Stuff that breaks after installing a lift

I don’t think this is in-depth enough to warrant a sticky, at least not yet. I’m glad you think it’s useful, though!

 

I'll just point out that a member on this site sells a high quality wheel bearing replacement that, as you'll see from this post, a ton of members have purchased: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheel-bearings-hubs-press-service-4x4-prerunner.537080/ -- I see a lot of "corrected by ..." and thought you may want to reference this as a possible correction.

My '05 was 15 years old before I modified the suspension. This wheel bearing and the ECGS along with the suspension greatly improved the ride quality. I am adding a UCA in the next month so I can get better caster numbers, and I still have a slight startup shudder that I'm guessing a CB drop or one-piece could adjust, but the overall ride is WAY better than before so I'm just going one thing at a time until it's fully dialed. More than anything, I've enjoyed doing this work myself with the help of TW and learning a ton about my truck in the process.

 

Added, thanks for the link! My post-lift wheel/tire combo is pretty lightweight with moderate offset, so I'm hoping my bearings will last a while yet.

Planning on going with a "skinny tire" setup -
OEM TRD Pro SEMA wheels, 17 x 7 in, 4mm offset, P/N

$1,025 PTR20-35110-BK (Fits: 4Runner - Tacoma - FJ Cruiser) (4)

PTR20-35110-BK: 25-26 lbs
Michelin Defender LTX M/S P255/75R17 (~32 in diameter): 38 lbs

Why a 255mm (10 in) wide tire is considered "skinny" is beyond me. The tires I have selected are the same width and larger in diameter than my old F150.

 

Added a link to a thread discussing VSC and steering issues present after installing a lift. These sound like extremely dangerous problems, since a loss of steering at highway speed can easily mean catastrophic damage or injury. I'm going to get a price quote from my local dealership and get a zero point VSC calibration done the day of installation.

 

Well, I finally got my lift installed. Let's see how my experience lines up with the horror stories here.

I took copious amounts of driveshaft angle measurements, before lift install and after. See methodology here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ved-step-by-step.244535/page-49#post-23988923
My post-lift angles ended up being an improvement over stock, deleting the slight take-off shudder I used to have. No carrier bearing flip/drop, axle shims, or custom driveshaft necessary. Your mileage will almost certainly vary.

I assume that this phenomenon is due to either uncorrected driveshaft vibrations - or - driveshaft u-joints operating outside of their specified working angle range (per Spicer, that is 3 degrees max). I only have 200 miles on the truck post-lift, so it's really too early to tell.

I preempted these two issues with the installation of Offroad Solutions high angle inner CV boots and an ECGS bushing. Pictures of my CV angles here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-non-enthusiasts-tacoma-build.667560/page-2#post-23989643

The only alignment issues I experienced were ironically due to the adjustability of the SPC UCAs I had installed. SPCs can be tweaked in all sorts of different ways. This is good if you have ready access to an alignment machine, but pretty bad if you're knocking out the install in a buddy's garage. JBA UCAs are a safer bet if you want a straightforward install.

I'm almost positive wheel bearing problems are solely due to people whacking huge, heavy tires on their trucks. I can't see how a suspension lift could affect wheel bearing longevity. I'll personally be going with OEM T4R SEMA wheels and Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires in P255/75R17 to keep the weight equal to the stock setup.

Yep, got this issue. The forward-most adjustment cam on the passenger's side is seized. Currently fighting Toyota to get it replaced under the CPO limited comprehensive warranty.

I never did get a solid answer to this one. From what I understand, the operating angles of the LBJs don't change much with a lift.

I haven't experienced these problems yet, but it's conceivable that I will in the near future. My front end lift ended up at a whopping +3 3/4", which is well over what I wanted. I'm hoping my planned addition of an ARB bumper will reduce that number closer to my desired +3".

This is something that I forgot to check. I think I'm okay, but "I think" isn't good enough when talking about vital safety systems.

Ordered a 1/4" front strut spacer with my lift. Both driver's front and rear are a scant 1/8" lower than the passenger's side. Another improvement over stock.

Excessively stiff springs, you say? How about 730 lb front coils with almost no extra front end weight? To be fair, my coils are specced to support an ARB bumper, so I'll just have to deal with the lack of downtravel in the meantime.

I'm not sure if this would've been an issue, since I never gave it the opportunity. I had a sway bar relocate kit installed with my lift.

This one is a little vague. Did I experience some weird noises after getting the lift installed? Sure I did. Some sheet metal clanking sound, which was likely due to something in the vicinity of my wheels whacking the dust shield for the front brakes. It looks like the issue disappeared after I got my alignment dialed in, although I'm hesitant to say this correlation proves causation.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sheet-metal-clanking-sound-after-lift-install.680724/
Do I still have weird front-end noises? Sure I do. My seized LCA alignment cam isn't allowing the LCA bushing to rotate as it should, leading to intermittent "pops." I'm also getting the slightest grinding/vibrating sensation from the front end, which is likely due to the CV axles bedding in to their new (and much more extreme) operating angle.

I haven't experienced this, and I'm glad. I'll try a DIY skid control ECU reflash if this issue rears its ugly head.

Let's see, what did I miss in my initial post? Actually, nothing... so far.