data-csrf="1711668639,c13b00c882173288d8eefb6e41efa65c" Tacoma Lift Kits... | As Real As It Gets

Tacoma Lift Kits...

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
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5
Alaska
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The wife's Tacoma looks just like every other Tacoma on the road, and I'm thinking it needs a bit of custom work.

Any of you guys ever lift a Tacoma?

I'm just starting the research phase, but any inside info would be appreciated.

Oh... it a 2013 double cab, shortbed, TRD, 4wd.
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
1,994
5
Alaska
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Yeah, that Tacomaworld has too much info. Hard to separate the chaff from the wheat, when you don't know anything about it.

I'll keep reading, and hopefully learn something.
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
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The BFG's that came on mine,wre the worst fucking tires I've ever run. I replaced them with the tallest Toyo Mud Terrains,that wouldn't rub when the wheel was cranked hard over. Not much into lifts,if only because I've had lots of 'em.

The Blue Bitch with the locker engaged and in 3rd gear with the valves floating,is a force to be reckoned with..................
 

Horse1

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2007
2,962
12
In the vicinity of dandihood
Big Stick said:
The Blue Bitch with the[color:#CC0000] locker engaged and in 3rd gear with the valves floating[/color],is a force to be reckoned with..................
Did that with Whitey during deer season after a fresh snow. Plugged the air filter SOLID, as in 0 turbo until we knocked most of the snow loose from the filter. No-got stucky though and that were the point of the exercise.
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
1,994
5
Alaska
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Big Stick said:
Not much into lifts,if only because I've had lots of 'em.

The Blue Bitch with the locker engaged and in 3rd gear with the valves floating,is a force to be reckoned with..................
She has the rear electronic locking diff too. Plus a bunch of other traction crap I don't yet understand.

I haven't lifted a truck since back in my Ft Wainwright days in the late '80's, and that was a 76 Ford Bronco.
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
1,994
5
Alaska
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fogswamp said:
Rev Tec 2" front spacer, rear add a leaf. Ran 285's on my 07
Thanks for the info! I don't want to go cheap. The truck needs to handle the same after the lift as before. I ran the numbers, and a 285/75/16 would be about 32.5" and that would do nicely.
 

fogswamp

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2007
583
1
No negative impacts on handling, and that was the most tire I could run on stock wheels.....
 

ridgeline

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2009
662
7
australia
OME has been workin' well on my 2010 Hilux. 2" suspension lift with ARB air lockers front and rear was a huge improvement...
 

Big Stick

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Nov 18, 2007
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I cain't remember which size the Toyo's are,that I tossed on the Blue Bitch...but I'd not change a thing. That due as much to the quality of the ride,as anything else.

I love that fucking truck................
 

Dreamin

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2012
85
0
265-70-17 are about right and you can't go wrong with Toyo MT's...bullet proof and good traction...run the 10 ply's even though the tire guys try to talk you out of them with a Toyota....Good Year Dura Trac's are pretty good too....285's will rub unless you do some serious cuttin on the wheel wells, which I hate but to each their own
 

Rogue

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2009
2,549
11
Jefferson State
The old scratched up 98 Taco is a mean old bitch. More than a few times I've been amazed she's made it home. She's packed more dead shit than I could have ever have hoped.

Hoping she last for 20 more years, and gets uglier than than a 2AM bar whore....
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
1,994
5
Alaska
www.geocities.com
Big Stick said:
My Blue Bitch wears 265/75R16 Toyo's and I rather like the melding................
Cool. Her stock Tacoma is wearing 265/70/r16 tires... so not much shorter. I'm still looking at a Bilstien (spelling?) injection up front, and an add-a-leaf in the rear if need to keep things level.
 

wolfman

Well-known member
Mar 25, 2009
1,033
11
NB, Canuckistan
Alot of the 'Yota guys are pretty hip on 5100 adjustables for moderate lift.

I'm about to add some to my '00 Tundra, just to level things out, along with a set of airbags to help out with saggy ass when loaded up.

Looking forward to "testing"
 

SeanD

Active member
Aug 5, 2008
31
0
BrianW said:
Big Stick said:
My Blue Bitch wears 265/75R16 Toyo's and I rather like the melding................
Cool. Her stock Tacoma is wearing 265/70/r16 tires... so not much shorter. I'm still looking at a Bilstien (spelling?) injection up front, and an add-a-leaf in the rear if need to keep things level.
Keep it to 2" or less to save wear on the CV boots and keep the ride softer/close to stock. The thing about lifts on the tacomas is they arent like a solid axle type lift, all you are doing is moving the control arms down. So instead of getting 4" up and 4" down in stock config, with a 2" lift you get 2" down and 6" up. If you actually wheel it, you arent going to be able to run much larger than stock since if you stuff it the tire will be in the same place as stock suspension.

I have 1.75" on my 2007 with 255/75/17 BFG MT's (old style tread) and they are just over 32" tall. Good fit. GREAT tire.

5100's are basicle an upgraded shock with ajustablity, just like a spacer lift. You can do airbags on the back for lift too.
 

Canazes9

Active member
Jan 25, 2013
42
0
Louisiana
I agree with the 2" or less to save wear on cv joints and boots - 2.5" is the max lift on a Tacoma without lowering the front diff. Tacoma's can have weird drivetrain vibrations when lifted - it seems random, most don't some do. The higher you go, the more likely you are to see have them.

spacer lifts tend to make the ride harsh and are known to cause premature wheel bearing failure. The Bilstein 5100 lift is really just a spacer lift as the shocks can be set at 0, .75", 1.5" and 2.45" preload. Because the Bilstein 5100's are better than factory shocks, the ride doesn't tend to be as harsh. Even more so when a lower pre-load setting is used. 1.5" pre-load setting seems to be the most common recommendation for this set-up.

I have the Bilstein 5100's on my son's 2007 Tacoma DCSB Sport 4x4. This was my truck, and my first attempt at lifting a Tacoma. Initially set them at 1.5" and still found the ride quality to be harsher than I wanted on the highway. Had them reset to 0.75" and have been pretty happy with it. I know, 0.75" lift doesn't sound like much and not worth the trouble, but it made a difference and the Biltein 5100's really help the ride off road. His truck is running 265/70 R17's.



Last year I purchased a 2012DCSB 4x4 OR. On this truck I used the Eibach springs w/ the Bilstein 5100's set to 0" pre-load. This produces 1.6" lift total and in my opinion is the sweet spot for Tacoma lifts. The eibach/5100's can be purchased as pre-assembled units from Toytech and you can't beat their price. Only problem is they come w/ the 5100's set with 0.75" pre-load so you will have to get your shop to reset them to 0" if you want 1.6" lift instead of 2.5". Sorry, I don't have a good picture of it, I'll try and get one soon. I'm running 5100's all the way around on this truck also and 265/75 R16's.

For lift on both trucks I went with ride rite air bags. The add a leaf and spring packs work pretty good, but you are stuck with increased spring rate all the time and the Tacoma's soft rear springs help with off-road rear axle articulation. I keep 20-30 pounds of air in the bags running around the highway to keep the truck leveled out and sitting right. When I go off-road I drop the pressure in the bags when I drop the pressure in the tires. This makes the rear end nice and soft and gives the truck more of the "nose up" attitude that generally works better off road.

David
 

Canazes9

Active member
Jan 25, 2013
42
0
Louisiana
One of the weak points on the Tacoma is the 7 pin bracket location hanging down off the receiver where it is easily broken off. Here's a modification I made to put the 7 pin in a safer location.

7-pin relocate:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/218496-7-pin-air-bag-fill-valve-relocate-behind-flip-up-license-plate.html

David
 

Canazes9

Active member
Jan 25, 2013
42
0
Louisiana
My '12 with 1.6" lift - Eibach coils with 5100's set at 0" preload, ride rite air bags at about 30psi, 265/75/r16 MT ATZ's, BAMF Sliders:





Sorry, I know they aren't real good pictures, but should be able to get and idea from them.

David
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
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Alaska
www.geocities.com
I like your truck. Looks good.

A half-drunken decision to go to Kona in March, complete with an Alaska Airline webpage search and ticket(s) purchase sometime between 10:00pm and my 12th beer, leaves me short of fun money for a lift kit right now.

But at least now I have a good idea of what's involved, and what the results look like.

Thanks all!
 

Rogue

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2009
2,549
11
Jefferson State
BrianW said:
I like your truck. Looks good.

A half-drunken decision to go to Kona in March, complete with an Alaska Airline webpage search and ticket(s) purchase sometime between 10:00pm and my 12th beer, leaves me short of fun money for a lift kit right now.

But at least now I have a good idea of what's involved, and what the results look like.

Thanks all!
Wow.... I can't believe you did that. Most of us would never do anything like that........
 

wolfman

Well-known member
Mar 25, 2009
1,033
11
NB, Canuckistan
I'm putting them at the top. I wasn't plannig on going that high, but I put a jack underneath the front end and measured where 2.5" up put me, and I'm still not quite level. I'm guessing that 13yr old front coils probably won't get the advertised 2.5" either. Putting the diff drop in just to be safe.
 

Angry Scotsman

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
451
0
Orygun
I'm late to the meeting, but wanted to throw in my nickel anyway. When I bought my '97 Taco it was two year old model, and there weren't many lift kits on the market. I went with a Rancho 1.5" just to level things and give the right look with 31's. Avoid my mistake, and don't consider Rancho. The springs are stiff as frozen shit, and the front shocks leak. The shocks have a lifetime warranty, but the labor adds up.
 

wolfman

Well-known member
Mar 25, 2009
1,033
11
NB, Canuckistan
5100's have been in the Tundra for a couple of weeks. No serious testing yet, but the road manners are much better. Turns out the top spring perch landed me pretty much level, so the stock coils must be pretty tired.
 

Buck Snort

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2010
590
0
Got tired of the 2007 tundra sitting with its nose in the dirt so I slapped a 3" leveling kit in it. Rides better, looks like it should and pulls like a mutha.

love this truck

Stick - your insane (grin)
 

257 Wby Mag

Well-known member
Feb 16, 2008
2,496
0
Chehalis, Wa
Big Stick said:
Never put much weight in/on mine.....................(grin)

That's what "working" for a living will getcha?? Lol. Fuck you are stupider than you look, and that's saying more than a whole "bunch"...... Congrats studly!!!!!
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
Looking forward to your next fucking Whine.

I enjoy your Imagination,almost as much as you do. Laffin'!

Congratulations?!!?....................
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
Don't like 'em either...but do LOVE 'em.(grin)

Ask her what she does for a "living",what she drives and a pic of her boat. Brace yourself for yet another of her heartfelt Whines,as she cries how Life ain't "fair".

Laffin'!................
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
Have had a herd myself and nothing but exceptional "luck".

If there was sumptin' better,I'd simply have a few of 'em................
 

Buck Snort

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2010
590
0
Stuck a whole pallet of 6" X 6 footer fence boards in the white bitch. Didnt hurt it so I added 90 more boards (grin)



This bastard is one powerful little homie
 

mattman

Member
Nov 7, 2013
19
0
I'm quite sure the original question no longer needs answered, but I'll chime in anyway.

I've BTDT with more Taco suspension than one guy should, and ICON/Deaver is where it's at if you want better suspension on your Taco. OME sucks, 2 for 2... Bilstein sucks to varying degrees, 7 for 7...
 

Big Stick

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Nov 18, 2007
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Paradise
Beano went Full Hog on his Taco and I'd be curious to rally it.

He says it's "THE shit" and I've zero doubt...............
 

mattman

Member
Nov 7, 2013
19
0
Ordering Deaver springs from the man himself is analogous to speccing a tube. Tell 'em what you want, they'll make it. Helps to know enough to know what you want, cause you'll get exactly what you order...
 

mattman

Member
Nov 7, 2013
19
0
Which shocks and rear springs did he go with, King/62" deaver? I wanted to stay stock width on the Taco, so TC wasn't an option. Glass fenders and bedsides wouldn't last a week in the trees for me, and there isn't currently a solution for the longer axles which retains the stock AISIN manual hubs from a '95.5, which I swapped to ditch the electric dependent 4wd on the '02. After a quick study of the wiring diagram made me realize too many things had to go right for that shit to work for my comfort level.

Seen and driven a few... for a bolt on kit TC is soundly "THE shit"... if you don't mind the wider stance. I've seen buys beat the living fuck out of their trucks with that kit, and other shit on the truck might give it up but the TC parts took it and kept ticking. They're well thought out and have solutions for most resultant weak links in the stock parts. It's what will be going on my play toy, an '86 that will be getting stripped to the frame and built up with a 4 seater tube chassis, for rally and play duty.

I have rallied the '97 2wd Taco that my good friend built, hard. He's run it hard enough to have to replace 3 steering racks... one broke in half. It made me realize building a daily driven truck for that type of use, was useless. Triple bypass all around, tube chassis, fiberglass cab, linked rear, 2uzfe Aluminum V8 from a Lexus, Spooled Ford 9" rear. If I remember right it HAD 14-16" of travel in the front and over 20" in the rear. First time I drove it he had to keep telling me to go faster to smooth it out... wish that machine was still around.

Sadly a 16 year old's dad bought it for him as his FIRST truck, and it lasted almost exactly 3 weeks. Rolled it end over end several times whilst speedily making time on traffic across the desert next to I-8... daddy made him part it out instead of rebuilding it.
 

Big Stick

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Nov 18, 2007
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He wasn't fucking around with any of it and was looking to ring bells and did. As to the specs of the build sheet,I cain't know...he's nights and I'm days.

It even looks the part..............(grin)
 

edgerat

Well-known member
Mar 4, 2011
190
0
Washington
Icon has the valving down for the Tacoma, you can also do a spacer on the front wheels to get a scosche more width without having to do glass sides. wheelers offroad is the best resource I have found, Dan is the man.
 

Beano

New member
Aug 10, 2014
2
0
Wasn't replying to the post above, just my two cents on tacoma lifts. What's the reasoning for wheel spacer or the benefits?
 

Canazes9

Active member
Jan 25, 2013
42
0
Louisiana
Beano said:
Wasn't replying to the post above, just my two cents on tacoma lifts. What's the reasoning for wheel spacer or the benefits?
Adds clearance for wider tires, prevents UCA rub.

David
 

edgerat

Well-known member
Mar 4, 2011
190
0
Washington
And anything over 2" of lift you will want aftermarket UCA's so that you can get your alignment in correct spec. 0 camber, 0 toe, 3 degrees of caster.
Isaac