2015 Tacoma build, suspension and tires.

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Big E

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member III

3,384
Morganton, NC
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3420

I wanted to share what I did with my truck so if anyone is working on a truck similar to mine and have questions maybe this can give you some ideas.

What I did; Why I did it.

Suspension:

On our second long range trip we took a full kit of gear, extra spare tire, fuel, water, RTT, and gear to run solo in the desert. We were fully loaded and the rear suspension proved not up to the task. The rear drooped and bottoming out was an issue. My research lead to several options to fix the problem, I went with the cheapest for now. I added an SD spring Add A Leaf. This added 2 inches height to the rear and added some capacity to the spring pack. A pair of Bilstein 5100s were added to as well. This has proven to work well so far. I can add a 600 pound four wheeler and the truck rides level and smooth.


With the extra two inches in the rear I added a set of Bilstein adjustable shocks up front, set to 1.75 inches. I kept the factory coil springs as we do not have a winch or bumper added. This gave the truck more rear rake then normal, but as I use my truck to haul, having it level empty would be pointless as it would only droop more loaded. Less than 2 inches on the front also means I am not concerned about the CV angles, differential relocation and skid plate modifications.


Tires:

The first set of non factory tires were stock size LT AT3 Coopers. As I just added the lift this summer I thought it would be a good time to increase in diameter and width. I went to a LT 265 75 16 C on this sett. 32 inches means less modifications to the truck and wheels. One other reason for this tire choice is based on that C range availability. 10 ply E’s are stronger but ride harsher. I run all terrains as most of my driving realistically on this truck is highway or pavement. It is a daily driver and we travel far on highways to get to wheeling. The mud, sand, or gravel I encounter has never been an issue for my tire choice.


Wheels:

The wheels are still stock Toyota steel. I decided not to change them out because I already paid for them when I bought it, steel is quite strong and the weight difference is minimal, and I like the protection the wheels offer the valve stems. Until I find a reason to change I am happy. And, with everyone else ditching their factory steel mine are becoming a one of a kind anyway.




With these additions my belly pans and undercarriage are now about 2.5-2.75 inches higher than stock, the rear differential should have an extra .75 inches of clearance. Not a tremendous amount but it has improved the ride and handling, and the payload has been increased.
 
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