Suspension Edumication...

[UglyViking]

So, there are a million ways to skin a cat, as you can start to see. The thing you didn't mention, or I missed, is why you want to upgrade suspension. Looks? Off road performance? High speed desert? Low speed trails? Are you primarily highway driving with a little trail, or is this a more focused overland/trail rig? Do you carry a lot of weight? etc. Without knowing your intent it's really hard to say what is "best" or reasonable for your situation.

That being said, I'll offer a few bits of advice, as a guy who had a crewcab 5.3 GM not too many years ago. Avoid anything with diff drops. It's a lot of added cost and complexity and unless you're doing it purely for looks it gains you absolutely no improvements. On the opposite side of the spectrum anything under 2.5" of level is basically the same system. They have different ways they mount a spacer/puck but functionally it's a piece of metal or poly compound that spaces the spring, and often includes a shock extension. Pick your favorite, doesn't really matter as unless it's a garbage quality brand they are all the same.

If you only need shocks, and your tires aren't huge, I don't know that I'd spring for the icon kit unless you want that added performance.

I think having an end goal in mind and what you aim to do with the truck will be helpful in having others guide you what would be best. Also, be honest with yourself. Don't shell out the cash for a crazy baja suspension setup if you're on the highway 99% of the time, it's just a waste. Conversely, if you can help it don't buy twice, unless you really don't know what you're looking for, then it's probably best to buy the cheaper route and if it doesn't fit your bill you can jump up, the inverse never happens.

 

[swrider]

I think having an end goal in mind and what you aim to do with the truck will be helpful in having others guide you what would be best. Also, be honest with yourself. .

End goal, i should have started there.
Looks plays a part.
The truck is my daily driver, so it sees a lot of highway and coty miles during the week. The weekends i like to take it out in the desert and get lost, so far i haven't had any issues, but the again, i haven't tried everything i see out there.
So i guess end goal would be a reliable DD with the added benefit of being able to handle most any trail i come up around Las Vegas and surrounding Southwest.
As far as gear goes, nothing too crazy. A tent, a cooler, some recovery gear and enough food/water for two people for three days.
That's why i thought a 4in lift running a 33in tire should give me enough clearance for just about anything and the improved approach/departure angles wouldn't hurt either.

TL/DR I would like to end up with a jack of all trades overland rig.

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[eyemgh]

End goal, i should have started there.
Looks plays a part.
The truck is my daily driver, so it sees a lot of highway and coty miles during the week. The weekends i like to take it out in the desert and get lost, so far i haven't had any issues, but the again, i haven't tried everything i see out there.
So i guess end goal would be a reliable DD with the added benefit of being able to handle most any trail i come up around Las Vegas and surrounding Southwest.
As far as gear goes, nothing too crazy. A tent, a cooler, some recovery gear and enough food/water for two people for three days.
That's why i thought a 4in lift running a 33in tire should give me enough clearance for just about anything and the improved approach/departure angles wouldn't hurt either.

TL/DR I would like to end up with a jack of all trades overland rig.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Great highway manners and handling "just about anything" offroad are at odds. Articulation and anti-sway fight against each other. When I designed ours, I put the most emphasis on the things I do frequently, drive on the road, and drive washboarded desert and FS roads. It'll crawl, but that's what it'll be least good at. Nothing does everything great.

 

[UglyViking]

End goal, i should have started there.
Looks plays a part.
The truck is my daily driver, so it sees a lot of highway and coty miles during the week. The weekends i like to take it out in the desert and get lost, so far i haven't had any issues, but the again, i haven't tried everything i see out there.
So i guess end goal would be a reliable DD with the added benefit of being able to handle most any trail i come up around Las Vegas and surrounding Southwest.
As far as gear goes, nothing too crazy. A tent, a cooler, some recovery gear and enough food/water for two people for three days.
That's why i thought a 4in lift running a 33in tire should give me enough clearance for just about anything and the improved approach/departure angles wouldn't hurt either.

TL/DR I would like to end up with a jack of all trades overland rig.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I don't know what gen, what style cab or any of that, but as a baseline, as @eyemgh mentioned, nothing does everything great. Obviously a lift as a daily is going to add wind resistance and handle worse than not lifted (generally speaking).

You should be able to get a 33" tire under your truck with a standard level, may have to trim a little pinch weld but nothing extreme. My '16 GMC had a 6" lift and 35s, and I could have gotten away with 35s on a 4". I did it at the time with mostly looks, but the truck didn't last long in my hands. A truck with a good suspension setup (dirt king, icon, etc.) should do well for you in the southwest, but obviously the more you want the more it costs. If you're happy with the performance of your setup now, I'd just replace the shocks with slightly better options and leave it be. A 4" lift is going to be a point where you need a diff-drop, and at that point you lost or got neutral ground clearance over the pumpkin. Sure your approach/departure angles may get slightly better, and you have have slightly better breakover, but you're likely not going to notice. If you want better approach/departure angles then get new bumpers, or trim yours.

If you've got a full bank account and wanna spend the cash, then by all means do it up! I think fiberwerx fenders and dirt king long travel arms will do awesome in the dirt, but you're def gonna notice some sway in the daily drive, not to mention a vastly reduced turning radius. No free lunch.

I'd start with figuring out where your truck is lacking, and then go to solve that.

 

[pappawheely]

You need to decide what you actually want to achieve. If I say I want to make my truck faster, it could mean gearing, exhaust, engine mods, a new transmission, aerodynamics..... If you want to run bigger tires, you can do that with a few hacksaw blades.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

End goal, i should have started there.
Looks plays a part.
The truck is my daily driver, so it sees a lot of highway and coty miles during the week. The weekends i like to take it out in the desert and get lost, so far i haven't had any issues, but the again, i haven't tried everything i see out there.
So i guess end goal would be a reliable DD with the added benefit of being able to handle most any trail i come up around Las Vegas and surrounding Southwest.
As far as gear goes, nothing too crazy. A tent, a cooler, some recovery gear and enough food/water for two people for three days.
That's why i thought a 4in lift running a 33in tire should give me enough clearance for just about anything and the improved approach/departure angles wouldn't hurt either.

TL/DR I would like to end up with a jack of all trades overland rig.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

It is certainly not cheap but an Icon setup with adjustable shocks can cover a lot of these bases. Stiffen it up for highway driving and it will handle better than stock. Loosen it up for desert driving and it will handle better than stock. Just don't run it loose at high speed on the highway (especially if you ditch the sway bars)!

For southwest driving you really don't need a huge lift. I run 275/70/17s on my Tacoma which are about 32" tall. It's more than enough to get around anywhere I've wanted to go in the desert and still behaves nicely on the highway.

 

[eyemgh]

It is certainly not cheap but an Icon setup with adjustable shocks can cover a lot of these bases. Stiffen it up for highway driving and it will handle better than stock. Loosen it up for desert driving and it will handle better than stock. Just don't run it loose at high speed on the highway (especially if you ditch the sway bars)!

For southwest driving you really don't need a huge lift. I run 275/70/17s on my Tacoma which are about 32" tall. It's more than enough to get around anywhere I've wanted to go in the desert and still behaves nicely on the highway.

Did you ditch front and back sway bars? Do you carry a load full time?

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Did you ditch front and back sway bars? Do you carry a load full time?

My Tacoma didn't come with a rear sway bar but I ditched the front when I had the 2.5 inch Icons installed (with 700lb springs up front). My rig is setup for full-time living, with a winch in front, so yes, I carry a load full-time (probably about 200-300 pounds over GVWR). I haven't had any issues without the sway bar but I always drive as if I have no sway bar...i.e. pretty slowly! A loaded Tacoma pulling a 3000lb trailer isn't going anywhere quickly anyway.

 

[Dezertpilot]

Fabtech is junk, Rough Country is junk, spacers are junk and blocks are junk. Go with something like Icon.

 

[swrider]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!
Life has a funny way of saying "hold my beer..." Lol
So for the time being it stays the way it is.
2"RC leveling kit and Wrangler All Terrain Ultras in 275/65R18.
The wheels are stock and after looking at it i could definitely fit 33's. Oh well.
Live and learn.
I do need new shocks/struts so as soon as the bank account recouperates ill look around for a good choice, maybe Bilsteins 5100's or if i can splurge go for Fox 2.0.
And lights, cause the factory ones completely suck!!!

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[swrider]

A couple of pics of how she sits in the driveway...

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