Lift for 2g Tacoma?

Are there any lifts that have good height and won't destroy my steering. It doesn't have to be budget friendly but also not 6k+

 

I really enjoyed the OME Nitro with Dakar leaf springs on my 2013 TRD OR for 12 years, but I didnt do anything heavy duty. If I did it again, I would've gotten the heavy springs for more firm front, less rake, future settling, and replaced the UCA.

 

IIRC I spent about 3.5k on my dobinsons lift, all-in including upper arms, extended brake lines, ubolt flip kit, etc. haven’t had a problem the past 4ish years. rides a little firmer than stock but I also have E-load tires. It’s not teeth-rattling. Still handles great on the road.

 

yes

 

Agreed

 

But seriously, if you are asking for suggestions, Bilstein 5100s on your stock springs are about the best bang for your buck in my opinion. They will give you several height choices with a moveable collar

Cheapest would be a spacer lift

 

What "good height" are you looking for?
You've got two practical ranges to pick from if you're looking to best avoid steering (and also CV joint, if 4x4) issues:

1-2" lift,
4-6" lift.

Is your truck 2WD or 4x4? Depending on that, lift recommendations in the 4-6" category will be very different.

 

4x4 and I'm looking for something around a 4"

 

2-3” will make life better. Search the forums for 4” 5” or 6” lifts and you’ll see why.

get your 4th inch with 2” taller tire, if you can make it fit

 

if i can find some quality 3" ill go for it. im already running 33s and my mpg is terrible so i doubt im going up in size.

 

There are a lot of threads on lift kits here. Search for 3” lift or even just lift. It seems there are many ways to get there.

 

I just looked and saw one “stickied” https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lifting-your-truck-things-you-need-to-know.40469/

 

You'll be looking at a drop bracket kit in the 4-6" range then.

BDS is probably best of the DB kits (comes with sturdy brackets & very beefy knuckles). Their top-of-the-line has Fox shocks with compression damping adjusters up front, and is well under the budget you mentioned above.
https://bds-suspension.com/products...oyota-tacoma-05-15-4wd?variant=40927440797811
The Fox lets you dial the height anywhere you want from 4" up to 7" (I don't suggest anything over 6" though since that is where stresses on the steering & CVs starts to increase).
If your truck has 16" wheels, you need to switch to 17" wheels minimum for them to fit with the BDS steering knuckles (BDS claims 18" but reports are 17s do fit). Stock 17s will fit if you use spacers.

Be forewarned: Any DB kit (on a 4x4) requires cutting a crossmember off the frame (and this is where most of the fear-mongering over them comes from). Every kit on the market includes a (usually much beefier) member to replace it, so not like you're whacking something off and leaving it unsupported. I suggest read the installation .pdf for whichever kit you're looking at if you have questions.
Be sure to save the crossmember part if you think you might return the truck to stock in the future, it can always be welded back on.


Take a look through this post if you need any inspiration, plenty of DB kit owners here are happy with their setups (it's a very long read though, so don't look at it just before you have to go to work lol)

 

running 35’s on 6112 set to a max of around 2-2.5” without CV tear and wheel it per pro recommendations

must’ve missed something

 

BDS is probably best of the DB kits (comes with sturdy brackets & very beefy knuckles). Everything comes with the kit doesnt it?

 

A bit off topic but this is worth the watch if you're considering a diff drop or are concerned about CV wear with a lift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47aat1tc6zw

 

I’m not lifting and didn’t watch, but I’ll bet dropping the diff puts more stress on the mounts than intended.

 

If you didn't watch it, it essentially says you don't need a diff drop and the CVs will be fine.

 

Everything should be included, however I'd probably suggest going a step further and putting a good set of lifted leaf springs on it instead of using the 4½" tall blocks the kit comes with. This will preserve more of your truck's handling over bumps and on rough roads (less tendency for the rear to skip sideways, wheels staying planted on the ground better).
You could pair a set of commonly-available 2-3" lift leafs with shorter (like 1½" - 2") blocks (easiest option) or get a set of custom-ordered 4" or so springs from a company such as Alcan (there should be plenty of discussion on rear lifts in the post I linked earlier).

The CVs may be fine, but the boots might not be (which the video does mention). That video also glosses over the fact the increased angle does increase stress on the CV while under a load (instead saying your driving habits bear more of the blame). OP's original concern was his steering, which too much angle on the tie rods also does increase stress on the steering rack (causing more wear, leaks, etc.).
The BDS kit drops the entire diff (along with the lower control arms) using new crossmembers, preserving the CV angles as if stock. Replacement knuckles with the tie rod point up higher keeps the tie rod angles like stock.

 

4 1/2” blocks

(meet Mr. Spring Wrap )