When people start talking about lowering their trucks, you can feel eyes begin to roll all over the room. Although it is a common reaction, some Toyota Tundras look fantastic with this modification.
The goal of a lowered Tundra is to create a unique look that remains drivable. Although you won’t get to tow or haul as you would with a standard setup, it’s still fun to add some racing tires to the vehicle and a few additional custom features.
Whether you choose the McGaughy drop kit, a WULF drop kit, or something else that you prefer locally, the first step of this modification process is to understand what happens to the truck when you lower the Tundra.
What You Need to Know About Lowering Your Tundra
Instead of talking about a leveling or lift kit for your Toyota Tundra, you can create a distinctive look by lowering it. Some drivers find the height a bit annoying, feeling awkward when trying to reach for something in the bed. It can even be hard to slide behind the wheel until this modification occurs.
The best option is to lower the suspension system by a few inches when you want a sportier look for your Tundra. You don’t need to push it down a lot because there needs to be enough clearance for the undercarriage to avoid damage.
You’ll notice some aerodynamic improvements once you’ve lowered the Tundra because there isn’t as much wind resistance at the vehicle’s front. In return, there can be changes to how it handles, tows, or hauls.
If you bring a fifth wheel camping or use the bed for cargo frequently, you’ll want to think about how the action of lowering the suspension impacts your everyday activities.
Several different methods are available to Tundra owners when they want to start lowering their trucks. Here are some of the best practices and processes to review to ensure the techniques used to provide the performance enhances you want.
What Are the Best Ways to Lower a Toyota Tundra?
When you start thinking about lowering your truck instead of installing a leveling or lift kit, it helps to understand the various techniques that can accomplish this result.
What best suits the performance and look you want to achieve with your Toyota Tundra?
Here are the different ways to go about this process.
1. Drop Spindles
The drop spindle method for lowering a Tundra is one of the best ways to do it without impacting the suspension or your ride quality. It keeps the geometry relatively stable, but you’ll need a high-quality spindle to ensure the results remain reputable.
Cheap drop spindles are known to shear and crack. You’ll want to invest in the highest quality product you can afford for dropping the truck.
You can also combine the spindles with a two-inch lowering coil to produce a total lowering effort of four inches.
2. Coil Springs
Aftermarket coil springs offer a straightforward way to drop a Toyota Tundra. You’ll get up to two inches of change with this solution.
You’ll want to use a complete kit from the same manufacturer since some trucks use coils at the rear.
Your best option is a progressive-rate spring made from high-quality steel. As time passes, this choice reduces spring sag, allowing for handling improvements because of the lower stance and center of gravity.
Some Tundra owners think about cutting the factory coils to get the dropped look, but you can change the compression rate by taking that action. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than buying new coil springs, but is it worth the bouncy rate you’ll get?
3. Air Springs or Airbags
This choice delivers a few unique advantages to Tundra owners. You can retrofit them almost anywhere, achieve a shallow stance once deflated, or operate at the stock height with the help of an onboard compressor.
When investing in this option, you’re getting the best of both worlds. You can experiment with the dropped look while keeping to something more traditional for towing or hauling.
You’ll have the most options for an extreme drop with this modification. Once the factory coil is replaced, you can go low enough to where the Tundra rests on the frame. It’ll require extensive customization, but it is certainly doable without much difficulty.
Depending on how low you want the truck to ride, the air springs can get built into custom A-arms to lay the frame on the ground. You can do the same for the rear, but at the expense of your cargo-carrying capacity.
4. Hydraulics
Although lowriders popularized this option to lower trucks, this system delivers similar benefits to what you’d experience with air springs or airbags. It uses hydraulic fluid to fill solid cylinders that replace the shocks and springs.
Once installed, you’ll need a system of hydraulic lines, pumps, solenoids, and switches for the Tundra to operate correctly.
Most drivers must hire custom installers for this need because of the extensive welding and cutting that occurs. Once you have hydraulics installed, the towing and cargo capacity for the truck disappears.
5. Control Arms
The factory wishbones in your Tundra get replaced by this component when using this lowering technique. It uses tubular lower and upper control arms, with the former providing a deeper spring pocket.
This technique maintains the correct ball joint angles for a smooth ride while delivering up to three inches of drop.
Some drivers want to use low-profile tires with their Tundras to complete the look. If you choose this option, the spring pocket for the lower control arm cannot fall below the truck’s scrub line.
The scrub line is the lowest part of the Tundra that would make contact with the pavement if the tires go flat.
When you have a new upper arm, it compensates for the negative camber that develops when installing a drop kit. You must have matched sets with this technique to ensure the proper alignment and operations.
6. Leaf Spring Blocks
Blocks are a popular way to lower a truck’s rear by up to three inches. Most lowering kits include this product, allowing for an insert between the leaf spring and the axle. The best options are made from steel or aluminum, looking like a wedge more than a square.
If you have one that is too bulky at the insert point, it can throw off the truck’s pinion angle.
Most leaf spring blocks are used with hangars to achieve a total drop of four inches. You’ll need to use high-quality U-bolts to complete the work if you want to experience consistency behind the wheel.
7. Leaf Spring Eye Hangars
Most trucks use a leaf spring at the rear because that allows the vehicle to manage the extra cargo capacity that goes into the bed. Most Tundra owners replace the mounts, called the shackles and hangars, to get about a 1.5-inch drop without much work.
You’ll need to drill or cut the factory shackles from the frame. Once they’re gone, you can bolt on the new ones.
This method works exceptionally well. You can combine the technique with the others on this list to achieve the lower stance you want.
Replacing the leaf spring eye hangars can also deliver leveling benefits since you’re still using the factory spring.
Tundra owners will want to choose this option if they don’t want to lose their cargo or towing capacity.
8. Leaf Springs
The leaf springs can lower the ride height by up to three inches for the truck’s rear. If you combine new parts here with the eye hangars, the total drop can reach four inches.
You’ll notice that the updated springs have less overall arch than the older ones, but that won’t impact the comfort of your driving experience.
You’ll discover that the drawback of replacing the leaf springs for a drop is that your tongue weight and cargo capacity decrease significantly. Since fewer leaves get used, they don’t offer a helper that helps in this area.
Depending on the Tundra model you drive, you can use airbag helper springs that sit on top of the leaf to restore some of the lost cargo capacity. It will also raise the backend to compensate for heavy trailers or loads.
9. Flip Kits
When you want an extreme drop for your Toyota Tundra, this choice is your best option. You can achieve up to eight inches while getting enough travel and clearance between the frame and the axle.
This product flips the position of the axle and leaf spring so that they move from beneath to the top. The best designs have a locator that positions the rear axle slightly forward to maintain the correct pinion geometry.
Most kits in this category require that the frame’s rear be C-notched for added axle travel. It’s reinforced with a steel support bracket that needs to get bolted into place. Since welding often weakens tempered steel, you’ll need to think about drilling to ensure the results are what you’d expect.
How Low Should I Go with My Toyota Tundra?
I’ve put together this helpful reference chart to help you think about how low your Tundra should go when you want a specific result.
| LOWERING PURPOSE | DROP AMOUNT | LOWERING METHODOLOGY |
| Leveling | Rear: 2 inches; Front: None | Blocks, Hangars, or Shackles |
| Moderate | Rear: 4 inches; Front: 2 inches | Drop Spindles, Coils, Blocks, or Hangars |
| Custom | Rear: 5 inches; Front: 3 inches | Lower Control Arms, Coils, Blocks, or Hangars |
| Extreme | Rear: 6 inches; Front: 4 inches | Drop Spindles, Coils, Blocks, Hangars, and a Flip Kit |
| Ultra-Extreme | Rear: 7 inches; Front: 5 inches | Flip Kits, Airbags, Coils, Lower Control Arm, Blocks, and Hangars |
| Lowrider / Dragger | Rear: 6+ inches; Front: 8+ inches | Customized Lower Control Arms, Custom Rear Airbags |
Most manufacturers create complete drop kit systems for the Toyota Tundra that take the guesswork out of what you’re doing.
I’ve found that adding a shorter shock absorber or mount extension improves the ride quality of the truck after completing the work. I also like adding anti-sway bars to improve the handling and performance for everyday needs.
Although the trucks are heavy, there are enough low-profile tires on the market today that can support the Tundra. Please remember to review the load setting for the wheels to ensure you have a safe ride.
Once you’ve taken those issues into consideration, you’ll have the means and opportunity to drop the Tundra to whatever level you prefer.
