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Disappointed with my Toytec 3" lift

90K views 73 replies 42 participants last post by  fourwd 
#1 ·
This work was done on my 2011 d-cab 4x4 TRD O/R. Yes, there is a little venting in this thread, but hopefully it can help somebody else be informed if they are considering the lift kit i bought.

I talked to the salesman, told him what i wanted and what my intensions are:

** 3" lift in the front and wanted it to sit level
** have a set of 285/65/18s i want to put on it.

I bought this kit, except no rear shocks and I added all the stuff the salesman recommended to me (shims, bearing spacers, diff drop, longer u-bolts, etc) I got the part number from toytech for the shocks and got them from a different vendor because toytech had them on backorder and had no ETA.

My truck sits Much higher in the back than it does the front. The tech said I got 2.25" in the front, but said he did not measure the rear before the lift.

Measurements:
(from ground to bottom of fender flair centered through the wheel)
Front-Before: 33-7/8" After: 36-1/8"
Rear-Before: not measured After: 39-1/4"

The truck is VERY noticably higher in the back. With 2 of my friends standing on the rear bumper, it sits close to level.

What i used:
bilstein 5100s (with the clip on the 2nd lowest position (per toytec))
toytec 1.6" lift springs
toytec AAL
all the hardware they upsell to go with it.
Everything installed at the toyota dealership.

I was assured over the phone that my truck would be lifted 3" front and sit level, and I got neither of this.

If anybody can think of a logical reason the truck did not come out the way Toytec said it would, i am all ears and will forward it to the toyota technician.

I plan to call Toytec on Monday, But I dont have a lot of faith in this. One of those situations where you spend *more* than what you planned and get less than what you wanted. All the way down to the $40 1" longer Ubolts, which have 1.5" of thread showing out of the bottom right now.
 
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#6 ·
I wouldn't call it bashing a vendor, I simply said I'm not happy. The lift is not as advertised and at bare minimum, I'm going to have to pay labor twice. This thread could end with any outcome, but I wish I had read a thread like this before I spent this much money on parts and labor.
I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Toytec employee at time of sale told me don't go higher than the second clip or it will cause damage with their spring installed. I don't have the luxury of swapping parts and "trying" things because the labor costs would be too much. Shop labor is 5 hours for front suspension and alignment. The 5100s are in the right spot.

As far as what AAL I got, I have no idea, they were not marked. He just said it would level my truck. Order was over the phone.
 
#7 ·
since the rear is higher than the front from the factory how did u think that if u lifted the front and the rear that they would end up being level. this is in no way toytec's fault. u didnt do your homework
 
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#9 ·
Are you serious?

The website says "All of our 3" kits will level your truck"
The salesman said, "your truck will sit level"

I wish I could do the labor myself, but life doesn't allow that.

Anyways, I will update tomorrow if they return my call by then. Its bed time.
 
#10 ·
Next time do the install yourself, and save money on labor...
No shit. The install for a coil fit and aal takes about 2 hours in the driveway. Then all you have to pay for is an alignment (which runs $70 where I'm at). Then you will have a lot better understanding of why things work the way they do and can fix problems on your own rather than paying the douches at the stealership to fix your junk.
 
#11 ·
obviously u cant read. that kit doesnt say that ur shit will sit level afterwards. show me where it says that this kit will LEVEL ur truck
View Full-Size Image

Bilstein Adjustable lift kit with 5100 shocks
Price per Unit (Kit): $649.99
Number Kits in packaging:1
Number Kits in box:1

Ask a question about this product

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BK0510

Bilstein Adjustable lift kit with 5100 shocks

1.5 to 3" lift kit with Eibach front coils (3" average lift is achieved with coils and setting the shock adjustment on the second C clip setting from the bottom) DO NOT EXCEED THIS SETTING OR DAMAGE WILL OCCOUR

Includes:

C475 Height adjustable Bilstein front 5100 shocks

TP14 spacer for correction of drivers side lean

112-620 Eibach/Toytec front coil springs 620lb spring rate

TAC-DR-05 Front diff drop kit

TAC-AL Toytec 2" lift add-a-leafs with anti friction pads, or choose 1 1/2" blocks or add-a-leafs

C476 rear Bilstein 5100 shocks
 
#19 ·
its right on the FAQ page for 05+ Tacoma. And, again, the salesman told me it would over the phone:

Q. Will the kits you offer "level" my truck?
Yes, our 3" complete front and rear kits are designed to level your truck, by lifting the front 3" and the rear 2" . The 2 1/2" kits will leave the rear slightly higher like stock.

^^^ all that is copy/pasted from their website.

Guys im not looking for sympathy. I have the skillset to work on vehicles, but life has thrown me a curveball and im now a full time working single father of 2and No longer have a garage and all my tools, etc.

I agree the cheapest thing to do would be to remove the AAL. But im still waiting on the company to contact me back, I want to hear what they say. For those of you trying to shoot me down, say what you want, but if tables were turned, i bet you'd be unhappy too. If this is the outcome, I should have been told to just order 5100s, put them on the highest setting and enjoy your truck.

Look, even if it was just an inch higher in the back, I wouldnt say anything.
I have heard a couple people say the rear will settle. I hope it does
 
#12 ·
stock, the front is 2.5" lower than the rear.

lifting the front 2.75" will make you ride level... any more than that and you start to piss off your CVs. the first clip is 0 lift, second is .85" + 1.6" lift springs and your at 2.5" This would level your truck. then you added the rear AAL making the rear higher...

Heres my truck, stock rear, with 2.75" up front
 
#16 ·
That explains it,2.5" higher in the rear stock, that's a big difference front to back. I guess it was misleading for the salesman to use the word "level". It looks like the easiest and cheapest way would be to remove the aal.
 
#13 ·
you're not going to get sympathy on a forum where everyone works on their own trucks.

this is not considered a "luxury"

luxury is paying people to do the simplest things for you.

why do you want your truck to sit level? do you ever use your truck as a truck?
 
#15 ·
I don't understanding the "perfectly level" obsession people have. The trucks weight will change based on fuel load, acceleration, braking, weight in the bed etc. Don't you think 20 gallons of gas vs 3 gallons will change where the truck sits? Then it is only perfectly level when it is parked, probably in the mall parking lot, looking really cool. If it sits perfectly level it will sag in the rear when rolling down the road.

Anyway....
#1: The rear leafs will settle, then start to sag eventually. It's a 2011 w/ a new AAL, it will settle.
#2: Adjust the fronts up a click. But then when #1 happens, you will have a saggy ass, which looks way worse then rear rake IMHO.
#3: Learn to work on you own truck so you can deal with this stuff yourself and not worry about spending $ to fix something that is easily doable with basic hand tools and a few hours of your time.
 
#17 ·
I'm thinking they didn't misslead you, OP...

The 3" front kits will level the truck. Then you said ah sweet I'll order a 3" lift kit. Which then lifted you all around. Sounds like a comunication issue.

Btw, the rear aal can be removed by any bonehead with a socket set in about an hour. But then again, there are those who say, what's a socket set? Can I rent one? :p
 
#18 ·
Fuck it, leave the leaf in. Factory leafs suck anyway, any sort of load at all and you are sagging.

AND...The only way you are ever going to really understand your truck, is to do the work yourself. People drive around with all these tricked out trucks, and don't even know how to maintain them.
 
#21 ·
Your front lift is obviously adjustable. Raise it up more and quit your bitching. Seriously.

The ad even states "adjustable from 1.5-3" of lift". Couldn't be much more clear than that.
 
#25 ·
Feedback is feedback. I bet anybody that was considering buying this same lift kit would be happy that i posted this and might decide to save hundres and buy a spacer kit or just get 5100s (on the highest clip) for same amount of lift... In my opinion, that what forums are for.

Your front lift is obviously adjustable. Raise it up more and quit your bitching. Seriously.

The ad even states "adjustable from 1.5-3" of lift". Couldn't be much more clear than that.
Buddy, if you read the description, you'd know you cant use all 4 clip positions like you can with OEM springs. Instructions cleary say it will cause damage.

_____________________________________________

Yea, a few people told me it would settle, both front and rear. I wouldn't mind a slight rake, but 3-4" is a bit much... especially on a midsize shortbed truck. You'd have to see it to understand. It is much more exagerated than the stock "rake."

Anyways, Toytec has been notified, I am waiting to hear back from them before I consider anything.
 
#22 ·
Or, throw a few sandbags in the bed and call it a day!:xbeer3:
 
#23 ·
i was thinking his two friends that he already said leveled it out nicely, but i guess the sandbags would work to. really though op put a bunch of weight in there and go mash it around and drive with it in there for a week or two and it will help break in those NEW spring and NEW addaleafs. i think ull be fine after that, but u WILL still have a rake. to get NO rake u need to to raise the front or take that addaleaf out or the equation. i understand not being able to work on your on junk as i live in an apartment complex now and the owners are sketched out by trucks getting wrenched on.
 
#26 ·
One problem with companies making claims about "level" is that they don't know how old a truck is, or how it has been used. If your truck is brand new and never carries a load or a topper, then you are putting 1.5-2" on top of completely unsagged springs. Springs are alive, and they change over time. The same 2nd Gen truck that has a topper and carries a load all the time and has worn its springs in might need that full 2" of lift to be level.

One recommendation, even if you are paying someone else to do the labor, is to do the lift sections one at a time. Suspensions are very much alive, and every truck is different. There is NO WAY a person on the phone can tell you exactly what a new part will do. If you did the 5100s first, then you could look at everything and say, "Boy, guess I don't even need that AAL."

Either way, I wouldn't blame Toytech, they do as good a job as anyone at giving people expectations that match the average truck out there - I'd call this a cheap learning experience for you, and don't worry - with time your springs will settle back down and the difference will get smaller and smaller. Put some weight in the back to accelerate the process.

-Sam
 
#60 · (Edited)
That statement "suspensions are very much alive" is friggin awesome and right on. Mine's not only alive it's got ADHD and multiple personalities. If you're gonna put what are essentially racing components on a truck you gotta be prepared to do racing maintenance on them. I modified that comment from another member in some other post somewhere, but it's true. I don't think your skill is in question, you just need to be able to do the maintenance to get the results you want. Like others have said to some degree, even when you get everything dialed in, something's gonna change very soon. You have to be prepared---when you deviate from stock, for the flood gates open and one thing leading to another. I'm definitely no expert, and I've posted a few noob ?'s in the wrong area, but most people I've talked to on this site are extremely helpful, but hard core about working on their truck. They install their lifts for off road performance, not so they can look at the roof of the minivan in front of them. That might be why your getting some of the non-flattering comments. I specifically waited til the warranty expired on my ride just so I could do the mods and maintenance. It's kinda like my therapy when the 'nag-hag'------ooooops---I meant loving wife gets on my nerves...

****************
One other to keep in mind w/05+ Tacos, just from my experience w/'rake' and level. Be careful not to try and level your ride based solely on the raked appearance. Late model Taco owners take a look at how your fenders are cut. They have about a 10 degree forward cant in the front and a little more in the rear. It's kinda like looking at one of those 3D posters and it can be very deceptive. Your truck can sit perfectly level and still have a noticeable raked appearance. You'll waste time/energy craking down your C/O's and probably wind up w/the front even with the rear and still look raked. Your fighting with an optical illusion.

Take the good advice posted here and measure pre/post ride height from frame to ground. I measured from hub center to fender bottom after I did my install, but that's not the best method. Again, just my opinion. Good luck!!!
 
#27 ·
Plain and simple, you need to allow your new rear springs to settle before you start crying about things not being level. It is going to settle after you've used it a while...period. Get out on a couple trail runs, or haul a couple hundred pounds around for a few weeks.



My prediction is in a few months we'll see the same OP complaining about how the rear has settled too much and now he thinks it looks like a low rider in the back and how he has to drop the amount of lift in the front just to get it "level" again. I see a constant string of complaints coming.


For point of reference, I used OME suspension on my own truck. 882s in the front and Dakar rears. When it first wenton, the rear was less than 1" higher than the front. About as close to level as you can get. But as soon as I get a load in the truck it's sitting much lower in the back. So I've added longer AllPro shackles to give me a little more rake (for now). With a load it sits close to level with the taller shackles but it doesn't solve the load capacity of the springs. I will ultimately use an OME AAL to handle a load better and go back to the greasable OME shackles to it doesn't sit too high. But the point is, IT'S A TRUCK and it's supposed to sit slightly higher in the back so that once you get a load in it it doesn't look like your rear suspension is busted.:rolleyes:
 
#28 ·
^^ Call it crying, its not just the rear. The front has already settled a little just after 2 days, so I am right at 2" front lift. Toytec says the rear will settle up to a max of 1"

I am certain that any of you would be disappointed in this situation. We are all enthusiasts, we put a lot of our hard earned money into our vehicles. All I ever expect is to get what I pay for. nothing more, nothing less.

After my truck settles the way Toytec says it will... then I just ordered and paid for a 3f/2r kit and got a 2f/2.5r kit. Thats all there is to it.

After emailing pictures of the installed parts, providing measurements, etc:

Toytec says - i only got 2" of front lift, so the truck rotates more weight to the front, possibly fully extending my rear shocks and further lifting the rear.

They suggest I purchase some of their 3/4" spacers to install between the spring and strut tops to see if that gets closer to 3" front lift. I again asked about just moving the clip up one more, they said it will not work.

They do not know why my truck did not properly lift up front, they said maybe because its a double cab.

No parts are returnable after installed, no options for exchange. I was offered a 5% discount on a spacer kit if I want one.

It would have been nice to know about the possibility of needing 3/4" spacers before I ordered and installed the kit. It would have been nicer just to get the results I was told I was going to get when i was ordering the parts.

Thats all gentleman.
 
#29 ·
I just want to add that i am looking to do the same thing to my 20003 prerunner and i think this thread has been very informative on what to expect. i thought it would come out to be perfectlt level with a 3 inch lift all the way around and now i have learned a lot about what to expect and how long it could possibly take to settle.
 
#30 ·
You have a different generation truck, different kits apply, and you'll see different results. This thread doesn't pertain to you, so don't automatically write off toytec because of this "issue."
 
#35 ·
FWIW, my truck is lifted 2.5" up front and 3.5" in the rear. I told Alcan that I wanted 2.5" of lift for my springs and that it would COME with 2.5" of lift, and that it would settle about 1". So I got 2.5" of lift thinking it would sit level after a while with my 2.5" COs. I also got them with an extra 200 pound load capacity. After toting around 600 pounds of sand (yes, 600) in the back (for several MONTHS, 3 I think), the rear didn't settle. LOL. These springs just won't sag... they take a load like no other. So I just raised up the front some more and did the boot slide mod. The truck rides like a dream with a ton of weight in the back and rides like a horse carriage with nothing back there but hell, it's a truck and my springs are way the hell more stout than the pussy factory springs were. Plus the 1" rake is hardly noticeable and still looks like a TRUCK.

But I have Toytec COILOVERS, so I can adjust them however much I want.

I think we all want to see pics. If your CV angles are not bad, you could probably just raise up the front another "click". Like others have said, work on your own shit. That's what weekends are for. ;)
 
#39 ·
Just an update. I loaded the bed. With just under 500 pounds in material (spread front to back) and the rear still stood 1/2" higher than the front after a trip across town. I'm pulling off the kit today and going with a different option.
 
#40 ·
hate to tell you but one trip across town is not going to break the springs in. You've got to get them out on some trails and actully flex the springs through their full deflection range several times before they'll start to settle. Having decent load and several of those types of trips is what you need.

Pulling off the Toytec stuff and going with something different, will likely give you the same result, and you're going to continue to be unhappy. It doesn't matter what the springs are. They'll need to be broken in.

Good luck. My earlier prediction is looking like it's going to happen.
 
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