Lift Kits for Newbies....

I want a lift, but do hardly any hardcore offloading.
Does or has anyone ever ran the Westcott Designs preload spacer lift?
If so, how does it compare to a preload lift that Tuff Country or ReadyLift makes?
Thanks in advance. a

 

Accutune has a good article on lift types, including covering pre-load vs top spacer lifts: https://accutuneoffroad.com/articles/spacer-lift-vs-preload-spacer-vs-coilover-preload/

I ran the Wescott lift for about 18 months, and ditched it around the start of 2024 for a full suspension replacement because I wanted more actual performance from my suspension vs just a higher ride height. I was lifting suspension for a TRD Pro though, so there are extra items to discuss for that setup vs lifting stock suspension for other trims - what trim/suspension are you considering lifting?

IMO the Wescott lift setup works fine if all you want is to sit higher off the ground but adds no performance, and the main reason for choosing it is because it's cheaper and nothing else. Unless you're running TRD Pro suspension, for a bit more money than a Wescott lift you could get a set of Bilstein 5100s or similar full suspension replacement that will lift while also adding a bit of performance instead of likely reducing it.

 

Please take your time to view this video

https://youtu.be/_68Hc8GtLko?si=roFoI4CxWpE3Xq9j

and then onto these ones

https://youtu.be/9s271Ln-6QI?si=2RIl7M8Ybyn8VItW

 

Wow.... In the "Shock Value" video it's interesting how the Bilstein 5100 performed over the more expensive options. I know Eibach makes really good springs. I would be interested to see how the 5100's perform with Eibach springs....
It was also interesting how the more expensive really setups weren't that much better than the 5100's.
I can see where the Westcott Designs lift is really harsh with factory shocks. But, I wonder how they would fair using them to get a full 3" lift in combination with the 5100' and Eibach Springs, along with a good set of UCA's?
The Tinkerer's Adventure Video was really informative, and made it easy to understand. I'm going to watch more of his videos.

 

Please do. 1.5”-2” lift is the sweet spot on these trucks. Well, at least for me that I care more about droop/articulation than lift.

 

The Tinkerer guy also discusses lift vs articulation in his recent video about the GX550 and why it's offroad trim isn't lifted. Definitely worth a watch, I used this to convince my friend to not get a lift kit and just wait a bit longer to save up for a proper suspension swap that has left lift height than he'd originally planned for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKc6t28L-5M

When I had a preload lift (Wescott) I definitely noticed the front end was articulating less and tended to tilt a lot more often over bumps compared to stock suspension because I was hitting the maximum down travel of the shocks/springs much sooner and didn't really see a meaningful up travel gain because of pre-load on the springs. The lift from the top hat spacer was balanced by a bump stop spacer that ensured the shocks wouldn't bottom out, but this also meant I didn't gain any uptravel from it. The front sway bar being flexed down so much before down travel happened also didn't help anything either.

By comparison the new suspension I have on currently is similar lift height as the Wescott but properly articulates because the shocks and springs are setup to,
So right now retaining the sway bar is my limiting factor because it limits how much each side can articulate in opposite directions, though it is helped a bit by dropping the sway bar's mounting on the frame to match the lift height so it is at least back to stock geometry. I'm currently deciding whether to remove and add a rear sway bar, just run the adjustable compression shocks much firmer on road, or add the partial disconnect sway bar links Apex recently came out with.

 

Ah.... I see.
Very good info. Thank you all for that insight. Those are all things I did not take into consideration.

So, if I stay at a 2" lift and maintain my current budget.... What is the opinion of me installing a basic 2" Bilstein 5100 lift or the Eibach 2" Pro Truck Lift? I would love to do an Apache Offroad lift, but it's just not in the budget right now. Thanks.

 

I’m on 5100 with OME 885 spring with stock UCA’s and will not change that.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/suspension.18/

 

I have the Westcott lift on my '23 Pro....works great with the Fox suspension, provided more clearance for bigger meats.....everything aligned well and not harsher ride than stock.



Now with that said, when the Fox suspension does wear out I may very well go to another brand only because the OE replacements are horrendously expensive.

 

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I'm running Eibach springs with 5100 shocks i like the ride. i had Old man Emu springs and with the lower spring rate, they were too bouncy.

 

In addition to the Tinker vids check out Shock Surplus. They have a bunch of informative videos on YT comparing Bilstein, Fox and others. .

I have 5100 with the 885 and got 1.5" lift in the front. It stiffened up the ride on my 16 Sport, but I like it. Less nosedive when breaking and body roll when cornering. I don't do any hard core off roading but I do drive a lot of gravel roads and pull a boat. Billsteins are digressive valved so if I'm crawling over bumps it jostles the truck some but increase the speed to >15 mph and it smooths out. Also like @Nordicbeast mentions Fox wear out and are $$. I don't want to deal with the shocks again until about another 100K miles.

I've got RXT's option 2 and 5125's in the rear with about 2.375" of lift. It's a bit of rake and I suppose I could move the front spring perch up to level it out, but I'm Ok with the look. I was worried about to much lift in the front and having to deal with new UCA's. I did my lift because my stock leaf springs were done and I had 112K miles on the truck. The mentioned combo was the most cost effective I could find that did not involve spacers.

I wound up purchasing my lift from Hotshot Offroad. Here is what I paid if you want to cost out the front-end parts. Bang for the buck it seems hard to beat the 5100's.



I've got the stock 265/65/17 on right now because I'm hemming and hawing between 265 or 255 for the taller tires because of gas milage.

 

Something I forgot to mention on pre-load lifts like the Wescott is that you'll see a lot of differing opinions on how they affect ride quality. From my personal experience and from what people have said about their opinion vs the kind of driving they do, if you drive mainly on pavement and better roads the lift is a plus because it firms the ride up so there is a bit less body lean on cornering and front end dip/rise on braking/acceleration. If you drive more offroad or on much rougher roads then the firmer ride is a negative because it makes ride quality worse and the truck gets more jittery and less compliant. My use case fell into the second category and was why I took that lift off eventually, but plenty of people in the first category seem to do just fine with it.