About to buy my lift, final questions.

Ok I saw it, it looks pretty easy

 

Yeah it seems simple enough

 

A couple of updates.

In my opinion, using the floor jack under the lower control arm is much easier than the cheap rental spring compressors. Probably safer as well. Just make sure the jack is under the lower control arm and not the lower ball joint.

I'm undecided on the front diff drop kit. I will never go someplace where a rock might take out my diff, so that part of the equation is not important to me. I will play with it and see how the angles and CV boots look with and without the kit.

After my alignment, it drove fine, but never felt right. I also started getting rubbing when in hard lock going in reverse. I broke down and bought a set of camburg ball joint UCA and installed them two days ago. The installation isn't too bad, but is tricky. Make sure you don't snap your airbag wires like I did. If you want any advice on the UCA install, just let me know. Switching the ball joints over from the original UCA wasn't to hard, just need the right tools.

Had the truck realigned yesterday and the difference is huge. I know the UCA is expensive, but in the big picture there is always a cost to doing something right and doing something half right. My truck has been reliable for 87k miles and if I"m going to do anything to my truck it is going to be done right so that I only have to do it once. Anyways, the shop said my truck was very easy to adjust and dialed in perfect camber with lots of caster. The wheel is now dead center in the fender and no rubbing. It drives perfect as well. Basically feels like the old suspension but taller and better.

These are my final thoughts on the installation. If you don't want to go with a new UCA, don't go big. I would just get the Toytec springs with the 5100 and AAL and call it a day. Granted you will not fit the biggest tire, but it will still drive a little better than stock (not night and day, except the rear axle) and still look better than other Tacoma's. (I will admit that I smile a little when I see my truck next to a stock Tacoma) If you want more than the Toytec springs offer (I think 1.8" or so), then the 885 springs are a great option. Just plan to buy the UCA up front as even if you don't "need them" they will improve your suspension performance and life.

My only regrets is that I didn't go ahead and replace the rubber coil isolator while everything was apart and that I didn't make the change earlier.

 

Installed my 5100s and 885s earlier, such a big difference from stock.
Took me and a buddy a little over 3 hours to get everything all put together, using the floor jack under the lower arm method.
Yeah I bought the new bushing and isolators from wheelers cuz the old ones were, well, old haha.

 

Just wanted to say i had this exact same view wednesday. eibachs on 5100's were on middle setting and that was no bueno, so using the same impact, that bad ass hilti i got em all fixed. actually used that hilti for everything front and rear suspension. never even needed the IR.

 

Wires were an easy fix. Some but splices, tape, and zip ties and everything was working right.

I knocked the uca bolts out with a 3/8 extention. Had to use a small crow bar to bend the sheet metal to make space for the bolt head to pass. Once it passes, you just knock it out, trying not to get hung up on any wires that can break quite easily.

 

When you're done installing the ucas is it noticable that you bent the sheet metal?