A MORE “DOWN-TO-EARTH” TOYOTA
DJM launches a 3-4 drop kit for the ’06 Tacoma…
Story & photos by Marshall Spiegel
If you haven’t driven the ’06 Toyota Tacoma, you probably won’t appreciate this
article. The new Tacoma has to be a neat package in anybody’s book. It is powered right. It is well balanced. It is roomy and comfortable. The sheet metal is bent just right. It has attractive appointments. It rides and handles well. It features a top quality, semi-permanent, ultra-modern drop-in bed-liner. Like many people, I found it a difficult vehicle to fault. However, I’ve always felt that selecting a vehicle is like choosing a spouse: Not every one works for everyone. Thus, there are going to be those who aren’t as enchanted by the Tacoma as I am. Oh, well, that’s life.
Now, take the good guys at DJM Suspension in Gardena, CA, for example. They faulted the stock ’06 Tacoma, but only because they felt it is too far off the ground. The Tacoma’s standard ride height was recorded at 18 ¾ inches in front and 19-7/8 inches in the rear, both ends measured from the center of the wheel hub to the lip of the fender well. Of course, the DJM guys are in the business of designing, engineering and marketing drop kits and they tend to think that the stock suspension of every vehicle built anywhere on this earth is too high. But they didn’t just fault the ride height. They set out to do something about it. They engineered a lowering kit especially for the ’06 Tacoma that would bring the popular mid-sized pick-up down to where they and, they hope, many Tacoma owners think it should be. While lowering the new Tacoma, the engineers at DJM strove to preserve the quality of Toyota’s ride and handling.
The result is the DJM 3-4 lowering kit for the ’06 Tacoma. The kit is based on specially engineered upper and lower control arms to drop the front. The rear is lowered with DJM’s heavy-duty steel four-inch lowering blocks; a C-notched frame for additional upward axle travel and carefully-sized and positioned DJM bump stops. When the engineers got into the Tacoma, they discovered a unique phenomenon. The C-notch on the driver’s side differed slightly from the C-notch on the passenger side because of the placement of the shock mounts. Nevertheless, the DJM guys created a top-notch 3-4 lowering kit that made for a more “down-to-earth” Toyota and still left the ’06 Tacoma with its quality ride and outstanding handling.
Installing the new DJM drop kit for the Tacoma requires some effort. The DJM engineering staff demonstrated the installation for us on a brand-new, rich blue ’06 Tacoma extended cab. The accompanying photos cover just about every detail of the installation.
Take a look at the 3/4 kit here!
