The Ultimate Tacoma Lift Kit Guide: Suspension, Leveling, Coilovers, and Ride Quality Explained

Lifting your Tacoma isn’t about turning heads—it’s about transforming how your truck performs. Done right, a lift kit unlocks trail clearance, better suspension travel, a stronger stance, and the ability to run bigger tires without rubbing. Done wrong? You get sloppy handling, worn bushings, drivetrain strain, and a terrible ride.

This guide is your complete roadmap to lifting a Toyota Tacoma the right way. Whether you’re after a mild daily-driver leveling kit or building a long-travel off-road beast, you’ll find everything here: suspension types, geometry rules, shock options, budget vs premium kits, and expert-proven combinations that ride well and perform hard.

How Lifting a Tacoma Actually Works

Lifting your Tacoma increases the vertical distance between the chassis and the axles, or between the axles and the ground. It’s achieved in one of two ways:

• Suspension lift: Adds height by replacing or modifying suspension components (shocks, coils, UCAs, etc.)

• Body lift: Raises the body off the frame using spacers, without changing suspension geometry

For performance, suspension lifts win every time.

Spacer Lifts vs Suspension Lifts vs Coilovers

Spacer (Budget) Lift

• Uses top-plate spacers on front struts and blocks/add-a-leafs in the rear

• Cheap and simple

• Downsides: Doesn’t increase travel, worsens geometry

Full Suspension Lift

• New springs, shocks, UCAs, and alignment geometry

• Increases articulation, ground clearance, and ride quality

• Costs more but actually improves performance

Coilover Systems

• Replace entire front strut with high-performance coilover (adjustable height, damping, preload)

• Often paired with UCAs and extended shocks

• Best combo of ride, lift, and function

2WD vs 4WD Tacoma Lifts

• 2WD Tacomas: Easier to lift, fewer components to deal with, but no front diff to drop

• 4WD Tacomas: Require front diff drop at 2.5”+ lift to avoid CV axle bind

Also need careful alignment after lift.

Factory Suspension Geometry: Why UCAs Matter

Lifting a Tacoma changes your suspension angles. The higher you go, the more you alter camber, caster, and droop travel. The upper control arms (UCAs) are the first thing to hit their limits on most lifted setups.

Why Replace the UCAs?

• Stock UCAs can’t maintain proper caster with 2”+ lifts

• Ball joints bind at full droop, reducing suspension travel

• Aftermarket UCAs improve alignment range and ride quality

Best Aftermarket UCAs:

• SPC Adjustable UCAs (most alignment range)

• JBA High Caster UCAs (great for overlanding)

• Total Chaos & Dirt King (uniball for extreme travel builds)

Leveling Kits: What You Gain, What You Lose

What is a Leveling Kit?

• Raises the front of the truck 1–2.5” to reduce the factory rake

• Usually a top-plate spacer or preload spacer on front coilovers

Pros:

• Improved stance

• Fit slightly larger tires

• Inexpensive

Cons:

• No extra suspension travel

• Doesn’t improve ride

• Can overload stock struts if too tall

2-Inch and 3-Inch Suspension Lifts

This is the sweet spot for most Tacoma builds.

• Fits 33” tires with minimal trimming

• Gains real ground clearance

• Still allows full articulation with proper UCAs

• Can retain or improve ride quality with matched components

Top Kits:

• OME BP-51

• Bilstein 6112/5160

• Icon Stage 2

• Fox 2.5 with DSC

• ToyTec BOSS Aluma Series

Long Travel Suspension: Who It’s For

Long travel systems widen the front track width, use extended coilovers, custom UCAs/LCAs, and longer axles.

Pros:

• Huge wheel travel

• Soaks up high-speed trail hits

• Amazing off-road articulation

Cons:

• Very expensive ($5,000–$10,000+)

• Requires fiberglass fenders

• Poor daily driveability without tuning

Rear Lifts: Add-a-Leaf, Blocks, Shackles, or Full Packs?

Add-a-Leaf (AAL)

• Adds ~1”–1.5”

• Can stiffen ride

Blocks

• Simple spacer

• Can introduce axle wrap

Extended Shackles

• Adds ~1.5”–2”

• Softens ride slightly

Full Leaf Packs

• Replaces factory spring pack

• Adds lift and payload

• Best long-term solution

Shock Absorbers 101

Shocks control bounce, ride feel, and off-road compliance.

Types:

• Monotube (Bilstein)

• Twin-tube (OME)

• Remote reservoir (Fox/Icon)

• Adjustable (Fox DSC/Icon/CDV)

Control Arms, Bushings, and Ball Joints

• Ball joints: Upgrade to heavy-duty or uniball

• Bushings: Polyurethane = stiff; rubber = soft

• Sway bar links: Extended versions help articulation

Ride Quality After Lifting: The Truth

Ride quality depends on:

• Matched damping front and rear

• Adjustable shocks

• UCAs with proper caster

• Correct tire PSI

• Smart geometry setup

How Much Lift You Need for 33s or 35s

Alignment and Caster After a Lift

• Aim for +3 to +4 degrees caster after lifting

• Always realign after changing ride height or arms

Choosing the Right Lift Kit for Your Build Goal

Top 5 Tacoma Lift Kits for Daily Drivers

1. Bilstein 6112/5160 Combo

2. OME Nitrocharger Sport

3. Icon Stage 1

4. ToyTec BOSS Aluma

5. Dobinsons IMS

Top 5 Tacoma Lift Kits for Overlanding & Off-Road

1. OME BP-51

2. Fox 2.5 DSC

3. Icon Stage 4

4. King 2.5

5. Dobinsons MRR

Long Travel Kit Breakdown

Top Brands:

• Total Chaos

• Camburg

• Dirt King

• JD Fabrication

Expect:

• $6,000–$12,000 investment

• Wider stance, more travel

• Custom geometry and fenders required

Supporting Mods That Complete the Lift

• Extended brake lines

• Carrier bearing drop

• Front diff drop

• Extended sway bar links

• Skid plates

• Bump stops

Common Mistakes That Kill Ride Quality

• Cheap spacer kits

• Ignoring caster alignment

• Lifting too tall, too fast

• Skipping rear suspension match

• No support mods

Final Verdict + FAQs

Lifting your Tacoma the right way means:

• Building with purpose

• Avoiding shortcut kits

• Matching tire size to lift

• Correcting geometry with UCAs

• Investing in quality shocks and leafs

FAQs

Q: Will lifting void my Tacoma warranty?
Not entirely, but parts related to the lift may not be covered.

Q: What’s the max safe lift?
3” with UCAs and support mods is the limit before major geometry correction.

Q: Can I run 35s with a 3” lift?
Only with trimming, CMC, high caster, and regearing.

Q: Are coilovers worth it over spacers?
Yes. Coilovers provide real suspension performance—spacers just raise ride height.

Q: Do I need an alignment after installing a lift?
Always. Improper caster or camber will ruin tires and handling.