Tacoma Lift FAQ/Guide - READ THIS

what did you decide on?

 

i appreciate the information. This truck is my daily driver, but we do plan on taking off road but not anything too serious yet. We’re more along the line off trail camping and dirt trails so far. I can honestly say use will be 85/15 (commuting/mild-medium off roading).
I’m seriously considering the 5100 Bilstiens for the front. Would I need to add more to the back if I want it to sit at about 2”

 

So I just installed Wheeler's single 1.5" AAL and u-bolt flip kit with super bumpstop last week. Including 3/8” spacers up front. I have TRD Fox all around.

The front sits perfectly even, however the rear left is slightly higher by an inch. Also when on a lift, the rear axle has a noticeable droop on the driver's side. Is this normal?

I have gotten an alignment, and while it drives straight for the first couple of days, it will then have an ever so slight pull to the right by the end of the week. I have brought it back in for alignment to see what is up. The techs are telling me that while the fronts are good, everytime they align, bounce then recheck, they have noticed that the specs in the rear changes.

For the AAL install, I did it will the leafs (leaves?) still on the truck. I have torqued down all the bolts and nuts to spec.

One other thing that i did notice, is that the ubolt flip kits striker plate is slightly bent. Thus slightly bending the ubolt. Not sure how it got bent though, as the passenger side is fine, and i worked on that side first.
However, Ryan from trailgear said it was fine, and that there should be no issues.

If anyone is more knowledge on this matter, any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

So I just bought this for my 2012 Tacoma V6 SR5 4x4 Access Cab. A 2'' front and rear suspension lift. Talked to my mechanic and he is good with installing it and just advised to get an alignment afterwords. I'm running 265/70/16's and I get a rub at full lock which this should fix as well as giving it a little better stance. The website says no need to upgrade shocks, but I also don't want a terrible ride. Would upgrading shocks smooth out my ride? Thanks https://www.extremeterrain.com/supr...pro-billet-lift-kit-0518-4wd-6lug-tacoma.html

 

I have a quick question that I wanted to throw out there about my 2011 Tacoma DCSB. Hopefully this is the right place/thread:

2011 Tacoma DCSB w/ OR
143,000 miles.
265/70/R17 BFG ATKO2

Previously had Eibach coils on 5100's set to the first notch (lowest setting) for leveling. That setup worked great, but started to sag so I just gave the suspension a refresh.

Just installed:
New 5100's on the lowest setting with OME 885 coils. Wanted to try something new.

The truck is sitting a little prouder with the 885's which has me a little worried about the CV boots/axles/bearings etc, that everyone is always discussing on TW.

Drives great, but I feel like there might be a little vibration (prob in my head), but IMO everything looks the same as before. I have attached a few pics of the CV axles to get opinions on whether or not the angles are too excessive.

Thanks for the input.

*****UPDATE*****2/11/2021
After getting replies and doing more research I ended up replacing the ECGS bushing. I have had it in for about three days and all seems to be back to normal.

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions everyone provided.

 

Those angles don’t look bad. Did you have an alignment done? Is it a vibration or like a grinding feeling? If it’s a grinding feeling, have you tried locking it in 4wd while driving down the road at about 20 mph? If the feeling goes away then you need to get the clamshell bushing from ECGS. That’s a very common issue. When I had my ‘17 and lifted it, it started the grinding. Had the bushing changed and it rode smooth afterwards.

 

Thanks - got the alignment done right after I put the coils, shocks, and tires on. All was good with the alignment.

I wouldn’t say it’s a grinding - more of a vibration. It might even be the sounds of the new tires on the street. Idk.

I will give the “4 wheel drive test” a shot and see what happens. When you experienced your vibration was it really noticeable? This is barely noticeable to where if ask the pax if they hear/feel it they can’t pick anything out.

Thanks for the input.

 

Mine was to the point I would have thought it was new bigger tires rolling, but fortunately I hadn’t put new tires on it. The new tires came in and I had the bushing replaced. It rolled quiet then.

 

Brand new to the TW forum and have been reading/learning for months now. Didn't realize the rabbit hole I was jumping into and how far it goes once you decide to modify the Tacoma. After figuring out what I wanted my truck to look like I've decided on FN FNX pro wheels, Falken Wildpeak AT3W's 275/70/17 and a Rough Country 3' front 2' rear leveling kit. The truck is my daily driver and will spend most of it's life on-road and light projects like hauling mulch. 2020 TRD Sport DCSB 4x4. I'm scheduled to have everything installed in early March and am now second guessing my decision with the RC kit. I hear people bash on spacer lifts but I'm only lifting for aesthetics and to accommodate the larger wheel/tire combo. Also have heard many say "buy once, cry once." Hard justifying putting $2-$4k into suspension components on a truck that hasn't even had it's first oil change and won't be off-roaded. Guessing most would steer me towards 5100's w/OME springs. Does anyone have experience with both a leveling kit and a true suspension lift to shed light? Sorry for the long post and if this is covered in another thread. As I said before I'm new! Thanks in advance.

 

I ended up getting the ECGS bushing replaced and all seems to be back to normal thanks for the input.

 

Awesome, glad it worked out for you.

 

I’ve had both. I had the leveling kit on my ‘17. It rode fine, except going over speed bumps or hitting potholes. It would jar you pretty good. I have 5100s now on the 2” lift notch with stock springs on my ‘10. That’s on top of my 4” spindles. It rides a little bouncy but not bad at all. I would recommend at least the 5100s on stock springs for now. You could eventually add OME springs later down the road and drop the 5100s to 0 setting. That’s just my 2 cents though.

 

So an AAL worked great for me with my shell and tool hauling, but I've since changed professions and now my bed is empty nearly 98% of the time. Now she rides a bit stiffer but still tolerable.

I also had a newer truck and adding the AAL pack to new leaf springs is a bit better than older leafs.

I know a couple of guys with the Icon RXT pack and they love it. Ive driven one if the trucks with an empty bed and it rode nice. That may be the option I go with if I ever decide to swap full leaf packs, unless Tough Dog comes out with an option.

Having seen how my pack with AALs is, I would avoid a Heavy Duty leaf pack. That's really meant for a truck with a practical house in the back. I think a Medium dusty should serve you fine, but the Icon RXTs are the best. Then you can tailor your ride even more.

As someone else said, a UCA is not necessary. Even at 2" you really don't need it. Good to have for down travel, but I don't think you'll be pushing your truck enough to necessitate it.

 

Hi my name is Quinn, I don't post much on TW but I am hoping to get some advice from experts in this thread.

My truck: 2015 DCSB TRD Sport 4x4 w/ Leer camper shell

1. Looking to add 33" tires, after reviewing a few threads here, seems like I need a 3" lift and possibly a cab mount chop. Is that right?

2. In addition I will be towing my travel trailer frequently with a hitch weight of approximately 450-500lbs. In order to minimize rear sag, do I need to consider both shock compression and leaf spring stiffness, or one over the other?

I am trying to piece everything together from this thread and some from the Towing Forum.
Thanks to all of you in advance.

 

I did the dealer TRB for the extra leaf spring in the rear. I'm looking at doing a 5100 2 inch lift with OME 866.

Does that dealer installed extra leaf add enough for the lift?

 

Sorry, noob question here. Bear with me...

Planning on a bed rack and a roof-top tent in the near future. I've already got the bro lean issue since 4 Wheel Parts convinced me I needed a leveling kit that I don't think I needed ( they also swore up and down that the 285s they sold me weren't rubbing, and then I found four spots on each side where they were in fact rubbing, but that's another story for another thread..) So I already have plans to lift the back a bit. My question is, concerning the added weight of the rack and tent, will the stock Bilstein's be sufficient enough with either a 2-inch lifting block or an add a leaf, or do I need to upgrade my shocks as well? Thanks in advance!

 

If you have Tacoma stock rear shocks and you are going to lift 1-1/2" to 2", you should get longer shocks.
Think of it this way: If the stock rear shocks are made to provide an equal amount of extension and compression travel from ride height, and you lift rear of the truck 2", you are taking 2" away from your shocks extension travel. Deleting 2" from an already small amount of travel could result in full extension of your shocks over speed bumps, with an audible clunk, and possibly damage your shocks.

 

So let’s say I get Bilstein 5100 front and back and OME 886 up front with UCA and LCA.

I want to lift max 2 in.

What should I do for rear leaf springs?

 

You are using OME 886 coils in the front? Do you have a bunch of added extra weight up front? That's going to be really stiff if you don't.

For the leaf springs, you could install a 3-leaf AAL for 1-1/2" plus a half inch spacer or leave the overload in to get to 2".
Or install a new leaf pack. Deaver and Icon leaf packs will give about 1-1/2" to 2" lift over stock, depending on your set up.
A custom pack will give you exactly what you want.
You really need to talk to vendors to get their recommendation based on the use of your truck, your expectations about ride quality, and the weight.

 

I just installed a 3" inch puck lift on my front shocks and 2" blocks in the back. Just seems kind of sketchy to me i installed everything correctly but are puck lifts safe for your truck long term?