Toyota Tundra Suspension Guide: Leveling Kits, Lift Kits, and Coilovers by Generation

The Tundra split into two very different trucks in 2022. The 2007-2021 truck (Gen 2, chassis code XK50) runs a V8 with leaf springs in back and coil struts up front. The 2022-and-newer truck (Gen 3, XK70) runs a twin-turbo V6, and Toyota moved to a more sophisticated front end that a lot of aftermarket suspension companies are still catching up to. What fits one generation does not fit the other, so check the years on any part before you buy.

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| Generation | What it does | Part | |---|---|---| | Gen 2 (07-21) | Leveling kit | {{part:SUS-ROUGHCOUNTRY-870-0721}} | | Gen 2 (07-21) | 3in front / 1in rear lift | {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-69-5175-0721}} | | Gen 2 (07-21) | 4in front / 2in rear lift, UCA included | {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-69-5475-0721}} | | Gen 3 (22-26) | Leveling kit | {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-66-52201-2226}} | | Gen 3 (22-25) | Coilover system, Stage 1 | {{part:SUS-ICON-K53191-2225}} | | Gen 3 (22-25) | Coilover system, Stage 2 | {{part:SUS-ICON-K53192-2225}} | | Gen 3 (22-26) | Shocks and springs system | {{part:SUS-EIBACH-E80820960122-2226}} | | Gen 3 (22-24) | Load-rated 3in/2in kit | {{part:SUS-OME-3104K-2226}} | | Gen 3 (22-26) | 4in lift kit | {{part:SUS-ROUGHCOUNTRY-70430-2226}} |

Leveling first, lifting second

Every stock Tundra sits lower in the front than the rear. That's a factory choice, not a defect, and it's why the cheapest mod on this list is a leveling kit instead of a full lift.

A leveling kit uses spacers on top of your factory struts to raise the front to match the rear. It doesn't touch your shocks or springs, so ride quality doesn't improve, it just changes height and opens up room for a bigger tire. The {{part:SUS-ROUGHCOUNTRY-870-0721}} is the cheapest way to do this on a Gen 2 truck, and it includes front differential spacers, which matter more than people think. Without dropping the diff to match the new strut height, your front axle shafts run at a steeper angle, and that wears CV joints faster over time. Rough Country states this kit doesn't fit Pro Series or XSP-X trim trucks.

On Gen 3, the {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-66-52201-2226}} does the same job with the same diff-drop logic, and ReadyLift rates it for tires up to 34 inches. ReadyLift says it won't work on rear air suspension trucks or on TRD Pro trim without additional components, so confirm your trim before you order.

A lift kit versus a leveling kit

A leveling kit only raises the front. A lift kit raises the whole truck, front and rear, and the better ones replace your struts and springs instead of just spacing them out.

On Gen 2, the {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-69-5175-0721}} gets you 3 inches up front and 1 inch in back with steel strut extensions, and ReadyLift publishes an actual install time, about 6 hours, which is rarer in this category than it should be. It clears a 33 inch tire. Step up to the {{part:SUS-READYLIFT-69-5475-0721}} and you get 4 inches front, 2 inches rear, plus tubular upper control arms. At 4 inches of lift the factory upper control arms run out of travel and the ball joints start binding, so the arms aren't optional at that height, they're part of what makes the kit work. ReadyLift states the smaller kit won't fit 2015-and-up TRD Pro trucks running the factory Bilstein or Fox TRD Pro shocks, and the bigger kit excludes 2015-2020 TRD Pro trucks with the Bilstein TRD Pro shocks specifically.

On Gen 3, the {{part:SUS-ROUGHCOUNTRY-70430-2226}} is the mainstream 4 inch option, and it carries Rough Country's lifetime warranty. Read the fine print before you commit to this one. Rough Country's own instructions call for cutting and drilling, it requires 20 inch wheels or larger, and by Rough Country's account it's a 4WD-only kit. It also doesn't fit TRD Pro, XSP-X, or rear air ride trucks, and Rough Country notes the Toyota Safety Sense cameras may need recalibrating after the ride height changes, which usually means a stop at a shop that can do that calibration. None of that is a knock on the kit. It's what the install actually involves, and you should budget for it.

Coilovers, for when you want the ride to get better, not just taller

Leveling kits and spacer-based lift kits both reuse your factory struts. That means they change your stance but not how the truck actually rides. Coilovers replace the strut internals entirely, and that's the difference that shows up on washboard roads and at highway speed with a loaded bed.

The entry point on Gen 3 is the {{part:SUS-ICON-K53191-2225}}, ICON's Stage 1 kit. It swaps in 2.5 inch front coilovers, adjustable from stock height up to 2.25 inches of lift, plus 2.0 rear shocks, and includes sway bar drop brackets so the front bar geometry stays correct at the new height. ICON does not recommend going past 2.25 inches on a 4WD truck without adding upper control arms, which is exactly what the {{part:SUS-ICON-K53192-2225}}, their Stage 2 kit, adds. Stage 2 gets you up to 3 inches of real front lift with billet control arms that keep the suspension from running out of travel at that height. It's roughly double the cost of Stage 1, and that's the honest tradeoff.

The {{part:SUS-EIBACH-E80820960122-2226}} is a simpler shocks-and-springs system that covers both the standard 3.4L twin-turbo and the i-FORCE MAX hybrid in 4WD crew cab form. Eibach's product page doesn't publish the actual front and rear lift height, so if a specific number matters to your build, confirm it with Eibach before you order.

For a truck that's actually going to carry weight, the {{part:SUS-OME-3104K-2226}} is worth a look. It's a complete 3 inch front, 2 inch rear kit built on Old Man Emu's MT64 shocks, and it's rated to carry 440 lbs of added weight in the rear. Most lift kits don't publish a load rating at all. This one does, and that tells you something about who it's built for.

Fitment exclusions aren't consistent across these three coilover options, so don't assume one rule covers all of them. ICON's Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits and Rough Country's 4 inch kit all state directly that they exclude TRD Pro trim and rear air suspension trucks. Eibach's kit lists coverage for SR, SR5, Limited and TRD Offroad but doesn't call out TRD Pro either way. Old Man Emu's fitment page didn't state a TRD Pro or air-suspension exclusion when it was checked, and ARB recommends confirming compatibility with them directly before ordering. Toyota changed enough hardware between trim levels that this is worth a phone call, not a guess.

What none of this changes

Every part on this list is a suspension component, not a power part. None of them publish a horsepower or torque figure, and none should, that isn't what they do. If a listing anywhere claims a lift kit adds power, that claim didn't come from the manufacturer.

The legal stuff nobody wants to read but should

Bigger tires, a taller stance, and cut-and-drill lift kits can all touch state inspection rules, insurance, and your factory warranty, and those rules vary by state and by dealer. None of the fitment notes above are legal advice. They're pulled straight from what each manufacturer publishes on its own product page. If you aren't sure whether a specific lift is legal to run where you live, or whether it voids anything, that's a question for your state's inspection station or an attorney, not a parts catalog.

What to skip

Skip any "universal" leveling kit that doesn't list your specific Tundra generation and trim by name. The XK50 and XK70 front ends are different enough that a kit claiming to fit both is either stretching the truth or cutting a corner somewhere, usually on the diff drop bracket that keeps your CV angles sane. If a listing can't tell you whether it fits your generation, it isn't the one to buy.