4wd struts on rwd? first gen tundra

Hey guys i was wondering would i be able to use these lifted struts from rough country on my 2wd first gen tundra it is not a double cab its a 2002 extended cab limited. i am planning on using this and stacking a level on top of it with a extended upper arm so i can lift it a total of 5.5 inches. https://www.roughcountry.com/premium-n3-lifted-struts-501091.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmtGjBhDhARIsAEqfDEdav9riHG2f4z-z60JE6srG7v89jbfdWCfAHQ6KrmBlrsKbaUV0ywEaArvfEALw_wcB

 

Did you enter your truck's characteristics into the seller's website? That should tell you if these will technically fit, or steer you to another option that will.

Do you want to lift just because of how you'd like your truck to look? Spacer lifts should IMO be limited to those that don't care about comfort (spacers atop shocks kill ride quality), and don't plan to do off-road driving apart from well-maintained dirt fire roads (actual bumps at speed + spacers can cause shocks to collapse).

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. Just letting you know about common problems... and why you may not get a ton of responses from others running that lift (because most on here don't, or don't anymore).

Can you post a pic of your truck?

 

Two things, neither of which I reckon you want to hear:

First, I wouldn't run Rough Country stuff. The vast majority of it is cheap garbage. We've had guys come in here with hundreds, thousands of dollars in damage caused by their experiences with Rough Country.

Second, IMO there's important tidbits in the details associated with what type of cab and drivetrain is supported with the suspension you buy. 4WD adds weight to the front. If you're 2WD and you use a kit geared for 4WD, it's probably going to lift your 2WD significantly more than that 4WD because you're at least a couple hundred of pounds lighter up front on that 2WD. Furthermore, the lift figures most vendors provide are actually for double cab trucks, which are heavier. Access cab and regular cab are lighter than double cab, so guess what? Even more lift, beyond the increase you're already getting with 2WD vs. 4WD.

Not to mention, anything over 2" lift you should upgrade to aftermarket upper control arms to help with getting alignment in spec lest you eat through tires, and extended swaybar links to avoid bending something with the new travel. Anything over 3" lift and you're getting into territory of doing damage unless you get those new aftermarket uppers and extended swaybar links.

I can't stress to you enough, take a minute to read the "Suspension, wheel and tires ..." section of THIS POST before buying anything. You can't just slap new suspension in your truck b/c a vendor says it's "compatible". And if your truck isn't listed in the compatibility notes, there's a reason why they're not including your vehicle. Hell, even some vendors will tell you certain things are totally compatible, then shit like this happens and you're buying an all new suspension kit. Or this happens with your new Rough Country lift, and you're spending $800 to buy new knuckles, plus replace your suspension... And beyond that, some vendors will tell you things are compatible when we have clear, documented proof it's not, here at this forum. There's a wealth of info here about what works and what doesn't. Let us help you figure out what's best, within your budget.

(tl;dr - you have an access cab 2WD truck, you'll need be smart about your suspension purchase because you're not a double cab 4WD which is who all those kits are made for!)

 

The website rough country says its not made for it but i thought that your could use 4wd on the 2wds just not sure. A guy i know has that same setup i was talking about the 3 inch spacer and extended upper on a lifted strut and his seems to ride pretty good from what i was told. but his is a 4wd 2006 extendede camso im sure there are some differences in it. I know my rock light setup in the pic sucks lol

 

If that's what you're looking for, I can't help. Suburban highschool kid mall crawling bro-dozer isn't what most folks on here aim for.

Seriously though, check those links I posted. The last link I provided, that guy basically did what you just mentioned with your buddy's mall crawler. Spacers + Rough Country lift. Mixing spacers with lifts is a big no-no as it is, unless you really know what you're doing, and it seems most people don't. Spacers amplify lift, whether your trucks articulation can handle the extra lift or not. That's when shit gets bent during everyday events, like hitting a pothole.

 

i saw your reply shifty ill be sure to keep that in mind. I might just go all out on a new lift then. i saw tough country made a 4.5 lift i might wanna get soon

 

Now you're talking. That's the proper way to lift above 3".

But you may want to look at their 5" lift kit. If you do go with the 4.5" lift kit, avoid the weird knuckle adapters.

 

Thanks for the help both. I might as well go 5 inch if i decide to lift it again