All CST Lift Kit Options for the Toyota Tundra

Looking to lift or level your Toyota Tundra? California SuperTrucks (CST) has many options including a lift kit with their simple fabricated spindle concept that can save you time and money.

A very nice Tundra wearing a CST spindle lift kit (shout out to our friends at TundraStop.com).

CST kits are known for having high quality parts with all the pieces you need to do the job right. Founder and owner Chris Robinson, “has been designing, building, and driving off road race trucks, as well as running off road fabrication shops for the past 30 years.”

Much like other manufacturers they offer a 2″ billet spacer and 3″  cast spacer to give you a small amount of lift, similar to a Truxxx kit (or other above coil spacer kits). This spacer is good for the person who just wants to gain a little bit of lift without spending a lot of money. Typically, a 3″ front end lift on a 07′ and up Tundra allows you to run 35″ tires, giving you a very nice look.

CST Has Spindles Too

In addition to spacers, CST sells 3.5″ fabricated spindles for all 2wd Tundras as well.  “Fabricated” refers to the fact that each spindle is made by hand, powder coated, and then machined to tolerances. While some may balk at the logic of lifting a 2wd Tundra, it’s a good idea to remember that:

1. Not everyone needs 4wd trucks. Southern California doesn’t get much snow or ice.
2. Lifted 2wd trucks are frequently used in desert racing, as they’re lighter and faster than 4wd trucks…and because you don’t need 4wd at race speeds.

Here's a Tundra with a 12" lift kit and 37" tires, click on the image to learn more about it (opens in a new window).

CST Fabricated Upper A-Arms

Finally, in addition to spacers and spindles, CST offers fabricated upper a-arms which are lighter than the factory upper a-arms (also known as upper control arms, FYI), so they reduce unsprung weight on the suspension system. Additionally, the CST upper a-arms come with a uniball, which helps improve travel a bit as well as durability.

Good close-up of the CST A-Arms on a Tundra

Finally, these lighter upper a-arms *could* improve ride (see note below as to why we say “could”).

Combinations To Increase Lift

The spindles can be combined with other components to achieve more lift:

• 3.5″ spindles + 2″ spacers + new upper a-arms = About 6″ of lift
• 3.5″ spindles + 0-2.5″ Bilstein 5100 adjustable height shocks + new Upper A-Arms = About 6″ of lift

If you compare the retail cost of these options to a basic bracket lift kit (such as this ProComp lift kit) they’re pretty similar, but the bracket lift kits require you to cut the vehicle frame and weld a new crossmember. The bracket kits are much more labor intensive and irreversible as well, which makes the CST Tundra lift kit combos a very cost effective alternative.

As we stated in another post:

The advantages of CST’s custom spindle lift kits are that they are simple to install – in most cases less than 6 hours. Not only that, but they allow for a ride that is very close to stock, and they work with a stock specification alignment. This helps remove many of the headaches associated with driving a lifted truck on the street in day-to-day traffic.

One disadvantage of the CST spindle kit is that if you do decide to take advantage of the taller ride to run larger tires, it will be necessary to switch to after market wheels. CST warns that the backspace on the stock Toyota wheel will cause larger sidewalls to rub against the spindle. This should be an important part of your overall budget outlook when considering the CST kit.

Finally, CST says that all the parts they make and sell are made in the USA.

A Note About Ride Quality

Suspension companies say that a lot of the components they sell improve ride quality. For example:

•  After-market coilover units have better quality shocks (which is true), so they claim to ride better (theoretically true)
• After-market suspension components are lighter than the factory units they replace, so they claim to ride better (theoretically true)
• After-market kits increase range of travel, so they claim to ride better (absolutely true in theory)

The reason these claims are “theoretical” is that most truck owners combine these ride-improving components with heavy after-market wheels and off-road tires that typically ride really poorly. So, if you buy the right components, you can improve your truck’s ride…but in most applications, the ride is about the same as factory, and if you get the wrong set of wheels and/or tires, your truck can ride noticeably worse.

Related Posts:

• The Ultimate Lift Kit Guide – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Lift Kits
• CST Lift Kits For The Toyota Tundra
• Toyota Tundra Leveling Kit and Front End Lift Information