Best 1st gen leveling kit for on/off road?

Looking to level my 05 4dr limited. I have all oem suspension and not really feeling the raked look on my truck anymore. Any suggestions for a quality leveling kit that would be great for on/off road use without breaking the bank. All help is appreciated, thank you.

 

Welcome to the forum cameron92 and thank you for your service! I recently installed a kit from Rough Country. Definitely does the job of lifting and leveling. Can't confirm ride quality yet but if you search the interwebs, it has great reviews. Can add 33"s after this lift/leveling kit no problem.
Of course during the installation I noticed everything else under the yota that was beat to hell. So in addition I upgraded front strut assemblies, swaybar links, UCAs and today I'm replacing LCA's, eccentric bolts, and lower balls.
Nice spacer kit if you're on a budget though! https://www.roughcountry.com/toyota-suspension-lift-kit-750c.html?find=2005-toyota-tundra-4wd-736517

 

Note- spacer kits are not recommended for off road. They mess with the angles up front and folks have damaged components (such as shocks) when using them offroad. If you do in fact use your truck offroad you will be much happier with a coil over.

 

Best or cheapest?

 

meh... good enough for mild to moderate offroading like hunting and fishing roads. Can't argue with your logic though. More beef if you're offroading as a recreation or going to Moab. I've got a meaty Jeep for the serious stuff.

 

Nice Phantom gray pearl

 

I mean multiple options. Everything from $1000 - $80 spacers. The general consensus is Bilstein 5100’s will do what you want and won’t break the bank. First Gen Offroad is a good source for these and multiple other options. I recently picked up a used set Toytec boss coil overs for a good deal so that’s what I’ll be running.

 

5100s front and rear on the highest setting will give you a nice level truck and about 2 to 2.5 inches up front and 1 inch in rear. You can get front and rear for about $400, so that's pretty hard to beat. I've got 5100s on mine plus Eibach pro lift springs ($160) and rear Icon rear AAL lift ($215) and it sits just about dead level with my RTT on. Also running 35s and Camburg UCA.

 

A nice 2.5" coilover for the front with 33's, you'll be happy.

https://camburg.com/shop/suspension...urg-toyota-tundra-00-fox-performance-2-5-kit/

 

Thank you to everyone, i was originally considering the pro comp spacers but after hearing how crummy they are off road, i am going the coil over route instead now.

 

And like that the group successfully spent someone’s money.

 

What kind of tires do you have on your truck? They look like the K02's

 

Kenda Klever RT 35X10.5R17 in that pic. Profile pic i have KO2s on.

 

@cameron92 my recommendation would be to keep it simple for the sake of reliability. After some research, I opted to install Bilstein 5100s which allows one to increase the front ride height by adjusting the snap-rings while still utilizing the factory coils. I felt this was the best option for me after reading about other's experiences using spacers and aftermarket control arms etc. The installation instructions will say what position to use for the desired increase in ride height. I used the second position from the bottom to achieve a level front and rear ride height. Rent the coil strut spring compression tool from your local automotive store and you can have the job done in a couple of hours. If you do opt to go with the Bilstein 5100s consider applying a clear coat of spray paint on them to keep them from oxidizing and will remain looking like new for longer. Keep us posted whichever direction you decide to go!

@chrifishtopher - do you have any pics posted of your ditch light installation? I ordered brackets and lights but have yet to install them. Interested to see how others have installed theirs.

• GS Power Engine Hood Hinge Ditch LED Mount Brackets for Auxiliary Offroad Pod Work Light. Fit Cowl Panel at Windshield Base Compatible with 2005-2015 Tacoma
  GS Power Engine Hood Hinge Ditch LED Mount Brackets for Auxiliary Offroad Pod Work Light. Fit Cowl Panel at Windshield Base Compatible with 2005-2015
• PIAA 07603 RF Series 3" Driving Beam LED Cube Light Kit (SAE Compliant)
  PIAA 07603 RF Series 3" Driving Beam LED Cube Light Kit (SAE Compliant)

 

I wish I'd though the clear coat spray paint idea.

2nd, 3rd, or 4th vote for Bilstein 5100s



Bilsteing 5100, front and rear. I ordered my front coilovers from firstgenoffroad as @SouthPaw said in post #7. I paid them extra to assemble them because I didn't want to deal with spring compressors.

Alcan rear leaf packs

 

Sorry for the late posting but i got the suspension figured out, i went Bilstien 5100's, new eibach pro lift springs, new tie rods, camburg uca's, kyb strut plates and icon add a leaf with some 5100's in the rear. Came out perfect, just had to wait for all the parts to show up.

 

Don't leave us hanging, we need pics! And also, do you have the (A) model# of the pro lift springs and whether they're 650 or 700, and (B) what circlip did you use on the strut, (C) anything for lift out back?

 

A) I used the MPN#: E30-82-066-04-20 eibach pro springs, distrubuter i bought them from didnt have the 650 or 700 in the description. B) i used the given circlip that came with the 5100's. the 5100 circlip is super strong, its the 6100's circlip thats having the failing issues from bilstien from what i could find out in my research. C) The shocks lifted the rear end 2 inches and the add a leafs are advertised as a 1.5 inch lift but thats if you dont install taller/bigger shocks in the rear. Its about 2.5in in the front and 2in in the rear. Ill post pics tomorrow when the sun is out, its a bit to dark out right now

 

Right, I take it you went with the bottom-most notch? There are (5, IIRC) notches you can circlip into.

Stoked to see pics. Congrats on getting it done!

 

I went on the highest notch i can for the double cab which is the 3rd or 4th i believe.

 

Ride isn't too harsh or stiff?

Only reason I'm asking is, with stock springs you're right, Bilstein reco is maximum 4th clip on 4WD DC, but there's no limit on 2WD.

I think those Eibach sport springs may be offering lift, not stock, and I think the reco for lifted springs (at least Dobinsons and OME) is bottom notch. Depending on spring height (in mm) for that Eibach spring, you may be able to eek out 2nd or 3rd or maybe evne 4th notch.

If you're 2WD it's potentially negligible when using stock, but I doubt it's the case with a lifted spring. I'm not seeing if you're 4WD or 2WD, but tossing out the info all the same.

 

https://imgur.com/a/erCabnd that link will show the pictures i took today of the truck.

 

With the eibach springs Im on the 4th notch with no problems. My truck is a 4wd so the 5th notch is off limits for me. The ride isnt to stiff but stiff enough to prevent some of that body roll i use to get with the stock suspension. I still have a slight rake on the stance but once i but a camper shell with crossbars and a basket on top it will help level the rake out a little, but i still use the truck as a truck so the rake is nice when the bed is full with logs or gravel.

 

Yes, 4th notch is off-limits when using stock spring height w/OEM 4WD springs which are more stout than OEM 2WD springs (to compensate for weight, no doubt).

Per Eibach, springs you bought provide 2.5"+ lift, so even taller/beefier than 4WD stock. Keep your eyes out for issues, you may be setting yourself up for premature fatigue. At least two vendors I found online won't even pre-assemble on anything except the 1st clip if using taller springs -- you're achieving lift via the springs in that case, not the notch setting. Did you try using 1st notch or 2nd notch to see where it lands you, or just jump straight to 4th notch?

 

Congrats on the new suspension! As others have mentioned, the 5100 recommendations you’re seeing are for factory spring, you may need to adjust accordingly since you have the Eibachs on there. The rear shocks do not add any lift to the rear. They are able to extend further than the stock ones and could accommodate 2” of lift from new leafs or a block or whatever. So the lift in the back is only from the new leafs. You could take the rear shocks off and the truck would sit the same. They merely dampen the movement.

 

I went straight to the 4th notch to be honest. I'm the 2nd owner of my tundra and the previous owner had already replaced the stock springs with some super stiff performance springs, so I had no clue if those were even stock spring hieght but they were way past due in terms of replacing weather I lifted the truck or kept it at stock ride hieght.
I also had limited time at the shop I did the suspension on as it wasn't my shop and i had two days with the lift to get it done as this truck is also my daily driver, so I had no real time to play with the notches.
So far ive had no issues fatigue wise in the front end. I take my truck into a trusted shop for routine and scheduled maintence, and they do a full truck inspection every time I take it in. So if something comes up, I'll definently post it here.
Also just updated my info on my profile for the finer details on the truck for less confusion in the future.

 

If you jack your truck up off the ground does the suspension decompress at all before the tire comes off the ground? With a 2 inch lifted coil on the 4th notch sounds like it'd be rough af.

 

Problem is, "rough af" is subjective. Some people like it rough, some like it gentle, some like it stiff, some like it soft. I've talked to people who swear rough and stiff is "sportier" feeling and they don't GAF what collateral damage it may cause. I've ridden in cars that were so gentle and soft stuff would freely slide around in the vehicle and it felt like you were floating in a cloud and can't help but wonder what the bushings look like a few dozen-k miles down the road.

This disparity between personal preferences is why it's always best to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. They're the ones who've tested this, or at least done the calculations on the geometry/limitations of vehicles to say what's acceptable and what's not. But at the end of the day ... your truck, your choice.

 

Ill have to play around with the jack and some stop blocks the next weekend I have free and let ya know. To me it hasn't been that rough of a ride at all. Ive taken the truck offroad and obviously on public roads as well, but havnt felt any real harshness or anything like that when cruising, turning, or hitting some bumps and such. Ive had "rougher" rides like in my old 89 toyota pickup and 95 4runner.

 

Hey guys, I’ve got an ‘04 4dr limited 4wd, looking to level and get a little bit of height as well. Read through this post and was aiming to go the same route of OP (Cameron92), can you give feedback on how this setup has been for you now that it’s been almost 2 more years? I’m also planning on using this opportunity to completely overhaul the CA’s, tie rods, etc.