New Product: Rough Country 4" lift

So I was interwebbing and I found out Rough Country has come out with a 4" lift kit. It appears to be a spacer lift on steroids... Can someone who knows what they are looking at give a proper opinion to those of us that are less educated. If it's worth a shit I may spend the grand on it...

http://www.roughcountry.com/toyota-suspension-lift-kit-748-20.html

 

It's a drop bracket lift like their 6". Requires cutting that is practically irreversible. It wouldn't be easy to go from this to a icon extended travel kit. The general consensus is these kinds of lifts are more for show than performance.

 

Yeah the more I read the more I see that it's an awful idea for where I'm going with my truck. Especially that it says it won't work on stock wheel size... And only increases the clearance for a 32x10.5 tire

 

You are right, more for mall crawlers than for performance. But there is huge potential in these (underestimated) drop bracket lifts:
• you'll get real space for the bigger tires, if you don't lift the cab or cut the cab or limit the uptravel, you won't get NONE more room for the tires
• suspension geometry is close to the OEM, little stress for the ball joints
• steering geometry is close to the OEM, little stress for the steering rack and tie rod ends
• the CV joint angles are healthy in the normal driving height
• you can upgrade the shocks to the quality extended travel coilover versions, still maintaining the things listed above, at the same time you'll get rid of the commonly hated strut spacers

I have Rough Country 6" kit (including 3" drop brackets (no cutting) and 3" longer spindles) in my FJ with FOX extended travel coilovers with 16" springs, adjusted to lift about 4". Works very nicely and there is enough room for the 35"s.

 

I've beefed the shit out of mine, and am in the process of making custom skid plates to make them even stronger. I see no reason why it won't hold up Offroad. The knuckles are beefy as well with lifetime warranty. I've seen on the FJ sites guys are beating the shit out of the RC kit. That being said I think the drop brackets needed work to make them tie into the frame, which I consider mandatory.

I like trails and rocks, and to me ramp break over, approach and departure angles are important.

I fit 35's, I will need a CMS at some point though. Not sure why they list 32's as the biggest tire.

Biggest plus, I didn't have to cut through the frame like all other DB kits.

Ive got pics in my thread. Driving is like stock.

 

Ive contemplated doing the 4" RC. I dont really offroad like a lot of people on here so it'll probably be just fine for me. The most I do offroad is beach driving and some very minor trails. I'm not all about beating the hell out of my new truck. That being said the main thing holding me back is the cutting. Dont like the thought of that.

 

Inspected a Tundra with a drop bracket that was in a simple accident, should have taken pictures.

Where the cross member was cut had buckled in the accident and the entire drop bracket had twisted back.

These lifts are for show and do not belong on daily drivers. Install or buy a truck with real axles if you want big tires.

 

I agree cutting through the frame is crazy, especially when the new cross member doesn't bolt to the cut crossmember.

The RC Drop brackets for both 4" and 6" are the same, and they drop the Control arms 3.5" The rear crossmember ground clearance lost is only 2". The front may be a little more, but I don't think it is much more than a full skid plated non DB Tacoma.

Here are some of the ways I modified the kit.

First, new rear crossmember was plated top and bottom with 3/16" plate. On the top, 1/4" 1 1/2" angle iron was welded in place to tie into the Toyota crossmember.


Then the Toyota cross member was notched and a nut strip was made and then welded inside. 4, 1/2" Grade 8 nuts.




Then pieces were made out of 3/16" plate to close up the Toyota crossmember and were made to clear the front pinion.


I also made rear cam locks for the RC crossmember bolts.


Then I made a Mid Plate out of 3/16" plate. I still need to make the front and rear skid plates.


Ground clearance I'd say is pretty good, and I clear 35's for the most part, I haven't really done any testing, cause I just finished it.
This pic is with 33's