2018 TRD OR - lift and new tires

hello all, I am new to the Tacoma world and I am looking for sage advice on a lift and new wheel/tire combo. I have tried to read a bunch of the various threads and discussions on this but I am feeling a bit unsure still.

A bit of background I spend most of my time in my truck either driving ~20 mi to work (want to keep truck reasonably sized for city living) or to the mountains (Tahoe area) for biking, climbing, and skiing. For this a bit bigger tire size and more aggressive tread as well as a bit more clearance will go a long way for access to mountains via the OHV trails in the area.

First the suspension, I am looking at adding just enough height for bigger tires (approx 275/70/r17 ko2’s). I’m thinking that 1-1.5 inches will be more than enough for this. Does this see, reasonable?
- I have looked into several brands and have mostly decided on either fox suspension or an icon kit. Generally the idea would be to do something similar to the icon phase 2 plus ucas. I presume this will more than handle my needs, but I am thinking maybe this is overkill?
- I understand that the major difference between the brands is progressive valving compared digressive valving. I would appreciate some input on what makes the most sense (my current understanding is the digressive works best for off road at high speeds, while progressive is better for on road performance and then excels in low speeds off road).
- I will also likely do an add a Aleah for the rear as I have a camper shell and will likely build a simple box system in the bed plus add a ski box on top. I have also been known to load the truck with climbing, skiing, and biking gear for one trip which adds up fast.

For tires, as I Said’s I was thinking something around a 275/70/r17 ko2 but I am not really sure what the real advantages or disadvantages of tires sixes are besides more wide than = more traction and more aspect ratio = more plush ride. However I don’t know if I will noticed as much difference in tire size as would a more veteran persons but I will notice mpgs so will want to try and stay light. Any comments on fin this is the right size? I have also wondered what the difference is between going to an r17 with smaller aspect ratio versus an r16 with a larger aspect ratio. If I can stay r16 I can simply reuse stock rims. If not any suggestions on light weight economical wheels that would put the tires flush with body/fenders?

Thanks for any comments, suggestions, photos of your rigs. I also apologize if I am beating a dead horse with this topic or if I have made any noob mistakes.

Best

 

Are you having off road issues that you think will be solved by tires and lift?

 

I have found the truck to be adequate for now stock but I haven’t really been on any of the ohv roads as of yet this year given the snow, but previously I had a Nissan Xterra pro4x that comes lifted 1 inch and bigger tires. In general I felt okay in the suv, but certainly felt a bit undergunndd in certain situations. And as I gave gotten to know the area more I go more and more off the beaten path.

 

welcome to TW

 

If your purpose is function, I'd wait on doing anything until you know the problem that needs solving.

You can run taller skinny tires 255 x 80 x17 on OE wheels with no lift, rubbing or cutting required. A full 33. Those would create some real axle clearing lift as well.

To learn how to compare tire sizes, use the tire calculator. You'll also see some other driveline impacts.

Sometimes a plus sized tire in a different brand/tread (over OE tires) is all that's needed for amazing off road performance. There is as much dependence on the driver skill as their is a bunch of stuff beyond tires.

If you really want to pursue suspension work, just call Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road and follow her lead.

If MPG is an important thing to you, just note that suspension or tire upgrades you do will give you a ding. How much is related to how much change you make.

Welcome.

 

Thanks for the suggestions Clearwater. I will likely follow your advice for holding off on changes at the moment.

 

The key thing I see most people miss, myself included is what accessories are you planning on adding? Sliders, skids, winch tray? Make sure you put in a spring stiff enough or tall enough to accommodate the weight. If you're not putting in adjustable height suspension consider at least putting taller bolts on your top hats to fit spacers later without disassembly. I didn't think my sliders would make such a difference and now plan to add a winch. See the thread in my signature that hopefully more guys will share on.

 

I would say that it would definitely be overkill for one of those kits, but at the same time, if you can afford it, better to have it and not need than need and not have.

I just put on bilstein 5100s with OME 887 coils, and headstrong 3 leaf aal. went with light racing ucas. so far it rides better than stock and feels great.

also did the ecgs bushing even though I only have 500 miles on the truck. added peace of mind doing it while it was a part that I won't have issues.

my setup would yield much more than 1-1.5", but you could do a 5100 and a shorter coil spring.

 

The Boss 2.0 is a great lift and the ride is awesome IMO. With the 275/70/17 KO2's you will gain 3" of lift. I have no complaints with this set up on a TRD OR DCSB 4x4 6MT. $.02

 

275/70/17 bfg ko2 only comes in an E rated tire, will likely be a rough ride. the size 275/70/17 is not really a common tire size and the companies that do make them in either a C or lower rating have non-aggressive thread pattern. something to keep in mind..

I was in the same boat, jumped up to 285/70/17 but in a P rating.

 

The ride between C 265/70/17 and E 275/70/17 is real close in ride. I would say that I can feel the added height and the weight of the E tire but as far as a rough ride, you can't tell, Trust me when I say this because my son (275 E) and I (265 C) have the same trucks (TRD OR 4x4 DCSB MT6) with the same lift and I drive his from time to time. I think the added weight takes away the rough ride some think they will have. I was stoked at the comfort those E tires had. $.02

 

He can also look into a 255/75/17 tire, KO2 in that size comes in a C load, almost as tall as the 275/70/17 but about 8-10lbs lighter with a smaller contact patch so gas mileage won't take such a hit like you would with an E rated tire or the wider 285.

For lift I did:
OME 885 springs
2nd gen 5100s front and rear
3 leaf progressive AAL from Wheelers with O/L leaf left in
ECGS bushing as a preventive measure
Tires are 265/70/17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on the TRD 4Runner Pro wheels.

Lift front and rear is just under 2 inches while maintaining factory rake.

Very pleased with this,setup, all in parts for the lift are less than $800

If you plan to run more weight in the rear I'd look into something else like a custom leaf pack.

If your budget is more I'd consider the 6112/5160 Bilstein setup.

Daily commute is 40 miles round trip, mostly highway with some offroading on the weekends down to the Carolina OBX. Truck, tires and amount of lift have performed very well, tires now have almost 30K miles on them, lift has about 10k on it.

 

Check all the subforums I'll start you off with these 2. Use the Search button in those subforums and click "search this forum only" to narrow down your search.

so what's your budget? Fox and icon have different levels. And I assume your gonna want to add a leaf aka AAL to lift your rear?

Took me 6 months of searching here on the forums and pulling the trigger on a lift. Make sure you buy what you need for your lifestyle vs what you "Want" unless you got money like that and can throw money left and right at your truck.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/suspension.18/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/wheels-tires.15/

 

For now, slap some new tires on and go play. Let the trails tell you what mods you need. And heed the advice of @oscolivar1 . Spend the time to research lifts. If you are new to all of this, it will take a long time to understand everything involved.

 

There's a lot involved with deciding on a lift, take your time and research what'll be right for you and the kind of driving you like to do.

I've had mine almost 2 years before I got it lifted (last week), and all things considered I'm really glad I waited and got what I felt was right for me. I ended up spending more than I originally anticipated, but I couldn't be happier with the choices I made!

 

Yes. This is what I did.

It took a little time for me to decide how I was going to drive it, or even how much I even liked the truck to begin with. It was a week-long wheeling trip in the Canyonlands that sealed the deal for me; I knew how I wanted to drive it from then on, and the rest was easy.

Patience pays off, wheel the piss out of it and get the right equipment for what you like to do.

 

For me, I live in New Hampshire -> the granite state. After a summer on the trails here, I realized that sliders and skids were the most important if I wanted my truck to survive the rocks. It all depends on your goals for the truck and what you want to do with it.

 

I live in NE Colorado, we have tons of steep, rocky trails.

I was sticking with easy rated trails at first, learning my truck and my own capabilities. We hit some moderate rated trails in Canyonlands (Utah), and I fell in LOVE with that kind of driving! I decided that I didn't have enough overall clearance when I smacked my frame pretty good coming off a ledge - the lifted trucks I was with didn't have any issue with the spot I was on. I also learned that I like to hit the flats fast, and there's where I learned about progressive vs. digressive shock valving.

2.5" of lift with extended travel Icons (Icons are digressive shocks), forged SPC UCAs, and medium-duty Dakar rear leafs was the ticket for me!

 

Long time toy fan - I’m unlikely to add the below except maybe a beefier skids and potentially a winch (depending on how serious I get in the longer term). However I have already added about 300 lbs in weight to the truck between the bed buildout, camper shell, and roof racks. This is not really all that much weight, but seeing as I can easily put in an additional 600 lbs for 2-3 person trips not including passanger weight I am a bit concerned about the overall ride (plunging through the suspension) when loaded down. With this said I’m equally worried about having to stiff of a spring when unloaded. Any recommendations for a happy medium?

 

That’s a nice looking truck. I am hoping to find a nice middle ground between off-road performance and highway mileage. I’m also not trying to jack up the truck that much. A 1/1.5 inch lift would probably suffice. I’d also consider wrapping new wheels on the stock 16knch wheels, but not really sure what the cost/benefit would be between running 16s vs 17s. It just seems that most people I talk to tend to favor the 17s.
Will almost certainly need AALs to compensate for added weight in the back. This seems to be the easiest per of the equation, but maybe I’m missing something.