3rd gen mod order - when should you lift?

Hello all,

So I am just starting to build my rig. Going for a camping/adventure build. So far I've done some cosmetic stuff: badge blackout, black tailgate lettering, aftermarket headlights, headlight LED conversion.

Recently, I am getting some of the camping stuff taken care of: CVT Shasta tent, Victory 4x4 bed rack and stiffeners.

For the most part, the stock 3rd gen TRD off road does okay on most trails, so a lift was never the first thing I wanted to do. However, seeing some of the stuff here in Colorado, I know I will eventually do it. My goal is to get something like a 32-33" tire; nothing too extreme.

However, looking through all of the threads here, the options for lifts are dizzying. It seems like if you were going to do it all (coilovers, upper control arms, add-a-leaf, bump stops, wheels, tires) it would be a big financial commitment, like $5-6k.

And then I look at things like spring rates, well, how do I know what to get if I haven't finished other stuff? What if I decide to do armor or a front bumper to get better clearance? It seems like the lift should be done last.

How do you guys approach this? Is there a way to ease into this? Here is the order that I was thinking, probably spanning 2-3 years.

1) Wheels/tires. I don't like the stock TRD wheels. Thinking something like Method 704s with 265/70/R17s. I can get 1" more tire and I'll want the wheels later anyway.

2) Armor, replace Predator bars with sliders

3) Front bumper

4) 2-3" Lift. Probably EMU kit or something like that?

5) Bigger tires


Does that seem like a solid plan? How did you all progress into your lift?

 

I'm still not lifted. I just drag the bottom over everything. I did full skids and sliders first. Tires next. Then worked on my tent set up. Next up is lift, then swapping my tent set up to clear my garage (be wary of that, otherwise you just waste a buncha money like I did...)

 

I would say lift first. You need a lift to fit bigger wheels and tires. If you don't want to just set your spring rates up for a bumper and armor from the start, you can always upgrade leaf pack and front coil springs later.

 

Yeah I measured that. I am doing a mid height rack to be totally sure that it would clear.

When I had my house built, I though 8 ft garages were included. I was pissed when I saw it was 7 ft and I didn't see that in the option list.

 

I guess that makes sense. It is the most functional thing to do. Looks like about ~2k for a decent lift. Did you do UCAs? Do tubular UCAs help clear bigger tires because of their smaller footprint?

 

Yeah 7 ft garage definitely suck. My actual garage height at its lowest point is 9 ft. Bastards still gave me a 7 ft garage door with no option for an upgrade. But hey, it forces you to be under 7, and I can still fit into most parking garages and automated carwash things! lol

 

I should clarify. My garage door is 7ft. My garage is like 13 ft. It is massively tall. Annoyingly so.

 

I have the same. I could stand on the roof of my truck and not be able to change the light bulbs.

 

Yeah that's literally the worst. I stare at a reasonably high ceiling, then look at my actual door and how I have to squeeze through it.

Also, the weight difference thing got me too. Then I started looking at the ironman 4x4 lift. Seems to do well in tacomas, they're well known amongst the heavier rigs like GX series and have gotten good reviews on their respective forums, and I've seen them gaining popularity here too. I think like 2200 bucks gets you everything you need for a lift including UCA's and new leaf packs. I contacted them and they told me their shock valving is the same for any spring rate you chose, so you can swap springs fairly cheap. Then the plan for me is to get the heaviest leaf pack which I think is like 600+ lbs of constant load, pull one of the overload leafs making it perfect for the extra RTT weight, and just keeping it incase I need the extra support down the line. You can do similar things with the dakar leaf packs. YMMV with the shock valving of other manufacturers.

 

My setup includes adjustable front coilovers with 700lb springs to accomodate my heavy front bumper ( and a winch someday ) , remote reservoir rear shocks, an add a leaf on the stock leaf pack, and SPC upper control arms. Yes, upper control arms can help you fit bigger tires, especially the SPCs, since they have ton of adjustablity where when you align the truck you can push the tire forward in the wheel well, away from the cab mount where it often rubs with bigger tires. The size of the control arm doesn't have much to do with clearing bigger tires, though. My whole lift setup was in the area of $3500, but you can get decent lifts for less than that.

 

Okay thanks, that makes a lot of sense. Some forward caster gets the tire further from the cab mount. It seems like forward caster with a high-clearance front bumper is the winning combo.

 

You got it.

 

If you do go to bigger tires and lift, keep in mind that even with UCAs aligning the tires forward, you may still need a cab mount chop or other trimming.

 

Here’s the process I’m currently going through with my truck.

You mentioned you already have the RTT and rack so I’d probably go in this order:

1. buy an inexpensive spacer and block lift (my truck had this installed by previous owner)

2. Buy and install a set of upper control arms. You will need these if you lift over 2” and run 33’s

3. Get the wheel and tire setup you’d like to run.

At this point in time you’ve probably spent around $2,000 - $2,500

4. Get all of the armor you’ll need - bumper, sliders, skids.

5. Re-gear to 4.88 or 5.29 depending on tire size and added weight

At this point in time you’ve probably spend another $4,500 - $5,000 bringing your build total up to $6,500 - $7,500

6. Get a good quality lift kit with the ability to service and rebuild the shocks. I’d recommend going with a full leaf pack in the rear.

Congratulations you just spent another $2,500 - $5,000 and your credit card balance is now $9,000 - $12,500




Edit: A good quality lift kit will have the ability to swap out coil springs as weight is added throughout the build. They usually cost around $200 for a set. I’d also recommend getting a heavier leaf pack and removing a leaf and then re-install later as weight is added.

 

How bad are those spacer/block lifts? I’ve read that they are no bueno and I am a bit concerned about reduced travel on trails.

 

Well I bought my truck in August with the spacer lift already on and I’m going to be buying a new suspension setup this week. I honestly can’t stand the ride quality of the spacer lift on road or off road.

I’ve heard good things about the Ironman lifts, and they are local to me, but I am leaning towards Dobinsons MRA’s or Fox 2.5’s. The Dobinsons are a bit more expensive than the Ironman but have more features. They are not as expensive as the Fox 2.5’s so a good middle ground in my research

 

If you are going with all of that armor, definitely get the 700# springs and either the add a leaf, or new rear springs. Although you don't need to have the armor installed, figure the weight of your skid plates and sliders into your equations. That and an additional 20 lbs of material that they collect .

 

Dude you're in Denver, I would recommend this. Since you want to save $$ & I mean lots of dough - buy local. That's what I did for my truck. Go RCI for Armor, call Toytec for your lift & explain your build to get a plan, go SPC for your UCAs. I know these vendors may not be your # 1, but do it. The main reason why, you'll save about $500 - $750 in shipping fees & costs. Just opt for local pickup @ purchase! This $$ saved will enable you to afford a suspension lift not some shitty spacers lift. For your rims & tires, I used discount tires direct. I just got my tires for $504 with a flash sale for my 265/70/17 falkens mailed st to me. My rims are the SEMA TRDs & did local pickup for those @ Stevinson to save $$ on shipping too. For your bumper, I'd wait to find a used one on here or locally. You save 1/3 of the price, but it won't be the exact one you want. Another element is to buy during these big sales....black friday & memorial day. 1 piece at a time & be patient. Those sales save you big money if you buy every single part during a sale.

In the end, you'll have to do 1 or the other. Save money by buying locally & no shipping or dump $$ into shipping these products to yourself! You'll have to pick them up but screw those shipping costs!

 

that is a good plan. I bought my RTT from RCI.

 

All things considered I would probably plan your order of attack with extreme certainty. A lift that holds a heavy load is going to drive like garbage until you put all the weight on. If you aren't going to get heavy any time soon I would err on the side of caution and buy a lower spring rate coil. That being said if you know you want armour, bumper, winch, what have you and you know you won't take long to get all of it buy the right coils right off the bat and suffer with poor ride quality for a little bit.