Lowering back end

Hey, everybody. I've got an '02 5 lug, which hasn't been modded at all, and I'm not really satisfied with the way it sits. I'm a noob to vehicle mods, but I was thinking it'd look 100x better if the back end sat as low as the front. Does anyone know what I need to buy to accomplish this?

 

5lug? Should be spring under axle. So a "lift block" will lower your truck. You will need to remove the bump stop.

 

Will this negatively effect the way my truck rides in any way?

 

No, unfortunately it will still ride like a broken rollerskate, only slower and rustier.

 

Oh, lord. I almost spit my coffee out after reading that one.

 

Does anyone have recommendations for where to procure these materials?

 

I just did some Googling and found these:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lowering-first-gen-5-lug.478713/
https://www.customtacos.com/threads/5-lug-95-5-04-lowering-info-for-newbs.153297/

https://djmsuspension.com/product-category/toyota-tacoma-9504-part/

 

Thanks!

 

It sits higher in the back because it's designed to have weight back there. Add weight, it sags.

So by modifying the suspension to sit level like you describe, you are effectively removing the truck-like capabilities. Removing bump stops IMO is a terrible idea.

Just put some weight in the bed.

 

If he lowers the truck, he will be sitting on the bump stops. So he will either have to cut them to be shorter, or remove them.

 

The bumpstops serve a pretty important purpose, and removing them or altering them without careful consideration of how that effects your axle movement is a terrible idea. You also run the risk of bottoming out your shocks which will destroy them.

 

The shocks stay in the same place. Spring under axles literally just moves the axle with up, and away from the road thus lowering the truck.

I get you dont like lowering trucks, and it's not really my thing either. I'm just tell the guy what he is going to run into. They make low profile bump stops also.

 

Here is a good resource and I bought parts from beefed taco. Idk if he is still around or not but he was super helpful to me 10 years ago..

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/5-lug-95-5-04-lowering-info-for-newbs.170553/

 

I'm talking about removing the bumpstops, not the block lift. When you remove the bumpstops, that will allow the whole axle assembly, shocks and all, to move closer to the body/frame than designed.

 

Wow, this turned into quite the discussion. Lol.

My truck is a 2wd, which I mainly use to drive back and forth to work, to the grocery store, etc. I don't haul anything with it or do anything extreme. So I dunno what sorta 'truck like capabilities' I'd be missing out on by lowering it. My main concern is the way the truck looks. I want it to look great, but I also don't want it to drive like crap.

 

That's all well and good, lot of people don't haul a bunch of stuff. I was merely offering a perspective in case you did. I've seen more than one case where some guy lowers (or lifts) a truck only to find out later that it now drives like crap, and he bottoms it out when hauling 2 pieces of plywood.

Honestly, I would still just throw a couple sandbags in the back, near the tailgate.

The extra weight does 2 things, makes the rear sag, hopefully leveling it out enough for your tastes.

But more importantly, it increases traction for your drive wheels. You've more than likely noticed that it's rather difficult to keep the tires from spinning in wet weather. That's because you have essentially zero weight over the drive wheels, meaning zero traction, an our 1st gens don't have traction control.

People add weight all the time, especially when it snows. This is super useful, even for 4x4s.


The next best option, would be the lowering blocks, however as I eluded to earlier, I wouldn't chop the bumpstops off without carefully considering the maximum movement of your axle.