3.5”-4" Suspension Lift??

I’m fine with cutting out bumper/wheel well area but yeah don’t want to mess with cutting cross member. Any suggestion on brand of lift? Looking at Bilstein 1500 now someone mentioned

looks like you have a beast!!

 

They are on the other side of Zion from us. I see them out from time to time. Visitors never seem to learn that that a little bit of wet weather turns these trails in baby diarrhea. Most of the recoveries I've seen are people who got in over their heads with regards to driving in the mud and overshot the capabilities of their tires.

We see a lot of people come through here in vehicles that look like extras from the Mad Max set. They jam down the well graded BLM roads and I see them posing their rigs. I actually think it's great. It's an excellent way to get outdoors and see some spectacular scenery with friends. I really can't recall seeing anything but respect for the environment.

One of the funniest things I saw was a group of decked out trucks lined up on the side of the road. I was taking a piss and they walked over to check out my truck and chat. They were all real good friendly guys and gals.

We regularly cut across the BLM roads in the Staircase to get from where we live to either Kanab or Escalante, so we are well aware of how "technical" most of these roads are. In dry weather, they are about as technical as a bad section of paved highway, so it was with some amusement that I listened as they told me how hairy the road was coming from Kodachrome Basin, considering in dry weather my neighbor can make the trip in his front wheel drive CX-5. While we were chatting a handful of locals passed by in everything from an old Lexus GS sedan to a diesel VW golf and every time one went by the looks on the faces of the group were priceless. This leads to point I was eventually trying to make.

For most of that we do, stock height works fine...and I agree with my friend HiPSI that driver skill trumps a lot of mods for the majority of the forest service roads that people drive. The majority of the people that get into trouble are those who don't know when to air down, how to use gear limiting, technique or how to properly brake, turn or reverse off-road. I have seen stock rigs with shock failure because the driver decided to jam ass down a rutted gravel road with the tires at 40 PSI.

The next step is tires. Some of the popular tires discussed on the various 4x4 forums are selected because they look cool. I have found the expensive way what tires work out here. If the rig is for show with a little bit of fire roads thrown in then by all means, almost any AT tire will do. But if you're in the mud or the rocky shit, then you have to pick accordingly and your day to day drivability begins to suffer.

Then armor. Once your driving skills are honed and you have the right tires, then skids and sliders (in that order) are essential. I have seen a fair share of vehicles that have fallen victim to the stray big rock.

Before I'd lift another Tacoma I'd then focus on the overhangs. The rear end of these trucks will drag ass pretty easily and I would recommend the rear bumper before the front.

If I did have to lift I'd first evaluate my needs. For the majority of what I see people do in my neck of the woods a 2" lift is fine. If you're getting into rock crawling then other options can be considered - but those options drive you deeper into a rabbit hole of seemingly endless little modifications you need to make to ensure the reliability of the vehicle.

So OP, question for you - what are you going to do with this truck and what do you anticipate having to flex on?

 

I couldn’t agree more when it comes to driver experience - I certainly am no expert but you’d be surprised what I used to take 2wd VW Tiguan on!! Nonetheless I’m pretty young so definitely still learning some tips and tricks.

I’m out in CO usually on random blm roads with the areas they have for crawling and getting up the shit the massive jeeps haul up. That being said my truck is my daily driver so I’m trying to keep it practical still. I’ve run w my crappy 3” block suspension but honestly love the height of it - blocks just suck made my suspension system so stiff! I should have left it stock and saved for the suspension kit in the first place.

Bottom line looking for something to do some mild over-landing/crawling and not have to worry so much about bottoming out with(which is obviously a dependent)

 

I did the viper cut myself with a battery powered dremel. It threw hot plastic everywhere so wear PPE. I have 265/65/17 tires so it wasn’t super necessary but i intend on going bigger tire wise. Tape the cuts off well and take your time cutting and it will turn out great

 

After you did the cut what did you do in the space between the bumper and fender liner to make it look nice again?

 

I used fender trim and also replaced the radiator bushings with the energy suspension 9.14 kit. My viper cut was a little more aggressive than most with no rounding in the corner. Also the big bushing puck on the radiator mounts is on top now, the picture shows how I initially did it and it bothered me too much to leave as is

also used auto trim with an inner metal liner to clean up the rough edge

 

The best thing I can recommend is to do alot of research. HiPSI mentioned Headstrong as a resource to discuss your goals and needs, but I also recommend going under the helmet and really reading the different specialty threads across a variety of forums.

Keep in mind that many people post opinions based on limited experience and that people often recommend brands due to pride or loyalty and without any valid comparison references. Others do the mods but never use them as you intend to...so again, getting opinions is one thing, but doing actual research is invaluable. I have made the mistake of trying what was popular instead of what was serviceable and it's an expensive and frustrating road to go down.

Be honest in your goals, if you're going first and foremost for looks, then admit it. If you are looking for the cheapest option, then admit it. If you have specific goals that combine looks, ability and price..then be do your research based on that.

 

This. This right here is the answer. OP only you know where you want to go.

 

Does this include kits that have new UCAs like the 3.5IN TOYOTA SERIES II BOLT-ON LIFT (05-21 TACOMA) from rough country?