Taco Tuesday: 7 Suspension Lift Kits For 2nd & 3rd Gen Tacoma (2023)

FAQs

What is the best lift height for Tacoma? ›

When you go into rougher terrain where the trail is covered with large rocks and stumps you might want to bump it up to a 3”-4” lift. When you get involved with even bigger obstacles like full on rock crawling or something similar, a 6” lift is much more appropriate.

I don't care how it looks, or what others think about it, but it must work, and the old man emu gear does exactly that. It gets used on a heap of 4WD's all over the place, and for us, it just works. We've had no leaks, no cracking, nothing come loose, or anything else go wrong.

33s and Lift Kits

You should be good with a 2-3″ lift depending on if you clear the control arms or not. Technically suspension lifts don't clear tires for use off-road, but they can help. When you lift your truck, you are changing the static ride height of your body.

After install your truck or SUV will sit level front to rear. This kit provides the following lifts: 4Runner (2019-2020*): 1.5” (front lift) 1.25″ (rear lift)

In order to fit 35s, your Tacoma is going to have to be outfitted with aftermarket suspension. The minimum lift required will be 2 inches, with 3 inches being more ideal. You don't need to purchase an expensive setup to make these tires work. Any lift that gives you enough clearance will work here, even a spacer lift.

No, you can't fit 33s on a Tacoma without doing any modifications; trimming the fenders & fender well plastics and wheel spacers. The only way to fit 33s without a lift is to spend some time clearing space for that size tire. This should include testing for both on and off-road scenarios.

Struts and shocks may need to be replaced anywhere between 50k and 100k miles.

The typical lift truck engine is good for 10,000 to 20,000 hours, although some last much longer. But the average number of operating hours is only a broad guideline; there are several other factors that also influence how long an individual truck will last.

It excelled at taking hard hits at high speeds, handling abuse and unpredictable terrain, becoming smoother as the Tacoma went faster. Yes, race shocks get smoother as you go faster, its awesome. After thrashing on the ICON setup for 60k miles, it was time for a rebuild, and a new shock setup.

A common Tacoma tire width for 3″ lift kits is 285mm. This means 17″ wheels, 285/70 R17's are a good choice (2″ taller and . 8″ wider than factory).

Is 2 inch lift enough for 35-inch tires? ›

Fitting 35-inch tires on a 2” lift is possible on a solid front axle suspension setup like a Jeep Wrangler or Nissan Patrol. You should lengthen your stops but by the same amount as your lift.

Most IFS vehicles require a minimum of 2.5 to 3-inch lift with additional trimming of fender liners and body mounts to accommodate a 33” tire. A Solid Front Axle vehicle can accommodate a 33'' tire easier with fewer modifications. Fitting bigger tires is the single most effective way of improving ground clearance.

Toyota Tundra Lift Kit

A new 3-inch TRD (Toyota Racing Development) lift kit is available for 2022 Tundra (and newer) trucks that improves both looks and performance for new owners.

The kit is composed of Bilstein monotube shocks with digressive valving. Each shock is further fitted with red TRD dust boots and graphics that boast “Tuned by TRD”. As noted, the front shocks boost things by 2″ because of an adjusted coil spring position on the shock tube and have extended rebound stroke.

When you add a TRD Performance Air Intake System to an engine, you get the benefits of denser, cooler, oxygen rich air. TRD Performance Air Intake Systems have been dyno-tested and help deliver an increase in both horsepower and torque for superior acceleration.

You should be running around 26-28 psi at most. With 36 psi it's going to ride terrible. I have run 26 psi in all of my 35" tires for years and years now. Done plenty of chalk tests too, and 26 psi is the sweet spot.

For a 35" you should be in the 28-32 range on road.

A Lift is Needed in Most Cases

A lift is required on most vehicles to accommodate 35-inch tires. The lift size needed can range from 3.5-6 inches. An exception is the new Ford Bronco, which requires no modification to fit 35s. Some trims even come with them from the factory!

2.5-inches of suspension lift (2- or 4-door)

Fit 35/12.50/17 or 315/70/17 tires. However, this usually requires aftermarket wheels with approximately 4 1/2-inch backspacing to do so.

Fitting 33s onto a stock Toyota Tacoma wasn't as easy as I expected. I actually thought they would work as a simple bolt-on, but that wasn't true. We needed to make some small alterations to the inner fender and fender itself. I also needed to add wheel spacers.

Do 2 inch lifts need new shocks? ›

If you are adding 2" of lift in the rear then yes you would need longer shocks or you will be limiting your downtravel by 2".

Automotive research firm iSeeCars says the Tacoma can last up to 200,000 miles or more. With regular repairs and maintenance, any Toyota Tacoma can reach 300,000 miles with ease. If you drive 20,000 to 30,000 miles in a year, your Tacoma can last 10 to 15 years before needing major repairs.

Quick Answer: Avoid Toyota Tacoma Year Models 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017. There have been a lot of issues reported with the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017 Toyota Tacoma year models, and we recommend avoiding them.

Some coils will last the lifetime of the vehicle, and other may only last 5,000 miles. Most will make it 60,000 miles or more.

A lift kit can negatively affect fuel economy in a couple of ways. The first is added weight. If your vehicle weighs more after installing a lift kit, it will reduce mileage. The second is increased wind resistance.

Installing a lift kit will impact a few aspects of your vehicle, including the brakes. This modification requires bigger tires and a lifted suspension system in exchange for higher ground clearance. As a result, your truck or SUV will need better braking capabilities in case of an emergency.

Poor Handling and Ride Quality

Without proper shock valving (stiffer), the raise can make a truck very susceptible to toppling over when attempting to turn while traveling at a decent rate of speed.

Tough Dog shock absorbers are built to the highest levels of quality. Our 41mm foam cell shock has been voted the number one shock as 'best all-round performer' by Australian 4WD Action magazine. If you are looking to make tracks, a set of Tough Dog shocks is exactly the place to start.

The shocks are rebuildable and can be revalved, but the the built-in compression and rebound adjustments we can't see where that would be necessary. An included spanner wrench is used to dial the compression and rebound up or down on the vehicle. Once installed, there's no need to remove the shocks for fine-tuning.

Bilsteins have been one of our preferred shock absorber brands since we did a test of many different after-market dampers some years ago. The Bilstein mono-tubes performed better than any of the twin-tube shocks we tested.

How big of a tire can I fit with a 3 inch lift? ›

With a 3" lift you can clear up to 33's but still might have to do some trimming.

Fitting 35” tires do not require a crazy amount of modifications. It starts with an aftermarket suspension with the minimum lift of 2.5” inches, and 3 inches is recommended for off-road. You will require a lift, negative offset rims and you'll need to do some other modifications, which you can read in more detail here.

37" Tires. To run these tires, you'll need a lift kit of 3.5" or more. This kit will have the same contents as the 2.5" kits with the exception of control arms top and bottom for both front and rear. These kits are for serious off-roaders.

You absolutely can have a Jeep JK 2 Door 2.5 lift with 35s! Something to consider before slapping 35-inch tires on your Jeep, however, are your fenders. If your fenders hug your current tires pretty closely, you may wish to replace them with flatter fenders so they don't rub against and wear the bigger tires.

Fitting larger wheels is a staple off-roading modification for a reason. Larger wheels do lift a truck higher into the air, increasing ground clearance.

Smaller truck lift kits, those that raise the body by two inches, usually cost anywhere from $400 to $12,000. Larger truck lift kits, those that raise the body by six inches or more, usually cost anywhere from $11,000 to $14,000.

You need a minimum of a 2-inch suspension kit and a small front end leveling kit on the front end to accommodate the width of a 33” tire without scrubbing at full lock or full turn in reverse.

Spacer lifts aren't bad if you install them correctly, and as long as the spacers don't lift the truck too high. Issues arise if the spacers are too high, causing issues with suspension. Mild spacer liftsare great for off-road and can even improve the off-road ability.

The single leg squat is another way to enhance the usage of ground reaction forces. This is the BEST lift we have seen that correlates to speed. 5.

A complete suspension-based lift kit will raise the frame of your truck off the ground, giving you more clearance on your bumpers, radiator, exposed components, and so on. This is the preferred method for lifting your truck. Adding larger tires is something you'll want to consider when you lift your truck.

What is a good lift kit height? ›

There are several heights to choose from, ranging from 1.5 to 6 inches. The height of your lift kit depends on your lifestyle and driving habits. If you are off-roading on uneven terrain, consider a kit closer to 6 inches that gives your vehicle higher ground clearance.

If your truck is 4,500 pounds or less, the front and rear bumpers' maximum height is 29 inches. If you're looking at 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, it's 33 inches for both. And 7,501 to 10,000 pounds? Don't make it higher than 35 inches at either end.

Conclusion – A 2 Inch Lift Kit is Enough

I would say stick to a 2-inch suspension lift and if you need more clearance for tires go for an additional one or two inches of body lift only. This will save you a bunch of money on correction mods and will achieve similar results.

4 post lifts are also considered a safer option for heavier vehicles and for long-term storage.

A common Tacoma tire width for 3″ lift kits is 285mm. This means 17″ wheels, 285/70 R17's are a good choice (2″ taller and . 8″ wider than factory).

Most IFS vehicles require a minimum of 2.5 to 3-inch lift with additional trimming of fender liners and body mounts to accommodate a 33” tire. A Solid Front Axle vehicle can accommodate a 33'' tire easier with fewer modifications. Fitting bigger tires is the single most effective way of improving ground clearance.

Superlift kits are designed to last about 10 years or some. Many models last a few extra years, but it's impossible to tell how long any specific lift kit will last. As mentioned above, proper maintenance will allow your Superlift lift kit to push well beyond expectations.

They elevate the front of the truck while the rear gets lowered or left alone. The front end of the truck is higher than the rear so that when you hit a jump at a high speed the rear hits first. It reduces the chances that your truck will nose dive and crash when hitting hills fast and going airborne.

Lift kits, often referred to as suspension systems, are much more comprehensive than leveling kits and will feature new springs, shocks, control arms, and whatever else is needed to maintain the desired height.

Lowering the back of your truck will bring the nose back up, giving you a better driving position. Lowering the truck can also make it more aerodynamic by reducing wind-drag and potential increase traction by improving the tires' grip on the road, although this isn't always the case.

How much height do 35 inch tires add? ›

A 35” tire offers approximately 1 inch more clearance at the axle compared to a 33-inch tire. Now that might not sound like a lot, however, that 1 inch can mean the difference between being hung up and just managing to scrape over the obstacle.

Gas Mileage

A lift kit can negatively affect fuel economy in a couple of ways. The first is added weight. If your vehicle weighs more after installing a lift kit, it will reduce mileage.

2 inches or less of suspension lift (2- or 4-door)

5 wheels can fit up to an 11-inch wide tire—a 285/70/17 (metric size that measures about 33-inches) is a nice size for a small lift and is about the largest size we are comfortable putting on the factory wheel.

Fitting 35-inch tires on a 2” lift is possible on a solid front axle suspension setup like a Jeep Wrangler or Nissan Patrol. You should lengthen your stops but by the same amount as your lift.