Need some classroom time with you all

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BravoDelta2

Member
Brand new member here and I need some of your guidance. I have a 2012 Tacoma 4x4 TRD V6. The tires I have on it after I bought the truck are BF Goodrich Rugged Terrain T/A. The tires size is P265/65R17.
So here comes the long question...I want to purchase new tires...but...before I do this I want to lift my truck a bit. I don't want to go over 3".
From reading some posts am I understanding correctly that lift kits are NOT the way to go but using shocks like the Bilstein 5100's are a better option? I don't do any major off-roading but do get out in the Illinois woods from time to time. I definitely want the clearance and leveling of the front end for our sometimes abundant snow fall. I"m looking for a more aggressive tire but NOT road hummers if you know what I mean. I don't want t to have to buy bigger rims and such but I simply do not understand how to connect all the dots. Thank you for any and all help you can give me and sorry for the long post.
 
Blocks and spacers are not the way to go.

Leveling out means lifting the front to match the rear. A lift kit goes beyond that.

Good, basic options are OEM or Billy 5100s for the front and an AAL for the rear. OME is better for wheeling IMO because it uses it's own coils instead of preloading the OEM coils.
 
whippersnapper02 said:
Blocks and spacers are not the way to go.

Leveling out means lifting the front to match the rear. A lift kit goes beyond that.

Good, basic options are OEM or Billy 5100s for the front and an AAL for the rear. OME is better for wheeling IMO because it uses it's own coils instead of preloading the OEM coils.
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So if i go with OEM/AAL set-up, do I need to change rims or can I use what I have and go an inch taller on tires with 265/70R17 instead of the 265/65R17 I have on them now?
 
whippersnapper02 said:
You can use your current wheels. 265/70/27s fit on a stock truck. No need to lift.
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So use a Toyota OEM leveling kit for front suspension and for the back suspension an 'Add A Leaf' (spring) and keep the current size 265/65R17 tires? I hope I have comprehended you correctly...I had to look up the abbreviations you used so I could understand what you meant.
 
BravoDelta2 said:
So use a Toyota OEM leveling kit for front suspension and for the back suspension an 'Add A Leaf' (spring) and keep the current size 265/65R17 tires? I hope I have comprehended you correctly...I had to look up the abbreviations you used so I could understand what you meant.
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OME is Old Man Emu.

If you just want to level you can use 5100s. They are less expensive than OME units.
 
whippersnapper02 said:
OME is Old Man Emu.

If you just want to level you can use 5100s. They are less expensive than OME units.
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First, THANK YOU for your patience! My last question is... Can I use new 5100's for back suspension also just to have new shocks all around and forget the AAL. That way my truck will get leveled up properly w/ a little added height?
 
BravoDelta2 said:
First, THANK YOU for your patience! My last question is... Can I use new 5100's for back suspension also just to have new shocks all around and forget the AAL. That way my truck will get leveled up properly w/ a little added height?
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You can just get the shocks out back and keep it stock height.

The front shocks will have to be set at .85 to get the front level.
 
Hey Bravo! First off, welcome. I've only been here three months or so, but I can attest to the knowledge delved out by the good guys and gals here. These folks know their stuff. I am in the process of doing what you are. I have a 2013 DCSB and want to beef up the rear springs. So My local spring shop has Toyota aal's ready to go at 140 bucks. After that I decided to go withToytec adj. coilovers with Bilstein 5100's at 642 bucks from Realtruck. I still have to order the rear 5100's at 100 apeice. Kinda chews up a 1000 dollar bill. But I knew as much as you did when I started. My truck has been a garage queen, I'm saving it for retirement. So anything I do I'm thinking long term. I only have 12,700 on her.

On a side note, you made those tires last this Long? I trashed mine after 9000 miles.
 
longshore said:
Hey Bravo! First off, welcome. I've only been here three months or so, but I can attest to the knowledge delved out by the good guys and gals here. These folks know their stuff. I am in the process of doing what you are. I have a 2013 DCSB and want to beef up the rear springs. So My local spring shop has Toyota aal's ready to go at 140 bucks. After that I decided to go withToytec adj. coilovers with Bilstein 5100's at 642 bucks from Realtruck. I still have to order the rear 5100's at 100 apeice. Kinda chews up a 1000 dollar bill. But I knew as much as you did when I started. My truck has been a garage queen, I'm saving it for retirement. So anything I do I'm thinking long term. I only have 12,700 on her.

On a side note, you made those tires last this Long? I trashed mine after 9000 miles.
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Thank you for the welcome. and yes, i very much appreciate the time and help i've gotten on this forum already with my first post!
Yes, i know what you mean. They were good in snow but the tire wear is very sub standard! I am going to have some Firestone Destination AT put on soon. I have 48,000 on my truck with a Leer cap. It is a double cab w/ a long bed.
I was under the impression that you could use the Bilsteins 5100's on the front w/ the factory coils. Am I wrong in thinking that?
 
I'm going to let Whipper, rec2570, Mjp2, or one of the experts take that one. I'm learning too.
 
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When I get set to do my little project, I'll need advice on setting the adjustment on my Toytecs. First thing I had to figure out was what I wanted. A more aggressive stance, a lift, or the ability to carry 700 lbs in the bed without squatting. I opted to go with the latter. And will go with a minimal lift. Maybe 1 1/2" in the front to just keep the factory rake.
 
BravoDelta2 said:
Thank you for the welcome. and yes, i very much appreciate the time and help i've gotten on this forum already with my first post!
Yes, i know what you mean. They were good in snow but the tire wear is very sub standard! I am going to have some Firestone Destination AT put on soon. I have 48,000 on my truck with a Leer cap. It is a double cab w/ a long bed.
I was under the impression that you could use the Bilsteins 5100's on the front w/ the factory coils. Am I wrong in thinking that?
Click to expand...


Yes u can.....they will lift the front to either of these 3 options.
.85" 1.75" or 2.5" approx.

If u have a trd offroad, the higher you go the stiffer it will be. If you have a trd sport or a non trd truck, the ride will also get stiffer but NOT as noticable as the trd offroad because the offroad has progressive coils and the other 2 are linear.

Firestone destination AT are decent tires, never had em in snow, but mild offroad, rain, they did well.
 
This will be my second winter in my Firestone destination ats. Last year they did great. Drove through 9-10" of snow several times like it was nothing
 
Thank you for all your great advice. My Bilstein 5100 series (Front & Back) came in today. My Wheeler's leaf spring package should be here in about one week. The Wheeler leaf spring package will put about 1.5" lift on the back instead of the 2 inches it normally lifts on base trucks. The reason is because mine is a double cab w/ long bed; i guess that makes a difference. Anyway, I'll hand it over to my mechanic and when he's through i'll have the new Firestone Destination AT's installed and the front end aligned. I'm putting on P265/70R17's which is 1" taller than the tires I already have on the truck. So I'll get the front leveled w/ the Bilstein shocks and a minor rear suspension lift . So counting the tires i should get about 2.5" lift which is plenty for me. Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!!
 
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