ProComp 6″ Lift Kit For The Tundra
Jason | Mar 24, 2008 | Comments 39
Our last featured vehicle had a pretty wicked lift kit on it – the Stage 2 ProComp 6″ Lift with MX6 shocks and coilovers. We haven’t had a chance to witness an install yet, so we haven’t bothered to review one. However, we have found a really nice break down of the process on ToyotaTruckWorld.com.
See the ProComp install process.
The big news – the install requires a lot of experience. You’re going to need to cut one of the factory differential supports to get it to go, not to mention a lot of care and effort needs to be taken to get everything together. We’ve said this before about lift kits, but this time we really mean it – it’s probably best to let a professional install the ProComp 6″ kit on your Tundra.
The ProComp 6″ lift kit isn’t cheap – parts run about $2,500 (the stage 2 kit includes coilovers at that price – the stage 1 kit with spacers runs about $1,600). Install will run at least $500, and some installers may charge as much as $1500 (only that should include mounting and balancing a new set of wheels and tires). Speaking of wheels and tires, you’re going to need to upgrade your tires if you want your truck to look halfway decent. Expect to spend another $200-$300 per tire. That brings the total cost of adding a 6″ ProComp lift to at least $3,000 for the Stage I, $4k for the Stage II (installed cost). Of course that will depend a lot on the installer you use, where you buy your parts, and tires you choose. That doesn’t include the cost of upgrading wheels either – they can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars and go up into the thousands. We’re not trying to discourage anyone from buying a ProComp lift, we just want you to know what the costs really are. We’ve seen 6″ lift kits on other trucks, when combined with wheels and tires, cost as much as $8k.
Our suggestion for finding a good installer is always the same – talk to your local Toyota dealer and find out who they would recommend. You should also email some of your local 4×4 clubs and find out if they recommend a particular shop. Buying the parts is easy, but installing them is complex. It’s OK to spend a lot on installation if the installer comes highly recommended. If someone messes this kit up…well, you get the idea.
The great thing about the ProComp kit – it allows you to put some big tires on. ProComp recommends tires sized 35″ by 12.5.” Here’s how that compares to a stock tire:
The angles are a little different, but if you compare the mudflap behind each tire, you’ll see the difference is profound.
With the good – great stance, huge tires, lots of off-road performance – comes the bad. Expect your truck to get somewhere between 12-14mpg if you add this lift. The lift kit disrupts the airflow under the vehicle and negatively effects highway mileage, and the over-sized tires will also reduce your gas mileage because of rolling resistance. The lift will also make climbing in and out of your Tundra even harder – not to mention loading up the bed and hooking up a trailer. Finally, the raised center of gravity increases the risk of rolling your truck. Forget about driving at high speed around tight corners – this kit will slow you down in the curves quite a bit.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a way to distinguish your truck, or if you’re thinking about doing some serious off-roading, the ProComp lift is a great way to go. They’re a trusted brand with a reputation for quality. But, for many, spending $4,000-$5,000 on a lift kit that will ruin the gas mileage, make loading more difficult, and increase roll-over risk doesn’t make much sense. If you’re going to step up to this kit, more power to you. Just make sure you understand the trade-offs.
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Filed Under: Tundra Lift Kits
The May ‘08 issue of Sport Truck magazine has a Tundra with the 6inch Pro Comp lift. There are some install directions but I agree with the review here, let the pros do it.
Mark – Thanks for the heads up. We’ll check that magazine out.
I have the new Tundra and had the Pro Comp 6″ Stage 1 installed at 4 Wheel Parts. Service was excellent. Pro Comp wheels and tires added as well. I agree, the install looks like a nightmare because it is a very comprehensive kit. It came in five separate boxes. I’ve gotten underneath the truck and the changing of the front differential and steering linkage and the new cross member look insane to install. That said, the kit is 2nd to none in quality and it really maintains stock angles so it won’t wear out your parts faster. The truck is level and high up. 6 inches front, 4 inches rear, plus about 2 inches lift per tire (the stock ones measured 31 as the new are 35s). So overall the truck in the front sits 8 inches up. It is downright nasty. I only lost about 1-2 mpg on average driving so it’s not too bad. It rides better, takes bumps better. It is slightly noisier due to the tires but not much. I absolutely love the look and it can go anywhere now!
Got pics? What size wheels did you get?
Admin, did you get the pics of the Extang bedcover and Nasta step bars?
35×12.5 r18
how do i send you guys pics?
Omes – sounds cool, glad to hear it didn’t hurt your MPG too much. Feel free to email pics to admin[at]tundraheadquarters.com. Substitute the ‘@’ symbol for [at] (spam bots look for email addresses). I’ll post them.
Mark – Got the pics – did you get my follow-up email? I had a couple of questions and I was wondering if you still had the install directions.
Admin-did not get a follow up email, will send the install directions asap.
I got the the 6″ Stage 1 Pro Comp lift and 35 12.50 18 Pro Comp 35 12.50/18 Xtreme AT, installed by 4-Wheel parts. The minute I got in the truck and drove it I was not happy. After hitting highway speeds it felt like the front end was going to fall out from under it and the steering wheel was shaking bad. Took it back to the installers and they blamed the rack and pinion steering, and after voicing my opinion they finally checked the tires for correct balance. This made the drive a little more livable but still had some vibration, but only above 60 mph. I took it back to them after a trip to Vegas, and they ended up replacing the left front tire. A world of difference truck was much better. After logging 5000 miles the steering was back to the orginal setup. Enough was enough, I went to Discount tire and had them look at the tires and setup and asked them to balance. They noticed that the front tires were starting to wave on the inside of the tire. So instead of having them balance the tires, I bought a set of BFG 305/65r18, these are equivilent to a 33″ tire. The truck has never driven this good, it is a difference in night and day, no matter waht speed the drive is the same (smooth), my gas mileage also improved dramactily for the better. Went from 13 to 16 mpg. I am not saying the tires were bad I think if installed correctly they would work great. But you have them and are expericing the same symptoms get rid of them or demand to have them balanced correctly and you need to have them rotated frequently (every 3000 miles). but remember they are directional so it is just back to front and front to back. If you have them I recommend rotating on a regular basis. Since I changed my tires everything has improved, bed bounce, steering and MPG. Soo good luck to you.
John – Thanks for commenting. I wonder if anyone else had the same experience with ProComp Xtreme AT’s?
John….. I’m looking to do the same lift on my tundra. Very curious to see what the truck and this lift looks like on 33’s. I have 20 inch rims right now (stock) with 31’s for tires. I’ve been wanting a tire a bit smaller than the 35’s for mpg reasons. could you please send me some pics of your truck or a link to pics to giveitatryster[at]gmail.com.
Jason… truck looks good… thanks for the post
Well i think the lift is reasonable considering that when you put any lift on any truck it ruins gas mileage, your trans…etc. Pro comp did a special on this lift at sema and the lift is pretty ligit. From off road to on road.
Dan – I wouldn’t put 33’s under a 6″ lift – it won’t look right.
As a professional suspension installer I have to state a few observations I ALWAYS TELL MY CUSTOMERS! First: Gas milage with the larger tires. The gentleman who only lost 1-2mpg needs to start paying all that extra help at his axle. Between the rolling resistance and unsprung weight he added,(not to mention the gearing change and air resistence) you are going to lose between AT LEAST 5-8 mpg with this tire change. Second: Extreme tread pattern tires: IF you can find someone who can balance them properly at all, after the first 2-3 bumps or curbs, or, you have driven 500 miles of rubber off these tires the vibration is UNBEARABLE! As the customer above stated, by going to a less aggressive tread he found happiness. Third and foremost: Once done, there is no going back(unless you are prepared to spend A LOT of cash)As for the kits themselves they are fine for raising the height of your vehicle for tire cleareance, NOTHING ELSE! These kits are not designed to take bumps and jumps any more than the stock system, actually less! A aftermarket shock/spring combination with a 33″ tire combination will give you 4-5″ of lift, provide better gas milage, and let your truck handle better and take bumps and jumps at a much better rate. Pur-Formance Racing, Tucson
Stephen – Good points all. I have to say I haven’t noticed everything you’ve mentioned on some lifted trucks I’ve had and/or been around, but good points for sure. The tires can and will vibrate if they aren’t balanced correctly, but I’ve found the “mudders” are the worst offenders. The gas mileage drop is usually closer to 5mpg than 2mpg for sure, but I trust the person that told me implicitly, so I’m not sure that choosing a reasonable tire tread will result in a dramatic mileage decrease. Still, great points all. Thanks for commenting – it’s always nice to get professional opinions!
Not only will it look weird without upgrading the tires, but the Kit will NOT WORK with factory wheels. You MUST get aftermarket wheels. No exceptions.
I was hoping to do the lift on my truck and get nice 35″ tires but hang on to my stock wheels.
Not possible.
BOOOO.
Obama – Good point – thank you. Good luck with the new gig.
Hey Obama, Stock wheels will work if they are 20″.
Yeah I have been seriously looking at this kit and been reading up on it like crazy. I saw a listing on ebay which described the size wheel to use which is 18×9 and have 5.5 backspacing. Ok what do they mean by the 5.5 backspacing? Probably a nonsense question but I want to know all my options for wheels that I can use. Any help would be great.
Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors.....755wt_1167
Sam – The backspacing dimension is the amount of distance between the part of the wheel that mounts on the hub and the back of the wheel. Higher backspacing numbers either mean wider wheels or wheels that stick out beyond the plane of the fender (i.e. outside the wheel wells). Make sense?
Okay so what kind of rims could I use that are more cost effective than the procomp rims is probably more of what I am getting at if I buy the kit?
Sam – There are literally hundreds of options. Your local tire shop might be a good place to start.
I’m beginning my kit research so I can decide and start saving. I want the height more than anything but to keep more of a stock feel yet be able to do off-roading as a new hobby. 3″ is not noticeable to me but it’s definitely more affordable. 6″ is the look I want but the price jumps so much in addition to having to buy aftermarket wheels/tires. I’m torn on what to do and could use more suggestions.
Hi guys, i bought my tundra 3 days ago, it has Pro comp lift kit 6” stage 2
with 22” rims and 325/50/22 BF Tires.
Am planning to change it to XD 20” wheels and 35/12.50/20 pro comp xtreme tires.
Any suggestion?
Saeed – Have you thought about 18″ wheels instead of 20″? They’re less expensive and better off-road. The tires are often less expensive as well.
I have an appointment tomorrow at 4 wheel parts to install a stage 1 kit with 20″ rockstar rims and Toyo MT tires for $5500.00. I hope this shit runs real good otherwise they aren’t gettin anything.
You’ll be fine. Pricing is a bit high for that package though.
new tundra Guy – Sounds pretty cool – I’m sure you’ll love it.
I just purchased a 2007 tundra crew max with the stage 2 pro comp lift and I’m running 37×12.5 20 super swamper tsl tires and this thing looks bad!oh and it is one big truck,the thing rides great besides the tire noise, no steering wheel shake at all once you have the right place balance them as I found out the hard way.I had bad the steering wheel shake at first until I took the wheels into a shop that has a laser balance and these things are perfect now and would not change a thing ..
walker – send us pics man! We’ll feature it.
will do,how do I post them on here?
To all i say “how ya doin”?
This forum has helped me trememdously figure out which direction to start in on my Tundra.
In summation, I FINALLY bought the tundra I’ve coveted since the 2nd Gen first hit the market in late 2006. It is a 2007 5.7 Limited 4×2 double cab with 35k Mi. FULLY LOADED! It is Black and crome, but I am halfway through completely blacking it out at a local Toyota dealership. (Everything accept the 5.7 iforce, Limited, and the Toyota symbol on the grill.) Im doing the Sideviews, tubular step sides, and grill. . It came with a really nice hydraulic lift hard top tonnel cover, tow package, wheel flares (not a big fan of) bed rug, new factory tires, rims(had painted and baked black to match body and tonnel leaving only the lugs and Toyota symbol). and stereo.
NOW, that all said I need advice ASAP! My immediate plans our the following. . Supercharger, cat back dual exhaust, sway bar, CAI, performance chip and minor lift. Now for the questions.
1) I don’t want to sacrifice the extended warranty, do I need to use all Toyota components?
2) will a CAI prevent me installing the supercharger?
3) I’ve heard bad things about each cold air intake. Whiff is best.
4) I’ve read that I can raise the truck slightly (2-3″) and improve on the handling. Should I just get bigger springs and shocks?
5) I’ve thought about keeping/enhancing the raised back look. Is that possible and/or functional?
6) how will wider tires affect my ride.
Believe it or not these or only a few of my questions. I need to make a move by Tuesday in order to save a great deal on all these upgrades. Basically I, m looking to have one mean looking tundra that will leave most in the dust and be my daily driver. I know its a lot to ask at once but through all my research I haven’t found anyone that is looking to use there truck as a sloped up work truck. And obviously I be taking it off road. ANY AND ALL HELP IS APPRECIATED. THANKS
mrblack5.7 – Congrats! Sounds pretty cool. When you’re done with it, send us some pics and we’ll feature it!
1. No. The warranty isn’t dependent upon the parts you use, and after-market parts can’t violate your warranty (unless they cause the failure – read all about it here http://www.tundraheadquarters......warranty/)
2. No, but you’ll have to throw away the CAI kit you install when you add the supercharger (or at least sell it on eBay).
3. We like the aFe kit best – http://www.tundraheadquarters......ir-intake/
4. Not sure I understand, but if you’re only lowering or lifting 2-3 inches, you don’t need any new springs or shocks (only if you’re doing a 2-3″ drop, new rear shocks aren’t a bad idea).
5. Possible, yes. Functional? Makes little difference. OEM’s do it because it reduces the number of complaints about trucks being ‘too low’ when they’re loaded up.
6. Wider tires will be louder and less fuel efficient, but they’ll handle better. As far as ride, it’s really the tire’s sidewall height that matters most.
Have fun!
I just got a 07 Tundra that I am looking to do a few things too. I have been told to go with the Stage 2 ProComp 6″ Lift with MX6 shocks and coilovers and go with some 35′ toyo mt’s and a 20-22′ rim. Others tell me just to go with a 4′ lift.. I would love some pictures of different size lifts with those size of tires. Also other tire suggestions would be great. I am obviously looking to keep the cost down but I want something that is going to look nice and last, that is more important than cost. I wont be doing any off roading, so thats not a factor. Any suggestions would be great!
Tuff Country – A 6″ lift will accommodate 37″ tires with just a little bit of trimming, and I know of 4″ lifts that have 35’s under them (again, with trimming). However, if you don’t want to “trim”, then a 6″ lift with 35’s is good. The next step down is a 3″ lift (3″ up front, 1″ in back) that levels out the truck and allows you to put 33’s underneath. Personally, I think that looks pretty good while still being highly functional (better gas mileage, less road noise, etc.). It’s also much cheaper than a 6″ lift.
Can you install a 3/1 leveling kit and a Performance Accessories 3″ body lift kit to give you enough clearance to run 35’s? Has anyone tried this? Any issues to be concerned about and would it affect my warranty? The price seems a little easier to handle. Also can you elaborate as to what is involved with “trimming”. Thanks.
Double D – I’m sure that a body lift and a leveling kit would give you enough clearance to run 35’s – a 6 inch lift is sufficient for the task. Cutting some body panels and grinding steel off some suspension parts is what is meant by “trimming”. Most really big lift kit installers do this sort of thing all the time to no ill effect. It’s hard for do-it-yourself’ers, however, if they don’t have a lot of experience.
I recently bought a new 2010 4×4 CrewMax Tundra, and I had the Toyota dealer include the cost of the Pro Comp Stage 2 lift, 20″ RBP wheels, and 35×12.50R20 TOYO MT’s in the financing. The Toyota Service Dept installed the lift & tires, did a excellent job. I traded in a 07 DC Tundra, and I swear you can barely tell any ride differnce, that’s how good the Stage 2 lift is. If you decide to do a lift of any sort with different wheels & tires you’ll have to also buy a speedometer/odometer recalibrator, otherwise you’ll be guessing at your speed, and won’t be accurate on your mileage. I went with the Hypertech model which is programable for infinite wheel/tire/and gear size in case you change out those. If you’d like to see pics of it come over to the Tundra Network site check it out. http://www.tundranetwork.com/profile/CasuConsulto