What are the best Lifts/Tires for offroading?

Hey all, so I'm pretty new to all of this and any help from you seasoned vets would be greatly appreciated. So here it goes. I am finally looking to upgrade my Tacoma however I have no clue where to start. I'm not mechanically inclined either so apologies if a bunch of noob questions follow.

I just moved to Colorado north of Denver and the mountain trails are calling my name. I want to get a 3" lift and good "all terrain" offroading tires. What would you all suggest? I've done a little research and I hear OME and Toytec Ultimate a lot, but I'm sure there are many more. Thanks in advance to all.

 

How much are you looking to spend, and how much offroading do you want to do?

 

Price range is pretty open. I'm not loaded but I don't mind saving up to get the proper setup. I'll be going a lot. I grew up in the hills camping and offroading so it'd be pretty consistent.

 

First off there are WAY more knowledgeable guys on here that will hopefully chime in but I can tell you a little about my experience.

Second it will depend on what you plan on using your truck for and what your budget is.

I myself don't do a lot of "hard core" off road driving but I do a little with a local club once in awhile and if it gets to tough I can take a by-pass (yeah I am old I know)

But I do like going to the back country to ski, kayak, mountain bike camp etc etc, and taking those back roads can get a little tough. So I wanted something that was good quality but not unreasonable to my bank account.

The OME and Toytec lifts are perfect for what I use my truck for. Other options a little more expensive are Fox, Kings or Icon lifts. Expensive but well worth it from what I have read on here.

I went with the OME myself because I thought if it was good enough for the outback it would be more than enough for what I use it for. It has exceeded my expectations so really happy with it.

Keep reading and reading and then read some more and hopefully you will narrow down what the best suspension is for you.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck and looking forward to your build

 

Go mid travel with 285s if you dont mind cutting up you truck a little bit..

Or if you have lots of money and really dont mind custom fab go with a Solid Axle Swap and run 40s

 

SAS and some 40" Mud terrains

 

I like the way you think

 

Banff thank you for the info. Ya my needs are more along your lines as well. I'm not looking to turn my truck into a strictly offroading machine. I'll still use it for day to day use work, travel etc. But when I go out into the hills I want to be sure I have the proper clearance and a smooth STRONG ride. Also I'll probably be using it for hauling as well, boats, bike trailers etc.

 

I'm telling you man Mid travel is the way too go. Miles better ON and OFF road than stock suspension.

 

If national forest/fire road camping and moderate offroading is your goal
Old Man Emu is rated pretty consistently high for that sort of thing.

BF Goodrich AT KO are nice all terrains.
Goodyear Duratrac and Cooper Maxx are relatively well liked as more aggressive yet still fairly quiet and streetable "MT" type tires.

 

I went with the Toytec Boss Lift / 265/70R17 Hankook Dynapro ATM's

I don't do hard core Off Roading but it does it's job up in the New Mexican Mountains...

 

A good mid travel setup (coilovers, control arms, leafs/shocks) will cost 2-3k, but is the best bang for your buck besides going into custom territory

And as far as tires go, if you plan on wheeling a lot, mud terrains will be your best bet, but note that the better a tire is of road, the worse it is onroad

As far as the specific parts / tires, you should take a look around the site and find what'll suit you bestE

 

So around here yes it's "national forest" but some areas can turn ruff real fast. So I want something can take the long term abuse. I've heard both OME and Toytec can take a pretty decent beating. @Monster Coma thank you for the insight, though I don't want to cut the truck so I'll leave that as last resort lol.

 

With mid travel there is no cutting.. Just run a tire under 285 and you'll be fine

 

Ah ok gotcha thanks for the insight all. I'll continue to do some research around here as well but you've given me a great starting point.

 

You can pm me if you have any questions.

 

Duratracs are a great all around tire for out here, from snow to mud and rocks, D or E load depending on rim size. Also check out the CO thread for trail runs.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/south-west/187907-upcoming-colorado-events.html

 

Wishbone, how do I find the CO thread I've got a friend who is the cause to my recent exploration of lifts and we've been dying to find some better trails.

 

My buddy uses Nitto Terra Grapplers on his FJ Cruiser and says they're amazing all terrains. Anyone ever used them who can second that claim?

 

my buddy just picked up the nitto at's there great on road, haven't tried em out yet off road. tell you in a month.... The nitto mt's are awesome though, I've had them for 6 or 8 months and they haven't let me down yet.