After working with Toyota Racing Development on the supercharger article in the July '02 issue, we found that TRD needed to lower one of its Tacomas. To find out the best way to perform a simple lowering job, the company contacted us.
When we found out what it was looking for, we did a bit of research and found out that the same bolt-on application for a '99 Tacoma works every bit as well on an '02 Tacoma. From past experience, we know that when a new model year truck comes out, often there's not much of a change besides the appearance of the hood, the bumper, and the grille.
Even though it may seem as though nothing has changed, the new truck will often have vastly different part numbers for suspension components. Follow along as we install a simple slam on Toyota's newest mini-truck equipped with a TRD S-Runner body kit. The truck has plenty of style, but not enough attitude. For the complete rundown on our exploits, keep reading.
To order your own lowering components, contact Chassis Tech. Its information is listed in the source box of this article.
Shown here are the bolt-on...
Shown here are the bolt-on parts that we used to get the most drop out of the Tacoma.
For the rear, a simple leaf...
For the rear, a simple leaf spring swap, along with a pair of shorter shocks, was all we needed to bring the back half down to a more respectable ride height.
After we pulled the stock...
After we pulled the stock leaf springs off the truck, we laid one pack next to the new ones we received from Chassis Tech. Without any load on them, you can tell the difference in ride height the Chassis Tech leaves make.
To install the new leaf springs,...
To install the new leaf springs, we first hung the rear by the shackle, and then rotated the leaf pack forward to insert the bolt that holds the spring in place at the front perch.
With the spring hanging in...
With the spring hanging in place, we simply replaced the U-bolts and torqued them evenly.
Next, we pulled the upper...
Next, we pulled the upper control arms off the truck and removed the mounting beams from them. Once the beams were freed, they were reinstalled in the new Chassis Tech upper control arms.
The new upper arms were reinstalled...
The new upper arms were reinstalled over the back of the shock tower and reattached using the factory hardware. Be sure to make an appointment to realign your truck, since all of the alignment shims will fall out of the truck when the stock upper arm is removed.
We replaced the factory bolts...
We replaced the factory bolts that secure the upper control arm to the upper ball joint and snugged them evenly. Don't worry, we weren't trying to kill ourselves. We pulled the upper ball joint and upper control arm apart again in a few minutes, so torquing them wasn't necessary...yet.
Next, we removed the nuts...
Next, we removed the nuts that secure the lower control arm to the lower ball joint.
Using a safe method of prying,...
Using a safe method of prying, such as the pry bar shown here, we separated the lower ball joint from the lower control arm. This is easier if you disconnect the strut bar that runs to the top of the lower arm as well as the truck's antisway bar
Side-by-side, you can tell...
Side-by-side, you can tell that the Chassis Tech lower control arm (left) has a lot more heft to it. It's also engineered to allow a lower ride height, better alignment properties, and to stand up far better to the abuses of driving low.
To install the lower arm,...
To install the lower arm, we first set the new lower arm into place, fed the factory mounting bolt into the mounting hole, and torqued the factory nut.
After we reinstalled the lower...
After we reinstalled the lower ball joint and tightened up the lower suspension assembly, we went ahead and tightened everything to factory specifications. Since the uppers and lowers were now installed, here's the reason why we only hand tightened the upper ball joint hardware: We had to install the Chassis Tech coil springs that give the truck even more drop.
Finally, it was time not only...
Finally, it was time not only to tighten up the upper ball joints, but also to adequately torque the castle nuts that secure both the upper and the lower ball joints. Be sure to replace the cotter pins before you put your tools away.
Once complete, this is what...
Once complete, this is what a Chassis Tech suspension looks like, ready for action.