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Tuff Country Toy

Tuff Country's new 5-inch Toyota Tacoma Kit
By Fred Williams
Photography by Fred Williams
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We took our '01 Toyota Tacoma... 
   
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We took our '01 Toyota Tacoma to Off Road Warehouse in El Cajon, California, and worked with their techs for two days to install the kit. It was the first 5-inch Tuff Country Tacoma kit they had installed, and one of the first built, so it took a little while longer than usual to get all the holes lined up and parts bolted together.
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Though possible to install... 
   
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Though possible to install in a well-tooled home garage, we would recommend taking the kit to a qualified shop if you have any doubts. The disassembly of the IFS is not exactly hard, but having some airtools, a lift or quality jackstands, and a person or two to help is almost required.
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With the front differential... 
   
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With the front differential removed, a portion of the lower rear A-arm mount needs to be cut. There is a new lower subframe that will support the front differential, and to clear where the differential will sit, the old supporting crossmember must be trimmed as per the instructions.
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In addition to the rear crossmember... 
   
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In addition to the rear crossmember being removed, a section of the driver-side rear support also needs to be cut away to clear the hydraulic lines for the rack-and-pinion steering. We actually had to cut more than the instructions said to, but since the new subframe is tied into the brackets at four places, we were not concerned.
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The new lower subframe was... 
   
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The new lower subframe was a tight fit, and possibly due to the abuse the truck received from the previous owner, we had to pry and pound on it to get all the bolt holes to line up. Remember not to torque all the bolts down until they are at least all started. Another thing to be careful of is which bolts go where-the instructions are very specific, and though some bolts are similar is size, the lengths may be different by 1/2 inch, or you'll have bolts bumping into an axleshaft.
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The front suspension doesn't... 
   
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The front suspension doesn't affect the stock ride quality, because rather than replace the coils and shocks, you simply add a spacer to lift up the truck, and longer spindles. Another benefit of the Tuff Country kit is that the factory-style ball joints come already pressed into the spindle.

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Toyota Tacoma Research
Toyota Tacoma Being one of the most popular cars in its class, the Toyota Tacoma offers good performance and quality. The V6 standard engine in the Tacoma gives you 236 horsepower with an estimated 18 mpg. It comes with comparable warranty coverage to other vehicles in its class. You may also be interested in the Ford Ranger and the Jeep Liberty.

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