Being honest with myself about Mods: Lift/Suspension

OP, this is a great thread you started. I have been looking for a kit to do all this as well.

 

OP, one other thing that might be worth looking at is the Ironman lift kit. I am not a suspension expert, but my understanding is that the Ironman guys had some ARB/OME work experience and started up their own company. All of the reviews I have read have been good, and they offer a couple different shock and spring choices depending on your preferences. It's approximately a 2 inch lift, so it might be a good option if you don't want to hit that 3 inch mark.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehicules/4x4/toyota-other-models/1180-ironman-releases-2-inch-lift-for-toyota-tacoma.html

 

Nice puns.

Good luck with your purchase. You've been all through this and I'll just say your guess is as good as mine. There's lots of tradeoffs and compromises here there and everywhere. It's tough to pick the right package.

 

OP Im new here as well, I have noticed you will get 100 different people saying what they have it the best option and everything else rides like crap. All those options are great options IMO.

OME was my first choice. However I figured if I was spending close to 2k for a new suspension set up...why not look into Icons/Camburg/Kings/Fox. Right now you are probably thinking that you wont be doing much off roading but once you get the kit you may have regrets....not to say you will but it may happen.

I was going crazy researching and reading reviews on different lifts.

Like said above by Monkey Face there is tradeoff's and compromises for every kit. Its up to you to figure out what will work for you and how much you want to spend.




Personally Im going with Coilovers from either Camburg or Icon. Please feel free to PM me with any questions about this post.

 

Fanboy here.
I would say OME if you plan on adding armor. If you dont plan on adding armor, or at least not a bumper, I would say got the 5100 route. I dont have any experience with 5100s, but a lot of people have them and like them.
My OME set up(aal rear) ran me about $800 and gave me 2.5" of lift before my armor, and it rides great.

 

you can start with 5100s and later add Eibach coils to beef it up.

 

This is why i think you need a ICON suspension. Do it once, do it right, you wont regret it. I have run OME and ICON, worth the extra money IMO if you are looking for superior ride quality and performance.

 

Well I'm gonna go totally against the grade here and recommend something CRAZY....ready?????

Leave the suspension stock.

Get a good set of tires, maybe with some new rims. If you're feeling you need protection cause you're getting off road more often and the area your wheeling is likely to cause damage, then consider skids and such. If your doing a lil bit of mud, snow, dirt roads, and light trails there really isn't a reason to 'build-up' your Tacoma.

Like you said, the Tacoma is already a bad ass offroading truck in its stock form. Having tires with good traction will improve its performance offroad and in the snow/mud.

I'm saying this cause you said you're really not that kind of guy. You don't really know what the Tacoma can do in its stock form. As you get out more often you'll begin to find out where the Tacoma needs help or protection. But you'll have to get out on the unbeaten path to find that out. Save your money. Enjoy the rig as is for abit.

 

How could you? I mean you recommending something like this? It's just so simple and makes too much sense!!!

OP: 265-75-16 or 265-70-17 will fit stock suspension. I just put Duratrac's on and they are bad ass tires! But, if you are going to be 99% road, probably not the best for you....

Something less agressive would be better...

 

Leave the suspension stock...now you sound like my wife.

Haha I'm kidding of course. She has an accent (not the Hyundai). I like that you made this suggestion. But that doesn't mean I LIKE it for me. It's a reasonable bit of advice, given my flat road tendencies, but I think I can get away with 2" of lift without any real hassle.

I don't know that I'd agree about the armor being "wasted" if I don't off road: it protects my truck's front, sides, and rear, and the sliders give my short wife easier access to her throne. Oh, and it looks great.

I was wondering about the stiffness of the 5100s when pre-loaded too. Seems like they might be significantly stiffer than stock. Add armor and set that all on stock coils, and I think it might get uncomfortable. Maybe Eibachs is the way to go if I'm gonna rock those bad boys. And I still think I'd sleep better knowing I had UCAs up der.

In the end though, even if I never never drive through a big mud puddle, I want the 2". My wife honestly agrees that 2" would make her a LOT happier. Seriously though, she commented the other day when she saw a lifted taco that it looked cooler than my stock height, and she's not even into that stuff (lifts, not tacos).

I love the people on this forum. You guys are awesome. Don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found TW!

 

I have been debating the same options as you. Besides the lift you are after, I am after function also. I like the factory baja Bilsteins because they add travel to the front and rear. I'm assuming you will get increased travel with 5100's and eibach springs up front. I also prefer the Bilsteins because they can be revalved and seem to be a great upgrade for other vehicles besides the Tacoma. Does the OME kit increase travel front and rear? Plus I hate the idea of the AAL on my non TSB springs.

 

What about an avid off road front bar and oem steps ad protection? They saved my bumpers more than once and don't add much weight. Just food for thought.

 

I've done 5100's, 5100's w/ Eibach coils on my Tacomas. Nice set-up, works pretty well.

After just having a new Icon set-up installed on my wife's 4-Runner I completely agree. Icon is worth the extra money. I won't jack w/ the budget lifts again. Icon is more comfortable on the street, drives better and the difference off-road is very noticeable!

David

 

I did this same thing and agree 100% The Icons ride nice on and off road. I liked the 5100's but once I started putting armor on (arb front bumper, sliders, full set of budbuilt skids.... rear bumper coming soon ) the 5100's needed help. I tried adding ome 885's with them and they got better but you couldn't fine tune the height the ride wasn't as I was hoping for on or off road. Went with the Icons and I got the ride back and handles great. I have not tried the toytec ultimate lift but heard good things from them. They use the 5100 shock and your choice of a few different coils that you can change out as you grow. They are easily adjustable so you can fine tune your front height, also helps taking care of the "taco lean" without having to use spacers on one side.

For the rear I'm using ome shocks with the dakar pack and I am happy with them but things might change when I get the aftermarket rear bumper on.

Just my .02

 

Stock suspension, 265-75-16's, and most importantly, remove your mudflaps.


That's how I roll, but don't tell anyone...


I have an OR 4x4 too, but it's a pavement hugger.

 

Here's my .02. I had a 98 toyota tacoma TRD Ext Cab, put a 3" OME lift with shocks and springs on it, 33s. LOVED the way it rode. I ended selling the truck because I wanted a 4 dr, and eventually picked up the 2008 you see in my sig.

I rode on the factory suspension (no lift) for a couple years, and like you was reading on line reviews ad nauseam. All the data really will make your head hurt. Then, I just decided the heck with it, why reinvent the wheel, and went with the 3" OME kit with shocks, 885 springs, like on my 98, and with the minor exception that the shop who assembled the shocks put the lower spring perches on upside down.. (thank TW for pointing it out..) I was once again VERY impressed with the ride quality. the lift was installed on 9/10 /13 (this week).. so the old vs. new is very fresh in my mind.. (you might even say I'm still caught up in the pageantry of it all.. lol)

First impressions - When I initially drove the truck with the new OME lift, I was expecting the truck to be a little more stiff going down the road, but as I drove to and from work each day and hit the same old bumps in the road, my truck absorbs them like magic, none of the same rattles and bangs like with the factory suspension. so those memories of what I loved about the 98 lift have come back two fold!

All that said, I am not saying other kits wont ride the same or be just as nice, (I dont know, because I haven't owned them) I seriously considered the 5100 option etc. etc. but in all, I am VERY happy with my OME selection.

Much like you, my truck is my daily driver.. I don't wheel it much at all, (maybe once a year.. if that) I love the tacos.. always have. However compared to my 73 Bronco, from a wheeling perspective, I would never even consider taking my truck in places I took my Bronco.. But I built my Bronco for wheeling, and wheeling I did.. But I am out of the wheeling thing now. No time for it now anyway - work, school, kids.. ugh!

Overall, and like you, I wanted the truck to "look right", and ride good. Now it does!

See link in my sig for pics of the lift/info if interested.

Picked my kit and UCAs up at Toytec.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

^^^my thoughts for OP too[/QUOTE]





spacer lift with preloaded springs and a ton of weight from arb and armor is a recipie for a terrible ride.[/QUOTE]

A lot of people say that a spacer kit causes a hard ride and that thery seems sound to me if it is the type that installs into the strut and compresses spring which I believe you are referring too.

However, to the OP as well, a lot of times people don't mention that there are kits like the procomp nitro and the procomp 2.5" that you bolt your strut to and then you bolt that to the strut tower. Essentially, you haven't changed anything in your shock or spring (Yes angles of CV's UCA's) and you have your look with the factory ride and now you can put some larger tires on it for a bit of ground clearance. At that point you have a factory ride for 99% road and some ground clearance for the 1%. I have faith that my tacoma tough enough to do some decent fun trails without antything else.

If you do it yourself you could do a kit like this for a couple hundred bucks.

 

^^^Just ordered one!^^^ LOL

 

That's the first I've heard of the pro-comp bolt on stuff. Are there any negatives to doing that, like there are with spacers?

 

Yes. He is still talking about spacers. There are two types, in coil spacers and top plate spacers. Sounds like he is talking about top plate spacers. With big top plate spacers you shock will reach full compresion before you hit the bumpstops. Take a big hit and your shock is destroyed. I would recomend NOT doing this kit especially with full armor. You said you dont offroad really at all, once your lifted with big tires and armor that will probably change.