DB with LT compatability??

[t-man]

Ok guys, don't go off on tangents and all that different crap here, just had a crazy thought and wanted to see what others thoughts are here.
I got thinking about if it would be possible to take a Drop Bracket lift and bolt a Long Travel kit like Total Chaos or Camburg has. So in essence, I would have 6 inches of lift and the benefits of the LT. As far as I can think mounting location would just be moved down with the DB and the LCA's would bolt right to the new location. I would have to use the taller knuckle from the DB lift, but everything else should fall right in. I'm not sure though if I would have to get longer coilovers or move the upper mounting location down, but I'm sure this could be achieved fairly easy.
Couple notes. IF I was to do this, I would get rid of my body lift for sure, run my 35's, and I think I would still have to get the fiberglass fenders.
I contacted Total Chaos and asked them this exact question. They responded that if I use their LT kit and a 1.5" body lift I can run 35's, but this isn't what I asked them. I tried to clarify and get a solid answer if this would even hypothetically be possible but they refused to answer after that.
Some may not think this setup would be ideal, but I have to ask "why not?" Some other things I think I would do
1. Gusset the hell out of everything.
2. reinforce the frame around the DB parts and make sure everything is tied in together for strength.
Any thoughts/ideas/something I missed?
Even if this is a good idea, I wouldn't be doing it for quite some time. Tons of money here, but would be unique, still IFS, and should rock!

 

[Troymclure]

Theres been a few tacoma guys do it, but they were all basically show cars that didnt see dirt ever. I wouldnt do it since LT puts lots of stress on the truck, forces that the drop bracket kit isnt meant to handle. You would also need custom coilovers for sure, as the length would have to be really long, but still have only 8" of travel. Plus, with the drop bracket, your center of gravity will be a lot higher than you want for a long travel truck. Ideally, you want low, wide (but not too wide) and big tires for full bump clearance. If you really want just the height and width, go with a solid axle, it will be cheaper, handle better offroad and be stronger.

 

[470SNC]

Just do LT minus the drop bracket lift, the truck will be way more capable and stable

 

[t-man]

Theres been a few tacoma guys do it, but they were all basically show cars that didnt see dirt ever. I wouldnt do it since LT puts lots of stress on the truck, forces that the drop bracket kit isnt meant to handle. You would also need custom coilovers for sure, as the length would have to be really long, but still have only 8" of travel. Plus, with the drop bracket, your center of gravity will be a lot higher than you want for a long travel truck. Ideally, you want low, wide (but not too wide) and big tires for full bump clearance. If you really want just the height and width, go with a solid axle, it will be cheaper, handle better offroad and be stronger.

Ya, definitely not building a show truck! I was thinking about the extra loads too, but as I haven't seen a DB in person I wasn't sure how easy/hard it would be to reinforce everything to make is strong enough for the extra leverage and abuse. In my mind I was envisioning plating and welding everything together, adding some cross braces from the DB to frame, gussets, all that good stuff. If I ran a tube from the bottom corners of the DB back to the frame, then build a skid that goes from up front, connects to the bracing, and back to bolt to the frame like ones currently made do, it would be even more support.
I agree, a SAS would probably be cheaper!
I already have 5.5" lift, and if I was to combine them I would have 6", so I can't see any issue there. The LT kits provide 3" of lift and TC recommends using 1.5" lift to clear 35's. That's over 4.5" already.

 

[t-man]

Found a thread on TTORA about this exact same thing. lol
LT Question.. please dont flame! - Page 3 - TTORA Forum

 

[toy4xchris]

Personally I'm all for trying new ideas because at some point every great idea was a questionable new idea. As long as you reinforce everything for the DB it should work. I know the idea had gone through my mind before. I really dislike body lifts so any idea that can cancel them out sounds like something worth researching

 

[Jeremy556]

I wouldn't trust a bracket lift for any serious off road use, and certainly not with long travel. Do the long travel and a 1" body lift, or no body lift and lower the bump stops.

 

[t-man]

I wouldn't trust a bracket lift for any serious off road use, and certainly not with long travel. Do the long travel and a 1" body lift, or no body lift and lower the bump stops.

That thing took on serious hit! Look at the hole in that support bar.
People are always worried about DB lifts, especially on here, but I don't have an issue with them. I feel one should get a good system, not the cheapest, and if you are going to do some serious wheeling then do some welding, maybe even reinforcing. I don't know, I've seen some really big trucks running around that hit mud holes around here pretty damn hard and they haven't had a single issue. I know that several are so rough on their trucks it's crazy! but the suspension hasn't broken. I think bad things can happen no matter what system we have on our trucks depending on the type of wheeling you do.

 

[toy4xchris]

I know any experiences I've had with bolt on 4x4 department store lift kits generally aren't always made with the heaviest duty materials. Looking at the damage to that bar I think if it was heavier walled tube and a little better reinforced it might not have been as bad. Damage happens though no matter what your set up.

 

[t-man]

Another thought with the pic above. Why does it have flexible joints on those support bars?? They don't move, and when they hit whatever bent them they didn't have as much support because they could pivot. I would replace that with a solid bar welded front and rear. I would also cut a plate so that it went over the old crossmember and the new one, leave a cutout for bolts, and weld it completely. That with some solid bars behind and maybe some gussets would make that thing bulletproof!