2021 Tacoma TRD OR on 33" tires Suspension suggestion.

Hey guys, couple months ago I purchased my very first truck, it is a 2021 Tacoma TRD Off-road, I purchased the truck with 16k miles, as is mostly , except the headlights and fogs. Currently it sits on 33x12.5x17 Nitto Grapplers and 17s Black Rhino wheels. Rears appears to be running some sort of block spacer lift with Bilstein 5160 and front is also a spacer lift with TRD Bilstein strut/spring. From what it looks like a 3-3.5" lift.
I have been absolutely enjoying it and loving it. Although recently I gotten quite annoyed with the stiffness and bumpy ride here in the north eastern part of USA especially after the rough roads after winter. Almost everyone tells me to get rid of the blocks completely and go with a proper lift suspension. I really love how it looks lifted and tire/width wise and would not want to change too much. I am planning to do some beginner mild off-roading in the spring. I drive the truck a lot but I do have another car that I drive, so it is not my only daily driver.
I have no experience in truck suspension. From my gathering I was planning to add a set of Bilstein 6112s on the front on the 2" setting and pair it with a ICON Multi Rare RXT Leaf Pack , not sure which level yet, I assume Level 1 would be best, I do not plan to load the truck with anything much more then maybe a Bicycle or two/cooler/small 12Vfridge and some seats at the moment.
Would this this setup give me a much more improved ride quality and look similar to how my truck looks like. I was wondering if there is anyone that could share some photos of how a truck looks with such suspension on the 33" tires and some input. I would greatly appreciate it

 

That's a nice ride!

I definitely would agree there is plenty of room for improvement over what is on there.
You said you didn't want to change your truck's current stance too much (which I can easily understand)... However that amount of lift (3-3.5") tends to be hard on the front suspension components, having it raised it up that high puts a lot of angle on everything, and is also largely why the jarring rough ride.

You've got a couple of options:
One of course is dropping down to 2" lift... The 6112s w/RXT you mentioned and the 5160s you have now (provided they're in good shape) is an excellent (and also very popular) setup. While you do lose a bit of your lift stance, you certainly will gain a much-improved ride, and there will be less strain on everything (the CV joints and steering rack in particular).

The other option that isn't talked about as much is a 4" lift that has drop-down brackets for the lower control arms and differential housing. This would solve your 3-3.5" lift dilemma just the same (improving the angles on suspension parts) while also keeping your stance about the same-maybe slightly higher. One caveat to going 4" is it requires removing a crossmember from the frame to install the lift's replacement crossmember that lowers the front diff housing, so these kits aren't for everyone (which has led to some fear-mongering over them)... But if you're serious about it, they have a lot to offer as far as offroad capability and ride quality goes (BDS is normally my first suggestion for such a lift).

Since you said you're just starting out with some beginner offroading, I suggest go with the 6112s & RXTs at 2" lift and see how it works for you (there are lots of people here who are happy with that setup). If you do find yourself needing/wanting more clearance (as I did since I do a fair amount of rock crawling), or you just want the stance, you can always add a drop bracket kit later on. It's fully possible to keep your 6112s and RXTs (and UCAs too, if you have them) with the DB kit as well. Only your rear 5160s need replaced with something longer, which BDS and others do provide options for that.

Welcome to TW

 

Awesome thank you for the tip, I decided to go with the 6112s & RXTs at 2" lift for a start, the 5160 looks very fresh almost new. I do not mind dropping the truck 1-1.5" from photos of others, it should not look too much different, but I'm sure it will drive 100x nicer. I just wasnt sure what option I should set the RXT at, hopefully option 1 will be enough for the 6112 at the 11/9 clip ( 2") I guess II will find out, my upper control arms are currently oem, I do plan to upgrade in the near future, just so many options, my head is spinning

 

I'm just here to say we are going to need a lot more pics of that taco and that A-frame.

 

2" Bilstein 5100 (w/Stock coils) , 1" block in the rear. 33" Pizza cutters....

Ride is smooth as peanut butter, and doesn't feel tipsy on the Highway!

 

I want that A frame, the 3rd gen, and the e36 m3.

 

Love the color of that Taco, it was one of the colors I was in search for, by the way, is that level without the weight in the bed ? also are you running stock leaf?

 

You may wanna ditch the 12.5 wides. They look cool, but dropping to a 285 or a 10.5 will result in a much nicer ride and probably better fuel economy and more power.

Alternatively you could jump up to a 35x10.5!

 

Haha
Yeah there are so many ways to go, and enough information to make you dizzy. But it's always good to have plenty of options, and Tacomas are real good for that. Eventually, as you get deeper into it, you'll start realizing exactly what it is you want.

I have the RXTs on mine, set on Option 1, and have found it completely fine for occasional loads up to 300-400 lbs or so. I've also carried as much as 1000lbs a couple times hauling stuff (firewood, fill dirt, etc.) and although they got close to the bumpstops, they did still support it. If you have a regular or usual load you carry that is say 300-500lbs, then Option 2 might be better for you. What's great is you can always swap that extra leaf in/out/around as your needs change (though it does require you undo the U-bolts & leaf centerpins each time... If your loads change real often, a set of air springs (air bags) might be a better setup).

 

Txs. Stock leafs, bit of a load in the back. 37 1/2" all around below the black wheel wells...

 

I have Bilstein 5100’s all around and 33” tires, would pics of that help or no?