Why Spacer Lifts Are A Bad Idea For Your Tacoma or Tundra

Adding a spacer lift to your Tacoma is a big decision, and it's important to weigh the pros and cons before making a final decision. On the one hand, spacers lifts are a relatively affordable way to add height to your truck, and they can be a lot of fun to drive. On the other hand, they can cause major suspension problems down the road. In fact, many Tacoma owners have had to replace their entire suspension system after just a few years because of the added wear and tear from the spacer lift.

What is a spacer lift? Essentially a spacer lift is a piece of metal that is installed above your shock to "lift" the body but can have some long term performance hits if you're planning to off road your Tacoma or Tundra. If you're just planning to cruise the streets are park hard at the mall it's probably fine, but the moment you want to really start using your truck as intended you may run into some problems. 

Adding a spacer lift to your Tacoma can cause some of the following issues when you take your truck off-roading:

• Lowering your shock which reduces the travel of the shock
• Can cause CV bind
• Puts extra stress on the shock and can bend the shock
• Upper control arms can rub against the coil

Damaged shock due to running a spacer lift on top of the coilover on a Toyota Tacoma. Image from: tacomaworld.com

So, if you're thinking about adding a spacer lift to your tacoma, be sure to weigh the pros and cons carefully. If you value your truck's suspension, it's best to steer clear of these lifts! 

We recommend planning and saving for a proper off road suspension system that will add articulation and rebound performance when you are overlanding or off-roading. Taking into account the long term plans is important as well. Do you plan to tow a trailer, or carry a lot of weight along with a rooftop tent? Knowing this information will help when selecting your suspension because you can factor those details in which will determine what spring load or leaf packs you will want to install. If you have questions about suspension setups for your Toyota Tacoma, Tundra or 4Runner then reach out to Erick at State 48 Overland.