By Skyjacker’s 3” Lift Kit for the 3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma 2016+
In this article, we take a close-up look at the brand new lift kit from Skyjacker for the 2016+ Toyota Tacoma two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models. It is not for the TRD Pro, Pro 4X, Baja, or any of the five lug models, but it is for the base entry versions of the Tacoma. It packs a huge amount of value into an excellent price point, and really fits into a sweet spot in the industry. We’re excited to tell you all about it, and we’re also going to be doing an installation guide video for this kit. Of course, you can shop for this kit and over a million other top name brand products sold by trusted vendors at great prices, and the shipping is always free with no minimum at Motoroso.com. Let’s dig in.
VIDEO: SKYJACKER 3″ LIFT KIT FOR THE TOYOTA TACOMA 3RD GEN
When it comes to lift-kits for Toyota Tacoma, there is a huge amount of product in the aftermarket, and it can range from as low as a couple of hundred bucks for a simple leveling kit, to thousands and thousands of dollars for full long travel kits, with all kinds of features. Most people end up spending $500-$700 on a basic lift kit if they’re trying to lift the truck 3”- 4” and they’re not planning on doing a ton of off-roading, on up to easily spending $3,000-$4,000 to get some upgraded shocks, new upper control arms, and all the components necessary to lift the vehicle. There was a sweet spot in the middle that Skyjacker realized that they could fit, and they’ve actually packed a ton of value for around $900 or less.
They’re giving you a kit that has replacement shocks for both front and rear, the lift kit itself, and replacement upper control arms to make sure that you get all the articulation that you need and get the maximum performance off-road for a really budget-conscious price point. Again, you can shop for this on Motoroso.com. Let’s talk about some of the individual features in this kit.
Includes DOM Steel Upper Control Arms
The most important feature in this entire kit is the fact that they’ve squeezed new replacement, upper control arms into this kit at that $900 price point, which is something you’re not going to find in any other kit on the market. Oftentimes aftermarket upper control arms are made out of box steel, they’re designed for off-road racing applications, and they’re really durable. Sometimes those can cost more than this entire kit costs in the first place. The fact that Skyjacker squeezed this feature into this kit at this price point is awesome.
Now they were able to do so still making the upper control arms out of DOM steel, which is the same kind of tubular steel that they use in roll cages, so these things are tough. They’re going to stand up to most of the punishment that people are going to throw at it. If you’re a little unclear on why you even want upper control arms when you’re doing a lift, it’s pretty simple to explain. When you lift a truck, you’re actually changing the geometry of the suspension as it was designed from the factory.
If you’re just going to be driving mostly on the highway and your lift kit is mostly cosmetic, you don’t necessarily have to replace your upper control arm. However, if you’re going to be doing any sort of off-roading, it’s a good idea to have a replacement upper control arm. One major reason is that it is going to add up to about an inch of additional wheel travel to get you that additional performance, but also makes sure that the upper control arm isn’t under unnecessary stress, it doesn’t break, and on the highway, you’re able to maintain the alignment and not wear your tires out quicker than you need to.
Front and Rear Replacement Shocks
Next up on the list of extreme value packed into this kit, is the fact that it includes replacement shocks front and rear. You have a MacPherson strut in the front, which is where the shock sits inside the spring. It comes with the shocks, but you do have to transfer the spring over. We’re going to show you how to do that in our installation guide video. Most kits don’t come with replacement shocks, especially below the $2,000 price point and this one includes all four shocks.
BLACK MAX SHOCKS
In the rear, are their Skyjacker Black Max shocks. They will include replacement rear shocks in a lot of kits, but these Black Max shocks offer several different features that are good for off-road application, most notably their foam cell technology. When the shock heats up on off-road conditions, and the oil starts to expand, the foam cell technology creates more room so that the shock can continue to perform consistently and predictably in those heavy-duty, off-road conditions.
ADDITIONAL HARDWARE
Without going into detail on everything else that’s in the kit, it includes everything you need for an optimal installation. It includes the spacers for the rear, the extended U-bolts, the differential drop kit, as well as the skid plate spacers. It also includes an e-brake relocation bracket which ensures that everything operates just as it’s supposed to, and you have no problems with noise, vibration, and harshness that can be introduced from the really basic lift kits.
The most important thing to know about this kit is that they’re giving you replacement upper control arms and replacement shocks at just $900—it is an awesome value. Don’t miss our installation guide video, so you can see exactly how this kit is installed. You can shop for this kit and over a million top name-brand products sold by trusted vendors at great prices, and the shipping is always free with no minimum at Motoroso.com.
