Lift or Lower....I need help

So I have been building custom bikes and modifying cars and trucks for years. I have always had a good eye and I my projects always seem to turn out the way I had expected or better. I just cant decide what direction to go with my truck. I have always thought about getting a 4x4 Tacoma, lifting it with some tires and suspension, and having a capable off road rig to go hit the trails with. The reality is since having my truck I have never really left the pavement and my truck is my daily driver. I don't really want to beat it up off road because I plan on having it for a long time. I have recently been contemplating lowering it and putting some some street tires on to improve my handling/gas mileage. My other question is, how big of a difference in gas mileage do you think I will see by doing that. Thanks for any input, I posted a few pics of my truck in its current state so you can see what I am working with.

 

Don't do it!

 

Check out torspds built He went from lifted to lowered .Awsome build hes got going.

 

Is it even possible to lower a 4x4?

 

If you had a pre runner reg cab, I'd say maybe lower it. You sir have a 4x4 and need to lift it.

I come from the word of lowering cars and appreciate the passion like the next tuner. However I would never lower a truck before lifting. I would never try to lower a 4x4 if I even could.

Would a tuner lift a FR-S? I'm just saying, its against the norms and sometimes I know its cool to be different. However this is not the case.
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Stick with what you got. Your bill fold will love you for it and it's a great looking truck. My $0.02, Aloha!

 

did you buy the truck used? could it have been lifted by previous owner, to me it looks like there is quite a bit of space in the wheel well, and also, you have a reg cab, so no trd package, i think i spy a tiny bit of yellow in the front wheel well, so possibly upgraded shocks

 

Its a 4x4, so your already suffering with MPG.

If lowered is what you want, sell it and get the proper truck.

If its your daily driver like mine, just get some better looking tires

and enjoy

 

I wouldn't lower it unless it was an Xrunner.

 

Hey I'd leave it alone, put those street tires on it and enjoy the heck out of it. You'll still be able to go all over the place no problem. It's a 4x4 Toyota.

 

I'll go against the masses and here's why. Lowering the ride height have less impact on mpg than going with lighter P-metric street tires. But if you are running stock tire size anyways, I would take the lift off and buy street tires.(it wouldn't look right with a large gap.). With a 4 banger, that would improve your ride and gain back some mpg from rolling with lighter tires.

 

First of all thanks for all the feedback. I bought this truck used and it had the lift spacers up front already. My friend had TRD offroad suspension that he had taken off so he could do his lift, so I got the front and rear take off stuff from him. So yes my truck has the TRD suspension. I have always thought the little supra trucks were cool and that was my original inspiration, but you are all confirming what I was thinking already. I think I will stick with my original plan and stay with the 4x4 off road stance. I guess I will be ordering some 265/75-16's and start from there. I can always pull a torspds later on and change it if my mind changes. Thanks again.