Front End Rattle

yep, np. Chime in if you have issues.

 

Well... you'll be sorry you asked.

I've been combing all of the lift threads on TW to find out where I need to adjust the Dakars to, and haven't found an answer yet.

My Taco sits slightly rear-high right now, and 5100s are set to 1.75" with factory springs. I had Non-TSB leafs (3) with a Toytec 1.5" AAL.

But, the Dakar pack raises the rear by 2.75".

So, in my mind, I'm thinking:

Stock with no TSB + 1.5" = current good height.

What height will a fully new set of Dakar springs go to? I'm assuming it would be 2.75" over stock-only height, meaning I need to take 1.25" out of the Dakar to get where I was? Or, if I put in the full 2.75" Dakar, will I be an inch over my 1.75" Billies in front???

Oh, crap, my head is spinning. I'm trying to avoid resetting the front Billies, and want the Dakars to be the same height as Non-TSB plus 1.5" AAL.

I need a drink.

 

Just go full OME

 

im assuming with your current setup you are level. with the setup in front. I have about 2.5" settled in front of my truck and about 3" or more in the back( i have dakars + helper springs) since i carry loads of 200-300 regularly in the bed.

Ive attached photos of what my truck looks like with my setup and you can judge if you like it or not. Im not level but have a slight rake. I have 5100s/eibach at 85 in front with lean spacer.

IMO i think you should be fine with the dakars straight up. It will give you a slight of a rake over your current setup but it will settle after a while.

 

Yer killin' me!

Your photos would make any lift look great! Beautiful!

I'm actually not level with the current set up. With the 5100s at 1.75, I have a slight nose-down rake, which I'm okay with.

Wheeler's was pushing the Dakars too, but I'd need to take one or two leafs out to reduce the height an inch or so, and then I'm not sure I'd have enough "boom" for carrying loads. (I'm pretty sure a big load of firewood killed my stock spring).

The pack would give me the right height, but Wheeler said it was really designed for frequent heavy hauls or towing and would be bumpy as all get-out for day to day commutes.

Finally, the seems a bit more plush, but they don't really tell me what kind of ride to expect, or if load value decreases.

If anything, I'm more likely to haul and tow than to off-road, but I'm not excited about the harsh ride of an HD Spring.

 

what ever leaf pack you decide is better than rebuilding stockers. Allpro, dakars, hw, alcan are all used by people on these forums. I dont mind the added rake since it tends to settle over time like mine did.

 

I'm with you. A bit of a rake is just fine with me. I like the stance that way, actually.

I'm surprised at how hard it is to find a leaf pack that suits. Seems to me that most quality options will force me to pick off-road or hauling set ups, and honestly, I'm looking for a Mall Crawler set up.

 

To close this out:

I decided to have ALCAN build me a set of 8-leaf springs. The springs, plus the U-Bolts with shipping put me at about $780. It's a lot of cash, but it was still cheaper than paying Toyota $2100 to do ONE leaf that would be just as terrible as the last one. So, I still saved almost $1300 dollars.

The Alcan springs arrived on my doorstep in about 3 weeks. They were heavy and beautiful. I like how overbuilt they look, and they were very tightly put together. No obvious shortcuts.

Alcan was super to work with. They were very laid back, asked all the right questions, and chatted with me about my needs for Springs. I explained that I would lean towards hauling more than off-roading, so they told me they'd build an 8 leaf pack that would offer me a better-than factory ride and 500 more pounds of haul in the bed! They also agreed to give me 1.75" of lift to get me back to where the truck was with the ToyTec AALs.

The install took me and a buddy about 5-6 hours and we had no surprises at all. The reward was the drive home. My Taco hovers over bumps and holes in the road like a 70s Cadillac. I always thought a proper truck suspension would rattle my teeth out with every bump, but the Taco really drives plush and is wonderfully firm in turns now. Really great work on the springs by Alcan.

 

Another follow up to the thread for those who may get here by search:

ALCAN is a top notch operation. A year after I got and installed these wonderful springs, I had to contact the company to help me resolve something with Toyota, and they were amazing people to work with. Very helpful.

HIGHLY recommend this company.