Is it ever really necessary to install a lift?

You actually bring up a great point. See I would call that a good alignment... and I’m honestly NOT being defensive here, but if someone else could post up there alignment results with the same or a similar lift WITH UCA’s I’d be very interested to see how it looks????

I realize my Caster is RED, but we know that doesn’t effect tire wear right, and the left and right are almost the same which is really the end goal. Are you saying my alignment isn’t green enough?

Let’s see some others results!?!?!?

 

I apologize, I could have been more specific. When you lift a truck and keep stock UCAs, you sacrifice caster (this is shown on your alignment sheet, and is well documented on TW). Anyways, when you have less caster, your steering is lighter and can be twitchy if too light. When you have more caster, your steering becomes heavier, and less twitchy. Being lifted and larger tires, you want more caster for stability at highway speeds. When I get an alignment, I shoot for 3 or more degrees of caster, and that's with JBA uppers.

 

Typically I leave the shackles (Pic 1), and they are above the skid plate with no issues.
With the hooks (Pic 2) they are further out so you are correct on inclines but can act as a "no it aint gonna clear" flag.

I built the triple receiver by welding two more on a standard Curt front receiver. This was my second (and improved) attempt, next time I'll try cutting them into the bar instead of below it.

 

Ah yes that isn’t much more helpful thank you. My Tacoma feels fine to me... but I’ve got an FJ40 that feels like it wants to “twitch” right off the road at any speed hahahaha.

I’ll look more into UCA’s if i think i need them my biggest concern was reliability and longevity

 

Ahhhh cool. Thanks for sharing. I’ve never see anything like that so it caught my attention. For some reason I’m picturing a set of clentched fists in those receivers.

 

That's part of why I love the JBA. The ball joint is off a one ton Chevy and is held in with 4 small bolts, so it's easy to swap in your driveway with no special tools. The bushings are OEM bushings, so those two things combined and you'll get the same life out of them as an OEM UCA. Then when those things eventually break down, replacing them is easy and cheap. Glad I could be of some help.

 

AWESOME, very very helpful. To be honest I’m not concerned about he cost, if it’s the right part, it’s he right part. But strength and durability are key.

So where’s the best place to buy these UCAS????

 

Here's where you actually buy them.

https://jbaoffroad.com/toyota/tacom...r-upper-a-arms-for-2005-14-toyota-tacoma.html

And here's a thread with a whole lot of info on them.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-and-suspension-mega-thread-bs-thread.364484/

 

Forum pricing?

 

The owner doesn't do any special pricing or sales as far as I know.

 

I picked up skids/armor before a lift. I was able to ride with a fj cruiser group for two years without a lift. Yes, I need a good spotter and tug from time to time but she did it. the added weight i believe lowered the truck a bit and after taking a beating on some trails I finally decided to lift the truck.

 

First post here, but not a newbie to the Tacoma and off-roading scene. I have lived around The 4 corners region the past 10 years before that I was a beach rat. In the time I have lived here I have had a jeep, a FJ cruiser, and a couple of 4 runners. The fact is they all did all the trails I wanted to do on a street driver just fine stock. In fact I drove the hell out of the mountain trails and never found myself needing to avoid a trail.
I have built in the past and it became a lot like a boat, every thing I added meant another mod needed to be done to compensate for something. My 2002 double cab trd taco was an example First was OME 882s rear springs greas able shackles. A 3” bl 33x12.5 mt Baja claws on my aluminum polished rims. Sliders, bumpers over cab and bed kayak racks etc.. it was a beast in the sand in Texas and did pretty well on group runs with TTORA when it was new, fresh and active. It is probably just a pile of rust by now. It was the last rig I lifted. I learned a lot about off-road I g from that and since then.
I really like the OME suspension packages and if you need a stronger suspension I recommend getting an integrated package that is tuned to the weight and purpose.
I also recommend avoiding adding unneccesary weight. some aluminum skids and sliders are good. Loading up an expedition worth of gear and keeping it on the truck full time is silly. I don’t need to carry a hi lift jack and a list of woodsman tools in the truck all the time.
Tires. Go only as aggressive as you need to. In the sand and rocky trails I encounter any AT will do. If you need to navigate mud, which I don’t recommend, it is the devil on mechanical parts, then mud tires help but are never a guarantee.
If you want to rockcrawl, build a trailer queen so that you don’t have to worry about getting home.




My current new taco has a purpose, it is to get me to work locations on oilfield roads in any weather and to traverse lots of country roads and two lane highway. I picked this truck over a full-size ford or tundra based on economics, including rate of depriciation, actual cost of operation and my personal enjoyment of driving g the vehicle. Not how it would look lifted, been down that rathole before. The truck has lockers crawl control terrain select and some slick safety features. Seems like a good vehicle to run a couple of hundred miles a day in very low population areas.
Other than what I paid for the truck and pay in gas and insurance and upkeep anything else takes away from the money it should make me. If the suspension is not up to the task due to fading or inability to stabilize the truck I may upgrade to improve longevity.

 

Good first post. Welcome to TW

 

Been modding since 1979 with my first lifted Jeep. I have lifted several and spent and lost way too much money on mods over the years. Ride quality is an opinion... everyone has one. I guarantee your rode is much rougher than stock. If you like it thats fine. Most won't. I know this because real engineers do lots of studies to determine what ride quality people best tolerate, and that is what is fitted up on trucks.

 

So after 6 pages and hundreds of opinions and conjecture...

The answer to the question...

Is it ever really necessary to install a lift?


Is yes...

Unless it’s no, and you need to make a decision based on your own needs and budget.

 

Personally I feel you have more control off road with a quality lift. The stock suspension reacts too quickly and abruptly after an event.

 

Right... and consumer reports likes a Honda Ridgeline MUCH better than a Tacoma because it rides like a car....

We ALL have opinions on what we want, which was my point.

 

The best ride quality mod i have found off-road is letting some air out of the tires!
Every bit of weight added, ever bit of additional spring rate, every pound heavier tire, is going to negatively effect comfort and make you hurt more and more tired at the end of the day. (The exception is where the stock suspension is just not keeping up, and you will trade stiffness for stability and drivability)
So, the mods should buy you access as a trade off. If you are not actually gaining access you will use enough to pay for the downsides, you need to think hard about the modification. There are plenty of ungainly, uncomfortable, lifted trucks out there that don’t fill a real role. This is largely peacocking.Don’t be part of that crowd.

 

Bro, go re read my post. I didn't say unsafe. I said if you run heavy springs the ride will be stiffer.. compared to stock. That's not an opinion. You like it. Great. Good for you. Have a great rough ( compared to stock) ride home.

 

Back in the 70's when I started driving 4X4's a 32" tire was considered big. The WW-2 era Jeep had 30" tires and they were pretty capable. I've never lifted any vehicle I've ever owned. I did cut out some fenders to make a wider tire fit a 1968 IH Scout back in the day. You can put 32" tires on a stock Tacoma and go 99% of the places the guys go with the lifted trucks and 33" tires. It's only 1/2"-3/4" more ground clearance. You don't see any real advantage over stock until you get to 35" tires. If I'm going to the trouble and expense of lifting, I'll go big or stay stock.