I had an interesting realization today...

Don't judge them all by the look of one. Personally, I am a huge fan of the moderate lift if it adds function. Initially I was not an early adopter of the black wheels, but it really is what's the rage right now.

RZ Rob

 

anything over 4.5" looks stupid, any higher and it looks like a Tonka toy. i also think drop brackets make the truck look funky as well.

 

I guess my truck sucks and is ugly

 

It's not my bag, but I respect the time, effort, and attention to detail.

Drop brackets and lonely rear axles just rub me all the wrong ways :\

 

You like it and that's all that matters. Shouldn't matter what I or anyone else says. RCD does not have a potential customer in me, that's all.

 

Pretty much IMO.

 

^yeah... I hear ya... same to me with your wheels... kinda look like they should be on mini van or a toyota highlander...meh... To-each-his-own

 

LOL this thread is going to get ugly, quick.

 

thanks...


... runs off crying...

 

HA!

 

Doesn't have to. An honest exchange of opinions is just that. I don't have to like anyone else's truck (but I do...a lot of them...) and no one has to like mine. We're not making each other's payments.

 

Oh I agree, but that doesn't mean it won't. Let's hope it doesn't. And people who mod their vehicles for the satisfaction and/or approval of others...well, they suck at life.

 

I admit like the looks of a moderately lifted Tacoma.

That being said I want functionality over beauty but that doesn't mean I don't care how it looks. I don't rock crawl so that's not what's needed. It does just fine off-roading where I go. I and my wife and 2 adult children get in and out of my truck all the time. Stock height is marginally comfortable getting in and out of. Any more and my wife and daughter would hate it.

In assuming that a lifted truck typically has larger tires, a stock truck has better acceleration and deceleration speed. Larger tire equate to having a much taller rear end gear ratio unless your differentials are modified. Stock trucks have a lower center of gravity for better handling and less drag, although we aren't talking sports car here. It isn't affected as much by cross winds. The mileage is typically better than lifted because less weight of the larger tires and less drag.

I know that thousands of Tacoma owners have lifted their truck with no problems but I just don't see how it can't be a greater stress to CV and U joints.

Thanks to all that lift your trucks. I enjoy seeing them on the road and they look great. Right now it's not for me. (Hey I also like chrome so there's apparently a brain synapse issue with me anyway. )

 

X2!

 

Heresy!

You're absolutely correct on all points. The wear/tear concern is minimized in my case because I plan on "thoroughly using" this truck offroad, so other things will probably be broken/wear out well before the u-joints,etc. would. Just comes as part of the game...:\

 

You have to have an aesthetic eye. Everything has to work well together and be in proportion. Colors have to compliment each other, not clash.

You have to know when to add, and when to take away. e.g. debadging often improves a truck's looks, by taking away complication and gratuitous contrast, and cleaning up the lines.

Fads can be the enemy of aesthetics. e.g. black rims (fad) applied to speedway blue, barcelona red, pyrite mica, or yes, silver, trucks are fighting an uphill battle to look good.

Short answer: yeah, there are some lifted trucks that my brain calls out-of-proportion. But I'd never tell a guy that I thought his truck was ugly. Most important thing is that it looks good to the owner.

 

Like the way they look with a mild lift and bigger tires. Don't want the maintenance hassle, gas mileage penalty, and higher step in height. Truck does everything I need it to do as is. Probably will buy new wheels and tires someday, but that will be it for me.

Some nice looking rigs on here though.

 

Cant quote that enough. And they could stand to take away some more. Toyota designers had some serious schizophrenia when bending the sheet metal...debadging and color-matching helps, but these are still busy trucks with all the variety in creases and bulges.

I'm hoping the 3rd gen follows the less-is-more approach of the new 4Runner's sides WITHOUT the more-is-more approach of it's way overdone front and rear ends.

And Toyota...for fuck's sake, tuck the head and tail lights back down flush with the body please.

 

I was told (by the hot chick) by the dealership that it was for safety reasons. They said that it makes the turn signals more visible.
She also said that they are not made of glass like when they first came out. Now they are made of lexan that is "unbreakable".

I'm quoting the chick. This is not what I think/believe.

 

thats funny i had the same one afew days back... i had mine with all pro long travel for about a year and just decided to go back to stock since its my daily driver.

I was driving up to the mountains for a ski trip over thanksgiving asn stoped to get gas .....at the time i was towing a air stram trailer and two snowmobiles on an over bed rack and.......coming back from the convinience store i noticed my truck was sitting pretty level (slight back tilt) and it looked damn good........

I still have king 2.5 inch oem replacement shocks front and rear which might as like half an inch ride height way i have em set but ......

i realized my truck looked super bad ass bone stock ride height