Tacoma bed looks low compared to front.

I mean spacer or springs?

I would suggest you read the sticky on lifts to determine what your looking for in one. Looks or performance. You've got half of one for looks.

 

I'm going to remove the spacers, and probably go for an Old man Emu kit. I wanna do it the right way in terms of looks and performance. Fox looks really expensive but I be they ride like a dream or I can also do the bilstein 5100s with an add on leaf. I'm still new to trucks but I've done a good amount of reading. Thnx for the input

 

Atta boy
Yes, it will ride better. It's a small (ish) truck, it can use the help.

 

Thank you I appreciate it!

 

Rear leafs actually look good from what i can see, get a progressive, multi leaf aal, like an icon or headstrong for rear lift.I would also look at bilstein 6112/5160 they're not expensive and very well made.

 

Thank you I'll look into that!

 

Ok, I'll go against the grain here. That front spacer won't give you any trouble unless you plan on doing some hard wheeling. I don't mean field roads or the occasional high speed run down a fire road. I'm talking some real suspension flexing wheeling. It looks like a 1" spacer which is giving you two inches of lift in the front. You would have to measure it to be sure. If you lift it higher, be prepared to replace the driver's side needle bearing with the ECGS bushing. Also, there's always a good chance your lower control arm bushing hardware is seized due to corrosion, and a higher lift will result in an inability to properly align the front end. Say hello to excessive tire wear.
If it were me, I'd spring (notice the pun...) for an add a leaf or OME spring set for the rear and call it good for now.
Opinions will vary widely on this but I'm speaking from experience, as will many others here.
Bring on the flames!!!

 

Probably a leveling kit.

 

https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p201/Complete_Old_Man_Emu_Kit_w/_Dakar_Leaf_Pack_-_05-15_Tacoma.html

I'd get atleast the 885 coil if I were you.
The 887 will get you the full 3" up front but you def need new UCAs.
I got 887s with Freedom Offroad UCAs(budget) and couldn't be happier.

$390 Freedom Off-Road Front Upper Control Arms for 2-4" Lift Compatible with 05-23 Tacoma

https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-OffR...ocphy=9013264&hvtargid=pla-572267833675&psc=1

 

Jonathan, I come from a similar background (Japanese cars modded to be "sports" cars) and was new to trucks until late last year. You'll hear people talk a lot of shit about spacers lifts but they have their place. You said you're willing to do it right and you're not looking to cheap out - that's great! But, what's more important is what your goal with the truck is. If you're going for looks and not looking for a big lift overall then spacers may be your best option. If you're going just for looks then spending $3000 on fancy King/OME/TC...etc is a waste of money. My suggestion would be to pair the suspension to what you need the truck to do for you. And, test it out in it's stock form so you can learn it and learn what you actually need to replace.

There was a 3" front / 1" rear "leveling" kit on my truck when I bought it and it looked similar to yours but not as extreme. I think it looked terrible because personally a truck should be level or preferably the bed should be higher. I kept the rear as-is and replaced the front suspension with a smaller spacer + 3rd gen Tacoma shocks/springs (which provide almost 1" of lift compared to the 2nd gen shocks/springs). As it sits now the truck is 1" higher than stock in the rear and about 1.5" higher than stock in the front. I think it looks great and so far the performance has been great - because these trucks are GREAT right out of the box. I'm new to off-roading so didn't really have a frame of reference but so far I've been blown away at the stuff I've been able to drive over easily and safely. After a few off-road excursions I'm quickly gravitating towards sliders and skid plates rather than upgraded suspension.

Of course that's me. My truck is 4x4 and I have specific goals for how I plan to use it. Your needs and the fact that it's only 2wd may mean you should set your truck up a lot differently.

Agreed. If you like the height of the front then I'd just lift the rear to match. Or do like I did a lower the front a little with a budget setup (spacers and/or 3rd gen suspension) then lift the rear a little. Then get out there and use the damn thing! Maybe invest in some tires. Learn where the truck's shortcomings are and what mods will benefit the way YOU use the vehicle.

Keep in mind that if you remove that spacer you'll need an alignment in the front. If you keep it for now you should be able to use a spacer or aal in the rear and not need a new alignment. Then you can use the truck like that for a while with very little $ invested so you can learn what your next mod should be.

 

Wow nicely said, thnx for your input. I am on a budget right now, finished college a few months back so spending alot isn't ideal. Still getting situated and plan on moving to Texas from California in the near future. My truck isn't a 4x4 so I won't be doing extreme off-roading, I do plan on using my truck for Tahoe trips and camping trips, your average let's drive to the lake/beach/trails. I will do more research about what's best for my needs. I will Probably go with what you said and lift the back for now so it's leveled. I hate the slouch look. And if I lift the back I won't have to worry about an alignment. And then save up for a not so expensive strut and spring kit for the front and back.

 

Thnx I'll look into this as well!