Jackpot for this Mechanically Incompetent Taco Owner

The short and sweet....

Bought my 2014 MGM DCSB TRD Sport(6sp manual) in May of 2014 with the intentions of upgrading wheels/tires/suspension after I hit the 2 year mark. Well, I don't trust myself to do my own work, and I can't justify the costs in labor to pay to have the work done. What's a guy to do?

Tell his fiance that her father who's the owner/operator of a shop in downtown Philly needs to do this as a form of modern day dowry in order for the marriage to take place......kidding, sorta?

Anyways, I have a professional shop available to me and a very awesome, highly capable mechanic ready to help me with anything I want to do to the truck(even though he's against me altering my truck in the first place).

I'm willing to spend between $3-$4k on parts now that labor costs are out of the equation(obviously less if I can get away with it). I'd like around 3" lift, a good quality set of 33'' all-terrain tires, and 16'' wheels in a similar fashion to the TRD beadlock wheels that cost entirely too much money(bonus points if they come in a color besides all/95% black).

The truck itself is going to be an everyday driver, with only mild off-road usage 5-10x/year, so i'd live to improve ride quality.

This was my plan 2 years ago, but things have changed a bit, so i'm not sure if it's worth adjusting/upgrading certain areas by going with another set-up entirely? You guys may have seen this set-up once or twice....

Front Shocks-OME
Front Coil Options -885
Front Diff Drop Kit
Rear Lift Options-3 Leaf Pac


Should I keep it as is and put the extra money somewhere else? Or should I go with a better set-up? Also, I have no idea what wheels/tires combo to go with, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect from that cost-wise.

Any advice would be appreciated. You guys are a good bunch.

 

Unless you have your home, cars, and other debt paid off, it is always better to put your money towards paying off debt.

Not glamorous, but practical.

 

Threads like this I view as a license to give my 2 cents.

The stock form of a Tacoma 4 x 4 is a very capable vehicle. It is a great compromise between off road and pavement pounding. Be careful what you wish for. You may hate the ride and will be very upset at all the money you wasted just to return the truck to stock.

As said earlier. Get rid of debt and start saving for the retirement now.

Realistically, how much wheeling can you do and afford to do to make upgrading the suspension worth it? The list of people that can appreciate a well put together off road suspension is very small.

The money you put into one of the above suspension would make for a very nice down payment on a house. You won't be getting much of that money back when you are done with the suspension.

 

Listen to this guy!

 

If you are going to be using it as a daily driver with an occasional off road run... At most just buy a good set of tires.

 

OP asks question about lift - gives budget.

Responses come back in the form of long term financial planning advice

OP's money - let him spend it how he wants. He'll be married soon, so that won't last - let him enjoy it while he can

Off-roading 5-10 times/year translates into once or twice a month. Worth having a decent lift, no need to go all out with LT, 35" tires etc.

@TacoBurgh - your list of kit looks good but don't bother with the diff drop. 33" tires will rub without further mods like a cab mount chop and spacers or new wheels. Better to go with some 265/75/16s (or 265/70/17) for daily drivability and you won't need to change out wheels.

And don't forget to budget for recovery gear and tools

 

Hmmm.... I'm no CPA but 5-10 times a year is closer to once every other month or less than once a month (still 12 months in a year?)

 

It's the simple math that gets me. I'll check my calculations next time.

Numerator, denominator, potato, potatoe

 

OP sounds like a young kid wanting advice. I'm giving him the same advice I would give my son. He is getting married soon and uses his truck as a daily driver. Lifting and changing the overall angles and mechanics of the drive line do not bode well in terms of expense or dependability. Esp in respect of supporting a young family.

You are correct it is his money and he can spend it anyway he likes. It doesn't hurt to have some sound advice from other more experienced friends.

Sorry you were offended.

 

Haha, I'll be honest, fellas, these were not the sort of responses I was expecting. I suppose i'm the one at blame here for accurately phrasing the situation. However, before I return to that, I guess I'll address some of your concerns(not trying to be pompous, or a dick)

My current "situation" in life is the following: I'm in my early 30s, have a career which(and how unbelievably fortunate I am is not lost on me)provides me a six figure salary. I have owned my home for the last four years. After careful consideration and a bit of a gamble,I chose an area of the city which was showing very early signs of gentrification. If I were to sell today it would be at a roughly 280 percent increase over the original purchase price. All of my student loans are paid off(mainly by me, though my parents did provide a little help in that area) and my truck will be soon as well.....give or take 6-7 months what with an engagement ring setting me back a ways.

None of that info is relevant, but I feel like we can now focus on the original intent behind this post. Also, I absolutely see where the confusion came from. That's on me, so I apologize. I'm not looking for financial advice, though. I was just seeking help from a group of guys who clearly know much more than I do. We all have our wants in life. I had these plans for my Taco well before I bought it. I held off this long because I have other priorities in life. That's why i'm keeping it to the $3k-$4k range.

I'm just looking for advice on good options that will give me what I want(or get me close)without sacrificing anything, or very little.

So.....Do I go with my original plan for these upgrades? Can I do better and remain in-budget? Are there additional/other upgrades I should go for that are more "technically" difficult, given the help of my soon-to-be father in law and his shop? If yes, that still leaves me needing advice on a good tire/wheel combo. I've recently fallen in love with just about the entire Stealth Custom Series line, which is kind of what I'm leaning towards.

Thanks to everyone for their replies so far, and sorry about any misunderstanding.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention.


No children yet. So I don't think I will have an opportunity to use my "extra" money like this again in this lifetime

 

Go BIG! Blow the wad, Man! There ain't no tomorrow. God's speed.

 

6 figures equates to going all out man

 

Haha, you guys are bad news.

Ok, so give me the specs on "all out". Let's hear these ideas.

 

Go nuts. Thanks for the clarification.

 

"All out" might not be a great idea if you go off-road less than once a month. I'm also more partial to Fox shocks over OME and perhaps a progressive leaf spring from a company like Atlas Suspension over the Dakars. Don't bother with a differential drop. What kind of terrain do you intend to take the truck through?

 

Well either get a 3 inch lift with icon /king / fox or the spindles and coilovers if your a prerunner for 6.5 inches with an aftermarket 6 inch leaf pack from atlas or some other company. Or go the DB LIFT if your wanna spend alot and get 6 inch lift

 

But if you want to go all out, you could always buy stronger axles that can handle more weight and input torque...

 

Not sure how the relationship is with your fiancee's pop, but it could be a fun project for you guys. Don't have him do it FOR you, do the job with him. Have him give you some knowledge on auto work while drinking a few beers and installing a lift. It builds a good bond, and you'll be able to do more of your own maintenance in the future.

If you've got a driveway (or even able to use his shop after hours), I'm sure he would be on board ...if he likes you lol. If we didn't live 1000 miles from my wife's parents, I'd be hanging out with her pops all the time.

 

Been running the OME setup for the last 5 years and have been very happy with it. I installed the Dakar leaf packs in the rear though. Also no need for the diff drop it doesn't donanything on the 2nd gen trucks. You do need the CB drop however for the drive shaft most likely. 285's will rub at full lock. If going 3 inches buy a set of upper control arms such as the Light Racing one's. I'm also running them and have been happy with them also. So far I've had mine on for 94,xxx miles. Great suspension.