New Member/Suspesion Upgrade

Hi everyone, I have a 2013 regular cab 2.7L 4x4
For years, i have taken the thing where ever i can get it hunting and fishing. I have been wanting to lift it and upgrade the suspension and think its time before this fall.

I encounter mostly tight woods roads with sever wash boarding and the occasional washout/ruts requiring 4wd. I hardly do any off roading or 4x4 trails.

I'm looking to get an additional 3-4" ground clearance for obstacles (and aesthetics) and want something that will increase handling and ride comfort when encountering deep pot holes and the wash boarding.

Im not too mechanically minded and with my busy schedule would probably have something installed. I Don't have a set budget in mind just yet but would really appreciate some recommendations on what would fit my needs. Seems like there are so many options, im not sure what would work best for my situation.

Thanks for any advice
Happy to be here!

 

Can't go wrong with some bilsteins 5100, or if in your budget 6112. Very nice single cab by the way!!

 

the suspension configuration is very limited in travel so the magic $hocks do very little other than to add some damping in that small range of travel to keep it from bouncing or diving .
I have the Tacoma ext cab Base model with the OEM KYB's (?) which are still damping very well,
and I just put some 2.5" spacers on the front and some "Retrue" airbags on the rear, 15 psi lifts it off the stock saggy springs about 2" just enough to make it progressive and plush , If I haul some weight I can bump up the air
It handles way better now, as if it was designed for this ride height
So far so good , shocks havent blown from topping out yet

 

and lots of great "can't go wrong" confirmation bias and mass consensus available here also : https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lifting-your-truck-things-you-need-to-know.40469/

 

Youre looking for ground clearance, and you wont gain ALOT on these trucks but you can gain some. @HeadStrong Off-Road would be where I would start! They know their business and can help with what youre looking to do!

 

Welcome to TW…

 

Welcome!
I just did a swap to OME MT64s. They are comparable to the bilsteins, except a little beefier and rebuildable.
My friend and I did it in the driveway in a weekend. Could probably have done it in a single day if it wasn’t 110 degrees outside.
And for being mechanically adept… I did my first oil change myself last month. It’s easy. Lots of YouTube videos out there.

 

forgot to mention I ended up with 3 inches in the front and 4 in the rear.

 

Don't go over 2 to 2.5" of suspension lift unless you enjoy accelerated CV wear and increased likelihood of bad vibes. (Drivetrain vibes.)

If you really need >3" of lift, do it by adding 2" to 2.5" max on the suspension (springs/shocks), and get the remaining ground clearance you desire by going to a larger tire diameter. (With its own separate set of issues. But if you don't go crazy you can get at least another 1/2" of vertical rise without encountering too many other fitment issues.)

Welcome to TW forums.

 

OP’s truck is 2WD

 

It is?

 

Whoops, saw the photos posted of the suspension components and that was a 2WD truck. I thought those were from the OP

 

looks Great! honestly its a time thing more then anything, ill take a look into what you installed.
Thanks!

 

Solid advice, Honestly i would be happy with 2.5" of lift. Any particular shocks you would recommend?

 

I don't know much about the broad selection of aftermarket shocks available for Tacomas. Stick with well-known names like Bilstein, OME, etc. Avoid generic no-name brands, avoid spacers of any kind and you'll probably do fine.

I have a FOX 2.5 PE DSC setup on all 4 corners + Deaver leafs (from Accutune Offroad) and am very happy with it, but I suspect that's not in the price range you're hoping to stay in. You can't really walk out of Accutune's website with a new suspension for less than $3-$3.5K shipped. To me it was worth it to pay another $2K-ish for shocks that have full adjustability (DSC) and are fully rebuildable.

If you DO have $4 to $6K to put into a suspension, consider whether the shocks you plan to buy are fully rebuildable. Many brands are not. I don't believe Bilsteins or OMEs are rebuildable (??) but maybe certain higher-end models within those brands line-ups are?

That was part of my decision to drop big coin on FOX 2.5s. If I can get 2 full rebuild cycles out of them I hope to get 150-200K miles out of 1 set of shocks. (97% of my driving is normal city/highway.)

Rebuilding itself is a bit of a PITFA unless you happen to live near a quality shock-rebuilding shop (such as Accutune down in SoCal.) I don't, so I am planning to DIY the rebuild when the time comes, which will be its own learning curve + additional investment in special tools, tank of compressed nitrogen, etc.

 

OME are rebuildable as long as you don’t get the little yellow ones. MT64 or BP-51 are fully rebuildable.

 

I can only recommend what I have personal experience with: Bilstein 5160s in the rear paired with Icon RXT leafs, Bilstein 6112’s in the front, gives you 2-2.5 inches all around and prevents some of the additional work required if you go higher, like diff drop, UCAs, etc.

Not sure if you’re running stock tires or something bigger but if stock, you can also go up in size by at least an inch without any rubbing, gives you a little more clearance on top of the taller suspension.