Suspension and Tire Questions

I have a 2013 TRD Off-Road Tacoma with 105k miles.

It's time for new tires and shocks, and I would like some input on what direction I should go.

In the next year or so, I'm planning on buying a 16'-18' aluminum or fiberglass jet boat to fish the rivers around me and I want to make sure the setup I install now will handle the conditions for towing and trailering my future boat. Keeping in mind I have never had the need for a lift, I'll be towing a fairly light boat, and needing to drive on slippery/rocky riverbeds to launch - I want to see if anyone else uses their taco for this type of activity and what you recommend.

Are there things you've done or wish you would've done when setting up your suspension and tires to handle towing a small boat or getting into slippery spots?

Are there advantages to a lift beyond looking cool and gaining two inches of clearance?

I'm looking at a set of Bilstein 5100's and some Goodyear Wrangler Ultraterrain AT's. No lift, no spring swaps. Thoughts?

 

Beyond any suspension mods you are considering or others will recommend. Consider the tire's durability on the surface you will use it on and perhaps think about airing down and having the ability to air back up for improved traction on the rocks. You might also think about what you will need to self recover if you get stuck. Consider rerouting diff vents to prevent water intrusion into diffs.

 

If you aren’t lifting your truck forget the 5100’s. You only need them for lifted trucks. Go with Bilstein 4600 heavy duty shocks. They are original replacement shocks except more heavy duty. They are internally identical to 5100’s but are not for lifted trucks and they cost a little less.
I have them on my 4x4 Taco and they are great highway, off road and for towing. I tow a 3500 lb 19’ Alumaweld boat, no problems, they are great for towing. They are good off road too. I don’t rock crawl but get int into some remote rough country and they do quite well. Good on the highway too. A little stiffer ride on the highway than stock but still a good ride.
You don’t need to do anything to your truck to tow what you are going to tow.
Get 4600’s shocks , what ever A/T tires you like and you are good to go. Tires are a personal choice. You’ll get a zillion opinions on tires and it’s always based on what the person responding has on their truck. Most any A/T’s will work well for what you use them for.
Absolutely no reason to lift your truck. If you are not off roading it is a waste of $$$ (unless you want to spend the $$$ just to look “cool”)

 

I’ll go ahead and say, Don’t lift it if you don’t need too.

If you are sure you don’t want a lift. The 4600HD are basically the same as 5100’s with out the option to lift. The 4600 are not the OEM. Some will say they are, but they are not.

As for lifting, if you do.
You might as well go ahead and get the ECGS bushing and do it - If you lift the truck.
Because you might (50/50) get vibrations after lifting. Plus, the coils are already out of the way.
Also, why you are in there you might as well do the axle seal too.

 

If you're going to tow you want to keep overall tire diameter at or under about 32". Much bigger and you'll see loss of power and fuel mileage. I did upgrade from factory tire size to 265/75/16 tires and don't have a lift. That is a 31.6" tall tire and about as big as you can go without modifying the truck. And IMO that size still looks good with a moderate 2-3" lift. You won't see any measurable loss of power or fuel mileage either. You can buy tires for 17" or 18" wheels that will be the same overall diameter depending on what size wheels you currently have.

You COULD place a spacer over the current front struts and add a block to the rear and get your 2" lift for very little money. Most guys here frown on that, but if you're happy with the current ride and performance it remains exactly the same. If you replace the struts with some that will give you some lift you'll see an improvement over the factory ride and performance. If you're in need of new shocks anyway then it doesn't cost a whole lot more to just go with a small lift at the same time.

I replaced my factory struts at 125,000 miles and am at 214,000 now. I've never felt handicapped with my truck with the factory suspension, but since I'll be needing new shocks not too far in the future I'm considering doing a small lift at that time. You really need to do the math and decide how much more it will cost vs just going back to factory struts.

 

Thanks for all of the info! Thank you for not telling me this question has been asked a thousand times, and I would know the answer if I just searched for it. Also, if anyone knows of some great fishing spots near Holland, MI, I would appreciate the info. My buddy and I are heading up there for a fly fishing trip in September.