Is Rough Country actually that bad?

So I'm still deciding on what lift to get for my '13, I think for being a college student the cheaper the better so 6" Rough Country kit looks like my best bet. If I don't plan on doin much to any offroading for now, are the RC shocks as bad as everyone says they are? Is it possible to get the RC lift without shocks on their site? Should I just get the RC lift kit and buy Bilstein or Fox shocks too? Any help is good help, thanks

 

No and they’re just fine. Ran a couple of them.

The shocks are fine just don’t flip them. They’re going to be stiff.

Start looking at leaf springs and/or a shackle flip for the rear. Aim to remove the blocks sooner then later if you do Offroad.

Icon makes a 6” lifted coil over that works with this so you can remove the spacer.

I’d suggest getting some uniball uppers down the road as well.

 

No more than 3” is recommended unless you want to start cutting and welding stuff. And want to replace parts allot

Rough country is a a cheap looks lift. Poor quality, rough ride, and short cuts.

Go to Toytec or Headstrong off road and take a look at what they have.

Toytec has a kit for right about a grand with everything you need, diff drop, shocks, springs..... only thing you will need is UCA’s if you want the alignment adjustments right and if you plan on bigger tyres.

Rough country is a budget looks lift.

 

I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for” .

 

BDS for drop bracket kits

 

now all we need is coast guard to chime in
if you want a capable worry free off road (light to moderate) trail vehicle, I wouldn't be afraid of rough country- especially if you're just temporarily doing because of college budgeting

 

With 6 inches, you're not gonna be doing any off roading besides dirt roads... those types of lifts are for looks, not for off road stuff. They are top heavy and dont flex as much. Also, requires a lot of cutting and stuff

 

Obviously, you are looking to lift your truck on a budget, because of college expenses. Going over 3" of lift is most likely going to become costly as components start wearing out faster, costing you more money you may not have. Also, gas mileage is going to suffer after adding bigger and heavier tires and wheels. Rough Country has been popular for decades with Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet. In my opinion, their suspensions are a downgrade when put on a Tacoma.

 

I've had the 3" Rough Country lift on for a few days. Rides really stiff. Has a good bit of negative camber too. Looks good from the side but I just feel like I did a disservice to my truck.

Ultimately it's a dumb move to put a $500 suspension lift on a 40k truck so I ordered the King 2.5" .. can't wait. Anyone want to buy a Rough Country 3" lift kit with about 10 miles on it?

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Also, DON'T get the Rough Country 1.5 inch wheel spacers. The nuts won't screw on all the way and apparently the bolts strip easily. Poor quality material. Really dangerous!

 

Good call. Remember to get an alignment whenever you make changes to suspension tho. They should be able to solve your camber issue

 

Yeah that was after the alignment .. the tech said that was the best they could get it. I was a bit surprised by that.

 

6 inch lifts are for bogging with a few mud crickets in the back seat.

 

Let's not forget destroying resale value

 

I wheel the snot out of my 6 inch rough country lift here in north Georgia. Easily keeping up friends that have locked jeeps. Drop bracket lift is the easiest way to fit 35"s and Rough Country's lift offers the best ground clearance of any other DB lift on the market. you are so misinformed....

 

You wheel, that's great. But the information is still correct. Drop bracket lifts limit articulation. Limited articulation reduces capabilities.

Because you wheel and keep up doesnt change any of those facts.

 

I think there are multiple types of off roading depending on your location. Here in my state(MN), its mud and dirt trails unless you go way up north, here larger lifts work well. In my brothers state (AZ) its all rocks and crawling, where smaller lifts and articulation helps more.

So I guess it all depends on the state and what kind of off road trails you have... also how many of the mud crickets are in your area.

 

What's a mud cricket??

 

You absolutely do not need a 6" lift to wheel. Just got back from Moab with a group of guys set on three days of the Kokopelli trail. We did the Rose Garden section which is pretty damn hard, I have a 3" lift and sliders and Camburg's uniball UCA's, thats it. I do have Fox shocks on all four corners but that won't help clearing the rocks. We had a stock Jeep Grand Cherokee with sliders as well and a not so lifted (2") 02' Tacoma on street tires (yeah, I know) with sliders. We all made it, despite the guys in Jeeps telling us not to proceed because "We have one tons and forty's and we broke shit! You'll never make it."

Ironically, our most lifted of rigs got high centered after leading the way, but the rest of us were fine with some proper guidance and some rock stacking. If you wheel smart, and not go full retard, you'll be fine with 3".

 

Mud crickets? Is that what you call hot chicks? Because that's all I'd want in my back seat...

If all you do is mud in your area, maybe 6" for clearance could be your need. If you get into anything that requires suspension travel...not your need. Lift blocks = (more) axle wrap. No bueno.

 

I had one on a old Silverado it was fine but that’s all that was available at the time. For this platform for me personally I wouldn’t. For the money your gonna spend you can get something that performs and rides way better.
You also run into a issues if you ever decide to go back to stock.
They do look badass tho on 35s imho.