My 3rd Gen Tacoma Off-Road Build

This is my Tacoma overland build, a complete list of Tacoma overland modifications I’ve done and tested through the years on trails, long trips, and daily driving. Here’s every modification, what I chose, why I chose it, and how it performs where it matters most.

Build Overview

Here’s every modification I’ve done to my Tacoma for off-roading, overlanding, daily driving, and more, over the 5 years of owning it. All organized by category, so you can jump straight to what you’re looking for.

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Wheels, Tires, & Suspension - Full Overview

3" IM2.5 Suspension Lift Kit for Toyota Tacoma (2005-2023)

  • My Exact Setup Specs: Stage 2 (Includes Pro Forge Upper Control Arms), 3” lift medium load front springs, and 2.5” lift heavy load rear leaf springs.

I went with the 3” IM2.5 Suspension Lift Kit from Ironman 4x4 for its value, durable brand reputation, and Ironman’s new direction after their rebrand. The aircraft-grade aluminum construction, smart terrain-adaptive tuning, and heavy-duty leaf springs gave me the performance I needed on and off-road, as well as the ability to handle the extra weight from my Madix Outdoors Drift camper and loading up my truck bed with gear for trips. For the leaf spring setup, I removed a leaf to dial in the rear rake since the rear end sat extremely high and was stiff when I put it on with all the leaves still in the leaf pack. On a recent Colorado trip, it kept the truck planted on long highway stretches in heavy headwinds and made the 16-hour drive a lot more comfortable. It also soaked up rocky trail hits without feeling floaty. Unlike previous coilovers and leaf springs I’ve run, these have not had any squeaks or clanging and just provide a reliable, well-balanced ride. Read the full article here - Ironman IM2.5 Suspension Long Term Review

Lock Off-Road Baja Wheels

  • My Exact Setup Specs: Baja (Matte Desert Bronze) - 17x9 Size | 6x139.7 Lug Pattern | -12mm Offset

The Lock Off-Road Baja wheels give my Tacoma a more aggressive stance with the -12 offset while keeping plenty of clearance for suspension travel. The matte desert bronze finish ties in perfectly with my truck’s ongoing color scheme and still looks great after plenty of rocky trail runs. They’ve taken hits from sharp rocks without any damage other than some rock rash. Read the full article here - Lock Off-Road Baja Wheels Review