Leveling kit experience vs lift

Adjust your headlights down or suffer the dick tax.

 

It’s your truck do with you please. If you’re wanting to do the whole Carolina squat thing to the truck then just make the truck 2wd by removing the front differential and axles. And then you could go 6” lift in the front or hell even an 12” and 0” in the rear. Not sure if you’re wanting it squatted nor why but each their own. Then you never have to worry about the cv axles.

 

nah i do not want to do a full carolina squat all i am doing is lifting the front 2.5 inches.. a little bit more than level

 

Should have never mentioned you liked the squat look
Let’s assume you mean you would rather have the front half an inch higher than the rear half an inch higher.
That said, spacers are not the way to do it. If there is a whole thread dedicated to why something sucks (spacer lifts), they are right. Sure there are outliers who say they ride fine, but they are outLIERS.
At LEAST invest in bilstein 5100s. You can get a set with OME 884 (1.5 inch lift) or OME 885 (2.5 inch lift) assembled for 800$. Those will come with rear shocks.
Do not go any higher than that because you are opening a whole can of worms above 2.5, Cv boots, carrier bearing drop, UCAs, seized cam bolts, ECGS bushing.
Now some say 5100 are objectively pencil shocks, but it sounds like you are in a budget so these are your best bet for now.
https://www.srqfabrications.com/products/2005-2015-2nd-gen-tacoma-bilstein-ome-5100-3-lift-kit
And yes, this is a jump from 35$-800$. If that is too much, lifting your truck may not be in the cards. Many people keep their trucks completely stock and still love them. I think ruining the ride for a difference that only you will notice in looks, is a poor decision.
Best of luck

 

yeah i definitely ain't doing the spacers anymore.. I will be running 5100 in the front with a "2.5 inch lift, the rear of the truck is going to be left alone

i decided on this:

Bilstein 5100's https://a.co/d/9kabZfs
jba UCA
ecgs bushing mod

 

apparently the 5100's use the stock springs so i dont have to buy some new ones

 

Good choice, are you installing yourself?

 

nah I think ima have a local show do it all at once installation + alignment .. do you think I should do the ecgs bushing as well ?

 

Yep. Order the kit and have them install while they are in there.

 

I’m not sure if they even know how to do it lol I can ask but I live about 2 hrs from the actual ECGS company and they can install it for 200 I believe

 

I would think the shop, if they are familiar with installing suspension lifts, will be able to put that bushing in.

 

I mean true but why not get the company designed it to put it in.. they just charge $200

 

Which is a Lot

 

Are they going to install your lift also? Because that’s when you want it done. You won’t want to pay for your lift/labor, have it all put together, and then go to another shop to tear it apart again and drain your diff fluid to install the bushing.

 

I was going to go to my local off road shop for my lift and to the ECGB shop for the bushing

 

I know. I understand that. I’m saying, why would you want to do that? The shop that does your lift is already going to have it all apart and be right there.

 

true but I don’t know if they know how to do that plus I want them to do it right .. you think it’s beneficial for me to do the ecgs bushing ?

 

Ok this is what you do my man. You call the shop that you’re going to have do your lift and ask them if they are familiar with replacing the front dif needle bearing with the ECGS bushing. I’ll guarantee you they have lifted many Tacomas if they are a well known shop, and will definitely know how to do it.
And yes my honest advice is to just have the bushing installed, the cost is minimal. You’ll be pissed if you don’t and get annoying vibes after your lift

 

True when I called them earlier I asked them but I’m not sure if they understood what I was talking about maybe I worded it wrong

 

Plus if I take it to ECGS I don’t have to buy the two installment tools