First Gen Leveling Questions

Looking for some advice leveling my 2005 double cab, 4WD limited Tundra. One of the shocks is toast in front (squeaking all the time), and if I'm going to replace front suspension components I'd like to level the truck to get rid of the 'nose down' look (also currently running 265/65R17 Wrangler Duratrac's and could use a little more space in the wheel well).

Ton of info out there and a lot of good stuff in these threads but still a little unsure. These Toytec coilovers look good & I like that they are adjustable so I could fine tune the level: If I plan to only come up an inch or two, is there any additional work I need to do? Ex. UCAs, brake components, etc? Do I need to do anything with a "differential drop"?

Throw my motorcycle or firewood in the back from time to time, so was planning on putting these air bags in the rear:

https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/firestone-2245-ride-rite-air-bag-kit-toyota-tundra-2000-2006

Any thoughts/advice out there? Many thanks.

 

UCA’s aren’t necessary until you get up to 2.5-3” lift.
I would save your money there. Put the CO’s on to the height you want. If your knowledgeable alignment guy is worth a damn he’ll tell you wether or not you’d need them. But I’d doubt it.

No need to worry about brake lines.
They’re plenty long.

I personally think diff drops are a gimmick but it looks like lots of people run them. It depends on the lift height.
Again, install CO’s first and see if the CV boot fins rub or not.

Now would be a good time to replace ball joints and inner and outer tie rods. I recommend Toyota OE only.

Check the condition of the LCA bushings for extra play. May or may not be in good shape.

 

I’m a big fan of Bilstein. You can see my build thread link in my signature.

 

Thanks for the info @Scuba . Good info. Awesome build as well @SoCalPaul .

Do I need any special tools for the coil over swap (ex. spring compressor?)? Or is a big pry bar enough to push the LCA down? Am somewhat handy and like to do the work in my garage/driveway myself. Have watched a few videos on YouTube but those often appear easier than they really are. Any other advice on doing the work before I pull the trigger and order the parts? Again, many thanks, this helps a ton!

 

It looks like the BOSS ones come preassembled, which is a big plus. The last couple I've done, I used the prybar on the upper control arm. Much easier. A punch to drive out the lower bolt. You might want to buy new lower bolts as you'll likely screw up the threads on the old ones.

Good luck!

 

Howdy from DFW and nice truck

 

You definitely need the front diff drop.I went through 3 CV axles on the driver's side because I kept ripping c v boots.did the diff drop and been fine ever since. It's an easy job and worth it!

 

Went with the 2.5" Rancho Quicklift Struts. Happy so far. Thanks to everyone for the help!