Would you?

Hi guys. Looking at purchasing this 22'. I think they are 35's?? /Mickey Thomson Bajas. I've never had a leveled truck with 35's and was wondering about ride quality and power loss if any. I appreciate opinions in advance.

 

Gas mileage will go down. Ride quality will suffer but it all depends on a few things how much. I’m getting 35’s but a load range D so the ride quality won’t be too bad.

 

Ride is probably going to suck because most leveling kits use a spacer that screws up the hard work Toyota engineers put into the suspension.

Fuel mileage will be worse because the truck is higher in the air and those tires require more energy to accelerate.

Acceleration will be slower because those tires are a lot heavier, and unsprung rotational mass that has to be accelerated has an exponentially higher effect on acceleration and braking than adding that same weight to say cargo or passengers.

Braking will be less effective, same reason as above.

Handling will suffer again because unsprung rotating mass is detrimental to all aspects of vehicle dynamics.

If you actually need more off road capability then the tires may be useful. The leveling kit is stupid bro-dozer shit though, and I wouldn’t touch it with a 10ft pole. A real suspension lift that is well made and properly engineered is another story, but expect to pay $3500 in parts on up for one of those kits plus labor. If you need the capability off road then it makes sense, if not you’re just another poser and you won’t be fooling anyone and your truck will be worse for what you actually use if for 99.99999999% of the time.

 

WELL SAID!

 

Thanks. I probably use 4wd twice a month and I was concerned about ride quality as 80% of my driving is 80mph interstate.

 

Ride quality is not affected by most leveling kits because the spring rate is not affected. It’s a myth a leveling kit preloads the coils, so long as the spacer is placed outside the coil assembly, as it is for most Tacoma/Tundra 1-3 inch leveling kits. What you lose is down travel - a tradeoff for the owner to decide on. There will be power loss and adverse braking performance due to added unsprung weight and higher rotational forces. Truck looks like a beauty.