Lift shop recommendations in Phoenix?

Interesting, must be a regional dialect thing.

 

I am from the Phx area, but I would not consider myself a know all when it comes to the lingo on vehicles.

 

I grew up in Chicago, people definitely talk differently there hahaha.

 

Yo yo yo! So still researching and def getting closer. Was fairly certain I'd be going with the Bilstein 6100s front and 5160 back (w/resis) + AAL. Had a good chat with Sierra and was told the OME w/Dakar AAL would prob be my best bet and that the other setups can eventually cause issues with back axel (or something else back there cant remember). Anyhow, seemed like there was fairly solid reasoning behind it but wanted to get the groups thoughts prior to moving forward. I did like the idea of the resis in case I need to bug out with a heavy load lol, but was told the nitrocharger OMEs would suffice.... Thoughts?

 

I would definitely rather have the 6100/5160 combo. As far as add-a-leafs, if you can swing something like the Headstrong Offroad 3 leaf AAL thats a better option than a single AAL. If you are worried about installation cost factoring in, there are definitely guys on here that could install/help install it for you and you can spend the savings on better parts. Ive got all sorts of time right now hahaha.

 

So here's the two Im going back and forth on below from headstrong. Very undecided at this point lol. I'd be down to consider hiring it out or hiring a helping hand though... Done a fair amount of suspension work in the past but I'm for sure rusty and dont have the tools anymore.

 

Give Erick at @state48overland a call. He’ll walk through everything with you, get you a fantastic price, and get an install set up for you.

 

Definitely get a leaf pack over an AAL.
OME stuff likes more weight, Billy’s will ride smoother.
Dakar leaf packs like some weight also but IMO any leaf pack is far superior over an AAL.
Do it right the first time I started with spacers and an AAL and it was a terrible mistake and waste of money.
I’ve had spacers, ome, billys, now I’m happy with my fox w/ all pro leaf pack

also check out Downsouth motor sports I’ve bought a lot from them and they hook up TW peeps

 

@wildcataz

What do you plan to do with the lifted truck. Are you gonna be spending every weekend out in the dirt, or just escaping one a month? Do you plan extended wheeling trips, or just want something comfortable for the short time you're on dirt? How much weight do you eventually plan to put in the truck?

The OME Nitro's will give you the height you said you wanted in the first post, the 6112/5160 will not. I have heard Resi's are really not worthwhile if you don't have extended travel or high speed needs, since the shock won't work enough to actually utilize the oil reservoir. Granted, this is coming from Australians who need an Engineer to sign off on everything they do to their trucks.

The Nitro's will be more comfortable daily driving given that they're a twin tube, and can still handle off road reasonably well.

 

I will agree get a full leaf pack like Dakar, the AAL with crappy stock leafs are just asking for issues later on down the road. Dakar leaf provide a nice balance of flex and weight capacity. I have overloaded the hell out of my Dakar and now have two more OME leafs added to factory pack for my camper and drawers

 

I have Bilstein 5100s in front (set to 0 lift) with OME 885 springs (if you want close to 3” you want OME 888). In the back I have 5100s and an ICON RXT full leaf pack. The truck rides amazingly more comfortable on and offroad compared to stock - and I had the exact suspension on my same-model truck as you. The RXT leaf pack was the best 700 I’ve ever spent on a vehicle, but I bet most high end leaf packs are when it comes to fixing a toyota pickup’s suspension. There are 3 settings you can adjust them for (height and weight/load rating). If you decided you wanted to add heavy gear to your truck later, you just re-arrange the leafs and/or add a supplied leaf into the leaf pack. Whatever shocks you land on, budget for these or other full leaf packs like others have said.

About $1500-$1600 total in parts and you avoid the cheap add-a-leaf option...

 

Def more confused than ever lol. This group originally had me sold on the bilstein 6112 / 5160 kit, Sierra Expeditions then swayed me on the OME, but now after chewing it up with the headstrong rep forever they had some very compelling reasons for going with Elka.... I know they have a pretty solid name in the atv world and wondering how that translates to passenger vehicles. Blew a tire off-road last weekend so need to pull the trigger asap so I can grab me a new set of new tires.

Sidenote: Excuse my ignorance. I've opted for the HS 3 leaf AAL. This seems to be the best option with this kit... Not sure if this is the right move or if I even have a choice.

Thoughts?

 

Although I don't use the truck as a daily commuter, I would like to maintain some level of on-road performance/efficiency mainly for road trips. That said, I spend far more time off-road than on the pavement. It's been an every weekend endeavor, but so far just day trips. I do however want a little beefier set up to eventually do more extended wheeling trips. As for load, I dont forsee myself hauling anything too heavy like a camper ect, but would like to be able to pack a few days of camping supplies and not have it severely impact ride quality. Thoughts on Elka 2.0 kit I posted just now? Headstrong has me leaning towards this one over all the kits under $2k...

 

Add a leafs are fine but replacement packs are better, especially for a dedicated off roading rig that doesn't need to worry about daily driving comfort. You could be sorted with Dakar Mediums or Deaver J66's given your lower weight requirements.

Elka is pretty new to the truck world so its hard to say on them but they have the solid rep and seem to be building stuff that's meant for the average rig and not the wannabe Desert Racers.

At that point it comes down to budget and how much lift you want. Remember there are hidden costs to lifting, too, and those costs go up the higher your truck goes.

The Bilstein 6112/5160 setup is hard to beat value for money wise, but the Elka's will be rebuild-able.

 

I would go Kings 100% if your spending that much on Elka.
And I believe 700coil will be to stiff if you don’t have or plan on having weight up front.
You can hit up Micah at @Downsouth Motorsports for a sweet deal

 

Sounds like headstrong is going to give me a killer deal on the elka kit that would bring it lower than the bilstein or OME.... Just no UCAs but I plan on keeping the lift under 2.5. I'd eventually like to throw on a light duty front bumper & winch. Think I should go with 650 coil?

 

your not gonna have enough weight to compress a 700lb coil it will be a harsh ride.

IMO you need UCA’s also
I’ve have drove and rode in many rigs with different suspension Setups. King always feels way better along with ADS on and offroad. Whatever future vehicle I have I will always get Kings lol my fox are ok in the tacoma when I’m done with em it’s gonna be King for sure.
Just my opinion

 

Greetings folks,

Came back to this thread trying to find the shop name I went through to get the lift awhile back and thought I'd drop an update. Went with the Elka + dirk king ucas and love it. Very smooth ride, but wish I achieved a wee little more lift. Esp in the front which just seems a little lower. Any thoughts on how to achieve more lift w/o compromising structural integrity?

Also... apparently Sierra Expeditions is closed indefinitely now? Unfortunate as I really liked them

Any suggestions on where to find reasonably priced bolt-on rock sliders + install in Phx / East Valley? 4wheel parts was going to charge $350 for bolt-ons and Desert Rat, although cheaper install, has higher price parts. Trying to keep it under $600 if possible.

Thanks!

 

You are looking to get sliders and install under $600? I'm sure there are deals out there to be had. Sliders are one of those things that are completely preference, I have always just spent the money to get a good quality set of bolt on sliders that I can remove and repaint/coat if needed. If you call some of the shops that build them sometimes you can get a set of scratch and dent sliders that were dinged up during shipping or had a bad powder coat job on them and get a little discount (damage on sliders isn't a big deal they get beat anyway). They are also ready to go and you don't have lead times. I would say whatever you do do it quickly because prices on steel products are only going to increase in the coming months and so are lead times. If you go with a bolt on option, you can do the install yourself with basic hand tools and save some money there. I did two sets not long ago and was about 1-1.5 hours on each set including messing around in the garage. Bolt on makes life a lot easier for sure. But weld on are typically less expensive. Just depends on who you order through. Maybe check out 4xInnovations. I think they have a less expensive set but I don't recall if they are bolt on or weld on. Shipping is typically the swift kick in the nuts on any good deal. I ordered two sets from RSG Offroad in Denver and had them shipped down.... $278 in shipping later. Over the years tho I have adopted a buy once, cry once mentality when it comes to mods. Do it right the first time and never look back.

 

I am looking at doing a baby lift on my SR5 2WD just for clearance purposes. I spoke with the guys up at G&M and they have Great reviews. Any added notes on them? I am not looking to climb the mountains, just get next to them for camping.