Hi all,

So ever since I was 16 Ive had import cars.....Now that Im in Iraq Ive been thinking a lot about it and Ive decided when I get back Im going to sell my s2000 and try and pickup a 2005 tacoma DBL Cab 4x4, but I know nothing about them. Ive done a little research and looked at some parts but still dont know much. I know I def want to lift it and throw some bigger tires on it. What brands are good for lifting? I see a lot of people with Revtek or toytech. I see some of the kits come with shocks, are these recommended? Are srpings a good Idea as well? When I mod it I was thinking about a 3" lift with some 16x8 rims on 295/75R BFG AT. Will this setup work? Does anyone have any pics of this? Any suggestion/comments are welcome. Im sure theres like a million of these posts, but like I said Im in Iraq right now and my internet is trash, so it would be hard to research all this stuff so please help a guy out. Thanks.

Brad

 

Check out old man emu for the lift, I don't know if those tires would fit without rubbing or not with only a 3 inch lift. You would definately want to re-gear eventually to get your stock power back but you wouldn't have to do that right away. Try and find a taco with the TRD package so you can have the factory electric locker.

My brother is somewhere in the middle east right now also; not allowed to know exactly where at being he's a Navy SEAL. Thanks for seving out Country.

 

Yea I planned on getting a TRD off road. anyone else have anything? Thanks for the help

 

Man - that's a tough question to summarize in one short response. So much information and opinion out there already it's mind-numbing (but a good read to educate yourself). But since you're out there serving our country, I'm happy to offer one man's summary.

Options for front:

Spacer - Revtek and Toytec offer these. You gain 3" of height, but you suffer ride quality. Great budget option

Coils - OME (Toytec and other vendors). Excellent mid-level upgrade for a good quality product, but not the steep price of coilovers. You get new front coil springs that offer about 2 - 2.5" of lift. You can run these springs with the stock struts, or upgrade to a OME or other aftermarket shock. You can also get a top plate spacer from Toytec to get a full 3" of front lift.
(I'm running this setup with 885 coils and OME shocks and I like it alot)
You might also consider a new UCA with this setup for better on-road ride quality. Not at all necessary, but some guys have gone this route. Total Chaos makes a good set.

Rebuildable coilover: Donahoe, SAW, King, Fabtech. Full coil/strut assembly that can be rebuilt and is adjustable in height up to 3" (optimal setting is a 2"). Most of the above vendors offer excellent quality products, but they come at a steep price.

Rear options:

Full replacement leaf pack - a few options available including OME. Lift amounts vary, as do the impact to load carrying ability. Pricier than the other options below.

Add-a-leaf - gets you a couple inches in the back. Toytec sells an Alcan AAL with their Tacoma packages. Relatively cheap option - some increase in stiffness.

Blocks - another option

With any of these options, you can stick to the stock shocks, or upgrade to an OME (N182) or Bilstein shock for better performance.

I think the Toytec / OME lift is the most popular option for the new gen Tacomas, and is a good way to go if you have a budget, but want increased performance. Coilovers and a new leaf pack is the "top end" lift, and if you have some cash saved up, you can't go wrong.

This is certainly not a complete list of options, just some of the more popular.

You'll rub "something" with 285/75/16 or bigger, and will have to trim some amount of fender plastic, and remove your mudflaps. If you get the correct backspacing (4.25 or 4.5" seems to be the sweetspot) you shouldn't have issues rubbing your suspension/UCA. Rubbing the fender plastic is common with 285's at full turn, and if you wheel and stuff your tires in the fender. If you are Ok with trimming and rubbing, 295's can be done, although I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

Good luck to you.

Matt

 

Good luck with the truck and thanks for your service!!