I'm new to Tacomas

Hello All,


My name is Jason, and I am from Memphis, TN. I have always been a Dodge man but secretly loved how the Taco looked, so I bought a 23 TRD OR this past August and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! But here's the kicker: I'm itching to take my ride to the next level. I'm talking about lifting it by a solid 3 inches! I've got some plans for light off-roading and maybe even hauling a camper. So, I'm eyeing the OME medium lift kit. But here's where I need your input: is 3 inches the sweet spot for the lift? And while we're at it, what's the biggest tire I can slap on there without needing to mess with anything else?

 

The sweet spot is stock. A lift makes it less road worthy and will devalue your Taco.

 

Welcome to TW! I'd say 2" is about the sweet spot for still having somewhat decent mpg and road manners. Looks are totally subjective though. The biggest normal tire you can fit without changing anything is a 265/75R16 or 265/70R17 (31.7"-32"), and the biggest skinny is a 255/85R16 or 255/80R17(33"-33.3"). You can MAYBE fit a 285/75R16 or 285/70R17 on your truck without rubbing on the road but that requires a 0 offset wheel, no mud flaps, at least a small lift, God's greatest alignment man, and a whole lot of luck.

If you wanna fit big tires on and do it right you'll need aftermarket UCA's (might come with your kit already, didn't look), a cab mount chop, fender liner heating/trimming, and 4.88 or 5.29 rear gears. If you have any aspirations of towing then I'd stick with a smaller lift and close to stock diameter tires unless you re-gear.

OME lifts are pretty high quality fwiw

 

I'd stay stock if you are towing a camper. I just started towing with my 24. I have no experience with small trucks. It seems it's "just" enough truck to do the job. I wouldn't put power sucking tires on it even if they were free.

 

You can go "+1" on your tire size with no lift and be just fine. That's what I did and it looks great. Lifts can be problematic and are more trouble than they are worth IMO. But it's your truck so have fun with it and welcome to TW.

 

Totally agree with this. I spent $1,600 on new suspension then installed a set of 265/75/16 Goodyear Ultraterrain tires. The 1" taller semi-aggressive tires totally changed the appearance of my truck. Decided that installing the lift wasn't worth the effort now I'm selling all the lift components.

 

Keep it stock, lifts and larger tires kills the already dismal fuel economy (or the lack there of)

You’ll be thankful if you’re towing, might need airbags or a weight distribution hitch tho’.

Have OME on my 1st Gen and it rides like a brick, my 3rd Gen is stock and rides like a Cadillac, it is the low grade poverty SR trim too.

 

^This


Such a lift will do nothing for light off roading. It will work against your driveability and ability to tow.

Lots of lifts stories in the regrets files here on TW!

 

Ive been running the OME heavy duty front struts and medium duty leafs with 255/75/17 geolandar MTs for about 45k miles and I like this set up a lot. Had to replace the needle bearing as I got the typical vibrations that went away when put into 4wd. But other than that this suspension set up has been great with no issues. I eventually upgraded to JBA ucas after running the stock UCAS for about a year. So far only slight rubbing on the mud flaps at full lock, but I'm also running after market rekgen mud flaps so the stock flaps might rub a bit more. I can really only speak to the mild off roading I do as I don't tow with my truck but this set up has been awesome, no regrets.

 

Go the Hawaii route...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hawaiian-style-tacomas-what-are-the-rules-and-goals.728322/

 

You should have a drivetrain warranty on that truck. Lift it 3" and it's void. Also I've seen enough people with issues fitting 285s even with a 3" lift.
I just bought a 2017 with Falken Wildpeaks 285/70 R17, levelled by the Toyota boys at the dealership, with some new Bilsteins up front done by my dealership, along with some Icon stuff (sorry, I can't be more specific).
It's all safety approved, and they gave me a 2 year drivetrain and electrical warranty. The only rubbing was on the stock mudflap mounting screw which the previous owner managed to rip out, so that corner is protruding because it's not fastened. Toyota's buying me some low profile mudflaps after complaining about it.

That's it. Maybe the crew at my local dealership are wizards, but it goes to show 285s are absolutely possible with just a levelling kit. That was another issue I drilled the sales manager about, when considering that everything you read about tire fitment with a levelling kit will tell you 275s are the maximum recommended. He swore up and down everything clears. I'm doing a fender chop and steel bumper installment anyways, so I figured I'd go test it out, and see if I could crack a fender so I could maybe complain my way into some compensation for having to chop my fenders. Drove it up steep logging roads, high speed, low speed, parked on weird angles to compress the front springs, & turned the wheels like that... couldn't make that fender touch the tire no matter what I tried. The truck glides over the rocks and potholes at high speeds with comfort.

Food for thought, bud. Is a 3" lift worth voiding your warranty? If it is... well I'd still consider paying the higher shop rate & have the (my local) Toyota specialists do the installment based on my experience.

 

Been lifted 0n 5100s set at 2 in front and 1.5 tapered block, ECGS clamshell bushing. front diff drop and rear carrier drop for 6 years, no warranty issues, no drivetrain issues, vibrations of any sort. I'm on 285/70/17s on SEMA wheels with no cutting or rubbing. I still run the factory mud guards. I have the speedometer calibrated and avg 18 to 19 mpg with a tune but have not been on a trip to see the highway mileage. A slight 2/1 lift I seriously doubt it will hinder someone from buying because its lifted as its pretty mild!

 

It sounds like a loaded question but.. what's your budget? ..and what are your honest needs/wants.

There are a LOT of threads on this topic. It all comes down to your wallet and desires.

On one end of the money spectrum is a spacer/block lift that'll mostly retain the stock ride and hauling capacity. $100.

On the other end are Kings, Deaver leafs, aftermarket UCAs, LCAs and $5k.

With a few dozen options in between.

2.5" or less (more like 2") is the sweet spot for the 3rd gen Tacoma in my biased opinion with bang for the buck/aesthetic/functionality.

 

Maybe in Canada. In the US, the aftermarket equipment isn't warrantied, but every Toyota part is still. The dealer would have to prove that your mods caused the problem.

I'll also disagree with the comments that a lift will ruin your driveability and resale. When done properly, a lift can ride better than stock. And if you were to decide later to sell, many would pay more for a well done setup. YMMV.

I'm on a lift of around 2 1/2" and 255/85/16 tires...with my sway bar removed. With the components I'm running, the ride a a little more firm than stock, without being harsh and can tell you there's not much more harsh than the stock leafs allowing you to hit the bump stops with the slightest bump. As for rubbing, I get minimal rubbing occasionally when wheeling pretty hard and steered at or about full lock.

If you get much more than 2 1/2" of lift, you'll quickly run out of down travel, which means you'll be either topping your shocks out or stressing your ball joints.

 

Oh, and...

Prior to my Tacomas, I had a couple of Dakotas. Loved the V8, hated the gas mileage...especially the last one. It would pass anything but a gas station. It would only get more than 13 MPG if you dropped it out of a C-5!

A tune is a good thing for Tacos.

 

I was considering a lift, but quickly changed my mind as most of my miles are long highway trips. I did put the Firestone airbags on for when I have the bed loaded down with gear or the occasional towing. I think the airbags make a solid difference for the better. Especially at their price point.

 

I was also planning for a lift (2 inches) even before getting my Tacoma. That quickly changed once I realized I use my truck for my daily commute as well as towing. Also, my truck already performed great for my occasional off-roading shenanigans with just 1" bigger tires, while not even affecting much street drivability at all.

I may get better suspension once my shocks wear out, but I'll be keeping my Tacoma at its stock height, or lift the front a bit while still leaving some rake.

 

I put a 3/2 leveling kit on mine and stayed with stock size A/T tires and nothing has changed from stock. Still get between 18 and 23 mpg and truck rides and handles great. Welcome to TW!

 

2inch lift is where u want to be . Less issues down the line . Going higher u run into vibrations which sucks to resolve .

 

2” lift here and 285/75/16 (33”) very happy with the set up.