Newbie Build

[TrojanMan60]

I just want to start out by saying how awesome this community is. This is my first vehicle and I am glad I found a group like this that I can use as a resource!
Here is my '16 SR5. I have a lot of ideas and can't wait to get to work on them! I've been having some fun in the snow, but I hope to be on (or off) the trails when the mountains open back up!
I'm just looking for some suggestions or advice in any capacity (brands, mods, etc). I want to build up to look tough, but I'll need to be able to handle some offroading! Hopefully, you guys will keep me grounded in reality!
Going to start with some bigger wheels/tires, upgrading the lights and adding light bars!

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Got a sweet Christmas deal on a rack and light bar set from @CaliRaisedLED!

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More @CaliRaisedLED gear! Love the new tail lights!

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Current Mods:
@CaliRaisedLED Roof Rack and Light Bar Combo
@CaliRaisedLED Blacked Out Raptor Tail Lights

In Progress:
@SOS Concepts Rock Sliders
Custom Headlights
New Grille

 

[Tyler]

Welcome to our forum and thank you for the compliments. The truck looks nice with the decal on it - did you do that yourself?

I asked this in your suspension thread, but what level of wheeling do you expect to do with your truck? Sticking to tame overlanding or do you think you'll get into harder obstacles that would require rock sliders etc.?

 

[TrojanMan60]

Decal came with the truck, definitely helped convince me to buy! Lmao

I will definitely be starting off with some tamer stuff, however, I plan to get as adventureous as the truck will let me. I am new to all of this, so I'm not too sure what I'll be getting into. I've been trying to find some wheeling groups.

 

[Tacomadad18]

Hello and welcome to Tacoma3g!

Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have about these trucks. There is a lot of knowledgeable people on here.

My two cents: stay away from spacer lifts, I’ve ran them and can personally tell you the ride is terrible!

There is a lot of brand names mentioned on here that people love. You will just need to pin point what you plan on doing with the truck, hauling, over landing, crawling, street machine, etc. That way you can narrow down what parts to get. Hope this helps!

 

[Tyler]

Decal came with the truck, definitely helped convince me to buy! Lmao

I will definitely be starting off with some tamer stuff, however, I plan to get as adventureous as the truck will let me. I am new to all of this, so I'm not too sure what I'll be getting into. I've been trying to find some wheeling groups.

That makes sense. Check out the response I added to your other thread.

Tire Fits

I'm looking to get new wheels and put on 35" tires. Any suggestions on which brands to use for lift kits, wheels or tires? Also, how can I find out how much lift I will need and if my new wheel/tire combo will fit?

tacoma3g.com

 

[TrojanMan60]

Hello and welcome to Tacoma3g!

Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have about these trucks. There is a lot of knowledgeable people on here.

My two cents: stay away from spacer lifts, I’ve ran them and can personally tell you the ride is terrible!

There is a lot of brand names mentioned on here that people love. You will just need to pin point what you plan on doing with the truck, hauling, over landing, crawling, street machine, etc. That way you can narrow down what parts to get. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the tip! That is the biggest thing I have been concerned about with running a lift and bigger tires. I don't want my ride to go to shit on the highway just because I run bigger tires. Any recommendations for lifts/tires that will help keep me smooth on the streets, but are durable enough for tackling the terrain?

 

[Tacomadad18]

Thanks for the tip! That is the biggest thing I have been concerned about with running a lift and bigger tires. I don't want my ride to go to shit on the highway just because I run bigger tires. Any recommendations for lifts/tires that will help keep me smooth on the streets, but are durable enough for tackling the terrain?

You cannot go wrong with Falken Wildpeak at3w. I ran them for thousands of miles and had no issues. I off-road quite a bit as well with them. Recently moved to 35s and run Kendas now but I never had an issue with Falkens.

I am building my truck to be a crawler, so I run 6112 bilstiens up front and icon 2-3” extended travel shocks in the rear. (Normally would do 5160 bilsteins, but long story ?)

A budget friendly lift or you wanna spend some money?

 

[Tyler]

Thanks for the tip! That is the biggest thing I have been concerned about with running a lift and bigger tires. I don't want my ride to go to shit on the highway just because I run bigger tires. Any recommendations for lifts/tires that will help keep me smooth on the streets, but are durable enough for tackling the terrain?

Look at all terrain tires instead of mud terrain tires like I recommended in your other thread. So for BFG, look at the KO2 instead of the KM3 that I recommended. They'll be better for highway driving.

 

[TrojanMan60]

You cannot go wrong with Falken Wildpeak at3w. I ran them for thousands of miles and had no issues. I off-road quite a bit as well with them. Recently moved to 35s and run Kendas now but I never had an issue with Falkens.

I am building my truck to be a crawler, so I run 6112 bilstiens up front and icon 2-3” extended travel shocks in the rear. (Normally would do 5160 bilsteins, but long story ?)

A budget friendly lift or you wanna spend some money?

I mean, budget friendly is always nice, but I’ll always take quality over something cheap.

 

[Tacomadad18]

I mean, budget friendly is always nice, but I’ll always take quality over something cheap.

Well budget friendly and widely used would be Bilstein 5100s. They are still quality vs anything at the same price range or lower

All the way up to kings, icon, ome, etc.

Then the springs, leaf and coils up front will also be something to think about. Adding weight to the front or rear will hinder performance if the springs are not beefed up as well.

There is a lot to discuss on suspension. Try speaking with a rep from Battleborn off-road or Rogue off-road, off-road warehouse, etc. most of those guys have built all types of rigs and can give you the best options for what you want to do with your truck, so you can “buy once, cry once” lol

I talked with Battleborn before I purchased my suspension and what my plans were with the truck. I feel like I was given the proper advise for what I use my truck for

 

[WarFabArmor]

Welcome to the thunderdome!
Real talk though, being new to the off-road/truck scene, it is really easy to have a misconstrued idea about what a truck can and cant do, unfortunately that usually means banging something up. Everyone loves the appeal of bigger tires and a larger lift on the truck, but when applied to the off-road world, they can mean getting into some real trouble. I will always say to protect the truck before you increase its ability to get stuck or into a place it shouldnt be. A lot of parts are expensive, so shop around and try and find someone local to do your business with. Having that person near by saves you money, and builds a relationship that will help down the line too. Have fun, and good luck.