New to Off-roading and Need Serious Help.

I wish I could like this post 8 more times.

 

I concur. Get tires, use the truck then decide. If you decide you want more spring rate on the rear (when loaded) then swap out the factory bump stops with Sumo Springs.

 

That's a pretty gross oversimplification. Depending on suspension and UCA you can end up with less, more, or equal downtravel. Regardless, no tacoma is going to run out of downtravel on a paved road.

 

How would one end up with more or equal down travel after lifting without longer stroke shocks? At 3" lift, there is something like 1.5" of down travel left on the stock length shocks. UCAs shouldn't make any travel difference as I understand them.

 

I would replace the tires do some light off-roading to see if it’s something you will enjoy first before dumping tons of money into the truck and realizing later it’s not for you . Tires are a cheap way to go .

 

Edit, +1 on GrundleJuice post.....IFS Tacoma's have about 8 inches of travel in the front. Nominal 2nd Gen is split between up and down. A lift is simply adjusting the nominal resting position of the wheel arc within the exact same range of travel.

OP's 3rd gen is set an inch higher than second gen with the factory split being about 3" or 3 1/2" down travel and 5" or so of up travel.

Yes, new UCAs and "extended travel" shocks can get you a whole 1/2" to an 1" of additional travel up to 9" or so.

So, that 3" lift everyone wants (and they do look good with big tires) leaves an inch or so of down travel (out of the 8" total) and moves the 3" inches of lift to the up-travel side. It's a zero-sum game without significantly changing control arms and coil overs.

If you really want travel you have to rip it apart and go true LT, or go old school with a solid axle swap and leaf springs.

 

Some UCAs and their balljoints are designed to clear more of the shock, and have more angles than others. JBA says "The JBA UCAs will give you 1" extra down travel on the front suspension with more ball joint travel and strut spring clearance."

 

Hey OP, there’s a lot more bases to cover here. Opinions from other forum members are great, but they rarely cover all of YOUR bases.

I’ve gone through three suspensions on my Tacoma, and my advice is this:

If you are doing the typical overlanding I see people do out here in the southwest, run your truck on the stock suspension. Invest in some good tires and potentially some decent skids. Learn how and when to air down to help both your traction and your suspension.

If at a certain point your adventures necessitate a lift, understand that you can pay a lot of money for a new suspension that really won’t hold up to the abuse. A lot of people run lifts for aesthetics, and many of the “popular” brands won’t take heavy use.

Same with bumpers. Run stock as long as you can. When your trails start telling you that the truck has clearance issues, upgrade accordingly.

Cautionary word on tires…again, many here will point you to the brand they bought…most times it was for budget or aesthetic reasons, rarely was it dictated by off-road use.

HiPSI gave you good advise, run stock and see how it suits you. While you do, research not only this forum, but some dedicated off-road enthusiast sites that actually review equipment on the trail.

 

OP lives in Alaska. He needs better tires (read larger) and actual recovery gear if he is going out in the winter.

@Quietoatmeal, Id recommend asking in your local area thread to see what they are running on their trucks, and what they recommend. Also check the Canucks threads out, as conditions could be similar.

Here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/alaska.118/

 

I came from a gen1 tundra to these gen3 tacoma's. I was amazed with a set of all terrain tires how good it was in over a ft of snow. Truck plowed through it like it wasn't there, not to mention going through 3' snow banks. In the spring my dirt road is closed for vehicle traffic...its a 2 mile road of deep mud ruts, and mud holes. I've gotten my tundra buried there. This tacoma handles it in 2wd about as good as the tundra in 4wd. The tacoma is an amazing capable truck in 4wd when used. Imo, lifts are for serious off-road use, and can screw up a stock truck with unwanted vibrations if not installed 100% correct.

 

Yes, this is what I said. Maybe you meant to quote the person I was replying to?

They will allow for up to 1" more down travel, but they don't magically make the shock extend further.

 

Correct. But if you are running extended travel front shocks I could see this as a benefit.

 

Well, yeah! Anyone with extended travel shocks and stock control arms would be a moron, though.

 

I’m no suspension expert but from what I’ve read in my research I’d do the needle bearing replacement while you’re in there just as a low cost precaution against the dreaded vibes. Good luck!

 

Those are abundant

 

I’m not sure where you came up with 1.5” of down travel with a 3” lift. My truck had about 3” of down travel from the factory. It currently has 4” 1.5 years since I installed king extended length shocks (~1” extra travel) . My hub to fender measurement is 21.5”. I think a 3” lift probably leaves you with near zero down travel on stock shocks, thus the popularity of 2” lifts.

 

I couldn’t agree more! When I got my first 4x4, that truck (stock) never let me down. I did eventually put a 2” lift on it but when it was stock, it handled perfectly. That’s why these are the best trucks on & off road!

 

When I got my truck from the dealer, first thing I did is go off roading! I didn’t even have my license plates delivered. I wanted to see and feel the capability of the truck as is before upgrading so I know how it compares with future suspension upgrades.

And in the meantime I can do research either online or from fellow guys i wheel with and determine what my goals and purpose of purchasing this truck. Currently it’s my daily driver so i have to take that into consideration as well.

 

Same here! I had no idea what I was doing and took it a moderate trail. I was impressed how well stock truck did. I banged up the under carriage once or twice, but nothing major. I should go back to that trail now that I spent so much in this truck and see how much better it does. Some dude on the trail with a side-by-side asked if that's how we break in vehicles in Colorado!

As for my 2 cent for OP, storage storage storage. Insane how a short bed quickly runs out of room for 2 adults and 2 kids. So I recently added a roof rack for storage and awning (wife's request).

 

2/1" Lift is your safest bet with upsized aggressive tires.

Do it, do it!