Opinions are like.....

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed." James Madison.

I have to at throw this out there. I wanted to do a small lift to my truck and thought it should be a relatively straightforward task with a general consensus on the best way, and at least a few accepted, economical ways, to do it. I cannot tell you how many threads I have gone through on this subject. Not only are there a million different means to an end, but there is wildly different opinions on each of those opinions. Blocks are bad, no blocks are good. You need to change your stock coils, you're fine with leaving the stock coils. Bilstein 5100s ride rough if you set all the way out, they ride just fine. And on, and on and on.

The only consensus is that there is no consensus.

 

I wouldn't say that. Titties and beer. Just sayin'.

 

I'm not sure why you expect this thread to be any different. The best way is just read read read and then make a decision based on what works best for you, since everyone's needs are different.

 

I've never actually heard someone say "blocks are good." I've seen people say "blocks will be fine," or "you'll be good on blocks no need to spend money on something you don't need." Or maybe even "for what your purposes are, blocks will be good enough."
Preloading a coil using Bilstein 5100s is never ideal unless you have the squishiest buttocks in the world or you are adding weight to the front of your vehicle. Anyone who tells you different either didn't have the brain cells or money to go with aftermarket coils.

 

Wait....is it Friday already?

I can't keep track.

 

I hear you. And completely agree. It’s wild about how widely the opinions are from TW about the same exact truck with the same exact suspension.
I made a rookie mistake by buying and crying twice.
I went with the OME/Bilstein/add-a-leaf option first for about a 2” lift.
The ride was ok, but I desired better after several months.

In the last 2 weeks I’ve installed Fox 2.5 with adj resi, 2 sets of UCAs (Icon then SPC), Icon RXT leaf pack, and superbumps.

I am now set and everything rides like a Baja Cadillac.

The best advice I’ve gotten from TW and I learned the hard way is BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE.

 

How much did each round cost you?

 

Unfortunately this will always be the case on just about any forum. However, this forum does have a lot of great FREE info, just up to you to find it and believe it.

We will continue to write Tech Articles & make videos to explain things based on facts. If there is something we don't agree with, it's usually based on results not opinions.

 

I can’t remember exactly, and I feel even worse now that I’m estimating it up in my head.
I think something around $2,000 the first round.
And something north of $4,500 for the second and FINAL round.
That’s not counting cost for labor and cost for tires and wheels.

 

Should of bought a TRD Pro... Problem solved.

 

Im pretty sure my setup is much better than a Factory Pro setup. And you still have to do a good bit of work to fit 33s on a Pro

 

Ummmm, even that, apparently, has been a point of debate after searching it for fun. IMO, they seem amazing.

 

That post is kinda cute though.

 

One thing I'd like to mention is that the whole "buy once cry once" thing is just ridiculous in my opinion. Not everyone needs thousands of dollars in suspension on their truck to be happy with it. I'm now on my third suspension set up and I wouldn't change how I got here in the slightest.

My first set up was 5100/OME coils/AAL. This is a really great budget set up that will ride like stock and not break the bank. If you buy coilovers disassembled and do the work yourself, it's about $750.

As my build progressed, my truck got heavier, so I needed to beef up the suspension.

OME shocks/coils up front and dakars/Bilstein B110 in the rear. This allowed the increase in weight but also gave me more articulation in the rear. I only needed this because I'd gone out and used my truck, saw the weak point and upgraded it.

Now I'm on Extended travel Kings, gusseted spindles, JBA UCAS, Dakars, Hammer hangers, 12" Kings with a shock relocation, etc. My truck's suspension is super dialed in for what I need it to do, and that's to crawl. It's fine at a bumpy washboard road at speed, but it shines in the rocks.

And all along the way, I was able to sell my used parts, recoup some of my money, and hook another Tacoma brother up who's on a tighter budget. Everyone wins.

That's why I recommend just reading, and doing what's best for you and your needs.


EDIT: Plus if you're patient, used parts come up all the time. Only items I bought new were my 5100s/AAL, UCAs, and rear Kings. Everything else was used from this forum or local FB people.

 

Most folks who get spun up in confusion on how to lift don't need a lift. They just want one.

A set of capable tires of a modest size, on OE wheels, in the hands of a reasonable driver, will get these trucks in amazing places.

If you must proceed with a lift, one way to simplify the how to is to call Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road with 3 pieces of info.

How you use the truck, why you are interested in a lift (function or looks), and what your budget is.

 

These automotive forums exist for people to share experiences and for others to learn. If you stumbled upon this forum, chances are you're an enthusiast that wants to learn more about options available. This is the beauty about Tacoma World.

If you want to bypass (no pun intended ) all of that, sure just call a suspension retailer and buy what they want to sell you.

 

People that have a certain setup will defend it with their lives cause they think what they have is the best, sure for them it might be, for the next guy it might be shit. Depending on what you really want to do with your truck blocks might be the end goal and really I don't see an issue with that. Running through the desert at 100mph? Well then I guess you might want something stout. You gotta sift through the 1000 pages of bullshit to find that one page of useful info on here. But first you really have to know what you plan to use your truck for.

 

Sifting through uninformed or mistaken conclusions is the norm but quite often it also boils down to letting usage help you pare away the irrelevant suggestions. Bad installs can generate more bad press as well. If you don’t know someone you trust with experience on a particular issue it can take a lot of reading to decide on your own at which point you become the guinea pig of your own inexperience. Either way it’s a live and learn world and what would be bad for someone else’s needs might be perfect for you.

 

Yes, one of the definitive answers I found on this forum was that there was not a bass roll off on the stock stereo. It was based on studies and not opinions. If I had gone by opinions that had also been posted, it would have been wrong.

 

I went from a rough country block lift. To a full ome lift. Now I have fox 2.0s in the rear and waiting on kings 2.5s with 700 coils. Buy once cry once