Getting my first Tacoma and have a question

I am purchasing an older (2005) Tacoma and it has a spacer in the front end. From the pictures I am thinking I might need to lift it a little more to fit the rubber I want under it. Also I am interested in having the most comfort in my ride as well. I am looking for best option for comfort and ride quality in a 3" lift.

I have read numerous threads and to be honest it's a little overwhelming. What I think I want to do is buy new coils with no spacers. Wondering what is the best options to not break the bank and keep a nice ride quality. The person I am buying the truck from has the 2.5" spacer in should I assume he has changed the UCA?

I know this question gets asked a lot on here. I was reading through quite a few posts. What I couldn't quite figure out is if I have to buy a whole lift kit or can I just buy the new coil? And is that the best route to take.

Thanks in advance and I'm looking forward to building my new (used) toy up with the help from this forum.

 

NOTHING will ride better than stock.....off-road suspension is made to be driven hard off-road. That being said there's a compromise in how it feels on road, stiffer and can feel just about everything in the road surface.
Spacers and cheaper lifts accomplish only "lifting" the truck and the stiffness will be much more noticale than a true coilover suspension. Aftermarket UCA's are typically needed around the 3" area (I was able to pull off good alignment at 2.5") however, the built in caster they provide makes the truck handle MUCH smoother. The top brands that are proven to ride the best are Icon, Fox and King. They're expensive relative to other "lifts" out there but you won't be bothered with a shifty ride after spending 15+k on a truck. Keep your eyes out for holiday deals or free shipping to save $. Good companies to order from are SDHQ, DownSouth and AllPro just to name a few.

 

I forgot to add that I will be using this truck for off road mainly. I have a daily driving truck and buying this strictly for driving in the BC back country. I will be driving on the highways to get there but will be on logging roads and some rough trails.

Thanks for the info. I will most likely be looking for a coil over lift and I would like the ride to be as good as it can with the lift so I most likely will want the UCA as well.

 

I'm down for some BC back country roads.

 

I highly doubt it. Most people who opt for spacers are looking for the cheap way to lift. The alignment specs will probably be piss poor.

 

Is your truck 2or 4 wheel drive?

 

If it's mainly for off roading purposes you have a ton of options, all of which depend on your budget. So, what is your budget? Also, I'd bet there is a very low chance the previous owner got aftermarket UCAs for a spacer lift.

 

An Old Man Emu lift with aftermarket UCAs would suit you well.

 

OME is out bro.....couldn't drive over 10-15mph on rough roads in my buddy's truck, Toytecs weren't up for it either. With my icons I can do the same road at 30+ and the truck is as stable as being on the freeway. Won't shake the teeth out if your head either.

 

Your opinion is very uninformed. There is not much 30 MPH off-roading in the Rocky Mountains. I'm sure the high-end rebuildable coilovers ride nice, but outside of the arid Southwest their durability sucks. OME lifts are tougher than they need to be for recreational off-roading, that might be why they are used throughout the world.

 

Regardless of the terrain a larger 2.5" coilover will perform 10x better than an emulsion shock and a coil spring wrapped around it. For slow speed crawling you can get away with about anything. Trust me, there's as much crawling/technical trails out here as there is high speed stuff you can run like a freeway. Plus extended travel coilivers and UCA's give you more droop for those crawling situations. To each their own I'm just giving MY experience as I've had 3 different suspension set ups and been in trucks with them as well. Come on man, this is the #1 discussion on TW! LOL

 

2.5 coilovers are only durable in the arid southwest??

 

I won't be just crawling around the back country. Sometimes I will be traveling an hour or two on the highway to get to the back country. Also I have a fishing boat I might pull from time to time with it.

So I guess what I'm trying to get is to keep a decent ride on the highway and softer ride in the back country. Will allow me to crawl around some crappy trails and not be too stiff.

I have a 93 4Runner and I find the suspension very soft and it's seems to be very accommodating for the back country. When driving around corners it leans pretty hard. But works great in the back country. I don't drive the 4Runner on the highway at all. That's why I'm buying Tacoma and selling the runner.

 

My budget isn't super high. I am buying the Tacoma before I sell the 4 runner.

I'm in BC Canada so my options are a little more limited.

 

If I was to go with Coilovers (Bilstien 5100 adjustable) would I be correct assuming at 3" lift I would be stiffening the front end quite a bit?

I'm pushing to get some new coil overs instead of the spacer. Hoping to get a softer or smoother ride.

Let me know if I am reading all these suspension threads properly.