I drive on pavement 99% of the time, but I want a solid lift — around 3.5 inches feels right to me. That said, how does this setup actually feel on-road? Comfort is a big deal for me, but I’d also like something that could handle trails if I decide to venture off. What do you all think?
Not trying to tell you how to spend your money, but $3,300 on a lift for a 2WD seems like overkill to me.
Brown said:
Not trying to tell you how to spend your money, but $3,300 on a lift for a 2WD seems like overkill to me.
I just don’t want some cheap Rough Country setup — $3K for a high-quality lift is within my budget.
@Olin
If you’re going 3.5" you’ll also need upgraded upper control arms.
It really doesn’t make much sense to go that big on a 2WD that’s mostly on-road.
You could go with an Eibach kit or something OEM-style for under $2,000 and still ride great.
I ran the BP-51s on my 5th gen TRD ORP and did a good amount of both road and trail driving. Honestly one of the best kits out there for Toyotas. But in your case — mostly street with some trail — you might get the same end result with Bilstein 5100s and a basic puck lift. That’ll save you a couple grand and still get the look.
@RuthMitchell
I’m at 140k miles, so I feel like it’s about time for a suspension refresh anyway.
Olin said:
@RuthMitchell
I’m at 140k miles, so I feel like it’s about time for a suspension refresh anyway.
If budget’s not an issue, BP-51s are a great choice. Just don’t go with heavy-duty springs unless you’re carrying steel bumpers or roof tents. But if you’re trying to be smart with your money, 5100s, SPC UCAs, and maybe a small puck lift would get you really solid performance and ride comfort for way less.
Curious — why did you decide on a 3.5" lift? Not judging, just wondering. That’s a lot of height and a pretty aggressive kit for someone who’s on-road most of the time. If you’ve got the money to spend, OME makes a great lift. Just make sure you match spring weights to your setup.
@Darian
Yeah, and if you’re going with a lift, are you also planning on upsizing the tires? I just lifted my old 4Runner with an OME kit, and once I added bigger tires, I ended up with 3-3.5 inches total — and honestly, it looks kinda goofy. Plus it’s harder to get in, load stuff, and even see out of it now.
If you’re mostly on-road, Fox 2.0s would probably serve you better. The BP-51s are 2.5s and more geared toward off-roading and loaded setups. They ride firmer, and you might end up regretting the spend if you’re not actually using them off-road.
Save your money and just buy a 4x4.
Rian said:
Save your money and just buy a 4x4.
I really have no use for 4WD.
Rian said:
Save your money and just buy a 4x4.
I really have no use for 4WD.
Fair, but you also don’t really need a lift then either. So if this is about looks or ego, same logic could apply to 4WD, right?
@Van
Totally — I don’t want 4WD because I just don’t need it. But yeah, I do want the lift. It’s definitely an ego thing. I’m not pretending otherwise haha.
Just a heads-up: don’t blow your full budget on the lift itself. I spent around $2K on mine, then had to replace a front axle after discovering it was shot during install. That led to a whole domino effect — damaged tire rod, seized lower control arms, couldn’t get a proper alignment, new brakes… the list goes on. All told, I had about $2K in surprise work I hadn’t planned for.
Spending that much on a 2WD just seems like a waste, honestly.