< or = 3" lift with smooth ride

I am unsure if I want to put a lift on my tacoma. If I did it wouldn't be any larger than a 3". This is a personal decision I have made, so please don't try to talk me into getting something bigger. This truck is my everyday driver, so gas mileage is something I wouldn't like to lose. I also live on a gravel road, so there are pot holes and ruts. With the new suspension and/or lift, I would like to reduce the amount of bounce and shaking I feel when driving over these. I also don't want to take the center of gravity to something that would make my truck more likely to tip. I don't do much offroading, but I know that I will occasionally drive into places that are normally not accessed due to me going on camping and hunting trips.
Any help or information about suspension and lifts that would help me find out if I need a lift or if there is a certain brand or type (I really know nothing about this) of suspension to go with? Also how much would this be costing me?

 

A good start...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/11282-tacoma-lift-faq-guide-read.html

 

go less than 3". i share the same philosophy. i wanted just a tad more fender->tire clearance.
i got the OME kit with 884 springs. now that things are settling out, i got 2.25" in front, and 1.5 in the back. even with such mild gains, i still feel the need for UCA's got improve my alignment settings. while my truck will not "wander" at highway speeds, i did lose tautness in the steering. i hope to gain that back.

 

Talking with my father it would seem that he thinks it would be a good idea to do this right the first time around, so I would be looking at the Coilover kit listed in the link you provided.
Later on it mentioned that the bilstien kit would give a stiffer ride. Does that mean that there would be less movement when hitting a bump, resulting in it feeling like it was hit harder? Cause that would be the opposite of what I would want to do... Suggestions or solutions?

 

If you have the means, I'd suggest this:

Toytec's Ultimate Lift Kit or this:
The OME Lift Kit The Ultimate Kit from Toytec is a coilover kit, which makes it really easy to adjust. The OME kit is not, but it's still a great kit.

THe 5100's ride quality will depend upon the setting you choose for the front. There are 4 settings, (0, .85, 1.75, and 2.5"). 2.5" - yes stiffer. .85"- probably not even noticeable. Read around the forum and take it from the different people running the different setups.

FWIW, you'll find that a vast majority of those running the 5100's feel like even though their ride is stiffer (again, especially at the 2.5" setting) it's actually a better, more rigid "truck like" feel compared to the stock shocks.

 

and what if I just wanted the ride feeling to be smoother or as you put it, more "truck like" what should I be looking at?

 

Buy yourself a set of Icon or swayaway coilovers and set them about an inch to an inch and a half of lift from what you have now and you cant go wrong! Leave the sway bar on if you like for a more stock feel, but I really suggest you at least try one weekend without it. Lots more articulation and even smoother ride! A lot of what you feel is from the dampening of a given shock, not so much the spring rate. A premium set of coilovers will make a huge difference. Good Luck!

 

I think the OME kit provides that. I feel more bumps in the road, but it feels smoother and much more sturdy. I love the ride.