Is it ever really necessary to install a lift?

Except now? Hahaha

 

Thank you sir.

 

Awesome. Yes read this. Almost 70 pages. Bottom line tall skinnies are ok, Tall wide tires are not.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/put-255-85-16s-on-stock-or-wheels-and-suspension.491079/

@STexaslovestacos you’re the man thank you.

 

Both of our trucks were stock height/suspension and completed a 400+ mile Utah west desert trip with 300 miles off pavement this weekend without incident. For what you describe, which is very similar to me, a lift is pretty pointless. Maybe get some better shocks to make it less jarring, but keep the height and tire size (or go to 265/75/16 for a little more clearance).

Flexy.


Dat 3 wheel motion!

 

Thats were it starts... You put some armor on now you're to heavy for front stock suspension so now you need a lift to handle the extra weight and bring your height back to stock. Honestly the truck is very capable overlanding. I did test it quite a bit stock and just sliders which didnt affect height to much. I did rip out my flash guard on a 8" rock I missed on a flat river bed and it bent the guard up and cut into my CV boot. You pay to play simple is as that. Know your truck, know you capabilities as a driver and know the terrain you will be putting your truck through and build from there. In the end its all compromises to get what makes you happen. You know you are happy when you turn around 2-3 times every time you walk away.

 

You can always go the pizza cutter route. 255/85/16. Those will fit on stock OR wheels and suspension and will gain you over an inch of ground clearance over the stock wheels and tires

 

When I eventually wear out my stock shocks, whats the best option for upgrading and maintaining the stock ride height that you would recommend?

 

you wont rub though with 255/85-16's

 

I disagree. You think a Prius can crawl a boulder field alongside a tacoma without damage?

The pros you speak of learned to see that perfect line through years of experience and bent fenders.

It's true that you are limited by tire size but I get way less skid scraping and hitch scraping with my 2" lift. I personally don't enjoy bouncing off rocks with my DD but I've always been picky with my stuff.

 

Shocks don't set ride height, ride height is determined by the springs. Springs determine ride height one of two ways: Length and load carrying ability.
Shocks only dampen the spring, although they can be quite creative on how they dampen it.
What type of shock you go with depends solely on your usage. The first thing is be honest with yourself.
1. Am I doing 99% of my driving on pavement?
2. When I do go off road is it usually easy off road?
3. Are you ever going to do high speed desert runs?
4. Do I want to lose the use of my truck for a week or two to send my shocks out for rebuild?
5. How much do I really want to spend?

The answers you give will quickly sort out what shocks you need.

 

Did those tires impact MPG? I'm thinking of buying them when my OEM tires wear out.

 

Have you ever attended an off road driving course? I pretty much guarantee A) You will leave with much more knowledge than you started with and B) A good instructor will definitely be able to take a regular vehicle much further than a novice can take our Tacomas, even lifted and armored. I have attended two such weekend courses in my life. They are well worth the money.

 

^^^^^^^^^
This is a very good point.

 

If you start adding skids and sliders to a stock truck with stock suspension, that suspension is going to start to sag under all the extra weight and won't ride as well as it does right now. You'll inevitably have to look into upgrading your spring rate at the very least, and might as well lift the truck while you're at it, so...

 

This may be true, but I also have had people come to us, with this exact scenario and we had to do CMC's due to rubbing. It might fit rolling down a highway and turning left and right but start articulating the suspension offroad with turning and you have a different story. You will also find different stories with different tires.

 

So the bottom line from all of this is that no matter what we will all eventually blow all of our money on these trucks?

 

Any tire heavier than stock like the ST Maxx will hurt MPG.

 

Precisely

 

U don't need to lift your truck. They are pretty capable right out of the "Box"

I put 265/75/16s on and Bilstein 5100s all around... I overheard a 10 Y/O boy say it looked "Bad Ass". That made my morning!