do I need to lift?

hey, i have a 95 and the guy i bought it off just reset+1 the leafs in the back. now, it seems excessive fade on the front suspension is causing a huge downward rake. But i dont know that much about suspension for some reason.
so, my question is do i need to lift the front?
even if i dont, i want to replace the spring/shock but i dont really know a whole lot. I was checking out rancho shock kits cuz theyre cheap and i hear good things. what are some of my options??

 

There are an endless supply of options, depending on your need and budget. If you provide that info, folks willl be able to give you better advice.

I suggest searching the suspension thread for "coil" for starters. There are some good primers on the basics of lifting parts and issues there.

Also check out Down South Motor Sports and Wheeler's Offroad, both vendors on this site.

 

alright sorry, heres a little more deets. Im a poor student, but i still like to blow cash on my truck. um, i use it for a lot of utility stuff, treeplanting, timber cruising, back country access, etc, so i like stuff thats tough. i have yoko geolanders on it (31x10.5 R15), a bush bumper and a warn winch (which currently is broken) weighing the front down too.

im totally ready to do the research, i just need to know if I need to lift the front to get the truck level again. However, input/recommendations are appreciated.

 

i knw myns different cuz its an 06 but it wus stock and leaned a little to the front cuz the bed having no weight. so i put a 2.5" spacer in the front and left the back alone and now it sits a bit higher in the front. if u want it leved u cud do 2 inches but i dont know how much weight is in the front of ur truck with the winch and bumper but my best suggestion is do a 2.5 cuz the higher the bettter im not even sure if they make spacers for older tacomas but if they do i picked mine up for 80 bucks brand new, just to give you a price on wut i did. 2.5" spacer with 33's and im loving my truck

 

OK, that's a little better. With all the extra metal hanging off the front, you'll likely want stronger aftermarket coils that are taller than stock and some shocks to match. I am not a lift guru by any means, but I think you should look into some OME coils, likely 881s or even 882s. Tons of people swear by them, and I am very happy with mine. Do you have a V6? That weight is a factor, too. The Wheeler's webs site offers some good basic guidance on these springs and the amount of lift they provide. They are a good investment. Spacers and come with physical and performance limitations, and just trying to use Bilstein 5100s on those worn stock coils with all that weight...naw.

 

wheelers seems like a good place to get them, but do you know if they ship to canada? i just live in vancouver during the winter.
I was thinking of checking out the OME 882 coil set as i DO have a lot of weight on the front of my truck (yes, its a v6 too).
front clearance is a full 3.5" lower then the back, but i suspect that has a lot to do with how faded the front shocks are.

 

The low front height is all about the crappy original coil springs. They are progressive and sag a lot (even without a winch), especially at the top. Go look at yours, and I bet you'll find the top coils nearly touching each other. The stock shocks don't affect height, they are just ride quality and control (or, actually, lack of ride quality, unless you love bouncing and poor tracking). Only aftermarket leveling shocks (like 5100s) or true adjustable coilovers can affect front ride height.

Not sure about Canada, but if they had issues, you could have them shipped to a UPS terminal for will call just across the border in the US and go pick them up, if convenient. Might save on shipping cost, too. Wheeler's uses UPS.

 

Alright, thanks ill look into it as soon as i get back.

I found a camera and I thought id show you guys what i mean, just for fun. the split bumper is recent, knocked a blinker out coming out of a deac up near fort st john..
heres the rear vs the front:


and heres the crap weighing the front down.