Is getting a lift worth it?

Hi, I'm new to the group, Tacoma, and lift kits. I was looking to get a 3" lift on my truck and they are asking for $4500 for lift and tires. I do want to do some off roading but nothing too crazy. So I started reading forums on how lifts can cause extra wear on your truck. So now I wondering if it's even worth it lifting or if getting a little bit bigger tires is a better route?

 

If you have to ask then no.

The Tacoma is a very capable vehicle off road stock.

It's only worth lifting if you need to lift. For example the offroading you like to do cannot be done because you drag your fram or can't get your tire on an obsticale without hitting the bumper.

Lifts degrease gas mileage, cause more driveline wear, and lift the center of gravity decreasing on road manners. Also generally lifts do not increase resale value, the opposite if anything.

That said I do have a lift because I like to play in the dirt at least a couple times a month and needed bigger more aggressive tires etc. To me it was well worth it. Also I bought used parts so it wasn't anywhere near the 4k+ tag.

 

Lift is a personal choice in most cases.

1) depending on your type/frequency offroad, you may find that a good set of tires is all you need to do very well. They are capable trucks. In the hands of a good driver, and knowing what to do when problems occur, you can do quite well. And are you really going to drag a $35k truck through the deep woods a lot? Some folks do, most won't. That will be saved for the 2nd and 3rd owners.

1.5) your truck will resell/trade better in factory + good tires condition. Folks love to look at the mods of others. Buy them, not as much. It creates a level of distrust on how the vehicle was used/treated. If you have a 20 year truck, it doesn't matter. If you'll be looking for the next new thing in 3-5, it matters a lot.

2) you don't mention what parts your quote was for, but I predict the shop was gouging you, unless it was all top end stuff. Even then..........

3) 0ver 2 or 2.5 is where additional parts / problems tend to begin. Don't know why people think 3" is a magic number.

4) consider how you'll use the truck 80% of the time in the real world. Modifiy to suit that need, and you'll enjoy it much more than modding it for the other 20%

PS, a 255 80 17 or 255 85 16 tire will fit on stock wheels with no rubbing, bumping, lift or cutting required. That's the same diameter lots of folks go to by doing all that other stuff, but in a 285 width with aftermarket wheels. It's the perfect fitment of the OE wheels and the slightly narrower tire that allows that size to fit. Unfortunately it seems that size is E load tires which are not pavement pounder friendly.

In the end, only you can decide.

PSS. If the truck isn't paid for, I'd certainly not be dropping 10% in over priced questionable mods. I'd be paying that against principal and rolling as is. But I'm a debt hater.

 

Yes​

 

Only if you need it ! But new wheels and Tires for sure. The stock tires just don t cut it offloading or look aggressive

 

Straight and to the point.

 

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No. Better tires will give you 90% more capability alone, and it doesn't sound like you're planning on taking your truck into really rough situations where a lift might have real benefits.

 

Not a bad thing at all! Well put and educated post.

As Clearwater mentions I am running the 255/80/17 tire on stock FJ wheels with no issues, it sticks them out just far enough to look aggressive without being outside the fender well. With the wider foot print the truck actually feels mor confident in the corners. As a 255 they have in theory less rolling resistance than the stock 265 and as a 32" tire they give the tiniest amount of ups and slightly better highway mpg. (And slightly worse around town)

Best thing about the 255 80 17 is it's a jeep wrangler take off tire so they often pretty much give them away! Picked up my last set of 5 BFG KM2 M/T's for $200 one brand new and 4 with ~75% tread.

 

A much cheaper, and arguably better, mod for light off-roading: https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tires/wrangler-duratrac

 

Cab Mount Chop took 1hr start to finish, including paint.

Trimming took 10min per side with a zip knife and fresh blade.

 

If you're not sure throw a good set of tires on and start wheeling. The trail will tell you if you need a lift.

Personally I think sliders and skid plates are way more important than a lift. You can go a lot of places on 32s with sliders and skids and no lift

 

Thanks everybody for your input and help. I think I'm starting to push more towards the stock suspension and bigger tires. Do y'all recommend a larger size tire & wheel with no rub?

 

255 80 17 is really the largest you can go without issues. Issues are cause more by width then height. As for a wheel something in the x7.5 to 8" width with offset near 0.

 

Start here..

 

^ This

 

Not to me. I can run 265/75/16's without any modifications and no loss of performance. That is a 31.6" tall tire that is 1" taller than stock and adds about 1/2" of ground clearance. VERY few people with a lift run anything bigger than a 33" tire and to do it right you not only need a lift, but a regear as well. You gain 3/4" of ground clearance over 265/75/16's. You'd have to look long and hard off road to find a spot where 3/4" of ground clearance will make the difference.

If I'm going to the trouble and expense of a lift I'll go up to 35 or 37" tires. Now you're talking about 2" more ground clearance over 265/75's. Virtually all lifts are 99% for looks, not performance.

 

yes it is imperative that you and everyone else on this forum lift their truck...

if you lift your truck you will have a better chance of surviving floods and snow storms

 

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This is from a dealer's website, but it's pretty accurate info: https://parts.olathetoyota.com/blog/4536/toyota-tacoma-tire-sizes

The BIG Question – How Large of a Tire Will Fit?
One of the simplest “modifications” you can do is to put a larger tire on your truck. The Tacoma has a good amount of room in the wheel well already and larger tires can fit without much issue. Just how big? Here is a general rule of thumb to remember.

1. 2005+ Tacoma Trucks. These trucks allow you to generally pick any size on the list above. This is because the truck is made to accomodate these different sizes. However, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There are some serious issues that may happen when going from a small tire to a much larger one. Problems like:

• Your truck’s speedometer and odometer can develop errors when changing sizes by more than an inch. There are software kits to reprogram these systems and it is recommended you look into them.
• Larger tires look cool, but you can lose low-end torque. The reality is that you are adding to the overall diameter of your drive wheel, which effectively reduces your rear axle ratio. This translates into slower acceleration. This is one of the reasons why many off-road trucks with larger tires either have a different rear axle with different ratios installed or a supercharger added.

2. The 3% Height and Width Rule. Generally, you can increase your tires height and width by 3% each without having to install a lift or leveling kit. This translates into about 1″ of additional height and .3″ additional width. Most tire dealers call this the “plus 1” tire size increase. It is an affordable and reasonable option for a modification without a large expense.

Note that doesn’t mean every tire manufacture makes tires that are exactly 3% larger, so this may not be an option.

3. 1″ Lift Equals 1″ Tire Height. The general rule with regards to lift kits is that you can 1″ higher in tire for each inch of lift. So, if you decide to add a 3″ lift, you can add 3″ of tire height. Keep in mind, this DOESN’T apply to width. Adding width is all about buying wider rims with different backspacing.

Just remember that when shopping for tires, you may not always be able to find tires that match both your width and height needs.

Over-Sized 2005+ Tacoma Tires
Note: These recommendations are based on the factory wheels. Using an upgraded rim with different backspacing will allow you to increase to a wider tire. Also, if you go really wide (more than 285), you will want to consider fender flares.

No Lift Kit

Max tire sizes are:

15″ rims: 265/75 R15 – A 265/80 R15 tire would fit just fine, but no one makes one to our knowledge. 265/75 R15 is the largest available size.

16″ rims: 265/75 R16 – one inch taller but same width as factory

17″ rims: 265/70 R17 – one inch taller but same width as factory

2″ Leveling Kit (or less)

When installing a leveling kit, you might be able to fit some wider tires than what we have listed. It may require some trimming though, but it is possible.

Max tire sizes are:

15″ rims: …if you’ve got 15’s and have invested in a lift kit, spend a little more and get some 16″ or 17″ wheels to go with it. There aren’t any good tire sizes for 15’s.

16″ rims: 265/75 R16 – one inch taller but same width as factory

17″ rims: 275/70 R17 – 1.5 inches taller and 0.4″ wider than factory

3″ Lift Kit

Note: If you are planning a 3″ lift, you will need to consider either a new set of wheels or some wheel spacers. The fact is that there aren’t a lot of common tire sizes that take advantage of your lift and still fit the stock rims.

After-market rims designed for the Tacoma allow you to increase the width as larger as 315mm (or about 12.5″). However, if you do go this large be prepared to do some trimming of the fenders and wheel wells due to tires rubbing. This also applies to 1.5″ wheel spacers.

A common Tacoma tire width for 3″ lift kits is 285mm. This means 17″ wheels, 285/70 R17’s are a good choice (2″ taller and .8″ wider than factory). For 16″ wheels, 285/75 R16’s have similar dimensions as the 17″ wheels do.

Buying Tires
Much like everything else these days, it is beneficial to shop around. Try online sites and your local dealer. Quite often you can find good estimates and have a better idea of the cost before you walk in to a store.