Leveling Kit on SR5 4x4

What would be the advantage of putting a leveling kit on a 3rd Gen Tacoma SR5 4x4, that hasn't been lifted, and has only mildly wider tires on stock 16" wheels? Looks? Any real handling/performance gains?

 

no advantage at all.

 

Leveling is a waste of time and money. The rear leafs are weak and do sag under a mild load. Look ar a bigger picture.

 

Mine has been leveled with spacers and blocks, and 265/75 tires and I’ve had absolutely none of the issues some have reported with exception of a small MPG change. I wanted to keep the factory rear to front rake, so I have 1.5 inch block in back, and am still using my stock shocks all around. I like the looks and can’t tell any differences in ride. I drive mostly on pavement. If you consider making changes, be conservative and keep it simple. No need to overkill or overspend.

 

Yep. My truck rides better than stock with a 2” OME lift, stock needle bearing. No vibrations, squeaks, clunks etc.

I did have to install a 4 degree shim for rear axle to correct driveshaft angle and get rid of minor vibes when decelerating 25-15 mph or so.

Still able to get advertised MPGs running 33x10 E rated tires and about 650 pounds of extra weight.

 

i dont see the point in a leveling kit. just raise the whole truck up. 1.5" and be done with it.

 

Agree.

Also, leveling decreases departure angle which already is a weak point on a 3rd gen and the truck will squat with weight in the back.

Never understood the point of “leveling” a pick up, trucks have a rake for a reason.

 

2nd gen here, so take it fwiw. I used Bilstein 5100s up front and raised the front 1.5 or 1 3/4" . It was hard to see over the nose of the truck, and actually harder to hoist myself up into the cab. After a week i redid the job and put the spacer at .8". The truck now sits level, and looks much better, Imo. I do actually notice the slight height increase, but my mileage for such a mild lift is unaffected. I find it rides great. I run airbag suspension out back on 4 leaf springs, so am not concerned about the rear sagging. Do it if you want a level truck. If you're doing it yourself, it's not that expensive.

 

I don't understand why the sr5 would need a leveling kit if all stock. Mine sits perfectly level since it came that way. I haven't done anything.

 

If you have airbag suspension, you can have a level truck regardless of load in the bed, or pump it up and get an extra 1.5" of clearance out back. Some people don't like the rake, and some it doesn't bother.

 

There is no rake on a stock tacoma so why would it bother someone? My tundra was higher in the rear vs the front...that truck had rake.

 

When they recalled 711,000 of the 2nd gen trucks and installed 4 leaf springs in them, mine most definitely had a rake after that. Some trucks have rake, some lean to one side, in my experience. Depends on the truck. In addition, when i have a full load in the bed and vehicle is at or near gvwr, the truck sags in the rear. The result is people think I'm highbeaming them, and flash their lights. That and the steering gets light, and the truck wanders. If you often carry weight in the bed, airbags make sense. As you can tell, i fall in the "level" camp.

 

This was my truck when it was pretty much stock, definitely had a rake.

Now lifted 2”, still got a rake.

 

Just putting the bigger Bilstein 5100s up front set at 1" would improve the ride immensely. Bigger, better shock!

 

Good point. The stock shocks are certainly smaller diameter. Fwiw, i contacted Bilstein to ask if the 4600's were different valving than 5100s, the reply i got was that while he wasn't able to say the shocks were the same, he also truthfully couldn't tell me they were different apart from colour and the ability to adjust ride height up front (read between the lines). I subsequently have 4600s out back, 5100s in the front.

 

If you added to the front and back and kept the rake it’s not a level anymore, it’s a lift.

 

True, but I like it this way. It’s got spacers and blocks. I don’t really like the nose high look. All good.

 

Every tacoma 3rd gen i've seen here sit level. Idk about the lean. My 2020 sr5 hasn't any. When parked next to some other 3rd gen tacomas that are sr, and sr5's with similar tires, it tends to sit a big higher than most. Again, these trucks do not seem all exactly the same.
As far as high beaming others, i get that all the time if driving at night.