Help me build my setup

Looking for ideas and suggestions as I am new to the LT game. To start out I have an 07 trd off-road AC. 4.0 with an auto. Currently bone stock and tired suspension (135k on the clock). I'm not looking to drop stacks on some full blown race kit as I don't live in the desert, but I do enjoy some trail riding and some unmentionable delinquency from time to time. I'm a big fan of the TT stance. But the trails around here are tight in places and I don't intend to go too wide on the suspension or the fiberglass. Would love to be at 2"-3".

So here's the thing, I have pretty much figured out that I will start with the DEPO kit and have some wheels picked out that are 17x9 with a -12 offset. And that's all I really know. Some of the questions I have are:

1. Without dropping another 1500 on Fox or kings what are some shock options?

2. Does anybody make 2" bedsides for a long bed at all?

3. What are some rear setups I should consider?

4. Where do I find some quality extended cv axles?

5. If I want to keep the lift to 2" at most, run a tube bumper, do the necessary trimming, and have the 2" wider + offset can I run a 35?

6. What else do I need? And what else do I need to know?

 

I would pass on depo kit. If you’re not wanting to spend the money for a good LT kit, I suggest staying mid travel. At least spend the money on the shocks.

1- don’t cheap out on shocks. There are other reputable brands but don’t expect to pay significantly less than 1500.

2- I don’t think so but you can always call the fiberglass companies directly and ask. I honestly wouldn’t even go fiberglass it’s you’re just planning to go +2

3- what’s your budget? What weight are you carrying in the back?

4-camburg, total chaos, CVJ to name some.

5-You can run a 35 sure. Just because you clear it at right height, doesn’t mean it clears through all the suspension travel and steering angles.
If you’re not ready to do the proper clearancing at all suspension travel than what’s the point?

6- Spend some time reading through many of the LT stickies and threads. There is a ton to learn from other threads.

 

I had heard good things about the DEPO kit...?

 

What I have read about it, is that it’s a Chinese copy of an all pro kit.

 

https://deporacing.us/product/2005-2020-depo-racing-tacoma-pathfinder-fj-long-travel-kit/

They do state that they are sourcing overseas materials and labor. But, read their description. And the feedback from members on here has been positive.

And again, I'm not hitting any dunes or racing in Baja or anything. To me this is essentially a mid travel kit with an extended lower.

I'm not arguing here, I surely know nothing in comparison.

 

As far as budget goes, I'm obviously trying to keep it to a minimum. But I also plan to run pretty light. I don't anticipate anything in the bed. No bed rack, no topper, no rtt, at best I may keep the toolbox I have as a place to relocate my battery and obviously for storage.

 

Definitely don't cheapest on the shocks. I bought my truck in November as it had an RC kit installed on it. The kit is $900 which is cheaper than most and it really shows. The ride sucks and I'm very excited to swap out my shocks for something better.

Our friends down under have a couple brands with decent performance without a hefty price tag. I'd look into OME or Dobinson if you're on a budget, from what I've read so far people are pretty happy with their products as long as you use them within their capabilities. I'd also recommend giving Toytec a look, they've got some good products for a decent price.

All and all running 35's won't be cheap https://www.dobinsonsdirect.com/
https://arbusa.com/old-man-emu-4x4-suspension

 

Well, my thought was that if I'm not looking to do much in the way of lift, could I just run like a 3rd gen take off for example? Which to my understanding provides a small bit of lift on a 2nd gen.

 

Ok, I have a couple questions to ask, you said, "the trails around here are tight in places and I don't intend to go too wide on the suspension or the fiberglass". When you go LT, your stance is going to widen. My 04 is about 88" wide, tire to tire. You have a 07 which is bigger than the 1st gens. So if you're hitting tight trails, you're just going to screw yourself. Will a mid travel kit be better?

Second, If you're not hitting the dunes, jumping or going high speeds in the desert, why are you even thinking about LTing? I know it looks cool but have you ever daily driven a truck with a LT kit? It sucks, not fun.

As for the LT kit in question and shocks. Words of wisdom. "Cheap shit ain't good, good shit ain't cheap."

 

I wouldn't consider buying any suspension/ lift unless you're going to adjust for it with supporting parts like UCA's, AAL's / leaf packs. If you're just going to be doing some trail driving I would recommend looking into a decent mid-travel/ OEM bolt-on kit. Trust me, as somebody who's stuck with a crappy RC lift for the next couple of weeks, just save yourself the headache and invest in what you need. Getting an LT kit with crappy shocks is going to ruin the truck's ride and your wallet in the long run.

I'd look at getting some Toytecs or Fox 2.0s if you want performance, but you should be able to get some decent Bilsteins for a decent price. You're going to be spending a little more cash but it's more of an investment, after reading suspension reviews and forums for hours the term that I've found that is some good advice is "Buy once, Cry once". Just save up some more and invest in a decent set-up.

 

Not from anyone who knows quality parts you haven't, that kit is junk.

You acknowledge that your suspension is tired and old, but you "Without dropping another 1500 on Fox or kings" you want to upgrade your suspension. I'm not sure if you'd added this all up, but adding new axles alone is going to be this much using new parts. Frankly, if the cost of good shocks are off-putting, you're not ready for a LT truck. These builds are a significant investment and require maintenance, to include rebuilds significantly more frequently than OEM parts.

Get some UCA's, good shocks and be happy with a mid-travel truck using stock LCA's. It's going to perform and last better than a cheaply put together LT setup.

 

I'm suddenly reminded of a different hobby that I was into for a while.

Quite often scuba divers looking to get into the next step would start asking what it would take to get into Rec-tec/trimix/decompression diving. The common phrase in response was "If you start asking how much, this type of diving isn't for you."



Just saying, with every hobby there are most of us who can dabble around with minimal dedication and budget, and still happily get to do 80% that the sport has to offer. Then there are the few that want to put major investments of time and resources into it, because that's what is fun for them. That's how I see the LT and/or dedicated trail machine folk. And if you really want to go that route, do it right. Doing it cheap or uneducated in any sport usually results in a reality check (albeit with some sports dealing a harsher lesson than others).

 

you would be better off dropping the money on some solid shocks instead of doing a cheap lt kit. Take all the money you would spend on glass and put that back into your suspension.

 

Personally I would just go and do a couple trips, see how it works, what guys can do that have dumped 30k into their rigs that you can't do, before I spent one cent.