Moving the Entire Front suspension Down an inch

I am theorizing moving the front suspension down an inch of a Tacoma for lift and tire fitting purposes.

Suppose the following:
1 inch diff spacer
0.5 inch top hat space for the struts
spindle to UCA knuckle spacer
longer break and abs lines.

https://youtu.be/_68Hc8GtLko?t=606

I am basing this all of Tinkerer's adventure video.

Is there anything I am ignoring?

 

Need extended bumpstops

 

I think your question is putting the cart before the horse. What is the goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish? What size tires and lift are you dreaming of?

 

There is no goal. I just want to know if it can be done and why it isn't already done.
You could potentially fit larger tires like 255/85/r17 without much work

 

Even if you could do this, why do big tires with no lift and still have stock suspension? It wouldn’t help you much for off-roading, only Bro points on Instagram.

First reason why (of many): There exists no such thing as a small UCA ball joint to knuckle spacer. It is unicorn teeth level of unobtainium. It doesn’t exist because it’s silly. Usually you’d need an extended knuckle but only the long travel 2WD guys can do that, or people doing a large drop bracket lift but that defeats your reasons.

Second:All of these things are just “hacks” to fit Bro tires and would do nothing to improve your suspension. In fact I’d argue doing all this stuff would make it worse. Don’t take my word for it - read the many thousands of threads in this Suspension sub-forum and you’ll see why.

Third: Even if that spacer did exist and you succeeded in doing the modifications, moving everything down 1” won’t magically give you more clearance to the body mount or wheel wells. You will still have problems with the big tires if you do any turning or encounter so much as a speed bump. Break out a hammer, grinder, and welder because your “easy” job just got harder again.

I’m sure there are other reasons but I don’t have time to find them all. Good luck.

 

Watch the whole series, it’s helps to understand all the concepts.

 

What do you mean? you will get some body clearance moving the front axle down an inch.
Fitting larger tires helps offroad.

I could literally machine a UCA knuckle spacer in an afternoon. It may not even be necessary if its only an inch.

By moving the axle and travel an inch down your tires will be an inch lower with respect to the cab mount at max up travel. This is how lifts have been done for live axle for years

 

If I didn't have to rent a stall by the hour I would document every step and show it

 

I’ve done tons of off-roading with big tires and no lift. Getting an extra 1.5” of ground clearance with larger tires is better than a suspension lift that doesn’t increase ground clearance.

 

I dunno what you drive

but turd gens can already fit 255’s with very little work.

probably 2nd gens too, chop the body mount


Hell, I fit them on my 1st Gen with a leveling kit and a hammer to the pinch weld

 

this would lift your truck btw. just in case it isn't clear. And you could do it with extended travel suspension.

 

This basically sounds a drop bracket lift, you’re trying to reinvent the wheel, just going about it badly

 

Exactly, except you don't have to cut your cross member. and its completely reversible.

the goal is fitting bigger tire for a fixed amount of clearancing.

How is it bad? assuming skids are made to accommodate and protect front diff drop?

 

No amount of dropping the suspension down makes the wheel well increase in diameter.

 

Dropping the diff isn’t going to do anything but move the axles down a little. LCAS are still in the same spot, the spacer between the UCA and spindle is just gonna mess up the geometry.

 

lol
but does dropping the suspension allow for bigger tires?

tough math questions...

 

There’s a lot of miss information on how this ifs platform works. I watched the full series of videos by Kai and put it to the test, and the information presented by kai is accurate. I am running a 3rd gen TRD OR suspension (which leveled my truck) on my 2nd gen truck and did add a 1/2” top hat spacer after watching the series(to get that extra droop), it gave me about 1” 1/4 extra droop and some lift, I am running 265/75r16, nothing binds and nothing rubs.

 

if you remove the shock youll notice what limits down travel is the CV binding, next its the UCA. Maybe a spacer is not even necessary I haven't checked.

Look at diff drop bracket installs. They don't even alter the tie rods besides rotating them

 

Aaannnd I’m out

talking to a wall

 

No, not unless you drop down below the cab (making you very tall) and/or limit uptravel. A body lift would essentially have the same effect as what you’re talking about.

You will see some LT kits that move the wheel forward nearly one inch in order to keep larger tires away from the cab mount, but you must still increase the diameter of the wheel well to stuff the tire properly. Moving the suspension down will do nothing to make the wheel well larger.