How to ease a rough ride after 3" spacer lift?

I would dump the rear blocks for the TSB AAL. Also just to confirm, you will not lose and front lift at all using the OME springs.

 

So in dumping the rear blocks, putting in Bilsteins, and getting the TSB, I shouldn't lose any ride height?
Just wanna make sure I have it all sorted, thanks

 

You will lose ride height in the back if you dump the blocks and just get the tsb. When steve o says "tsb aal" he means tsb-add-a-leaf, which would be in addition to the tsb. It's an extra leaf that is added to cause the other leafs to arch more giving lift. There is a special one for trucks that have had the tsb done. If you get the tsb and tsb aal you should be at the same amount of lift. It's about $70 from toytec. I'd agree with steve o, it's a better way to lift the back.

 

Ok, so the regular TSB only replaces the 3 leafs with new and stiffer ones, and then I'd get the AAL for a fourth leaf?

And also, if I did that, do you think putting 5100's in the rear would make that much difference in the ride quality? I feel like adding that 4th leaf would stiffen things up alot and make the billies a waste of money in the rear (just thinking I could save on only buying new billies for the front if the rear one aren't necessary at that point)

 

Im sorry if this confuses you and restarts your quest for answers all over again, but Bilstein 5100s ride rough as hell when used to lift. I had them on my Tacoma and didnt like them at all. They felt, as you described, like they were beating up my truck.

 

yeeaaa, I'm beginning to understand that they're designed for leveling more than straight up lift. grrrr.

 

Anytime your going to preload a spring, the ride is gonna get rougher, its just the nature of lift. The only other option you have are coilovers which will run you 1k-1.8k or spindles which run 1k-1.4k

 

But wouldn't the 885's on 5100's set at 0" ride smoother than stock springs and 5100's set at 2.5"?

For me, that is the way to go...885 springs on 5100's set at 0 (cause I have no extra weight in front). I have the TSB done and plan to buy a TSB AAL for the rear.

 

man I HATE tacoma leafs, they are so damn flat! why cant they come up wwith a better design? leaf under axle setup!?

I had the toytec spacer and it was terrible. super super rough. I swaped out for some fox coilovers and I love it!

 

Are 5100's set a 0 softer than my stock shocks? If that is the case, and it is significant, then I might just keep the spacer lift I have and swap in the billies on all four corners. I doubt it would be that easy tho

 

No, they are stiffer even set at 0. They will be really stiff with the spacers in there. Might as well set them at 2.5 to get the lift if you don't want coils.

 

Well sh*t, I think I'm gonna just abandon this whole idea for now, till I have a little more cash to thrown at it, lol

Thanks for the help guys

 

I would prefer to run a set of 885s with OME shocks as opposed to the 5100s. This seems to be the preference when running the 885 coils.

 

in both trucks it went on top of the coilover assembly. I had to take the assebbly out, then the spacer just sitts on top of it and then it is bolted back in place.

 

some info for anyone thinking about getting the "TSB" or "ALL's" or "TSB & ALL's". Read post #1 and #26. I have meassurments in those two posts. Oh, and yes, I was the one who started that post too, so if you have any questions.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/90146-tsb-rear-leaf-problems.html

 

I'm sorry, I don't agree with that. First let me say this...I have NOT gotten under the truck an actually made any meassurments, so there is a possiblity that I am wrong and talking out of my ass;...however...

Logically thinking about the coilover assembly, I don't think the "shock" will bottom-out inside the "spring". I have to believe that Bilstien would not make that fatal flaw. I believe the "spring" would full compress befor (even if it is "just befor") the "shock" is fully bottomed-out. The spring is way stronger then the shock, especially the shaft, and I have to believe the designers thought of that. Also that shaft that broke (in the above pic), could have broken, if the spring was fully compressed and there was still some travle left in the shock (even though that travle could never be used because the spring was fully compressed).

Having said that, I can see how it would feel like it was a "harder" ride if the truck was not hitting the "soft" bump stops, but 1) are there bump stops in the front? ( never really noticed) and 2) I seriously can not believe that anyone experienceing a "hard/ruff" ride just driving around, is do to them, NOT hitting thier "soft" bump stops, because that would mean that they are fully compressing thier front suspention on small little bumps or cracks in the road, which could mean only one thing...Toyota makes a pretty wimpy truck suspention wise, and I hardly think anyone on this site (including me) would ever say that.

Not trying to offend anyone!!!!!!! It's just me thinking threw a set of "puzzle pieces" logically. ( it's the O.C.D. in me...seriously!!!)

 

Again, I'm confused,...I'm sorry. I just don't understand how a spacer adjusts the "ride quality". All that is being done with a spacer is "lift" what is sitting on it, like in the front; or under it, like in the rear. Spacers are not changeing the "preload" on the leafs, or on the coils in the front. (I'm talking about a spacer that sitts on top of the whole coil-over, NOT one that fitts inbetween the coils of the spring).

As long as the weight of the vehicle "sitting" on the suspention does not change, the compression or preload has not changed. therefor there should be no difference in ride quality.

Now having said that, I am willing to say that ride quality may change in the front if the "geomitry" of the coilovers is changed...meaning...if because of the spacer, the angle (the degree of angle that is) changes. Stock , the coilover is more angled. With the spacer, the coilover is more "vertical" (straight up and down) because the coilover has been "extended" from point "A" (the top mount) to point "B" the mount on the lower arm...cousing the lower arm to point twards the ground more, and thusly decreasing the "horizontal distance" between point "B" and the pivioting (hinge) point on the arm.

But that would be for just the front, and would hold true to all typs of lifts using stock lower arms, not to just some, or to just spacers. Also, non of that applies to rear spacer, because there is no angle adjustment.

Let me explain it another way...because the distance decreases slightly with longer front suspention (spacer ) there is less TOURQUE, and therefor there may be a harder ride. Think of those "wheel spacers" that push your wheels out for a wider stance. Your wheel is out farther and therefor has more TOURQUE to compress the coilovers (this is why they are a bad idea), but they will soften your ride. Try this...jack your truck up and try to push the tire up into the well like it would if you drove over a rock or curb. Now take a 10 foot pipe and fasten it somehow to your tire, and pull up on the pipe....your going to move that tire up more easily. That is TOURQUE. So if it goes up easier the farther out you are (softer), inversly, it must be harder to raise the tire the closer in you are (harder)

 

I don't think a spacer on TOP of the coilover does affect ride quality...that has already been stated in this thread. But it does change the geometry of other components and increase their wear and lifespan.

I'm not sure how severely it affects those components though. It would be a cheap and easy solution to achieve lift.

 

Wouldnt spacer on TOP of a coilover also limit travel by the exact amount of the thickness of that spacer or at least require that much more room for the stock shock to be abel to move up? The travel irs limited by the upper and lower control arms, not just the shock and spring. So when you space the usable movement down you lose an inch of down travel and gain an inch of uptravel... however if it cant go any higher than normal than stock due to the shock runing out of travel would you not lose an inch of uptravel?