Lifting the Tacoma: going with 3-inches (or 6)

So I’ve had the truck a little more than a year now. It’s a nice truck! But to be honest, I didn’t expect it would stay stock forever. It’s our expedition vehicle. When we go out into the nature around us, it’s the one we take. I want it to be superior at that, you know? The question wasn’t ever “are we going to lift it,” the question has always been “how much do we lift it?”

This question remains unanswered as of yet.

There’s a slew of options out there for the Tacomas, but a lot of them are sh!t and really, the way I see it there’s really only TWO options: a 3-inch or a 6-inch. There’s pros & cons to both I guess, cost is a slight factor but not completely prohibitive. The problem I’ve had in deciding is whether or not the 6-inch lift is worth the extra cost, and whether I’d make use of it. You know, is it actually a) better, and b) better for our needs? Does it justify the added cons for the pro of an addition 3-inches of ground clearance? That’s really the only question in the matter, but it’s not an easy one to answer.

A 3-incher costs, let’s say $2k by the time all’s said & done. What do I get? 3 extra inches of ground clearance for the frame, and with a little finagling I can put on 33” tires and gain an extra ½-inch clearance over my current 32” tires as well. A 6-incher however costs twice this amount. I gain 6 inches of clearance at the frame, minus a couple of inches just after the front tires for the subframes that support this lift. So at points I get 6-inches of additional lift, at others I get just 3- or 4-inches (though I’ve been assured that I can use those as sliders and just pretend they’re not there in that respect). I also have the option of running 35” tires which would give me an additional 1-½” of lift on top of that, and a most-important 1-½ inches at the axle & front suspension. But there’s a chance I’d stay at 33” anyway, as I hear that 35” requires “trimming” of the frame. I refuse to trim my frame.

A pro & con list, you say? Yeah, I can do that. Here you go:

3-inch pros

• More affordable
• Gain at least 3” of lift at all points (no subframe rails)
• More accessible entry
• Won’t void warranty locally

3-inch cons

• Can’t run bigger than 33” tires (little added ground clearance for axles)
• Extends suspension for lift (less “flex” for the suspension; it’s already extended)
• ONLY 3” of lift

6-inch pros

• Additional 3” of lift provides better obstacle clearance through middle of truck, better approach & departure angles
• Can run 35” tires (?)

6-inch cons

• Probably can’t run 35” tires, have to stick with 33” anyway (frame trimming)
• Costs at least twice as much (parts, additional necessary parts, etc)
• Actually only gain 3” of ground clearance after the front tires for about 1-½ foot of length
• Possibly void warranty (local dealership frowns upon 6-inch lifts)

Clearly then, the 3” is the better option, right? Not so sure. That’s the problem with pro/con lists for me, they don’t take into account the weight of particular points, they just assign a point for each. There’s a chance that actually, that additional 3” of lift — the one true Pro of the 6-incher — is weighted so heavily that it bests the laundry list of its cons & the 3-incher’s Pros. Which is why the argument still unfolds.

I’ve yet to find the weighted scale for these points yet.

To be continued…