Best Lift Kit for Toyota Tacoma

Welcome to our comprehensive buying guide for the Best Lift Kits for Toyota Tacoma. It’s an undeniable fact – a perfect lift kit can dramatically enhance the performance and aesthetics of your vehicle. Whether you’re seeking superior ground clearance for off-roading or simply desire that aggressive, high-stanced look, choosing the right lift kit for your Toyota Tacoma is paramount. Our extensive research and hands-on testing have led us to an unrivaled favorite – the Rough Country 3.5 Kit, a blend of functionality, performance, and value that rises above its competition. Find the current price on Amazon! Stay with us as we delve deeper into why this is our top pick and explore other worthy options that may cater to your unique Tacoma needs.

Lift Kits for Toyota Tacoma
Best Lift Kit for Toyota Tacoma

Best Lift Kit for Toyota Tacoma – Top Picks:

Rough Country 3-inch Lift KitRough Country 3.5-Inch Lift KitRough Country Vertex 3.5-Inch Lift KitKSP Performance Lift KitTorch 3-inch Lift KitSupreme Suspensions 3-inch Lift Kit
Manufacturer Part Number‎74531‎74231742573F-2R-LK015‎689355918576‎292(2R) pro
Max tire size33"35"33"No data33"32.5"
Model Years2005-20202005-20222005-20222005-20212005-20222005-2022
Dimensions‎24.75 x 5.75 x 6 inches32.7 x 11.1 x 6 inchesNo data‎13.78 x 6.69 x 6.69 inches16.14 x 13.35 x 9.41 inches‎12.4 x 9.9 x 7.1 inches
Item Weight43.8 pounds‎85.2 pounds‎85.2 pounds‎17.2 pounds‎16.28 pounds15.42 pounds
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Good: Rough Country 3-inch Lift Kit

Rough Country 3-inch Lift Kit

The first kit we are going to look at is the basic three-inch lift from Rough Country. This kit uses spacers to lift the rear suspension and provides the correct lifted struts and shocks for front and rear suspension modifications to ensure the proper function of the truck.

The kit includes N3 struts and shocks that use coil-over springs just like the factory suspension. The difference is that these struts will give your Toyota Tacoma truck a three-inch lift and a level stance that looks fantastic.

The rear lift uses tapered spacers and longer U-bolts to accomplish the lift. Longer, stronger shocks ensure that the truck retains good driving characteristics after the lift.

Pros

  • Longer struts are a preferable method of lifting over using spacers
  • Provides increased clearance without sacrificing ride quality

Cons

  • Terrible instructions that don’t cover the full scope of the installation
  • May require some modification to the truck


Rough Country 3.5-Inch Lift Kit

Rough Country 3.5-Inch Lift Kit

While the previous kit simply provides a little clearance and some better shocks, this kit takes things up to the next level. It uses similar struts and shocks in the front and rear, but also replaces the upper A-arm with an extended design. This prevents unintentional suspension angle changes that are detrimental to ride quality while ensuring that you have the right parts for the job.

The rear suspension gets a lift from the use of tapered spacer blocks with longer U-bolts. The design works great to level the front and rear of the truck while maintaining the proper pinion angle for the driveshaft. The kit includes N3 gas-charged shocks for the rear.

This is a perfect kit for drivers who do some mild off-road driving and need more ground clearance but want to maintain a safe and stable steering feel throughout the process of driving the truck. It is more than just an appearance lift, this kit will give your truck the ability to handle off-road adventures with ease.

Pros

  • Included a-arms save time and money over trying to source parts yourself
  • Matches OEM ride quality

Cons

  • Can be a challenge to install without experience
  • Only available for 4WD models


Rough Country Vertex 3.5-Inch Lift Kit

Rough Country Vertex 3.5-Inch Lift Kit

The ultimate in lifting and off-roading capabilities is included in this awesome kit. It uses the best bits of the 3.5-inch lift kit above and adds the dynamic performance of remote gas-charged cylinders and adjustable struts to give you a custom ride that just begs for action.

The kit begins with extended upper a-arms that allow for better suspension articulation that the factory components. Then, RC throws in their N3 adjustable struts that have oversized pushrods and remote gas cylinders to ensure even performance under the most demanding of conditions.

In the rear, you’ll get the tapered leveling and lifting blocks along with V2 gas shocks to keep things smooth on the highway and make driving on rutted, washboard roads more comfortable. The kit even includes differential spacers you’ll need to buy separately with most kits so you don’t have to deal with wasted time searching for the parts to make things work right.

Pros

  • Complete lift kit that offers the greatest potential for off road capabilities
  • Includes parts often not included in other kits

Cons

  • Requires modifications in order to install
  • Not easy to install without professional help


KSP Performance Lift Kit

KSP Performance Lift Kit

Drivers looking for an affordable way to add a lift to their Toyota Tacoma can get the look they want installing this kit. This is the most basic way to lift a truck. It uses a series of spacers that lift the truck without replacing any of the factory parts.

The kit starts with aluminum spacers for the front struts. These are made from T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and incorporate upgraded 12.9 bolts that are less likely to fail under stress.

The rear blocks are tapered and have a cross-gusseted support to prevent deflection and ensure the proper pinion angle. The longer-than-stock U-bolts also provide the lift kit with better durability to ensure you don’t have a critical failure when having fun.

Pros

  • Affordable way to get a lifted truck without having to buy lots of parts
  • Excellent choice of materials for construction that ensures durability

Cons

  • Some installers noticed a higher front than rear lift once installed
  • May be difficult to install due to removal of a-arm


Torch 3-inch Lift Kit

Torch 3-inch Lift Kit

This is another affordable lifting option that buyers can use to improve the appearance and functionality of your Toyota six-lug Tacoma. The kit uses spacers for the front struts and blocks for the rear axle to provide a life to the vehicle without replacing factory struts or shocks.

The front strut spacers are intended to fit the 6-lug and installs on top of the strut. This design means you can keep your factory shocks. It includes new bolts to ensure that the spacers mount correctly.

The rear spacers are tapered correctly to ensure you won’t have to shim parts to fit. The rear spacer blocks include extended u-bolts that are powder coated for durability. The kit is simple to install and provides a level stance to the truck.

Pros

  • Simple and basic kit that lifts the truck and levels the suspension
  • Effective way to eliminate odd pitch from factory suspension

Cons

  • Some buyers report vibrations after installing the kit
  • Mounting hardware isn’t high-strength


Supreme Suspensions 3-inch Lift Kit

Supreme Suspensions 3-inch Lift Kit

This kit uses T6 aircraft-grade aluminum construction that provides superior strength and durability. The front spacers only fit on 2WD and 4WD models, but will not fit on TRD models.

The rear spacers use blocks to provide a level stance and lift the rear of the truck. The spacers are tapered to provide the proper pinion angle when properly installed so that you don’t have to purchase shims or additional parts to install.

This kit typically requires some additional parts to get proper fit and function. Many installers state that the vehicle will exhibit vibrations after installation.

Pros

  • Inexpensive option for budget-conscious buyers
  • Easy to install

Cons

  • Many installers comment that the lift kit induces vibrations and requires additional parts
  • U-bolts are far too long and must be cut for practicality


Conclusion

Lifting the Toyota Tacoma truck makes the truck look tougher and it also allows the driver to safely traverse rough roads and go places off-road that a stock truck won’t be able to go. The best and most reliable way to lift these trucks is to replace the factory struts with longer struts that are designed to offer better performance handling characteristics. The downside to this type of modification is that it is expensive, but the results are generally better. The three options we describe from Rough Country are all high-quality kits that use some of the best possible parts available.

The other method of lifting a Tacoma involves adding spacers that rest on top of the front struts and coilovers to lift the truck. When a small amount of lift is gained this way, there are very few changes to the suspension geometry that happen. However, many times, you’ll find that overall travel of the suspension is limited, so we tend to recommend spacer lifts more for the appearance of a lifted truck rather than for a lift you intend to use unless adding additional parts along the way

If you plan on using a spacer lift kit to lift your Toyota truck, at a minimum, you should be sure to check the pinion angle of the driveshaft and make sure that you don’t have binding of the u-joint. This can cause sudden failure of the driveline and may end up causing wear and damage to the axle.

We think that most drivers will be far more happy having a full suspension lift on their truck that works as well or better than the stock suspension, and that is why we recommend the lift kits from Rough Country over the less expensive spacer kits. Check on Amazon!

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