We Asked 15 2nd Gen Tundra Owners What Aftermarket Suspension They Are Running & What They Like About Their Setup – Here’s What They Said!
This Week’s Topic: 2nd Gen Tundra Suspension Setups
Hey guys! Welcome back to another Tundra Thursday. If you missed our previous feature post, we looked at rock slider options for the 2nd Gen Tundra.
This week, we take a look at several aftermarket suspension combos for the 2nd Gen Tundra. Keep in mind, there are many more brands for the 2nd Gen outside of this week’s features. We will have some suspension guides available soon for you all, so keep checking back here at Trail Tundra! Additionally, these rigs are in no particular order and they are all pretty awesome in my book.
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Why Upgrade Your Tundra’s Suspension?
One of the biggest reasons to add aftermarket suspension to your Tundra is to gain additional ride height and/or wheel travel. This also makes your truck look great in the process compared to the stock ride height. Another main reason is to help clear larger tires (to an extent).
When you raise your ride height, you increase both your approach and departure angles for the trails. This is a highly overlooked benefit of an aftermarket suspension lift, especially for a full-size truck like the Tundra.
The final benefit to ditching the stock suspension for an aftermarket one is increased ride quality both on and off-road. The amount of improvement is subject to how much money you’re willing to shell out.
Now, you don’t need to ball out and spend upwards of $5,000 to increase your ride quality. A budget-friendly Bilstein or Toytec kit will still provide a much-welcomed improvement in ride quality over your factory suspension. Below, you will find a compilation of 15 owners who explain why their aftermarket suspension setups were worth the investment.
If you’re wanting to lift your Tundra and have no clue where to start, you’re in the right place!
1. Frank (@iconically_certified) – Bilstein
Suspension Details
Front:
- Bilstein 5100
- OEM UCAs
Rear:
- Bilstein 5100
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I like that my setup was cheap (at the time) and well within my budget. I’ve definitely put it to the test in the year I’ve had it and so far and it has done exactly what I need. I plan on upgrading my suspension in the future, but it’s not at the top of my list since these Bilsteins are pretty solid.
2. Scott Kennerson (@covatundra) – Fox / LSK / Deaver
Suspension Details
Front:
- AccuTune Off-Road Tuned
- Fox 2.5 DSC EXT Travel
- LSK UCAs
Rear:
- Firestone Airbags w/ Daystar Cradles
- Custom Spec Deaver U948 Leafs
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
Having custom valving in a shock makes a world of a difference both on and off-road. Now, this only works with the correct preload settings per the manufacturer. When everything is dialed, though, the Tundra handles like a dream!
3. Tony Coulombe (@silvertundraor) – Bilstein
Suspension Details
Front:
- Bilstein 6112
- OEM UCAs
Rear:
- Bilstein 5160
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
The value of this suspension is hard to beat. It’s a significant upgrade over the TRD off-road stock suspension, especially for the price. I also like the height adjustment with the 6112s. This setup isn’t like riding on clouds off-road, but it’s confidence boosting and gets the truck back on track faster than the stock setup.
I can really tell the difference while driving at speed on the beach and on local logging roads compared to stock suspension. It’s perfect for my weekend warrior lifestyle.
4. Jonathan Newton (@jonnys_tundra) – Icon / Bilstein / SPC
Suspension Details
Front:
- Icon 2.5 Coilovers
- SPC UCAs
Rear:
- Bilstein 5160
- Icon RXT Leafs – Stage 3
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
This suspension is really smooth and offers a quality ride over stock. However, as the build progresses and weight increases, I am finding myself looking into a more dialed and custom suspension upgrade in the very near future. For now, this setup will do.
5. Collin Geary (@gears_call) – LSK / King / Deaver
Suspension Details
Front:
- LSK Race Kit
- King Suspension 3.0 Bypass
- King Suspension 2.5 Coilovers
- King Suspension Bump Stops
Rear:
- SS Built Bed Cage
- King Suspension 3.5 Bypass
- Giant Motorsports SUA Kit
- Deaver Leaf Springs
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
This suspension setup handles the Baja Terrain very well. The truck eats whoops at speed with no issues. It also retains 4WD, which is great.
6. Joe Umali (@hellatundra.norcal) – Fox / Dirt King
Suspension Details
Front:
- Fox 2.5 Series Suspension 3-Inch Lift
- Fox Springs
- Dirt King Fabrication UCAs
- AccuTune Adventure Tune
Rear:
- Fox 2.5 Series Suspension 3-Inch Lift
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I off-road, camp, and also tow a boat when I go fishing, crabbing, and duck hunting. I enjoy the reliability of my Fox suspension from AccuTune whether in the Desert of Death Valley or the snow in the mountains of Lake Tahoe.
Having premium suspension like Fox with their specific adventure tuning gives me a very strong peace of mind for me and the family whenever we head outdoors. My Fox by AccuTune suspension has gotten me out of some tough spots when crawling up steep rocks to get to our next campsite. I’m glad I went with Fox; buy once, cry once, and 100% worth it!
7. Kevin Siluangkhot (@kevinnnnn_s) – BDS / King / Icon / Dirt King
Suspension Details
Front:
- BDS 7” lift kit
- BDS UCAs
- King Suspension 2.5 Front Coilovers
- Coachbuilder Front Coilover Shim 1”
- Coachbuilder Tie Rod Ends
- TRD Front Sway Bar
- Dirt King Double Shear Kit
Rear:
- King Suspension 2.5 rear w/adjustable damping
- Coachbuilder Rear Shackles +3 1.75”
- Icon 1.5” Add A Leaf
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I love the fact that I got the height I wanted with the BDS lift kit. The King suspension also gives me enough travel and I love being able to ride anywhere comfortably.
8. Ron Esquivel (@dron_trdpro) – King / Total Chaos / Deaver
Suspension Details
Front:
- King Suspension 2.5s Remote Reservoir w/ Adjusters
- 700lb King Suspension Springs
- Total Chaos Fabrication UCAs
Rear:
- Deaver U748 Leaf Springs
- MCM Fabrication Rear Shackles
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I swapped out my stock TRD Pro Fox suspension to my current setup last year. The Kings have provided a smooth and comfortable ride both on and off the road. Even after the 700lb spring swap, the ride is still pleasant for my family. The suspension really shines and thrives off-road. It absorbs the ruts and bumps providing a confident and controlled ride.
The additional travel I gained with the extended travel shocks made the truck even more capable. It’s not mandatory, but having the ability to adjust the stiffness of the shocks on the fly is a great benefit. I also gained additional ride height, making the 35s fit with no issues. I can even easily fit 37s with some minor modifications, which is my plan down the road.
Overall, I am really impressed with my suspension setup and I highly recommend Kings.
9. Vic Loukphom (@satx_tundra) – BDS / Fox
Suspension Details
Front:
- BDS Suspension 4.5″ Lift Kit
- Heavy Duty Cross-Member
- Steering Knuckles
Rear:
- NX2 Fox Shocks
- 4″ Lift Block
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
Initially, the purpose of the BDS suspension lift was to fit, handle, and clear 35-in M/Ts. It checked all of those requirements effortlessly. I have driven my rig thousands of miles to numerous national state parks, including Big Bend, Padre Island Seashore, Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, The Rockies, and most recently, Yellowstone.
The BDS suspension felt great on long-traveled highways and dirt roads. It also held up to carrying hundreds of pounds of camping gear and cargo along the way. BDS lives up to its reputation and I have not had any issues to date. I will be upgrading my suspension soon to accommodate new traveling needs.
10. Joseph Patam (@the_greatwhite) – Pro Comp / King / Camburg
Suspension Details
Front:
- 6-7” Pro Comp Lift Kit
- King Shocks 2.5 w/ Resis And Adjusters
- Camburg Kinetik UCAs
- Coachbuilder Tie Rods
Rear:
- Coachbuilder Shackles
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
My favorite thing about my suspension setup is the added ride height. Most people think it’s difficult to wheel with a big lift because you’re top heavy and it’s harder to handle. For me, it’s actually easier. Where most people have trouble and get hung up, I can usually just drive over. However, front and rear cameras and big tires definitely help.
11. Nick Khamphilath (@wya_mpg) – Fox / Dirt King / Deaver
Suspension Details
Front:
- 2.5 Fox DSC Extended Travel
- Dirt King Boxed UCAs
Rear:
- 2.5 Fox DSC Extended Travel
- Deaver U748 Leaf Pack
- Duro Bumps Bump Stops
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
Since I daily my Tundra, I would definitely say that the comfort of the Fox suspension is very nice. It’s also super nice having all the adjustments from the DSCs depending on what kind of terrain I’m on.
The Fox’s paired with my Dirt King UCA’s has been superb and has allowed me to get my alignment specs perfect. The Deaver leaf springs are a bit stiff, but definitely help out when I’m loaded down which is great. I recently swapped in some Durobumps and they have been a game changer because I’m able to maximize travel without putting too much stress on my shocks.
Overall, I love the stance and functionality that I was able to achieve with the suspension components I chose for my Tundra!
12. Chris Ramirez (@cosmo_rock_warrior) – Icon / Eibach / Element
Suspension Details
Front:
- Icon Stage 9
- Eibach 700lb Springs
- Element Billet UCA
Rear:
- Icon Stage 8 Shocks
- Custom North County Spring Leaf Pack
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
The Icon shocks are reliable and have adjustability on the reservoirs to drive hard on the whoops or rock gardens. For the last 2 years, I’ve had no issues, which is a total win.
The Stage 9 kit also provides a great deal of extended travel that’s helped the big tires stay on the ground through articulation. The Element billet UCAs have given me also the adjustability to fit my 37s without having to do a CMR and are very rugged.
A big shout out to North County Springs in Escondido, CA for making me a rugged leaf pack that can hold the amount of weight I carry in the back during my adventures and have enough travel to keep up with the extended travel Icon shocks.
13. Antonio Moreno (@nacho_tundra) – Eibach
Suspension Details
Front:
- Adjustable Front Coilovers 2.75”
Rear:
- Rear Remote Reservoirs 0-1.5”
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I’ve installed Eibach lift kits front and rear on one of my previous builds and they have always performed well. This setup has been nothing but great, especially for the price for those on a budget.
Their customer service and technicians go above and beyond to make sure they exceed your expectations, and I always look for companies who stand behind their products! They offer excellent ride quality on and off the road for those who tackle the beaten path every once and a while.
14. David Nguyen (@_daddydk) – ADS / Total Chaos
Suspension Details
Front:
- ADS Racing Shocks 2.5″ Coilovers w/ Adjusters
- Total Chaos Uniball UCA,
- Total Chaos Cam Tab Gussets
- Total Chaos Spindle Gussets
- Duro Bumps Front Bump Stops
- 333 Fabrications Cam Eliminator Kit
Rear:
- ADS Racing Shocks 2.5″ Triple Bypass Shocks
- ADS Racing Shocks 2×2.125″ Air Bump Stops
- LC Series Fab Bump Stop Bracket & Strike Pad
- Coachbuilder +3 Shackle
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
The big takeaways from this particular setup are how well it performs both for daily driving and also when you absolutely punish the truck.
With the spectacular support from ADS, I was confidently able to tune the bypasses and get the truck dialed in for a set-it-and-forget-it tune. It’s worth noting that out of the box, they already blew me away. These trucks are big and heavy, but with quality suspension, it is quite easy to get these yachts to move in the dirt without compromising daily drivability.
Having jumped this truck, rock crawled in Moab, to having my wife fall asleep on washboard roads, the overall comfort and performance far outweigh the price tag.
I strongly recommend gusseting the front end and installing the cam eliminator kit to have a reliable setup that you can confidently run as hard as the truck will let you and drive home on a straight alignment. It’s torturous when you lose alignment on a Sunday and drive 16 hours home on M/Ts – ask me how I know.
The big thing for me is customer support; each company I’ve listed here has amazing customer service despite me being no one special to them. We love to see it.
15. Sean Basa (@hawaiian_cement_tundra) – Pro Comp
Suspension Details
Front:
- Pro Comp 6″ Lift
- Stock Bilsteins
Rear:
- Add A Leaf
- Prop Comp Shocks
What Do You Like About Your Setup?
I have been running Pro Comp Suspensions on my other Toyota trucks, so adding it to this Tundra was a no-brainer. To me, it’s a very comfortable and simple setup. Also, you have the option of adjusting it up to an 8 in-lift using other components, which makes it very flexible.
Final Thoughts
What an awesome group of 2nd Gen Tundras for this week’s Tundra Thursday. I really enjoy seeing how versatile the 2nd Gen is, especially with upgraded suspension. We showcased rigs ranging from standard lift kits to fit larger tires and improve ride comfort to rock crawlers. We even had some pre-runner builds!
Which build style is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
