a pretty mild ride. This is the key for me, I was able to get 3" of front lift with these coilovers without experiencing a rough, jarring ride. The bilsteins do a good job of soaking up bumps and give a firmer planted feel. (not running a sway bar either). Again, the design is not technically advanced but it will stand up to abuse. The toytecs are headache free, comfortable, QUIET, and bullet proof. The only significant issue I have run into is adjusting height; having to use two spanner wrenches is a PITA especially with the collar at the bottom of the shock and little working room around the tie rod/wheel. Toytec should just cut threads into the shock body itself.
The DSM uniball control arms are an excellent design which clears the tires extremely well, allows for near-perfect alignment, and noticeably increases travel. I believe they also use a stainless steel 1 inch ball whereas some other products use a chrome component which will rust, especially for you guys living in salt belts.
Moving on to the rear, the Allpro leafs flex more on the trail than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. On the road they are firm yet comfortable. The bilstein shocks in the rear may be a little stiff for the springs, so a custom valved icon may work better in the future. When ordering the shackle kit with the springs make sure to specify If you are reusing stock bump stops so they send you the correct top plates with predrilled holes. I also installed the stainless steel rear brake lines, however even when stuffing the wheels into the fender wells the brake lines did not seem to run out of slack. Over all this truck as a whole feels comfortable on the road and capable off road.

Again, customer service from radflo, down south motorsports, all-pro, and toytec were all excellent, especially when helping to rectify product issues. Hopefully this simple write up helps when guys are searching the forums for real world answers. Happy thanksgiving.

 

I understand getting away from the family stuff too which is why I'm hiding on the computer.

Sounds like a nice set up... Now Pictures!!

 

Was sent the wrong top plates so I found some thick steel for a quick fix until the new ones get in. This is surprisingly strong

 

Very nice!

 

looks great

 

I'm torn between the Dakar and standard all pro leaf pack. Also will the wheelers super bumps work with that ubolt flip kit? I thought I would def need taller bump stops cuz I also am going to run the longer RCD rear 5100s but it looks like you running the stockers is fine.

Thanks for the review.

 

If its the wheelers bumps that come with stock type mounting hardware then all you have to do is drill a couple 1/4" holes in the wheelers bracket and it will bolt to the Allpro top plate...after you measure and mark the holes perfectly of course. Research shows your stock bumps will also suffice, especially if you raise them up like mine that plate I used is bolted down tight on top of the top plate bolts.

 

Very good detailed review

 

Ok thanks.......appreciate the info. I may just skip the superbumps if the stockers will suffice. I can always add them down the line.