Suspension lift questions

I have had my tacoma trd pro for about 6 months now. I am looking at lifting it and need a little guidance on a few questions I have. I am looking at getting an adjustable suspension and selling of the trd pro suspension and I am a little confused. I am learning a few things and currently leaning toward the king suspension with icon UCA's and leaf springs. Im a bit baffled with the need for bump stops, as well as the fact that king sells an extended travel(I understand as different than long travel) and if this changes much, requires limiting straps, bump stops, etc. as it seems like a decent option since im getting new UCA's anyways. If anyone thinks there is a better option than the king for adjustable suspension.

 

Welcome aboard

 

lots of questions... don't rush it. you first need to clarify your needs, what are you trying to accomplish? different strategies for different applications. what are your plans and need for a lift/suspension? welcome to TW.

 

The main thing I am trying to do with it is overlanding, I am big on staying out in nature(mountain biking, backcountry skiing, etc.) I find it to be very overwhelming to look through all the suspension options and that is why I am here. I tend to do a lot with the truck when it comes to actual "truck things" like towing a few trailers and a UTV but I would like that to stick around while I do this. But the 2 main reasons for the lift are functional clearance/articulation and better ride quality because I have added a fair bit of weight to the back of my truck with a cab, drawer system, and a small fridge that has left the ride quality a bit lacking in my mind. But like I said there is a lot going on that has left me a little confused like caster, and offset, and a few other things that might be simple but are said so much it can be difficult to start this with a complete understanding of what all is going on.

 

do you have any added armor weight? sounds like plenty of weight in the rear, any bumpers front and/or rear?

 

I have not as it is still my daily driver so I don't want to add to much more weight, I have thought about adding rock sliders(CBI has my vote as it stands right now) but the trd pro skid has save me more than once so ill stick with that for a while more. But I do go out and live out of it for a month or so at a time when I can so I am working on a second battery right now and that will the all I will have for weight at the front for a while.

 

Kings or ads is the way to go imho.
I have King ext travel no need for limiting straps but upper control arms are needed for proper alignment, bump stops are needed so you don’t top the shock out and cause damage.

 

So to clarify, ext travel is not long travel so you don't need fiberglass fenders, and I want to ask what bump stops you recommend(solid rubber or hydraulic) and what the reasoning is behind it, thanks for the help.

 

if you plan on a front bumper then you'll want to plan for that weight with new front springs. it also sounds like you need a new leafpack in the rear, and you may want to plan for bumper weight back there as well if you want to be able to recover well if offroad. sliders alone aren't bad with weight and they sit in the middle so probably won't stress out your current setup much more than it is already.

if you start to focus in on your needs, lots of folks here start up a dialog with Marie at @HeadStrong Off-Road and she will set you up with all the right details.

another question is if you plan to do new wheels & tires. if you're getting new UCA's that will take care of your alignment needs with a lift, but if you plan to do wheels/tires then you'll want to decide if you want a stock wheel fitment or if you like it aggressive looking with more negative offset (poke). if you're getting tires larger than 31" then you'll want to include it in your planning.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld!

 

Save yourself a little money, there’s a discounted group buy going on right now with the two top brands in the suspension game.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ads-vs-king-group-buy.634937/

 

That’s a deal right there, thanks for the suggestion. If I’m planning on doing wheels and tires are those an important thing to get at a similar time or can I get them when I sell off my old suspension?

 

Welcome to TW!!

 

You can get wheels whenever you like if you lift the truck on stock size tires it may look funny so tires after lift.

Yes ext travel is no where near LT numbers you don’t need big fenders. I’d use rubber it’s way cheaper and will have a long service life. A lot of people use the rubber myself included and it works just fine.

 

Thanks, that makes the ext travel make a lot more sense, are there any standouts in the rubber bump stops or are they all more or less the same?

 

Welcome to TW!

 

For “Overlanding” the Pro will be adequate for just about anything a usual camper will attempt. Have you taken it out as is?

Look into sliders and swapping out the PRO IFS skid for a aftermarket steel skid (before replacing the suspension).

 

Welcome

 

I have used it and it just cuts close a lot of the time and the weight in the rear is really messing with the pro suspension. Out of curiosity does the skid plates mess with the gas mileages of the tacoma much?(any recommendations)