Best,Most Cost Effective Front Leveling Lift for 4x4 & P.R. Tacomas w/ TSB Rear Leafs

Nephree · May 1, 2014

Planning to do the same. Great write up OP

TaylorU · May 1, 2014

I'm interested in this too. However, my TSB springs (4 leaf pack) look like shit now but I can't remember how they looked new. They certainly don't have an upward curve, they bow down on the sides towards the engine.

I just measured, and my rear is about 2.25 inches higher than the front.

Lord Helmet · May 3, 2014

Scurvy said: ↑

I have a 2013 DCLB TRD sport with trailer package and my truck came with just the 3 leafs, I put a leer canopy on and now my headlights are no where near adjusted properly, awesome if you like lighting up overhead signs but sucks for seeing stuff on the actual road. Wonder if this is a legit complaint as well for getting that extra leaf put in?
Click to expand...

Are you sure you have 3 leafs? Post up pics because my 2013 DCLB Sport with tow package has 4 leafs and I bought my Tacoma back in Aug 2012.

BTW to OP, awesome right up with pics

doughboy · May 4, 2014

nd4spdbh said: ↑

Also looks like you have a DCSB SR5 w/ tow package, and just so happen to have a TRD off road sticker on there (no fog lights, black rear bumper, plastic black front) This is why you had the "TSB" 4 leaf pack as described above.
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I don't think op claimed to have trd off road package, though when I saw the sticker I kinda thought that was strange. Anyway I also want to find out how much lift you actually got from stock.

anyone know if trd off road 4x4 comes stock with progressive coil?

Dough · May 10, 2014

Thanks for the info on this subject. I have a 2014 TRD off road with the 4 leafs and the OEM Bilstein shocks. For the rear would an upgrade to the 5100 shocks be necessary ? I was also looking at the link for the package deal on this equipment and they say for the 4 leafs to select the TAC-AL-TSB 1.5" add a leafs. Would these only be installed if you wanted to keep close to the factory rake and not level the truck ? Thanks for any info.

Jefes Taco · May 10, 2014

Wow! Exactly what I've been looking for and somehow missed it until today. Thanks for the comprehensive write up.

How's it working out two months later?

fourpointTRD · May 10, 2014

Good to read! Thank you!

triplejjj · May 11, 2014

My truck came with four leafs. I've had a couple of people asked me what kind of lift I had. They were surprised when I told them that's the way it came, even crawled under there to verify it was stock. I just wana level the front to match the back. Nice write up, thanks for taking the time.

TacomaYeti · May 12, 2014

kyleTRDtaco12[OP] initial post: ↑

I finally decided on, and installed a setup to level my 2012 Tacoma DCSB 4x4 after much time-consuming research and decision making. I decided to make a thread in order to aid others interested in properly leveling their 4x4 and Prerunner Tacomas WITH the TSB rear leaf springs in the most effective manner, in function as well as cost. This particular setup is the CLOSEST to mirroring that of the Factory-offered TX-Baja Tacoma as well as the up-incoming TRDpro Tacoma (same factory setups) but WITHOUT the need to spend upwards of $1200 for the parts alone that are offered on the TX-Baja or TRDpro and you will not have to worry about any V.I.N. restrictions. I will now list the required hardware and some of the reasoning i took to achieve this lift:

FRONT SETUP:

Bilstein 5100 Front Shock Absorbers: (SET @ Zero/Base Height): These shocks are nearly the same shocks as offered on the TX-Baja and TRDpro except the Shocks you will buy will (1.) have the ability for the spring cup to be adjusted with a movable snap-ring into four different positions (of which, again, you will be the Stock/Base setting) and (2.) will not have the fancy TRD stickers on the shock.

Toytec/Eibach Front Coil Springs (P/N 112-620): These coils are the same design as the TX-Baja or TRDpro that come from the factory, the only two differences are (1.) they are Silver in color instead of Red, and (2.) they are NOT side specific, meaning that the driver's side spring will NOT compensate for driver's side lean (see next item for further explanation on "TACO-LEAN"). When these coils are paired with Bilstein 5100 shock absorbers, set at the ZERO or BASE setting, they offer an average 1.6 inches of lift (this number will vary only slightly depending on weather you have Regular Cab, Access Cab, or Double Cab; the Larger the Cab, obviously the more weight there will be.) When the Toytec/Eibach coils are compared to the OEM linear coil springs, The Toytec/Eibach springs have approx 1 additional coil winding in height added to them over the stock springs, that additional coil winding is where your lift is coming from. Now, Toyota says with their Factory Setup on the TX-Baja and TRDpro they have gained an average of a 2 inches of front lift. I personally believe that Toyota just rounded up the 1.6 inch number to 2 inches to make their setup "sound better" to potential buyers since it is only the minute amount of 0.4 of an inch difference between the 2 inch and 1.6 inch, plus, saying 2 inches is easier than saying 1.6 inches, but that's open to debate lol.

Toytec Front Top Plate Lean-Correction Spacer 1/4 inch (FOR DRIVER SIDE ONLY) (P/N TP14): This item is needed because, as stated previously, the Toytec/Eibach Springs are not Side-Specific, meaning that both springs are identical in construction where as the Stock springs ARE Side-Specific, the Stock driver's side spring is made a bit beefier in construction than the passenger side spring since their is much more additional weight on the driver's side of the vehicle when compared to the passenger side (driver's side has the Gas Tank, Battery, And the Human in the Driver's seat where as the passenger side has none of these things, that extra weight causes the Tacoma to "Lean" to the driver's side slightly, usually about a 1/2 of an inch lower when compared to the front passenger side.) Since the Toytec/Eibach springs are the same in construction, one is not made beefier than the other, this 1/4 inch spacer is needed on the DRIVER'S SIDE ONLY to help "prop up" the driver's side of the vehicle to cope with the extra weight and make the truck sit as close to evenly from side to side. You may be wondering why The 1/4 spacer provides approximately 1/2 of an inch of lift even though it is a 1/4 inch spacer? Vaguely, it is because of how the trajectory of the Tacoma front suspension is laid out and how it was deigned.. so somehow 1/4 inch = a 1/2 inch of lift at the end. All that matters is that you need to add a 1/2 inch to fix the lean and the 1/4 inch Top Plate Spacer Provides that fix.

REAR SETUP:

*MUST HAVE* REAR TOYOTA TSB LEAF PACK: All TX-Baja's and TRDpro Tacomas have a rear 4-leaf pack. What the TSB leaf is, is basically a Factory Add A Leaf (AAL) that Toyota began adding to people's 4x4 and Prerunner Tacomas who complained of weak rear leafs resulting in lower than normal rear ride height. Back when 2nd gen 4x4 and Prerunner Tacoma's first came out there was only three leafs per leaf pack, the leaf packs would age prematurely and Toyota came up with the solution of installing one more leaf the each side (the TSB), making for a total of four leafs per pack. This "Overload TSB AAL" would then add approximately 1.5 inches of additional ride height to the rear of the truck. If you do not have the TSB rear leafs installed (usually on years older than 2012, because 2012 was the first year the TSB leafs became Standard Issue on 4x4 and Prerunner Tacomas) if you perform the Front Setup as described earlier without having the TSB leafs installed your front end will sit too high when compaired to back and your truck will have a "Bro Lean" going on lol. If you do not have the TSB leafs and want to have this setup i've been describing you can go down to your local Toyota dealer and request to have the TSB leafs installed free of charge to you. (If you're still in your warrantee period, otherwise you must check with your Toyota dealer for pricing)

Bilstein 5100 Rear Shock Absorbers: These shocks are nearly the same shocks as offered on the TX-Baja and TRDpro except the Shocks you will buy will (1.) They will not have the Remote Reservoir like the TX-Baja or TRDpro Tacomas would have (BUT you could opt for a Bilstein 5160 rear shocks which is the same as the 5100 rear shock but it DOES have the Remote Reservoir just like the TX-Baja or TRDpro, my reasoning for not getting the 5160's is because A.) they were an extra $200.00 over normal Bilstein 5100's and B.) the fluid in the Remote Reservoir does need to be changed every now and again for optimum shock life and performance, and i did not want to be bothered with changing it lol) and (2.) will not have the fancy TRD stickers on the shock.

My Final Numbers After Leveling Lift (all tires had same 34psi of air in them and I had a 1/2 Tank of Gas; all measured on level ground from the ground to top of the wheel arch):

Front Driver's Side: 36.5 inches
Front Passenger's Side: 36.5 inches
Rear Driver's Side: 36.75 inches
Rear Passenger's Side: 36.75 inches

Rake from front to back was only 0.25 inches off, with the rear sitting 0.25 inches higher, id consider that pretty dead level lol

*Side notes, alignment came out normal... had it alignmed at my local Toyota Dealer, and no new upper control arms were needed or used and no front differential drop was needed or used.

*Attached pictures are images of my truck taken right after it was aligned at the Toyota dealer and after i drove to my local shopping mall, the mall was NOT where i took my measurements*

-Total Spent on Parts was approx: $600.00 plus $130.00 for alignment @ Toyota Dealer

Any questions, plz dont hesitate to ask
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i have a 2003 double cab v6 trd and want to do the same thing as you are, would the rear leafs you recommend still fit on my truck or could i go a different route

triplejjj · May 13, 2014

How much lift did it give you?

triplejjj · May 13, 2014

Never mind, I see it now.

xguntherc · May 13, 2014

How do I tell where my 5100s are set at?

triplejjj · May 13, 2014

xguntherc said: ↑

How do I tell where my 5100s are set at?
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBpLKyaG9BE

triplejjj · May 13, 2014

I just measured mine. Rear is 37 front is 35. Thats from the ground to top of wheel arch.
My tires are 30.5 high. It's stock at least for now.

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