Tacoma 2.7 Access Cab Lift 3" Recommendations

Hello Everybody,
I would like to learn about your experience. I have a Taco Access Cab 2.7L 2009. I am at 125,000 K Miles on it. In stead of buying a new truck, I am planning to make this truck an overlander. My plan is to lift it 3". Upgrade tires and wheels, front and rear bumpers. I will throw a 200 pound camper on top. I have seen lots of opinions in the internet. And they just confuse me.

I would like to know about your experience. I am not planning to be chasing after Jeeps and difficult terrains. And I am not planning to be racing on the highways. I am into the moderate to easy trails. - Colorado and Utah.

I will really appreciate it.

Last note: Budget of $ 7K to start on the wheels and lift. I am not sure about the bumpers yet.

Thank you!!!

 

Budget..

 

I went with the Toytec coilovers with Bilstein 5100's all around.
OME Dakar leaf packs.
Put on extended brake lines at the same time.
Cost me around $1200 (CDN) back in 2012, not including the BFG KO 285/75R16 tires which ran me another $1200 CDN.

Dakars broke last year and Toyota gave me new leaf packs and paid me $800.
I had to replace the Billies last year - found a guy who was selling new ones.

With a budget of $7K, you could do much better on a lift, especially in the US... We get hosed up here in the great white north.....

 

I'll just leave this here

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tyettis-2-7l-rebuild-full-send-eaf-build.319995/

 

We're gonna have about the same truck. 2008 Access cab 4x4 2.7L. I use it for what I call off-road camping and exploring the forest. Basically load it up to capacity and take it anywhere it's willing to go for 2-4 days at a time. Sierras are my stomping grounds and I tackle moderate trails, often fully loaded.

Here's my opinion and advice based on doing exactly what you want to do for the last 4 years:

1. 235/85/16 tires on stock wheels. They're a hair over 32" tall and are narrow enough to NEVER have to worry about rubbing and they're cheap. There is no reason to go wider. It's not worth it. Don't fall for the "it looks cool" trap. This isn't about looking cool it's about having a dependable rig when it matters most. Get a 5th stock wheel and buy 5 tires so you have 5 matching and maintain a 5 tire rotation.

2. For the rear get Dakar Heavy Duty ELO 96 springs. For rear shocks either standard Bilstien 5100s or B110, which are extended length 5100s (They're just Bilstein 5100 for an F150). These springs will lift you 3+ inches in the rear (more like 4" initially but they settle) even with the 200 lb camper. The longer B110 shocks make it so the shock is no longer the limiting factor in downtravel so you get more articulation. The downside is you need extended brake lines and longer bump stops since downtravel comes at the cost of uptravel. I felt the longer shock route was worth it but you don't have to.

3. For the front get OME 884 (or 885, read on) springs, Bilstein 5100 shocks set at 0, and JBA UCAs. This will be good for about 2" of lift up front. Some say UCAs aren't needed for this. I wanted to be sure I didn't have any alignment issues so I bought them. JBAs are the best UCA because they DON'T have extra adjustability (which you don't need anyway) that can get knocked out of alignment or confuse already dumb alignment techs and they use a 90s Chevy Truck ball joint you can find at any Autozone. You can go OME 885s if you want to push the limits and get 2.5"-3" up front but I avoided this route because once again, it's more important to have a dependable rig than ekk out that extra .5-1 inch and I didn't want to go any higher on my CV angles. Get that extra inch from your tires. If you wind up with bumpers or winch etc (I don't have these but i do have dual batteries) you will want to make that jump up to 885s. I'd probably lean this way if you're SURE a front bumper is in your future.

Here's my truck loaded to the max and about to head out. I crammed 4 people in there and hammered it on some moderate trails and it never lost it's rake and took it like a fucking champion. It's the perfect setup for what I do.

 

Here’s my setup

265/75r16 tires

Bilstein 6112s in the front and 5160s in the rear

Dakar medium leaf pack