We know it's nearly impossible to 'bag and body drop your brand-new mini as soon as you buy it, and even so, not everyone's ready to dive in that deep right off the bat. You have to start somewhere, and we know just the right combination to give your new Tacoma an altered appearance without breaking the bank.
First things first, you have to start out with quality components so that they'll stand the test of time. No, this isn't an ultra-low lowering kit we're installing, but it will definitely improve the handling and cornering characteristics of a stock Tacoma. At the same time, you'll lessen the amount of wheel gap between the fenders and the tires, which always helps to improve the appearance of any truck. This upgrade begins up front with 2-inch lowered coil springs from Eibach, which gives us a modest drop but leaves much of the truck's suspension travel intact and will allow the use of the original Tokico shocks. Out back, we opted for a pair of 3-inch dropped composite leaf springs from Flex-A-Form.
Before lowering, we experienced too much wheel hop in cornering situations, and once the progressive suspension was installed, the annoying hop went away - for good. Once we were down enough to clean up the wheel-to-fender gap a bit and give us improved cornering ability, we still needed one final touch: custom wheels and new low-profile tires. We were provided a set of 18x7.5-inch Hurricane wheels and 245/40R18 BFGoodrich tires to make this final change. The install gave us the right looks, the right handling, and it definitely won't kill your bank account. Follow along as Sleeper Suspension shows us how easy this setup was to install. For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box to get your new Taco' looking sweet and handling like a slot car.
1.We'll start by installing...
1.We'll start by installing a pair of 2-inch lowered coil springs from Eibach, fiberglass 3-inch dropped leaf springs from Flex-A-Form, and our 18-inch wheels and tires from HP Wheels and BFGoodrich.
2.Begin by jacking up the...
2.Begin by jacking up the vehicle as high as you can safely get it; always use jackstands to be sure that the vehicle will not fall while working on it. Then remove the front wheels to give you access to the suspension.
3.Remove the top shock bolt...
3.Remove the top shock bolt and two lower shock bolts and remove the shocks, but make sure you save all the bolts you are removing for re-use.
4.Remove the cotter pin and...
4.Remove the cotter pin and take off the castle nuts that hold the steering tie-rod ends on.
5.Remove the antisway bar...
5.Remove the antisway bar end links that attach the antisway bar to the arm.
6.After gaining access to...
6.After gaining access to the upper ball joint, remove all four nuts and bolts that secure the ball joint to the upper control arm.
7.With the upper control arm...
7.With the upper control arm and upper ball joint disconnected, you can easily drop the spindle and lower control arm all the way down to allow spring removal.
8.Once the stock spring is...
8.Once the stock spring is out, replace it with the new Eibach coil spring. Make sure that you replace the rubber donut that needs to be installed on top of the coil spring to keep things quiet and tidy.
9.Next, reinstall the upper...
9.Next, reinstall the upper ball joint, making sure that all the bolts line up correctly (using stock hardware like we told you). If you lost them, head to Home Depot - quick!
10.Reinstall the shocks by...
10.Reinstall the shocks by sliding the shocks back in from below and securing both top and bottom.
11.Reinstall the steering...
11.Reinstall the steering tie-rod ends to each side in the same location as you removed them. Also, reinstall the antisway bar end links. You're almost ready to rock and roll.
12.Next, we tossed the stock...
12.Next, we tossed the stock wheels and tires in the garbage in favor of the 18-inch HP/BFGoodrich combo we had on hand and bolted them into place.
13.Moving to the rear suspension,...
13.Moving to the rear suspension, start by replacing the stock bumpstops with some smaller ones that you can pick up from almost anywhere. We dug ours out of Sleeper's bin.
14.Before you begin working...
14.Before you begin working on the leaf springs, make sure you support the rear end and take all the tension off the leaves themselves. Remove the lower shock bolt from the base plate, then remove the U-bolts and base plate altogether.
15.Remove the bolt through...
15.Remove the bolt through the front eye of the front of the leaf springs first and allow the spring to drop carefully.
16.Next, remove the nuts from...
16.Next, remove the nuts from the rear shackle, separate the shackle, and slide the spring from the shackle completely.
17.This is a side-by-side...
17.This is a side-by-side comparison of the stock leaf and our new fiberglass version.
18.Lube all of the new bushings...
18.Lube all of the new bushings to avoid squeaking, then install in both the fore and aft eyes of the springs before installing the front of the leaf spring.
19.To finish hanging the leaf...
19.To finish hanging the leaf spring, install the rear of the leaf spring in the shackle and bolt it all up.
20.Now you can reinstall the...
20.Now you can reinstall the backing plate and U-bolts.
21.&22.Bolt the shock back...
21.&22.Bolt the shock back up to the plate and install the new wheels on the rear of the truck.
23.Torque the wheels to factory...
23.Torque the wheels to factory specs, using a decent torque wrench. Too tight can mean damaged wheels and brakes; too loose can spell disaster.
24.To get the most out of...
24.To get the most out of your new tires, align the front wheels to account for the changes made to the front suspension.