Have dealer install the TRD Lift or buy one aftermarket and do myself?

Hey there! Looking to buy a Tundra one day (now that all the 3rd gens catch fire and the fix isn't until Halloween..) But I wouldn't do it very soon anyways; our first kid is due end of September, and wife won't get paid while on baby leave for 3 three weeks and the hospital bill that will shortly follow.. So we wouldn't purchase the Tundra until sometime into 2024

Back on track here. My question is, do I work with the dealer and have them install the factory Toyota lift kit? Or buy an aftermarket one and do it myself? I have the space, tools, and know how to do it myself. I've installed a lift on my last Tacoma, upgraded the front bushing. Also built/fabricated a lift for modified 80's Toyota pickup.

• Pros for dealer doing it, is with the new kid, I doubt I'll have that much free time to do it myself.
• Con for the dealer doing it, is it'll cost more, and for the same price I could get a better setup.

• Pro doing it myself, I can save some money doing it, and possibly get better components for the same price.
• Con doing it myself, I'm not sure how much free/down time I'll have to be able to dedicate towards installing the lift.

Anyone have input on why to do it one way vs the other? Is the factory lift kit worth it? We don't go four-wheeling, but will do some forest service trails, river crossings, and camping out of it across North Ga/Tenn (Smokey Mountains & Blue Ridge Mountain ranges)

Thanks for reading a long winded question

edited some formatting

 

Other PROS for Toyota doing it; It will be covered under a factory warranty for 3 years. If you do it yourself, it's only 1. I've been doing a ton of research myself on lifts, etc. and am on the fence myself.

I'm the same way, I don't like the idea of paying others to do something I know I can do myself, but do consider that after the fact, you'll still need the alignment, and sensor re-calibration, which could be a few hundred dollars all by itself. Numerous people have had dealers do the install for about $1500 in labor. Some have paid more, but that seems to be the going rate.

It's a very difficult choice, and I've been debating similar things for the last few weeks. Just had a pretty big expense come up on another matter, so my lift plans have been set back about 6 months, but I am fairly certain I'm getting the TRD Lift, and doing it myself. Even if I'm only saving $1000 in install fees (due to the sensors and alignment, etc.) I love working on stuff and the satisfaction I have when looking at it and knowing I did it is what I love.

 

I don't imagine having to re-calibrate the sensors? I put a lift on my 2021 Tacoma, right at a 2" lift and my sensors weren't affected. I had one of the shop managers at my local dealer sort of mentor me through that step. I did align my headlights though, didn't want to blind other drivers.

For alignment, I'd probably do that at the same time as tires/wheels. I'd almost consider that a wash at that point. I think the TRD lift is about $3,000..? plus the ~$1,500 labor for install, I could likely get a better suspension for that same $4,500, right? That's my train of thought anyways.

 

Sensors need to be recalibrated or they won't work correctly and you will have dash errors. The 2.5 tss includes camera now fyi

 

I'm sure you could for the $4500, but it wouldn't have any dealer's warranty, if that's important to you. There are dealers that will tell you that an aftermarket lift will void all powertrain warranties, but that's a bunch of BS. They have to prove the lift caused damage to the power train to refuse warranty work, and unless it's something major, the dealer's don't try, as they're paid by corporate for warranty work.

I'm all over the place with my decision, even after several weeks of reading here and elsewhere. I have seen a lot of folks that went one way or the other, regarding wheels/tires or lift, didn't like it, and then went another way. I don't have the funds to do it twice, so I am just a bit shy of pulling the trigger just yet.

 

When I put my lift on our Tacoma the shop foreman at the Toyota dealership said as long as the lift is under 3" it won't void the warranty. It could be different for the Tundra though

I know the feeling. It took me months to find a setup I liked for the Tacoma. Frustrating, but worth the wait in the end. You get exactly what you want.