Rough Country has introduced a front leveling kit for the all-new Tacoma, with said kit comprising two steel upper strut spacers, studs, and nuts. Produced in Tennessee, the 1.5-inch leveling kit isn't compatible with the Trailhunter and TRD Pro.
Priced at $99.95 with free shipping, the kit was designed for trucks equipped with four-wheel drive. As a brief refresher, 4WD-equipped models feature an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. The Limited is full-time 4WD, while the Limited i-FORCE MAX flaunts a center locking differential.
In addition to getting rid of the nose-down look from the factory, the leveling kit allows Tacoma owners to run slightly larger tires. It goes without saying that installation of larger tires also requires a speedometer recalibration. That's not all, though...
Regardless of make and model, your truck needs to be realigned after installing a leveling kit. A headlight adjustment wouldn't hurt either. Rough Country also recommends to check and retighten the wheels at 50 miles (80 kilometers), then again at 500 miles (800 kilometers) for extra peace of mind.
The Dyersburg-based company estimates installation time to be two to four hours. Required tools include a strut compressor and a cutting wheel or a grinder to trim the factory strut studs down to where the threads begin, meaning that the less mechanically inclined should leave this to someone with more experience in the auto service industry.
Photo: Rough Country
Pictured in Supersonic Red, which is a $425 option as per Toyota's online configurator, the SR5 in the video below further sweetens the deal with gloss-black wheels from Rough Country. The model is dubbed 84 Series. For the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, the 84s range between 17 by 8.5 inches and 18 by 8.5 inches. The mud-terrain rubber comes from Rough Country as well. At the moment of reporting, the largest one available measures 35" by 12.5" R22.
Only a handful of midsizers come with 35s from the factory, beginning with the uber-expensive Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison and technically similar GMC Canyon AT4X AEV. Both feature Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud-terrain tires. Over at Jeep, the Gladiator Sport, Movaje, and Rubicon can be upgraded to 35s with the AEV Upcountry upfit. In this case, we're dealing with BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s.
New for 2024 in the United States, the Ford Ranger Raptor is advertised with 17-inch wheels (regular or beadlock capable) mounted with 33-inch tires. In this part of the world, the Ranger Raptor uses the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K03. The US model also happens to be punchier than its European and Australian equivalents, with Ford quoting 405 horsepower as opposed to 392 and 288 ponies.
As far as maximum output is concerned, the Ranger Raptor outshines the internal combustion-engined competition. Looking at the bigger picture, you don't need more than 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet (583 Nm) to have fun off the beaten path. The Tacoma i-FORCE MAX may have "only" 326 horsepower, but the transmission-mounted electric motor boosts peak torque to 465 pound-feet (630 Nm) at merely 1,700 revolutions per minute.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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