Lifting your truck! Things you need to know.

your wish my nightmare!

 

you lost me, is that what your trying to tell me?
I was simply asking what would be a good setup for what I am trying to accomplish with suspension/lift. I too know what its like to experience things like you did, although mine was via military (by the way, thanks for your service as LEO). I won't get into it here, but simply will say taking a life isn't like they try to portray in the movies. But thanks for sharing your link... any advise on my suspension/life question?

 

I always wonder why everyone wants to lift there truck. I get it if you use your truck for offroad ing most of the time but if you use your truck for a truck and drive it day to day for normal use..........why? I mean people are so worried about making there truck look badass they don't realize there destroying there truck. A high lift is wearing and tearing all sorts of things just so they can brag about how big or cool it is but in reality they spent a ton of money to ruin a perfectly capable Machine. I have seen so many people lift there trucks just to be replacing parts that the lift or weight of bigger tires wore out. And half these people never ever need the lift to begin with. You don't need a lift to cruise your local hang out area. What makes a truck a truck........ being able to load things in and out of the bed, hauling heavy loads, pulling trailers,etc. A bed is almost useless when you need a ladder to reach it. Leveling kits, really. They look stupid when having a load in the back and your headlights point to the sky at night. I I mean I like lifted trucks also, if there done right and everything that will suffer from it has been upgraded like stated above but hardly any one does it correctly and learns the hard way. What's wrong with the truck when you buy it new off the lot. It is more truck than it ever will be with these cheap and easy ways to make your truck "look tough". If it's not improving things to make my truck more capable of being a real truck I thinks it's as pointless as teenagers doing dumb crap to draw attention to there selves. Toyota tacoma is known for its reliability for the ones out there that are basically stock. Plus 1 tire size or helper springs for less squatting in the rear is not gonna harm anything but I'm just saying most people just want to look cool and that's it. But you know...... it's your truck do whatever you like, it's your truck and if you like it than that's cool but don't try to tell people how bad ass your truck is compared to there stock size truck because you have a cheap $300 lift or hockey pucks placed on top of your body mounts to get it up in the air and that's it. I'll be telling you how much more capable mine is when I pass by you sitting on the side of the road with a busted ball joint or steering pump or 20 other parts or so that you neglected to upgrade because nobody will ever know. I think it's pothetic. You'll look real cool then. I live in an area where you see lifted tacomas 10 to 1 of any other truck but that's all they are is lifted, these guys can be running 35's on stock gearing and you can hear the poor things struggling just to pull a hill. I've seen them enter mud bogs where as soon as they get in a foot of mud they bog down and don't even have power to spin a tire, that's sad. I'll see one parked hear or there and just being curious I'll check them out and look to see if this huge truck is just for show or not by just glancing underneath. 1 out of 20 might have spent a little time and money to do it right.

Just saying!

 

Also just wanting to know,,,,, how many aftermarket parts can you install on a tacoma before well,,,, it's not a tacoma anymore?? Don't anyone get your panties in a bunch, I love my tacoma as much as anyone else, but my buddy also has one and I would hate to guess how much $$$$$ he has spent on "upgrades" cause he feels the stock OEM parts are not just up to par for his daily driver. We use to joke around with him that the only way he still has a Toyota was the badge on the grille. Well as of Friday that is gone too. Replace for a billet grille that he painted to match and says it's a better made grille. I guess if ya got the $ go for it, but damn his 2014 DC is no longer a toyo...

 

Guys...guys....guys..... A vehicle is an extension of YOU. Anyone who's an *automotive enthusiast* wants to customize their rides for a variety of reasons. Sometimes its for looks, or for purpose, for utility, for whatever the hell you want. That's not any different than those folks who are into hot rods, drag racers, low riders, work trucks, camping vehicles, whatever.

I don't know how old or young you are..... but its an EVOLUTION.
In 10 years from now....you might have a completely different outlook and probably doing something completely different than you're doing now.

I could bore you with the details...but I had my first tacoma in 1999 and that kicked off an 8 year evolution of offroading (1999-2007). I don't want to know how much money, time, effort I spent over the years ....but I had lot of fun in the process. For the past 8 years (with my 2007 tacoma), its been a completely different evolution...but I'm still having a lot of fun. I'm a lot older now....and I don't customize my truck like I used to. I tend to do the 'little things' that people don't notice so much. And/or my time is better spent enjoying other things.

So....before you start wondering WHY ....Think about all the things you COULD be doing with your truck to make it and extension of YOU. It's something that YOU customize that looks (or rides) different than any other tacoma on the road. The whole point is...to enjoy the truck no matter what you do to it (or a lack of doing things to it). These guys/gals on this forum are just as excited to customize their trucks as they are to own them. That's part of the fun!

 

Well said!

 

great information, thanks

 

Ok lets get the Newbie crap outa the way. I have a 13 taco offroad dbl cab that i want to put a 3" lift on. I dont want to do the ole block lift on the rear so i am leaning towards replacing the leaf pack. I want to go with an adjustable coilover on the front. I am not the most mechanicly inclined although i have friends who are and will help when needed. I dont know what all is needed besides the big main things like the shocks/leafpacks. I want to know is there a specific parts list of materials i need to aquire before attempting all this? I dont exactly want to go buy a lift kit because so far i havent found one that meets all the things i want. If anyone out there has a materials/parts list for what they installed i would greatly appreciate using it as a guide.

 

Awesome, thats exactly what i have been looking for. BTW love the build and write up for your taco. You just made my build list get ALOT bigger! Thanks for all the great info.

 

So I plan to buy some 5100's and set them at the 1.75" option to level out the front. Is this all I will need to do, or do I need anything else?

 

Subbed, always love to learn more

 

Sub

 

Awesome info, thanks for the great post!

 

Awesome thread!!

Thanks for all the info!

TC

 

The OME 3 inch lift kit does not come with extended brake lines or with a diff drop. Am I going to have to buy them separate or will I not need them? Also, what UCA's would you recommend that I get if I were to purchase that kit?

 

Without the extended break lines how much of a risk do I run breaking one of them out wheeling? And I was looking at the cheap ball joint ones (I can't remember the name right now) but everyone seems to think that the Uni ball ones are much better, so if that's the case I suppose the additional 200 bucks is worth it

 

I haven't seen longer hoses anywhere, where do you buy them from?

 

Do I need front and rear or just rear?

 

Just put 5100 and camburgs uca's.. Now what should i do as far as my lca? Just replace my balljoints?

 

Yes, if they need to be replaced. Replace them with some poly bushings and you will be good for a while