Is the front of my truck sagging with this lift (too much rake)?

Hey guys,

When I look at my Tacoma, I love it, but something is off with the lift to my eyes.

I have heard that a little rake is desirable on the front for proper towing etc. which I do occasionally do, but I feel like my truck is practically tipped nose down in appearance and measurement.

At the middle of the front fenders, I am measuring 36" from ground to fender. On the rear fenders, I am measuring 40" from ground to fender! Center of hub to fender front measurement is 20.5" and center of hub to fender rear is 24.5".

For more background: I have the Ironman 4x4 Foam Cell Pro Stage 2 lift all the way around on my truck. It has been installed since November 2021 and I have put about 5000 miles on it. I have the 3" performance (medium load) coils on the front rated at 0-110 pounds additional payload and I have their medium load rear leaf springs rated at 0-440 pounds in the rear. https://ironman4x4america.com/foam-cell-pro-suspension-kit-suited-for-2005-toyota-tacoma-stage-2/

In the front, I have an additional 105 pounds net of weight in the front due to a US off road semi-hidden winch bumper with a Warn VR Evo 10S.

When my installation shop setup my truck, it appeared pretty level to me with a slight rake in the front. Regrettably, I didn't take fender-to-ground measurements at the time. Now, it seems like the front is downright sagging! This is prior to the installation of my bumper and winch (which fall into the weight ratings anyways).

What can I do? Can I go back to my installation shop and have them adjust the coil-overs to get things more leveled off? Thanks for your advice and input in advance! Pictures because this thread would be worthless without them

https://imgur.com/a/r1wvrri

 

Yes

 

Maybe.

 

Roger, lol. I have an appointment with my shop for Friday after next. I called them this AM and told them the measurements and they are pretty dumbfounded it is that far off. I will update as to what the reasoning behind the excessive rake/sag is. They agreed I shouldn't be seeing sag like this with only 5000 miles on the set up and 105 pounds additional weight in the front.

 

I can't tell enough to say for sure from that pic. But from what I can see it looks fine.

 

need to see a side profile of the truck.

If you have coilovers, take the front wheels off and crank them up. It's a super easy process

 

It better to measure from center of wheel to top of fender. Take the ground out of the equation

 

I did, the measurements are listed in the OP

 

Yo! Seems a lot of people have noticed a significant "settle" (.75-1.5") after around 500, but not again after adjustments.

 

Easiest route is to lower the rear. I would check with ironman to see if a rear leaf can be removed to lower the rear. You can always add it back on if it settles. The front coils are likely close to max so only option is to swap for the HD coils.

 

Hmmm, Ironman told me they are adjustable specifically to account for the settling, so they aren’t likely maxed out.

 

All due respect but your photos are no help - we need profile pics on flat ground

 

Yea, the photo is useless, but this.

Seems about right. You're 4" higher in the rear than the front unloaded. I have 2 trucks, my 4X4 Tacoma, and a 4X4 F150. Both are about 3" higher in the rear, but both trucks have a cap on them as well as some gear in the bed.

 

I will get some more side profile pictures soon, these were taken right before I got home from my shift and went to bed, ha ha! I seem to remember hearing that the IronMan coils are known for settling an inch or two. I’m going to be interested to see what my shop has to say about it next week.

 

I have the Ironman Foamcell pro kit as well. I set the fronts to their settings and I have a little bit of a rake and thats after taking out a leaf from the HD pack

 

The most important thing is that the front suspension is working properly. Measure the distance from hub center to fender, then jack it up until the wheel is off the ground and measure again. If you have less that 2" of droop, then you cannot dial in anymore ride height without ruining the performance of your suspension. Once your front is correct then adjust the rear to get the balance you want. As some have said, it is not uncommon for any new spring to settle in lower after a bit of use.

 

that is really great advice, thank you! I will do that my next day off

 

The outcome of this was that my overland shop ended up increasing the ride height of my front coil-overs fully 2". They were surprised it had sagged so much, but I now have anecdotal evidence from several other Ironman 4x4 foam cell pro front coil-over users that they encountered similar sag during the alleged "break in" period. The truck looks a lot better now and with the nose up higher, I definitely feel that I have better height to approach taller obstacles like shelved roads and rocks.