2009 single cab tacoma upgrades

Hello all,

So been running my 09 single tacoma 4cyl sr5 4x4 as a daily driver for the last 11 years and havent changed a thing in it but looking to change that. I am looking at reccomendations for a few things.

First up headlight housings the stock ones are all cloudy and cracked. I bought a 3m kit and worked on them which helped for a while then it came back. What are the best options around for after market headlights looks like a lot of them have sealing issues agaisnt moisture.

Next up i am looking at replacing the suspension system back when i looked originally beilstein 5100s were the go to option on the cost efficient end. Now i see people raving about 6112/5160 setup which is looking like the better buy at this point. Are they overkill for occasional weekend trips offroad in the desert?

Is there any must do changes that have been around since i last looked many years ago?

 

I have been searching for people running 6112/5160s on a regular cab 2.7 and havent seen much at all. Anyone out there how them on their setup? Also suprised i havent gotteb any response on which new headlight housings to stay away from and such.

 

A lot of people want the bench seat to tilt back more.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bench-seat-recline-yes-there-is-a-way.237873/

 

5100's all around, an AAL with the TSB spring replacement from dealer(additional spring) good fun and usable on everything.

 

The benchseat is working out alright for me so far but ine of the springs in it has failed i need to either look into getting that fixed or seeing how feasible it would be to convert to 2 bucket seats instead. Based on what i have been seeing that conversion can be rather rough since my seats have airbags.

The 5100s are the other suspension set i have been looking at im sort of afraid i wont notice as much of a diffrence as i would like. That and i see more mention of failures in them than the 6112/5160 set. My concern with the 6112/5160 is that maybe my truck it too light for them considering its a regular cab mt 4cyl. I have seen some mention that the lift numbers are higher than other tacomas because of that and im hoping to just level mine out with 1in or so.

 

If you go full build with all the weight that comes along with it, I think those should be good. If you go level a d put anything in your bed you get that ugly squat. The minor rake was a non issue for me. That's just me. Yeah I kept the bench because it seemed a bit much to install buckets.

 

I’d go 5100s or OME
I have 6112s and dont like them. Ride rough and they are leaking after 10k miles

 

Ouch.

 

Are there any comparable shocks per price range that might ride better with more reliability or just not really worth putting anything nicer on a lighter truck ?

 

I don’t know about comparables to 6112s, and it’s all about if it’s worth it to you, one could say it’s a waste but I’m trying to figure out if the king 3.0 coils will work with the cam burg trail series long travel kit. Worth it to me but I’m a little more truck spendy than most

 

5100's are dead reliable.

 

Maybe i wont do the level. Im not trying to do anything extreme with mine mostly just trying to make it better than it currently is across the board and breathe some new life into it. Its probably going to remain mostly stock other than new suspension new headlights and a new radio.

 

I've owned my truck for just shy of 3 years. It came with the 5100s all around. It's an old Toytec lift and it's reliable. I have no leaks or issues at all. It works fantastic on the road, and it's pretty stiff off road. I pretty much have to air down to 18-20 pounds to take the edge off. I cannot keep up with guys running the mid to high end suspension systems, but as far as going slow and steady it's acceptable. When I do replace these shocks it will be something a little more compliant off road. I'm thinking more in the $2500 range if I'm going to the trouble of an upgrade.

 

This is sort of what im thinking with the 6112/5160 looked like a great step up but maybe i need to look a little higher. The 5100s seem great for the money but im looking to spend a but more.

 

If I had the bones for the 6112/5160s I'd still hold out and scratch a little more and go "full bore". If I didn't care and just wanted a good quality budget friendly lift I'd go 5100s.

 

I agree.

However I would probably just go with the 5100’s. I have icons on my Tacoma and 5100’s on my 4Runner. They both feel pretty much the same to me for what I do with them.

If you’re planning on mobbing the truck in the desert or rock crawling that’s a different story.

Also, did you clear coat the headlight after polishing them?

 

The headlights were restored when I bought the truck. They are starting to need restoration again and I'll be using the Meguires restoration kit. I've had pretty good luck here in Phoenix with it. I also do use 303 on them after every wash but I've never clearcoated any of my headlights in the past..

 

Yeah i put the clearcoat on them they looked great after the refurb other than the cracks that where in them from before.

Im looking at doing a 6112/5100 setup now. Saves a bit of cash and looking hard at my use and my preference to set it and forget it looks like the best choice. I also like that the 5100s have a way better warranty than the 5160s by the looks of it. I am also thinking about leaving everything at stock height. Am i correct in thinking that the more lift you try to get out of the shocks the firmer the suspension will be ?

On a diffrent note has anyone had any experience with truckvaults or decked units?

 

Same set up here. Toytec guys are cool as hell too. I use to live close to them and they did meets all the time. Same with the RCI guys.