The Ultimate Guide to Toyota Tundra Lift Kits
There are two reasons people get trucks: they want to look cool, or they need a tool to get jobs done. Lift kits are one of those accessories for your Tundra that can apply to both of those people. However, let’s face it: trucks need to be lifted.
Regardless of how or why you plan on lifting your Tundra, we do need to get some common terms out of the way so you can become an expert! After that, I’ll toss some examples at you, and hopefully you can determine which way is the best way to lift your ride.
Technical Info and Terminology
Coilover: A coilover is the front coil spring and shock assembly together as one unit. A typical spring and shock suspension are two separate parts.
Shock: A shock is an oil or gas filled piston that's designed to compress and expand with suspension travel. They are designed to absorb impacts to give you a smoother or stiffer ride, depending on the type you choose. You can see these inside your springs.
Upper Control Arms: UCA are at the front of your independent front suspension (IFS). They are mainly responsible for the vertical alignment of the front spindles. They generally are not load-bearing.
Lower Control Arms: LCA are also part of the front IFS. These work together with your UCA, but these see most of the load-bearing.
Leaf Springs: These are one of the oldest suspension designs. Leaf springs are made of a number of strips of metal curved slightly upward and clamped together one above the other. They are found at the rear of most pickups.
Add-A-Leaf: AALs are additional springs that are excessively arched to provide additional lift or support to the rear of some trucks.
Leaf Pack: these are a replacement set of leaf springs. They are generally designed to have a better spring rate. Leaf packs may also add lift or additional load capacity.
Alignment
We have now covered all of the parts, but we need to talk about alignment. Alignment is more than just making sure your steering wheel is pointing the correct way. Even if your alignment is a hair off, it will cause uneven wear and tear on your tires and suspension. ALWAYS make sure you have your truck aligned after doing any suspension work, especially when adding a lift.
Caster: This is the angle that your front tires are tilted in relation to the steering axis.
Camber: The angle that your tires are in relation to the vertical axis when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
Toe: The angle at which your front tires turn in or out in relationship to each other.
Types of Lift Kits - Front
Now that we’ve made it through the terms, let’s focus on the meat and potatoes: the different options you have for lift kits on your Toyota Tundra. For the front of your truck, there are three main ways to achieve lift: spacers, coils, and coilovers.
Spacer Lift Kits, which are also known as leveling kits, leveling spacers, or spring blocks, are the most affordable way to get a fixed amount of lift out of your truck. This is achieved by literally adding a spacer between the body of your truck and the suspension.
The biggest upside to this type of lift is that you do not need to invest in any other suspension parts which makes these pretty inexpensive. The biggest downside is that they are not suitable for serious off-roading. They are best for looks and lighter off-roading and give one to three inches of lift. Some of our favorite spacer lifts include:
Rough Country 2.5-3” Leveling Kit ($130)
For almost nothing (compared to the cost of other trucks mods), you can get up to three inches of lift from the Rough Country kit. You can dial in just the amount of lift you want with their included spaces to get the look you desire.
For a bit more, ReadyLIFT offers a three inch lift kit. While you won’t have multiple heights to choose from, a single height can be more durable over time.
If you are a little more budget conscious, but still want something reliable, these 2.5 inch spacers from AFE can help at about $100. The aluminum comes in a red anodized finish to stand out a bit. It’s a no-frills kit designed to get the job done.
Coil and Coilover Lift Kits have to deal with actually replacing yoru stock suspension pieces. As stated in the terms, a coilover kit is a single unit containing your spring and shock together. A coil is just the coil. However, they both achieve the same end goal.
Replacing the coils can give some change, but for the best performance, lift, and off-road capabilities, you’ll want to look at coilover kits. While they are the most expensive, you get what you pay for. Not only is it the safest way to get the most lift, but if a company is pairing a spring and shock together, you can be assured they will not only work well together, but have a better warranty compared to various parts you may put together. It’s also hard to beat the “plug and play” nature of a coilover kit.
Let’s take a look at some popular options for your Tundra:
Eibach Pro-Lift Springs ($179)
These guys are known for suspensions components for all makes and models, so they know a thing or two about springs. These springs give you 2.5 inches of lift, but they say they must be used with their shocks. Regardless, you can pick them up for about $180.
Ironman 4X4 Performance Load Coils ($225)
Lifting your ride means you get to see a little more of the stuff under your truck. Why not show it off? Ironman 4x4 not only gives you a two inch lift, but the neon green color of these coils really stands out! These are about $225 for the set.
While I may be skipping ahead a bit since these guys cover the rear as well, Falcon Shocks are your best bet if you already have the springs that you want. They offer different kits depending on your needs such as if you are going to be towing and hauling, or tackling the great outdoors.
Toytech Boss 2.0 IFP Front Aluma Series Coilovers ($1,000)
As you can see by the instant price increase, coilovers are indeed more expensive at around $1000. These coilovers are adjustable from 2-3 inches, and have a host of other beneficial features.
ICON Vehicle Dynamics Coil-Over Shock Kit ($1,300)
For about $1360, you can have any height you want from the factory up to 2.5 inches of lift. These units are made in the USA and designed with durability in mind, you can take these in any terrain you want.
Types of Lift Kits - Rear
The rear of your truck is a bit different. Instead of a coiled spring, we’ll be looking at a group of long and slightly curved springs called leaf springs. With these, the most common way to get lift is through lift blocks, add-a-leafs, and leaf packs.
Lift blocks act the same way spacers do. It’s a block that is added between your axles and your leaf springs. Like spacers, I would not consider these for serious off-roading. These will be your most cost effective means of getting a few inches of lift. For looks and general off-roading, these are the way to go.
ReadyLIFT 2 Inch Rear Block Kit ($150)
This kit comes with the needed blocks and longer u-bolts. They are a good basic kit for a decent amount of lift. Rough Country offers universal blocks for around $30, but you’ll need to get u-bolts.
Liftcraft Aluminum Blocks ($40)
If you want something a little lighter, Liftcraft makes aluminum blocks in 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 inch heights. Prices range from $40 to $60 depending on the amount of lift, but all blocks come with a lifetime warranty!
Add-A-Leafs were covered in the terminology, but they increase the curve of your rear suspension which gives you more lift. An added benefit to the lift is a greater load capacity as well!
Tuff Country 3 Inch Add-A-Leaf ($100)
For less than the cost of the blocks, Tuff Country offers this three inch AAL. Some do recommend getting some longer u-bolts to go with it.
Another popular, yet more expensive brand, is ICON with their 1.5 inch kit. While more expensive, it does come with everything that you need, including u-bolts, which other brands leave out to cut down on the cost to you. At just around $275, make sure it’s what you want!
ToyTech has their add-a-leaf which will get you 1 to 1.5 inches of lift at the rear of your Tundra. You can grab these for about $90. They don’t come with any extended u-bolts, and while they say they are not required, they do recommend them.
Leaf packs are similar to the way coilovers are for the front as they replace your stock leaf springs in the back. Depending on what kit you get, these could increase your ride height, increase or decrease suspension travel, hauling capacity, and so on
Icon Multi Rate RXT Leaf Pack ($357)
For the most durable and versatile solution, Icon makes the leaf pack that can take a beating. You can choose from three different ways of configuring the kit to give you up to four inches of lift.
If you want 2.5 inches of lift and better hauling, Ironman has you covered, and gives you a three year warranty for some peace of mind. The price is a bit higher at just over $700 ($350 each), but that can be expected with a full on replacement.
If you want something a little more budget friendly, these come in at about $164 each.They are made for heavy loads, and they will give you 2 inches of lift. While they are “universal,” ARB has been in the game for a while.
Conclusion
Your truck is waiting to be lifted and modded. Tundra is good for it! Keep in mind that a truck is made to work best from the factory. Changing one component may affect others. Any time you change any component of the suspension, it is good practice to get an alignment to make sure everything works well and lasts long.
Find the kit that works best for your needs and budget. Be safe, have fun, and lift ‘em up!
Image Credits:
Lifted Tundra 1: Courtesy of Tundras.com user HighOctane
Lifted Tundra 2: Courtesy of Tundras.com user brimy311
Lifted Tundra 3: Courtesy of Tundras.com user Beardedbeast
Leveling Kit: Courtesy of Rough Country
Coil Springs: Courtesy of Toytec
Coilovers: Courtesy of Toytec
Lift Blocks: Courtesy of ReadyLIFT
Add A Leaf: Courtesy of Tuff Country’s Amazon Store
Lead Pack: Courtesy of Ironman 4x4
* Please note that some of these links are affiliate links and we make a small commission if you purchase the product.
