Correcting bad CV angles?

If one were to lift their 4WD Tacoma too high. Are there any options out there to correct bad CV angles or something along the lines?

thank you

 

A front diff drop kit will bring it down ~0.7" , which will help a little bit with CV angles.



Lifting does not help CV angles overall. Also, lifting will result in a worse ride on the street because down travel is reduced so your tires won't drop out and fill potholes/bumps as much (no tire contact with ground, until the entire truck "falls" down with the tire). Also the center of gravity is higher = more body roll.
For most off roading , less down travel (as a result of too much lift) can also affect your "flex" as you slowly roll over obstacles.
Also "lifting" will in no way help you clear larger tires at all. It will maybe help clear larger tires at ride height, but when you hit a bump or compress it's still going to rub on the same spot.

The "pros" of lifting = you get a sick look bro. Also if you are into high speed off roading, the added uptravel will help from bottoming out as you smash through woops.

I run zero lift on my 4x4 with icon 2.5s and 1.25 uniball upper control arms in order to avoid bad CV angle and a shitty ride.

 

Good points buy 2000perunner

CV angles are unavoidable, anything over 2" makes for really bad angles, but only the carrier diff vibes are immediate issues.

Drop bracket lifts address CV angles by completely lowering the diff with the bracket, makes for good arm, axle, and tie rod angles. So 6" lifts are huge but actually don't have big CV axle issues, more in the prop shaft, but not major.

3" is the most you can lift without huge issues, and 4" is very rare to function nicely.

 

What is your current vehicle?

 

2018 sr5 4x4 4 door,

but this same idea applies to any IFS 4x4 truck.



side note. one thing I have noticed about f-150s and the new rangers is how ford managed to drop the diff and keep a "flat" CV angle while still having a good amount ground clearance (the lower control arms point down as if it's "lifted").

here is a pic with what i mean (ya it's not stock but the pivot points and diff mount is in a stock location):

 

So you have zero height lift from your current setup?

 

Yes. It sits "stock" height almost. My CV axles are "flat" at ride height. I still have the 9" of wheel travel the Icons and upper arm is capable of pulling, it just sits "flat" at ride height.

I said almost stock height because my 32" tires give the truck 1" more height vs the stock 30" tires it came with from the factory. So my "lift", just comes from taller tires.

 

Most IFS 4x4 folks who have performance/functionality in mind try to keep that flat CV axle shaft angle at ride height. Even a gnarly Ultar 4 race car keeps the axes nice & happy at ride height:

 

So in general, my options of lifting my 4X4 suspension are limited correct?

 

Yes. Lift it 0-1” if you’re smart .
If you don’t care too much about preserving your CVs or ride quality then lift away. It does make the truck look more aggressive.

If you care about performance and ride quality AND looks then come up with 5-8k bucks for a long travel setup.

 

Meh I'm lifted 2.5" with 35s and wheel the shit out of my truck and have had zero issues. The reality is that the CV's are designed to operate within requirements through the full suspension cycle, we have very limited suspension travel so your CV's aren't even impacted. Some folks say to not let the inner boot fins touch but so what if they do, they arent rubbing and grinding on each other.

I havent seen any feedback other than anecdotal hearsay about premature wearing and failure of CV's without some kind of debauchery involved like wheeling and stuff.

The bigger issue with lifts is the higher you go the less down travel you have which impacts performance in some applications but as I said earlier the wheel travel is already limited by design.

That said, as other have mentioned you are limited before having to look at other options 4"+ you will need a drop bracket lift.

 

Well, there ya have it. Seems like no big deal if the CVs are within range I guess. Can't argue with real world experiences.

I just hate the lack of down travel on the road/ dirt roads. You def feel the truck pull down a bit as it falls into pot holes.