Max lift and tire size for 96 4 banger Tacoma?

I had the same gear ratio when stock. I have the auto trans which is a performance killer to begin with. With 285-75-16's and 5.29's, I get around just fine. 0-60 times are not even a topic!

 

I forgot to mention I have a manual transmission which helps a lot.

 

Here's a riddle...
What makes a flushing sound after you punch a grumpy? What a t__l_t!

 

Man I wish I had the manual trans. I'd be on 35's for sure.
The manual was not available in CA at the time I bought new, for the 3RZ prerunners that is.

 

@HSmith_11 That is what I'm looking for!!! That is a nice truck. I hate how my truck looks as small as a corolla!! lol I definitely need a lift!! So a 3 inch lift with 33 tires. @jbrandt I will look into the 255/85r16's as well!!! No laughing but what is a diff drop kit? Great feedback guys!! My next question is rims. What size rims go with these size tires? Sorry for the ignorant questions.;-) Thanks bunches

 

The last number goes with the rim size. For example, 33x12.50x15s are on 15 inch rims and 255/85/r16s are on 16 inch rims. The 16 inch rims come with metric sizes which makes them a little more confusing but you can use a tire size calculator to convert them to inches.

I’m not sure what the smallest rims you can run on a ‘96 but I tried 15s and ended up shaving a tiny bit off my calipers to make them fit (they were the cheapest black sheel rims I could find)

A diff(erential) drop is used to alleviate some of the stress on your CVs by lower the driveline or something. Usually people use a 1” spacer kit to drop it lower and lower the angle at which the CVs work at because steep angles (due to lifting the truck) can cause the rubber CV fins to touch and wear down and eventually cause a CV to blow. I haven’t done a diff drop yet but I’m planning on getting a little more lift via OME 881 coils and a top spacer and I’ll install a diff drop at the same time just for some extra insurance.

 

Ok great post!! I got lots to consider. I have some time to think about it. I still need to get the body work done first. I'm just looking at getting some minor dings out and a whole new paint job. I'm sticking with the same color. I read going with another color is a bad idea. tends to fade over time? I'm also looking at getting all new accessories like headlights, mirrors, and tinted windows. This brings me to my next question. I'm thinking about a spray-in bedliner? Any pro's or con's with this kind of liner? Thanks again!!

 

When you do a suspension lift on a 1st gen tacoma, you are moving the wheels/suspension down, while leaving the frame, front differential (the “diff”) the same. When the wheels move down because of the lift, your cv joints (the flexible joints that connect your differential to the axle shafts, then to the wheels) have a higher angle, which increases wear and tear on those parts. The diff drop kit is just spacers that move the diff down an inch, to make your cv angle less severe, so you don’t wear them out so fast.

They usually only cost $20 or $30, and are pretty easy to install, but sometimes you have to modify the skid plate for it to fit right.

Bottom line, if you have a 3” lift, get a diff drop kit. It’s cheap life insurance for your cv joints.

 

Those rock sliders are freakin awesome. lol

 

Wow great explanation!!! 3 inch lift with diff drop kit to save my CV joints!! Thanks bunches!!

 

What kind of budget are you working with?

 

I don’t have a specific budget in mind. Right now I’m concentrating on the engine and anything underneath the hood. I’ve already put in 4000 to replace old parts. Every time the check engine light came on I would fix the problem but then the old part attached to the new part wears out and the check engine light comes back on!! Ugh!! My truck only has 155,000 miles but it is 21 years old!! The only thing I need replaced right now is the cluster for the speedometer. Makes a horrible noise now. That gets changed on Tuesday. Then back to saving money for the body work. My original budget was 10,000.00 for the whole thing. But now it maybe much more. Stay tuned!!