How Much Lift Do I Need for 33-inch Tires on a Tacoma?

The Tacoma can be used for off-roading and hauling, but sometimes we wonder if its small tires can handle such vigorous activities. 

So, putting on bigger tires seems like the next best step, and 33-inch tires are a common choice for Toyota Tacoma owners who want larger tires. 

However, how much lift is needed to put said tires on a Toyota Tacoma?

How Much Lift Do I Need for 33-inch Tires on a Tacoma?

A lift of at least 2 or 3 inches is necessary to fit 33-inch tires on a Toyota Tacoma. Lifting the truck 3 inches should leave the tires plenty of room to function well. If 33-inch tires are installed without a lift, the truck, tires, or both could be seriously damaged.

It sounds simple, just lift the car and install the tires and you are ready to go, right?

Well, there might be a little bit more to using lift kits than initially meets the eye, and you should probably know what you’re getting into before you make that decision.

Here are a few of the essential things everybody should know about lift kit and lifting a Toyota Tacoma.

How Much Lift is Needed?

A Toyota Tacoma must be lifted at least 2-3 inches if you want to put 33-inch tires on it. 

Without that extra space, you have little hope of installing the tires correctly and the tires will be too close to the car.

If the tires do not have proper clearance, they won’t turn properly while you are driving.

If a Toyota Tacoma is not lifted before 33-inch tires are installed, the truck won’t be able to turn around corners. 

The tires will get stuck as you turn the wheel because they don’t have proper clearance, and you will be stuck in the middle of the road until a tow truck comes.

Your Toyota Tacoma’s suspension system won’t work properly if you don’t lift the truck 2-3 inches before you put 33-inch tires on it. 

Trucks bounce slightly when they go over bumps.

If the tires don’t have proper clearance, the truck will hit the tires when it bounces as the suspension doesn’t have enough room to work. 

This can seriously damage the tires.

At Home vs. Shop Installation

If you have experience working with cars, you can lift your Toyota Tacoma yourself.

However, if you don’t have experience working on trucks, you will need to take your Toyota Tacoma to a car repair shop to have it lifted. 

Lifting a car is a lengthy process that requires multiple people to complete, so get friends to help you.

If you lift your truck at home, you will save money on labor costs. 

However, you could break something in your truck that you can’t fix yourself, so don’t lift your truck unless you have knowledge about how to do it.

If you unwittingly damage your vehicle while you are trying to lift your Toyota Tacoma, you might end up creating an issue that is going to cost a large amount of money to get fixed. 

you likely won’t be able to repair the issue by yourself. 

Many people would rather just pay the labor and parts fees and have the truck professionally and correctly lifted than risk catastrophe and further damage.

If you are lifting your Toyota Tacoma at home, you will need to purchase a lift kit. 

Lift kits can be purchased on Amazon and at almost any auto repair or hardware store. 

Lift kits cost between $200 and $1,000 or more.

If you are having second thoughts about lifting your truck yourself, it would probably be better if you let the professionals handle it instead. 

They have the training and equipment necessary to lift your truck relatively quickly, and they have trained coworkers on hand to help them. 

If they accidentally break something on your truck, you can have them repair it for free as you did not cause the damage.

Before you decide to lift your truck, figure out your budget.

Keep that budget in mind when you are determining who will be lifting your Toyota Tacoma so you can put 33-inch tires on it. 

If you purchase a lift kit, make sure it is meant to be used for the model year of your truck. 

If you purchase a lift kit meant to be used on a different truck, you won’t have the necessary parts.

Lift Kits: Are They Worth It?

Whether you install the lift kit yourself or have a professional do it is completely up to you and your circumstances. 

Use your best judgment! At this point, if you’ve never had a lift kit installed on one of your vehicles before, you might be wondering whether all this hassle is even worth it or not.

First of all, lifting your Tacoma will give the truck a higher ground clearance. 

Why is this a good thing? Not only will there be plenty of room for your 33-inch tires, but you will also be able to scale steep ascents and hills better without having to worry about the undercarriage catching on large logs or stones. 

The overall off-roading experience and performance will be much better!

It’s always nice to have a handsome-looking truck parked in your driveway and giving your Tacoma a lift (even if it’s only a couple of inches) will certainly give you that. 

Lifted trucks look rugged and intimidating. 

If that kind of appearance matters to you, then lifting your truck will be worth the cost and work.

The only thing about having a lifted truck that you might want to be wary of is the fact that you’re going to be dealing with a much higher center of gravity. 

This means that the truck could become top-heavy. 

You’ll have to be extra careful when scaling hills and taking turns because it will be much easier for your truck to tip over and roll.

Lift kits are expensive, and it will cost even more to have your truck lifted if you have it done by a professional.

You will have to determine whether or not a lifted truck is worth the cost.