What you need to know about lifting a 2016 Tacoma - Presented by Toytec Lifts

I run SPCs with a 2 in lift and 285s just fine. Little rub and rull stuff/full right turn in reverse going uphill lol

Skip the diff drop if you plan on off roading. Otherwise, for a mostly street truck it's a good investment

 

Why skip the diff drop if it brings angles closer to stock? Will a diff drop kit prevent problems for off roading and how? Curious…

 

Only reason to uae the diff drop spacers or driveshaft spacers ia to chase down potential vibrations. I bought them, and never nweded them. I DID do the ecgs bearing though.

 

IF you're off roading, lowering your diff makes it more likely to be hit on a rock. While the diff itself will be fine, damaging a seal or gasket and starting that diff oil leak is a quick way to put you back into 2wd, or worse, if you don't notice it, grenade your diff.

Been running OME 2inch lift with 33s hard wheeling for 2 years now, no diff drop, no issues with cvs.

Although Oreilleys does sell an extended angle CV if you want to go that route. Relatively cheap insurance (plus when really wheeling, a spare CV axle is a good idea)

 

Always do the ECGS bearing lol. Cheap insurance.

Drive shaft spacers/carrier bearing spacers are also cheap fix against vibration. Forgot I have a 1 inch carrier bearing drop bracket on mine lol

 

Swapping to a the ecgs bushing on the driver side is a must do. Ive seen buddies trucks with as little as 7k miles need a bushing to fix the vibration caused by the needle bearing. I lifted my truck at 14.5k and I needed to swap the bearing as soon as I did it. I regret not doing it when the truck was apart.

Instead I had to tear the truck apart again the following weekend and the amount of lip service I got from my fiancee about how "I ruined a perfectly good, brand new, truck" was 1000% not worth it.

Moral of the story: When you lift your truck swap that bearing to a bushing. Consider it part of the lift.

 

I just dis the ecgs when the suspension was done. Figured, why wait and see if i need it?

 

The front diff drop kit says it bring back the angles back to alignment to factory specifications.
Interesting to read how people actual damages the front differential. Skid plates could help here.

There are lots of pros and cons of the front differential drop kit. of having them installed or not to. I am glad I did mines.
Most likely I will not be driving in high center roads ( off roading) .

 

I bought a kit but never installed it, youre convincing me now lol

 

If you're not off roading, or just running fire roads and camping tracks, the front diff drop is totally cool.

IF you're getting squirrelly ... You're gonna want extended angle CVs anyways lol

 

Dropping the the front diff seems a smarter move to me. Vs the more angles on the CV joints, leaving it stock.. True if only a 2 inch lift, it is not needed. Note you are just lowing it by 1 inch. But the less angles provides a smoother rotation. At the same time moving the front diff up with a 2 inch lift. Add the front drop kit lowers it 1 inch. Up 2” down 1” giving you one inch lift off the ground for the front diff ( not including tire height? Hope I got my math correct? Haha.

When you see where the front diff is located, if this gets damaged, other things around it can get damage too.
Same with the Tacoma rear diffs , this is the low point in the center rear. How many people actually buy a skid plate for the rear end? Note: purchase mines from RCI. Today much more choices and styles to choose from.

 

I have an RCI rear diff skid as well

 

Fyi, seems like 80 percent of the time, when people use those diff drop spacers they cause more vibrations than they prevent. Try without first.

 

And you might as well install a front locker while you’re in there. The ARB comes with a bonus needle bearing replacement.

 

Lots of numbers being presented here about front diff drops. If it was a bad product? Why are there so many aftermarket sellers selling these products? All making claims of how it brings the angles of the CV closer to stock.
How do we get a true survey of owners with the front diffs drop , this was the actual cause of vibrations? Why could theses vibrations not tie to the actual lifts them selves?

I would like to actually see real studies of the vibrations causes in actual lifted trucks. How many will be connected to the front diff drops , how because of no diff drops. And how the lifts actually cause vibrations, how a stock UCA vs AFTERMARKETS UCA helps or not with vibrations.
Can it be the tires and wheel combos causing vibrations.

We need to take out the assumptions? I even hear how longer bump stops are bad for lifted trucks. Really?

 

A stock Toyota will get approx 8-10 inches of wheel travel. If you lift your truck 2” and do a diff drop kit?
It really should not cause an over load of problems. It is well in the range of motion.
Sure everyone will get have a different experiences, and since we have so many brands of lifts and shocks ,tires and rims.
To pin point the actual causes? One aftermarket part can cause a problem for you ,at the same time it can benefit another.

 

Far too many variables to get consistent answers hence so much discussion and opinions. My opinions are on here as a guy who wheels the crap out of his truck. As I've mentioned multiple times, if you're not wheeling super hard, if you're just doing fire roads and scenic runs and big adventures, a diff drop isn't going to hurt you. But if your skid plates have more than earned their money back for you and look like moon craters... Don't do a diff drop.

As far as vibrations goes, every truck is different. Every truck is submitted to different factors and different usage etc etc. My buddy is truck is built very very similarly to mine and I know that his axle in the rear is off by a degree or two just from hitting different things while wheeling and driving different etc. Or maybe it's shifted when he put his leaf packs and u bolts in. Who knows? But our trucks are still different yet the same.

Exactly.

 

Thank you…..All the mods for our Tacomas endless ,some good and some you question?

I order a Toyota factory tailgate lock to work with remote button. Hesitating to install? I have a Leer camper top. Sometimes I forget to lock my truck doors. Usually I keep my truck empty. The camper I do store lot of my camping stuffs. The Camper has two individual locks and tailgate has to be manual lock.
A bit worry ,but they are not expensive stuffs. (Aways lock)
Where I live it is not necessarily to keep doors lock, only when I go to town. (Farm)
Maybe the next time I see my mechanic I will have him install it, since I got the tailgate lock. My mechanic have been repairing and serviced all my vehicles for 30+ years. Support your local mechanic.

 

A bit late to the party,

I've discovered this thread while researching replacements for my RC kit. I purchased the truck with the kit installed, and as somebody who has to drive with it every day DO NOT buy it, after looking at the kit online I can understand the appeal of the cheap price tag. Just save yourself the hassle and save up for a better kit, RC is pure garbage, rides like a brick, and will surely take its toll on your vehicle in the long run.

I've had to ride with it for six months and I cannot wait to get them off my truck, trying to find some more reviews on Dobinson's as a replacement, so far I've seen a lot of happy folks and the price tag isn't the worst.

 

@Crikeymike is the Dobinson's guy here. He's got tons of great info on suspensions and what does and does not work for a million different setups.