Weigh in on your lift choice

[AlexJet]

Its all depend on what do you want to achieve and what type of terrain you wheel at.

I'd recommend to stay away from spacers unless its your mall truck and never leaves the pavement.

OME is perfect budget lift. It fits Quality/Price range awesome. Very good for ocasional off-roader.

"Coilover" lifts are one of the finest choices, but can be expensive. Donahoe were good ones, now IVD picked up the flag. There are also many good competitors on the market: SAW, Radflo. You can go with hi-end companies like King and Fox too.

The next step would be like Long-Travel which are represented by Total Chaos, Camburg. But here you're looking at ~5k +

The last step will be SAS with the price tag up to 25k.

As you can see there are many options from $300 to $25'000.

 

[Mr. Leary]

The last step will be SAS with the price tag up to 25k.

Hmmm... or you could go get a waggy driver side drop D44 and have it in for a couple grand out the door... just sayin'. 25k will buy you a 4BT 80 series... with a lot more spank then you will ever get out of a Taco.

 

[Lost Canadian]

I have the older Donahoes and by the end of the summer I will be replacing them with OME. It all boils down to what you need them to do. When I lived in San Diego, I needed something that worked better for the faster washboard roads I drove on in the desert. Heat fading was an issue and the 'Hoes were all the rage. Up here I need something that is a lot simpler in design that will stand the harsh conditions we face. They also have a softer coil rate that will aid in getting the most out of my suspension in the rough slow stuff I see up here. Hoes are awesome for what they are, OME is awesome for what it is. Pick your needs, pick your poison.

X2. I have Donahoes and will be replacing them with OME this summer. The D-hoes are nice but are just too much work to maintain properly in harsh conditions. Simple reliability is my #1 focus now.

 

[tacollie]

OME would be my recommendation for any DD truck. It is just a good all around kit. I had SAWs and they were harsh and a lot of maintance.

 

[trump]

With a Toyota truck on salted roads, having your coilovers corrode is the least of your worries.

Donahoe's have been perfect for my needs. A big plus of the adjustability of them on a Tacoma is for fixing the 'taco lean.' That's a less exact practice fixing it with the spring inserts on an OME setup. I also like being able to rebuild them instead of needing to replace with the OME. For those reasons plus their great desert performance, I choose the Icon route over OME.

 

[JCMatthews]

Unless everyone here knows who you are, how you drive, where you drive, and what your rig is (I dont)- seems that you should share that info if you are interested in anything other than someone boasting about their *******.

Tons of variables and there are setups for each one and some for many.
Do you have deep pockets or a limited budget? SA or IFS, Tundra/FJ/FJ40/FJ80/T4R1-2-3-4-5, desert/mud/sand/rocks/trees/street????
throw us a bone

Not trying to be rude, but you have asked the most general suspension question there is and this post will be of no use to anyone if there are no parameters.

Lots of great Toyota setups out here- Camburg, Chaos, Marlin, All-pro, Sky, Demello, fror, ICON, OME, FOX, KORE---- just to name a few

I will answer this question, and revive this thread. I am planning to buy a first generation DC Tundra. (I have found an '05 with 40,000 miles, for $20,000. I need to sell my Ford first.) A Tundra limits the options a lot. I assumed that companies that manufactured products for Toyotas would include the Tundra. Now I realize that because it is a North American truck that not much is available.

I have read that the OME 885 springs and an OME shock combo will work on the front end. This will gain about 2 1/2 inches of lift. As for the rear I have not decided yet. We have a small spring manufacturer here in town that I might have build me some leaf packs. My budget is limited, but I if I can sell our Ford, I will have some spare cash. If I can get a good deal on the truck, I will add some of the mods into the loan.

To answer the other part of your question about driving type. I am not planning on running the Baja 1000. I travel forest roads, rocky trails, and mud if it is in the road. I see roads that are wet and rutted during the deer hunt, and sometimes snow. I rarely, if ever, get into sand. Not that it is something that will not happen, but I don't go to the beach or the dunes. I am only be looking for a few inches of lift to run larger tires, and keep me from getting stuck on modest obstacles. I am planning on making this rig a long distance traveler that can handle many types of terrain. We are currently planning a summer trip to Alaska maybe 2012. I want to stay off of the interstate hi way system in US and Canada, using state roads and dirt roads. We will have a slide in pop-up camper. I have an M-416 that I am going to tow with extra gear in it also (A family of five require space). I am going to need some kind of over load spring, I am thinking about the Timbrens. The truck will also have to do double duty. It will work for its keep. It will haul fire wood, sand, gravel, and anything else I need it to do.

Part of my question was to find out about quality. I purchased a lift for my Cherokee and then I had a rear spring failure that the manufacturer did not want to warranty. I don't want to have to deal with that again. I hope that this helps you guys be able to give advice.

 

[Haggis]

JC, I've been really pleased with my DC Tundra's set up and don't look to swap it out an time soon. Like Jim stated my lift consists of Bilstiens 5100s set at the 2.5" notch and rear Deaver custom 11 leaf packs with 600+ lbs added weight capacity, 2.5 " of lift, teflon spacers between leafs and Baja bushings in the eyelets. Also I have a set of Timbrens installed in the rear. My Tundra sees light to medium wheeling, salty wintry travel and hauls heavy gear about all the time.

After nearly two years and 42,000 miles of travel I'm very pleased with this set-up. Ride is great, though slightly stiffer than stock. To my tastes that is much preferable as the stock ride and handling was to car like for me. The components are holding up very well despite two slushy and salty winters. The Bilstiens look and ride like new and there is no sagging or leakage of any kind. The rear suspension handles loads way better now, the stock Tundra springs leave a lot to be desired. Stock Tundras are more like 2/5th ton trucks than 1/2 ton ones. I do notice a little kick back bounce when the Timbrens engage but that only happens when heavily loaded and doesn't really effect the drive at all. If you are planning on towing a trailer or having a slide-in pop up of some kind definitely go with custom springs. Even with AALs the stock springs are way to soft to handle a good load.

The swap on the Tundra is way to easy when compared to doing one on a Jeep. The only thing that would cause a hick up is finding someone to compress and switch your coils over and onto the new Bilstiens. My spring compressors were just not up to the job. Heck, I think Jim as got it down to a science now.

Bear in mind I'm no Toyota guy and can only speak from my limited experiences mucking with the Tundra, so there may be a better option out there. But for the price, quality and ease of install you should be more than happy with this or similar type of set-up. Hope that helps feel free to PM me or Jim (He's a helpful chap) if you have any other questions. Looking forward to seeing your new ride, just make sure it ain't silver. Don't want to get them confused around here.:elkgrin:

 

[the dude]

Mark,

Have you noticed any ball joint issues or rubbing associated with your set up? I am reading on Tundrasolutions that there are a few issues with the bilstiens?

My plan is to go with the Bilstein 5100 all around (ordered), deaver springs with 600lbs extra load and a 2.5" lift with a set of RideRite airbags (ordered) with a dif drop ad HD clamps for the axle boots. I want to run 255/85R16 tires.

Should I be looking at the OME 885 up front as well? When do new UCA come into play? I am looking for a bomb proof set up for hunting, fishing, and light to moderate wheeling with a 33" tire.

opinions welcome.

 

[Ryanmb21]

I just put in new Icon coilovers, Total Chaos UCAs and Icon rear piggyback shocks, for the previous five years I had OME and stock UCAs.

I will not comment on durability as I am not hard on the equipment but in terms of ride quality my new icon stuff blows the doors off my OME stuff. I liked the OME stuff and only switched due to curiosity but it has exceeded my expectations, literally feels like a new truck to me.

 

[bat]

Having had Ome, Bilstein and Icon threw the years, I can say Ome just has a harsh edge compared to the other two. I think you can't go wrong with a Bilstein setup for the price and quality in the product.

 

[Haggis]

Mark,

Have you noticed any ball joint issues or rubbing associated with your set up? I am reading on Tundrasolutions that there are a few issues with the bilstiens?

No. There isn't any signs of balljoint wear (currently 68,000 miles on truck/ 45,000 miles post lift) or rubbing. The only thing my tires rubbed on were the front mudflaps and they went bye-bye. Keep in mind the fenderwells on a DC are a good 1/2 inch wider and taller than an AC which often need a BFH mod to run 285s. Also my rims have 4" of backspacing, anything deeper and the 285s will rub on the UCA. I did tear a factory orginal boot at 67,000 miles.

My plan is to go with the Bilstein 5100 all around (ordered), deaver springs with 600lbs extra load and a 2.5" lift with a set of RideRite airbags (ordered) with a dif drop ad HD clamps for the axle boots. I want to run 255/85R16 tires.

To run 255s you really only need 1.5" of front lift and with the DC having wider fenderwells than an AC you don't even need to break out the BFH mod.

Should I be looking at the OME 885 up front as well?

I have know knowledge or experience with the OMEs and can't help there.

When do new UCA come into play?

I believe when your trying to run 285s on deeper backspaced wheels or running 33x12s and they start hitting the factory arms or if you can't get alignment to specs then new UCAs are in order. I didn't have any issues with my set-up.

I am looking for a bomb proof set up for hunting, fishing, and light to moderate wheeling with a 33" tire.

opinions welcome

Mine's working well. Thought I'm sure there are just as good or better ways to achieve the same results, just depends on what your willing to spend to achieve it. But if I was modding another Tundra I'd go with the Bilstiens/Deavers again. Great bang for the buck.

 

[Chadman]

I have had OME lifts on several Toyota's and even a Rubicon. Best suspension for the money! :safari-rig:

 

[4Rescue]

OME DOES make a good lift... in fact dollar for dollar they're far and AWAY the best suspension maker out there. Whatever you've "heard" or read is flat out WRONG. Icon is good stuff too, don't get me worng, BUT for hauling loads and overall cost OME is far and away the best.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Derek24]

Had spacers, 5100's, and now Icon's. Took me three years to now be happy with my suspension. Icon's are a little stiff on small stuff (could just be my tires) but get going and there's nothing else like it. The faster you go the smoother it gets. I have the extended travel with Camburg UCA's and no swaybars and its awesome! Worth every 100,000 pennies!

 

[Spitfire]

OME 885s up front and 1.5" toytec aal in the rear. Mild and level, great ride, no vibes. Ymmv. :smiley_drive: