If you’re looking to add larger wheels and tires to your Toyota Tacoma for added ground clearance and improved performance in off-road driving, then you’ll need to do so with a suspension lift kit. Find out what you need to know when shopping for a Tacoma lift kit in our comprehensive guide.
Choosing a Lift Kit for Your Tacoma: What You Need to Know
There are two different types of lift kits. Both are used to raise the truck for increased clearance. Choosing the right lift kit is a big decision. Our review can give you more insight before you buy.
Suspension Lift vs. Body Lift
A suspension lift kit raises the frame of the truck farther away from the axles with modified shock absorbers, springs, and other components. A body lift, on the other hand, raises the body of the truck away from the frame. This can create gaps between exposed parts and the body and require custom spacers or brackets to get everything level. While a body lift will enable you to fit larger tires on your Tacoma, the only improvement in ground clearance will be from the tires themselves, since the lift kit does not raise the frame at all. These factors make suspension kits preferable for lifting a Tacoma, but in some cases, a body lift acts as a useful complement to a suspension lift.
Tacoma Lift Kit Sizes
Tacoma lift kits come in a range of sizes, including 1- to 2-inch, 3- to 5-inch, and 6- to 8-inch lifts. Depending on how high you go, most Tacoma lifts fit tires up to 35 inches. You’ll also find leveling kits for your Tacoma if you’re only looking to raise your truck an inch or two, or if you’re installing up to 31-inch tires.
What to Look for in a Tacoma Lift Kit
Many shoppers look for an affordable price. While many kits only cost several hundred dollars, full lifts can bring you into the four-digit range, with some kits costing well over $1,000. If you’re just looking for a few inches or only need to add extension bars, spacers, or brackets to your current modification, you can find affordable options from many high-quality aftermarket brands. Another important factor is the appropriate equipment, as you’ll want a kit that comes with the parts you need, including valved shocks, coil springs, spring arches, or lifted leaf springs if your mod requires them.
Best Tacoma Lift Kit #1: TORCH 3-Inch Full Lift Kit
The TORCH 3-inch Tacoma lift kit fits the 2005-2022 four-wheel-drive TRD and SR5 models and features:
- A 4.7 rating out of five stars
- Six-lug design
- Easy bolt-on installation
The TORCH lift kit gives you the equipment for a full lift, with 3-inch front strut spacers and 2-inch tapered rear lift blocks. The kit also includes a differential drop kit, extended U-bolts, and all the hardware you need to install your lift at home.
Best Tacoma Lift Kit #2: WULF 3-Inch Lift Kit
The WULF 3-inch lift kit fits two-wheel and four-wheel drive trucks, is compatible with 1995-2004 Tacomas, and features:
- A 4.2-star rating
- Manufacturer’s lifetime warranty
- Heavy-duty alloy steel construction
This lift kit comes with both front and rear 3-inch fabricated steel strut spacers and angled blocks, gas shock absorbers, dust boots, and zinc-coated U-bolts. With all the hardware needed for installation, this kit makes it easy to do the job yourself.
Best Tacoma Lift Kit #3: Rough Country 6-Inch Lift Kit
The Rough Country 6-inch lift kit fits 2005-2015 Tacoma models and features:
- A 4.1 rating out of five stars
- Limited lifetime replacement warranty
- Two- and four-wheel-drive compatibility
This kit comes with N3 lifted struts, rear shock absorbers, and high-clearance front and rear cross members. You will be able to fit tires up to 34 inches, making this kit the perfect modification for heavy-duty overland driving.
Our Methodology
We independently evaluate and review trucks and vehicle accessories, including Tacoma lift kit options, to make your buying experience quick and easy. We ranked our top lift kit recommendations according to several key factors:
- Customer reviews
- Product rating
- Affordability
- Ease of installation
To determine which products to include on our list, we carefully selected our Tacoma lift kits based on Amazon reviews from real and verified customers, comparative kits at similar prices, ease of installation, and performance and durability.
Even though each product on our list ranked high in these categories, it’s important to research your options closely. Speak with a qualified automotive technician about your Tacoma modifications to learn more about your available choices. Various modifications can affect your vehicle differently, and a technician can help you determine what kind of lift is right for you.
Tacoma Lift Kit FAQ
Will a lift cause problems for your Tacoma?
While proper installation won’t hurt your vehicle, you might not be able to use other factory-standard equipment with your modification. This can be the case for equipment like the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) feature on newer models. That said, Toyota makes a TSS-compatible lift kit, which allows you to use all the tech components equipped on your Tacoma.
How hard is it to install a lift kit?
If you have all the tools you need and can do the job correctly, installing a lift is often a straightforward process, especially with bolt-on components. Check out this article to read our list of must-have tools in the garage while you’re working on your car.
These modifications usually take several hours to complete. However, you should only install a lift yourself if you have the experience and equipment you need for the work. Without the proper tools and understanding of the process, you can risk improper installation and affect driving safety.
Will a lift kit void the warranty?
Overall, a lift kit doesn’t automatically void your entire vehicle warranty, but it can void parts of it. According to the Lehtoslaw website, Magnusson Moss Warranty Act stipulates that manufacturers can refuse to honor a warranty if aftermarket parts could have contributed to the failure. For example, if you install a lift kit, and then your original control arm fails, Toyota is within its rights to refuse to cover it. Toyota did not design the control arm to be used in this way, so they are not responsible for this failure.
However, this loophole only applies to factory parts that could fail as a direct result of aftermarket parts. Toyota may not refuse to repair a failed infotainment system under warranty because you installed a lift kit. There is no way a lift kit can cause damage to an infotainment system, so Toyota is still required to cover it.
Research your warranty specifications before installing a lift to understand your coverage. You might also look at factory-standard lifts to ensure your vehicle retains the original coverage.
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