Ole Red - 1999 Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab 2.7L 3RZ-FE 4x4 SR5 All Manual Build

So what next?

Lift? Armor? Gearing/ Locker?

 

Thats where I am currently leaning. It will also let me put on some new wheels I bought off CL!

OME? Camburg/ TChaos LT or Mid-Travel? Eibach & Billsteins?

 

im running eibach and billsteins and no complaints so far.

 

I like the idea of having same manufacturer for all parts/ system because they are "supposed" to be tuned to one another. But, I know there are several people who have pieced theirs together and love them.

I'm currently stuck on OME from most of the things I have read up on...

 

Hey,

I have basically the same truck (2002 2.7l tacoma 4wd) and I am looking for a decent lift kit. I saw you sold your 3"lift kit. Why did you choose not to install it?

I am trying to gather the most information as possible before buying the lift kit (still a student).

By the way, your thread is amazing. I will definetly be following it in the future. I am waiting for summer to come to take care of my little truck!

 

Thanks Tacopablo!

That OME kit I sold was for a 4runner. I bought it from a guy locally off of CL for a great deal. I could have used the front portion of the lift on my Tacoma but I would have had to sell the rear for the 4runner and then go buy the rear portion for my Tacoma. It made more sense to just try and sell the whole kit and buy a whole new suspension kit.

Right now everything is leading me towards the full OME 2-2.5" lift but I am still looking for other opinions regarding quality lift set ups... I would rather take my time and make the best decision that will last.

 

The more I look into it, the more I am convinced that the ARB Old Man Emu Suspension System is probably the way to go. My practicality has overcome my adventuresome/ wild side. With that said, I am having to put some things into consideration.

I think I want a full OME suspension system because of the reputation thus far but there seems to be several different thoughts on some of the options they have. I don't want a heavy front bumper but I will eventually have one with a winch. I plan to have 32" or 33" narrow-er tires. Tell me what you think about the options below. Also let me know if you see anything missing.

OME - 882 or 883 front coils? - people complain about 880 and 881 sag.
OME - Nitrocharger Sport Shocks
Toytec, Wheelers, or Other - 10mm Poly or 13mm Aluminum? Upper Strut Plate Spacers for 883's?
OME - Smaller "Trim Packer" under coil seat spacer on drivers side to alleviate Toyota driver's side lean
Toytec, other - Front Diff. Drop

OME - Dakar Rear Leaf Pack with OME AAL
OME - Nitrocharger Sport Shocks w/ stone guards
OME - rear greasable shackles
OME - Bushing kit for Leafs
OME - Rear Leaf "Trim Packer" to alleviate Toyota driver's side lean
OME - Exhaust Relocation Drop Bracket
Toytec, Wheelers, or other - Rear Brake Line Extension
Toytec, Wheeler, or other - replacement U-Bolts

Can I or should I do a rear shock mounting bracket flip where both shocks are facing the rear?

Can I or should I do the U-Bolt flip mod?

Would it be worthwhile to get new upper control arms?

 

If you don't have a heavy steel bumper 881 might do the job. 882 could be a bit stiff. I think your options are solid though. I would consider the Wheelers Rough Country N2.0 rear shock. I have gone through two sets of these and they are surprisingly awesome. I feel like they can compete with other rears twice their cost.

I doubt you'll need an AAL, the springs add over 2" of lift. That's quite a bit for the rear... you'll definitely have a rake if you go more than that.

 

Most of the post I've red is that you might not need stiff coils if you have a 4 banger and an xtracab (my case). Considering what your are planning to do, maybe it's justified to go for 882 coils. I am more looking for a softer ride since I do a lot of gravel road so I plan to go with 880 or 881.

I am confused here. Does the coil make your lift or you have to add a spacer? Sorry I do not know a lot of things about this it's my fir lifting procedure, I had a truck that was already lifted with front spacer but still with stock shock.

I've seen a couple of post that says that a diff drop isn't necessary. But I am not in a good situation to take a stand on the debate.

Awesome, my leaf spring kit is still in pretty good shape and it is good quality so I am divided between adding a leaf or just extended shackles. Anybody has experience with shackles?

 

I have read a few threads regarding the 881s and I have seen mixed opinions about how they sag some and create more rake after a while.

From my understanding the 882's are slightly longer but have the same weight rating whereas the 883's are the same length as the 881s but are much stiffer. As I continue to research, tis seems to be a common thread of contention.

 

I am now toying between 881's (with spacer) and 882's without spacer.

The coil adds some lift. ARB advertises between 1" and 2" depending on the coil (with the 880 and 881). The added spacer increases essentially the thickness of the spacer. So, both add lift.

The higher you lift with coils and spacers, the more angle on the 4wd shafts to the front wheels. The more angle on these shafts = potential issues. So, much over 2" of lift in the front, you are bound to experience issues if the diff isn't dropped. I am no guru on this either but this seems to make sense.

I can't speak for the leafs and shackles. I plan to just replace it all.

 

ARB has a promotion going on Tacoma Lift Kits. Check out the link to their blog.

http://blog.arbusa.com/?page_id=803

 

Having fun putting around on some old waterlines behind the house...

https://youtu.be/jisp8StgOPU

 

I pulled the trigger on the OME kit about a month ago. I hope to pick it up from @SoutheastOverland this Friday. Check them out, very helpful and great customer service. Glad they are so close by. http://southeastoverland.com/

The set up:

OME - 881 Coils
OME - Front Nitrocharger Sport Shocks
OME - Smaller "Trim Packer" under coil seat spacer on drivers side

OME - Dakar Rear Leaf Packs
OME - Rear Nitrocharger Sport Shocks
OME - rear greasable shackles
OME - Greasable Bushing kit for Leafs
OME - Exhaust Relocation Drop Bracket
OME - U-Bolts

 

I've been happy with my 881s over the 2 years I've had them. I'm not sure how much lift I have any more after the extra weight I've added but I still like the ride. If I had more lift in the rear I'd go with the 882s but until that happens I'm fine with the 881s.

 

Good looking truck. I was going to give a couple cents on your tire and wheel search. (I used to work for a local tire shop). We had a set of 255/75/17 BFG MT take-offs (used) from a newer jeep so I mounted them on some 17 inch fuel wheels and slapped them on my truck. I must say I love the way it looks. I was afraid it would be too much wheel and not enough tire but it turned out ok. They are basically a narrow 32 inch tire. They are indeed a mud terrain so they are more off road minded but they work well for what I need. I don't think they're loud and mine ride pretty smooth.

The main reason I would recommend these is because all these guys in their new jeeps are always doing a lift with custom wheels and tires right after getting the thing. So they have these brand new used tires just waiting for some cost conscious taco owner to jump all over.

 

You keep mentioning a belt? Which one is that you are talking about? Also did the check engine light require a replacement of the belt? We also have the 2.7L, and would like info to do preventative maintenance

Thank you

 

The belts are on the front of the engine. They run the power steering, water pump, fan, and alternator.

The check engine light only means that some sensor has been triggered somewhere on your vehicle for some negative reason. You would need a diagnostic test done to see what sensor has been activated. So the check engine light does not necessarily mean that a belt needs to be replaced. The only reason I knew to change the belts, besides the fact they had not been changed in a long time, was that my truck began running oddly (loss of electric power), check engine light came on, and I then took it to a local mechanic who was able to diagnose.

In my case, the loss of electric power (ie. flickering lights, misfiring of engine, dead battery ,etc...) would lead one to think that the alternator (power generator) was not functioning properly. If the alternator is not functioning properly that means that the belt from the engine is not causing it to run properly, wiring has been damaged, or the alternator itself had gone bad. Usually you want to start with the simplest thing it could be and have it fixed and then move on to more costly/ difficult items. We started with the belts because they were old and I personally had never had them changed before (100,000 miles at least), easy suspect and easy/ cheaper fix. Fortunately, that was the issue and all is well now.

Preventative maintenance is key. Keep record of when you have maintenance done (ie. oil change, tire rotation and balance, change of belts, transmission fluid change, etc.) and see what the manufacturer recommends for frequency of maintenance (mileage or time). If you stick with manufacturer recommendations (in the car's manual) you most generally can't go wrong or at least your likelihood of things going wrong decreases significantly. However, all good things must come to an end but some take longer to get there. Some people drive and care for their vehicles in such ways that general maintenance cannot help. Stick close to the manual and a reputable/ trusted mechanic.

Not sure if this post is helpful or not: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...your-belts-p-s-a-c-alternator-2-4-2-7l.67346/

 

Thanks for the feedback. Just found a set of BFG Mud Terrain T/A KM2 32x11.5 R15 on craigslist. I am going to see if I can haggle a good price. If it works out, I'll take them home today. Funny enough, they were bought for a kids jeep and he sold the jeep before they were ever installed... go figure.

I think I will stick with the 15" wheel size but am definitely going to get rid of the old Eagle Alloys. I am now trying to find the lightest and simplest wheels for this 4 cylinder. I like SCS and FN but am still trying to find others....

 

How do you like these headlights got off eBay. I am thinking to get that too. Or get the spyder halo LED light housing.