1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Front tires angled strange after 3" lift

Discussion in 'Wheels & Tires' started by srb4x4, Dec 30, 2015.

  1. Dec 30, 2015 at 9:44 PM
    #1
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    i recently put a 3 inch leveling kit on my truck and I'm wondering now why the bottom of my front tires stick out farther than the top. I need the tires balanced and rotated and I really need new tires cause my MT's only have like 20% tread left and they're worn uneven plus I haven't got it aligned yet. can they be the problem?
     
  2. Dec 30, 2015 at 9:48 PM
    #2
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
    You should always get an alignment after suspension adjustment. Adding 3" is a MAJOR change to the suspension geometry. Sounds like you have too much negative camber...
     
  3. Dec 30, 2015 at 9:49 PM
    #3
    LogCabins

    LogCabins Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2014
    Member:
    #128878
    Messages:
    2,310
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Robert
    Oahu
    Vehicle:
    99 SR5 3.4L 4WD
    ^^^^
    What he said.....definitely alignment
     
    BudMan likes this.
  4. Dec 30, 2015 at 9:49 PM
    #4
    00yotasr5

    00yotasr5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2011
    Member:
    #50676
    Messages:
    970
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    lee
    merced, ca
    Vehicle:
    00 SR5 4X4 RED DEVIL
    Icon ext travel expo leafs rear billies 5125 10'' travel bamf bpv relocate Brute Force Fab Sliders allpro ss brake lines f/r LR UCA 22in wetokled bar RAT Products ifs skid ARB rear locker Ultra gauge Redline Hood Struts Blue Sea Fuse box smittybilt xrc 9.5 w/TJM synthetic rope trail-gear rock assault low profile bumper LED bed strip 12v/usb charger in truck bed
    anything over 2.5 inches of lift requires after market upper control arms to get your alignment back to spec. With your specs, ideally you want camber:0, toe:0 caster 2.5-3.0 but remember, without aftermarket uca you can not achieve these numbers.
     
  5. Dec 30, 2015 at 10:53 PM
    #5
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    so should I just take the 3 inches off?
     
  6. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:19 PM
    #6
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
    The higher you lift the more you lose caster. Aftermarket UCA add caster back. Caster is the angle from the top of the suspension to the center line of the tire. Positive caster leads to better straight line tracking. Ever taken your hands off the handlebars of a bicycle and rode in a straight line? That's because of positive caster. Try that with the handlebars backwards.... Low caster may feel a bit squirrelly, like a shopping cart front tire wiggling (extreme example of low caster)

    Stock UCA should be capable of positive caster with a 3" lift but will be low (1.5 or less). It all depends on your ride preference and what you're wiliing to sacrifice for lift height. Respectfully, spacers aren't synonomous with quality. You have drastically lessened your suspension travel (droop) to achieve that lift with a spacer...

    Again it comes back to your preference of ride height vs how YOU like the ride quality
     
  7. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:25 PM
    #7
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    will it mess anything up with stock uca's and 3 inch spacer lift?
     
  8. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:31 PM
    #8
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
    It'll drive down the road. You will not have much suspension down travel and will have low caster. Should be fine on road. Risk breaking the strut off road.
     
  9. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:34 PM
    #9
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    if I take the 3 inch spacers off and go get it aligned will my tires still be angled in?
     
  10. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:36 PM
    #10
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
    Imagine lifting your truck by the frame and looking at the tire and wheels droop on the suspension. That's now where your tires are driving down the road...

    Bilstein 5100 would be the next step up, then Toytec/eibach/OME, then icon fox king etc...
     
  11. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:38 PM
    #11
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
    Not if its a good alignment... Stock height no problem

    If you want to keep the spacers you need to have it aligned with the spacers. Numbers vary
     
  12. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:44 PM
    #12
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    I think I'm just gonna take the spacers off an get it realigned then sell the spacers cause I don't like the way it looks anyways. If I buy a full rough country leveling/ lift kit with the spacers to level the front 2.5 inches and raise the rear with new shocks and shackles 1.5 inches will everything go smoothly if I get it aligned after that?
     
  13. Dec 30, 2015 at 11:52 PM
    #13
    BudMan

    BudMan knee scooters R us

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Member:
    #96465
    Messages:
    5,605
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bret
    Alameda, CA, (Bay Area)
    Vehicle:
    06 TRD Sport DC 4x4
    stuff
  14. Dec 31, 2015 at 3:42 PM
    #14
    srb4x4

    srb4x4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Member:
    #172959
    Messages:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Riley
    Vehicle:
    2004 4x4 tacoma TRD
    leveling kit and mud tires with offset bulletholes wheels
    ok I took the spacers out and I'm almost done but on my upper balljoint on the last side I can't get the nut far enough down to get the cotter pin through, it's tight trust me I've tightened it with an impact and I've tightened it with a ratchet and a pole. if it's tight does it have to have the cotter pin in it or can I just leave it like it is?
     

Products Discussed in

To Top