+2 Long Travel

Mid-Travel vs +2 Long Travel

I know I know, everyone is always asking this question and there are multiple threads on the subject. But before you disregard this thread I would love to hear some advice because i still don’t know what is best for ME even after going through many threads and doing a lot of research. I would love to hear opinions of people with my driving style and their experience with their setup.

My driving style is focused around tight trails, and rough roads at low-mid speeds. I’m also really tired of getting beaten on washboard roads at low-mid speeds

From what i have read, it sounds like Mid-Travel is what is best for me and my driving style, but then i started looking at the +2 Long Travel Kits. I obviously don’t want a +3.5 kit because i don’t do high speed/jumps that the LT guys do. TC makes a great +2 kit, however i stumbled on the JD Fab +2.25 LT Kit and i immediately became interested.



Why JD Fab Long Travel

• Low track width (2.25) and good for low speed crawling & tight trails. Still can hit high speeds and kit will perform well?
• 13” of travel with only 2.25” control arms
• Better LCA ground clearance (really important to me)
• Uni-Balls Sealed. No polyurethane. No squeaking

From JD Fab Website
“JD Fabrication has designed and engineered a high clearance long travel kit that provides the best of all worlds for the Tacoma. From high speed desert to rock crawling and overlanding this kit does it all while maintaining OE street drive-ability. In the past you were often forced to decide between building a go fast desert rig or a more trail focused rock crawler. The Toyota Tacoma armed with this kit gives you the best of both worlds in a package that can be comforftably street driven daily.”
After I read this from the website it sounded like it was the perfect kit for me, however I still am unsure about Long Travel in the low speeds.



My Concerns

• Is this LT setup needed for my driving style or would i be better off with a solid mid travel and tuned shocks?
• How does a +2 Long Travel kit do at low-mid speeds?
• Fiberglass fenders. I am on the mountains a ton and i’m really concerned about brushing fiberglass fenders on trees on tight trails. Is this actually a big deal or can the fenders hold up to it?
• 2.25” wider per side. How much would this actually effect me on tight trails? How bad is the turning radius?

My Plan
I plan to go with a solid Mid-Travel kit from Accutune and get tuned King or Fox shocks for my driving style. I’m sure i will end up loving the kit, however if i feel like it isn’t enough somehow, i’ll upgrade to the JD kit in the future.


I would love to hear your thoughts on how the +2 kits perform in low-mid speeds. Thank You!!

 

There is a group buy being organized by @ovrlndkull for the UCA and LCA mount. I will be doing a Mid or stock length as this is my only vehicle currently. If or when I go LT it will be 2.25 with a cage being first priority. JD's prices are very reasonable including there labor prices. The LCA mount should be the foundation of any build. Do your self a favor and price it out. Or just call Harry or if you are not to far away call him and then set up a time to talk to him face to face.

 

A few things to consider:
-Coilovers for the JD Fab kit vs Total Chaos. Which shocks do you want and which shocks are available to purchase.
-Is your truck 4wd? Make sure you have extended axle options available
-If you go LT front, what about the rear?

Mid-Travel vs +2 Long Travel <-- Its really up to you and how you will drive the truck mostly. Be honest with yourself and expectations and the cost behind each option. Our mid travel kits can do pretty darn well. We have abused the snot out of our Tacoma and its doing great.

 

JD offers a 2.5x8” King Coilover with their kit. The JD 2.25 LT provides 13“ of travel vs the TC +2 Standard with 11.5” of travel.

My truck is 4WD and JD does offer a full 934 axle upgrade as well!

If i went LT in the front i would also LT the rear with an Archive rear shock relocation and 2.5x12 king smooth body with Adj & Res. As well as Archive hammer hangers, Deaver SOA leaf packs, and an Archive U-Bolt Flip.


I have absolutely abused my truck stock and with a bilstein kit and i’m just ready to upgrade once i have enough time and money.


I’m glad to hear your kit has held up well to the abuse! How does your Tacoma do in the categories I mentioned? (trails, rough roads, washboards, low-mid speed)


Like i mentioned i like both options of the JD or a Accutune Mid-Travel however i’m just trying to find out what is best for me. And what is better in the low-mid speed offroad. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

Start with JDFab LCA mount. Who else addresses the weak and problematic stock mounts other than the (may never actually be available Marlin brackets)? It will also move the LCA forward vs just moving the upper back. This helps minimize the need to do a cab mount chop, constant need for re-alignments etc.. Bolting on components to the stock mounts is just stupid. You can use who ever you want for LCA and UCA from there. But why would you. Shop around.

 

Im going to be doing a dual shock mid travel. Im on the east coast, so I also have tight trails, and drive slow-mid speeds.

I have all the parts, just waiting for the skies to align when I can send my coilovers out to get rebuilt for the bypasses. (FYI, Downsouth Motorsports has a 7 business day turnaround time) I recently sent my rear shocks out to get revalved, and it took a week (from VA to CA), week to revalve, then a week shipping back to me. Very impressed with their service. You write a note in the box with what you want, and if they have any questions or issues, they will call you to confirm specs.





I guess with the price of everything, I could have done +3.5 LT, but I also wouldnt fit down some trails..

 

Awesome! Sounds like you've done plenty of research. I'm sure you would be happy with either our mid travel kit or one of the LT kits you mentioned. If you can afford the LT route both parts and labor, sounds like thats what you already have your mind set on

We have torture tested out tacoma through a wide variety of terrain and its done surprisingly well. Lots of desert miles, whoops, choppy & rocky roads. More travel front and rear would certainly help soak up the big stuff better

 

@Trevin7 you're going to have to be honest with yourself about your vehicle usage, mechanical/fabrication abilities, and budget. There are many different ways to drive this conversation.

Here's my input. If you're even considering going to an LT setup, and comparing it to a mid-travel kit, you don't need an LT kit. The aftermarket options available for the MT setups are very solid and reputable. More wheel travel always helps, but at what cost? An MT kit is substantially easier to install and less maintenance in addition to parts availability. When you go the LT route, you have A LOT more parts to consider especially being 4x. Sure, the JD kit can pull 13" of travel but you have to be able/willing to invest another 1500 into their axles to get the full down travel of the kit in addition to hydro bumps to gain the full up travel. If you cheap out on either of those options, you're not going to get 13".

As far as your driving usage, shock valving is more important to low-mid speed than anything else. If washboards are your concern, contact a company that can help you valve accordingly. If you've only ran Bilsteins your ride quality experience is limited and you shouldn't base a substantial purchase off it, or at least that should be a consideration.

Obviously it's your truck, your money. You do as you please but from my experience an LT kit is awfully appealing, but overkill for most people and more costly. Additionally, the rear setup you listed isn't enough to keep up with an LT kit. It'll barely keep up with a well tuned/pushed MT kit so make sure you consider the additional costs for the rear too.

 

Listen to Shane. Shock tuning can make a midtravel kit feel great at low-speed washboard. Actually, if anything my midtravel kit rode way better on basic low-speed washboard than my +2 kit did.

From what it sounds like, you will be plenty fine with a good midtravel setup. It’s not worth $7,000 extra for +2.

 

I thought I read that the +2.25 kit wouldn’t be limited by “regular” +2 axles, that the 934 upgrade would only make them stronger at higher angles? Bump stops make sense.

 

Nope. You will be limited at droop if you run a regular +2" axle. It may not be a lot at the shock but with an estimated 2:1 motion ratio, even a .25" of shock travle is .5" at the wheel.

 

I’m being told a standard +2 CV would limit droop as much as 1.5” so that’s another plus for 934’s

 

if your going LT i would go ahead and do 934's, hell ill probably do em on my mid travel just for the strength

 

If I still had my OEM axles it might be an easier pill to swallow. I’ve never snapped an axle either, so for me I’m looking at it as if it’s worth it for the extra travel.

 

If your going long travel isnt that the purpose lol?

 

Yes, but is it worth it to me for an extra 2k for maybe 1.5” of extra droop? I don’t know. It’s already leaps and bounds better than stock travel. I’d maybe want to put that towards a steering upgrade first.

 

But then the CV would be the limiter in your suspension and make it more prone to snapping?

 

This the exact reason i don't go LT. Its a minimum for me of like 10k to get where i want the truck and ive already almost spent more on the truck than what i paid for it lol. I cant justify dropping that kind of dough to gain not that much more travel for the amount of harder wheeling i do. My mid travel front and longer travel rear has done incredibly well around here. I cant really say id be that much more happy with a LT setup.