GAHHHH Help with picking a lift !

Ok so i have been reading here and custom tacos and also doing research on the web other places...I am trying to figure out the best 3"ish lift for my 2008 Tacoma 4x4 access cab w/ rugged trail package. I have seen OME, toytec, tuff country ruff country and a ton more.. Is there one that is really far and above the pack? I will be using my truck for some very light offroad, mainly street and highway driving, and for camping to remote areas. I want it to look meaner then it does now, you know give it more of a attitude. I don't want to do anything to it that will destroy it mechanically.. such as really extreme drive line angles and whatnot.

Money is not really a big concern, but i don't wnat to be spending thousands and thousands on it either. Could someone please make this a little easier for me to decide... lol I would like to know what lift people would suggest and what add-ons to get/do with the lift.. i.e. new shocks, or whatever.

Thanks in advance !

p.s. yes i did use the search and found a million different things.. just not exactly what i was looking for

 

i went with the 3" toytec lift with the 885 coils for the front and the aal for the rear. i must say that i am very happy with the overall kit. the only thing i would have done differently is gotten new shocks that would better suit the lift as the ride has gotten a little stiffer. i will get them in the future.

 

OME.

Or if money is no object and you like off roading, a set of Icon Coilovers and a new leaf pack are great.

 

A)Walker Evans Non-Reservoir Coil-overs with A-Arms $1099.00

B)Sway Bar Links $110.00 All-Pro's heavy duty sway bar links

C) Deaver Rear Leaf Pack $599.00

D) Timbren Rear Suspension Enhancement Kit:149.00


E) 5100 Rear Shock Set:149.00/pair


= 2100.00 Uninstalled.

Question is, should I invest in this system giving me a solid 3" lift?

Or, should I just go for ProComp, or Fabtech 6" lift for about the same price.

I was thinking 3" looks good, just go for performance...

 

Spend the money and buy the 3".

I'm gonna put atleast $1,077 into my my lift (3 inches), and maybe more if I decide I need the UCAs. If your gonna keep your truck for a long time, its better to just spend the money and buy the top of the line stuff. That way sometime down the line your not unhappy and having to re-do things you have already done.

 

nice hijack there roxspin72 lol

 

My bad... did not even realize it til now. Maybe the Mods can fix. Hope you didn't take it wrong..

 

no actually i laughed... no harm no foul !

 

I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. ToyTec is just a couple of miles away from where I live and they were very helpful. I was going to go with the 3" lift with 885 coils up front (since I have the double cab) and the AALs in the rear. One of the ToyTec techs, Kirk, told me that I would be pretty happy just doing the spacer up front (which now comes in anodized black) and the AALs in the rear.

I drive to and from work, no real offroading, except when I go to remote areas to camp, so a ginormous lift really didn't suit me. I just wanted a little lift and some bigger tires.

For a total of $300, I got the ToyTec 3" lift (spacers & AALs) part number TAC3-05-AL, differential drop kit TAC-DR-05, and rear shims TT-RS (which my installer and TJOPILOT highly recommend). The ride feels similar to stock, but with a little stiffness. I'm very happy with the ride and the look.

I'm getting my new wheels and tires installed later this week, and I can post some pics for you - before and after.

While money may not be an object, and many of the folks here are true offroaders, you may be tempted to go full out and get coils, OME shocks, and the works. But, for what you want to do, I'd keep it simple and go the route I took. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what you get for the money, and will be very happy with the performance.

 

Hey Banchi94 - That is the exact setup i was thinking about. I would love to see some pics with it installed with or without the tires. Did you put it in or have them put it in? How tough is it? Any special tools needed? I do a lot of stuff on my verhicles, especially my jeep! Not a mechanic by trade or anythign though.

 

No, I had an installer do it for me. I was going to install it myself, but I just didn't have the time, the spring compression tools, and a big garage. I ended up paying about $340 for the install, which seemed like a lot to me, but ToyTec says that is a pretty good price for an install.

Note, too, that you will need to get an alignment done...that was another $100 bucks or so for me. I almost feel robbed, but that's the price for laziness. From what I hear from some of the members that did the install themselves, it really is not too difficult...may take about 4-6 hours.

BTW, if you get this kit, make sure you get the black anodized spacers...they look pretty sweet and blend in well with the stock front coils.

I'll get some pics posted when I get home and let you know when I do. Hopefully, I'll get my wheels and tires on by Friday, so I can post those, too.

 

You can install this yourself. The spring compressor is the only tool that you may not have. I installed my Toytec lift with hand tools and a couple friends in my garage. Air tools would make the installation easier. I'm in a 1st gen truck, but I did the spacer up front, diff. drop, and AALs.......installation should be virtually the same.

 

Thanks, Cant wait to make that extra cash and hoook it up...

Will running the fronts at full 3.5" be an issue, or should I only adjust to 3"?