Comprehensive 5-lug 2nd gen lowering info.

I highly recommend not using aluminum blocks. If there's any chance of the blocks coming in contact with salt, either via winter road salt or sea salt, the aluminum will literally degrade and dissolve. I was lucky on my previous Taco where I went to replace the aluminum blocks I had on the truck with more substantial steel blocks, only to find that there was almost nothing left of the aluminum blocks when I went to take them off.

 

I don’t live in the Rust Belt!! I’m in Arizona, moving to Southern NM soon plus I have my aluminum parts powder coated. My father was from Ohio and he always said Ohio is a nice place to be from…
And it might help if you did some maintenance to your Taco one in awhile. I.e. washing the undercarriage after you drive through snow and salt. My wife and I got stuck in a big snow storm going over the continental divide. The first thing I did when we got home and unloaded was to hook up a hose to the bottom of the hot water heater and wash the undercarriage thoroughly. Next morning wash out the cinders & rock salt from the garage.
Yes the AZ sun is brutal but it doesn’t rust, it just kills paint…

 

My suggestion of using steel blocks wasn't directed at you specifically, unless you live where salt is an issue, which you apparently don't.

If you've never lived in an area where it snows and road salt is used (versus sand), you might not understand how it's nearly impossible to keep your vehicle clean for months at a time. There can be sub-zero temperatures for weeks-on-end and road salt builds up every time one drives anywhere. Unless you have the luxury of having your own heated garage with the ability to wash your vehicle in it, you can't clean your vehicle for weeks because everything is frozen and most public car washes will be closed.

My aluminum blocks had disintegrated internally because aluminum blocks are hollow inside. It would not make sense to think I'm going to remove the rear axle every few weeks to wash the inside of the blocks verses just buying steel blocks to begin with. I see no benefit to running aluminum blocks other than to save a few dollars, which could end-up being more costly in the end.

 

Perhaps this lowering kit is buried somewhere in the 22 pages of this post, but it looks like there still is a more mild lowering kit available for 2wd Tacomas that resembles the "OS drop kit from TundraRacing.com kit"...
https://www.lceperformance.com/2005-2015-Tacoma-2x4-XRunner-Lowering-Kit-1-5-F-p/2070030.htm



Anyone have this kit? I browsed a few pages into this thread and didn't see any reference to it.

 

It more than resembles the SOS kit, it is that kit. Being that it is no longer available on the SOS site they may not be able to get it but you can call them and see.

 

The kit is the SOS kit! LCE is now selling SOS/Tundra Racing parts.
And I’m using the kit less the silver steel sleeves. But I use Viking shocks, they are aluminum shock body’s so I don’t recommend for owners in the rust belt. Plus you need to use gobs of anti-seize on the treads even in AZ.

 

Happy new year everyone! Any chance anyone is selling their lowered taco in the NC/SC area? Looking to get into one in the near future. Looking for a manual regular cab. Thank you!