My specific suspension situation

Here's the skinny - My 05 tacoma prerunner offroad leaf springs are now making a face. They are not TSB and I'm way over the miles for that anyway. I've been searching threads but cannot find anyone who needed to buy all new leaf packs...most people have TSB rears or AAL's. I've seen some ALLPRO,wheelers etc but A. Do not want to pay 600 for new leafs and do not need 3+ inches of lift. I just want the TSB height/look and a new leaf pack. Options I've found online but want some advice on are:
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/s...+Suspension&tlc=Brakes,+Suspension+&+Steering
(Pro Comp Rear Suspension Leaf Spring )
or something similar.

I have Sport rims and +1 size tires on my truck currently. Would also consider getting Bilstein 5100 front (and back) to eventually level it out.


Any advice welcome.
thanks

 

Yea but 250 isn't bad at all, I was expecting to pay atleast 400.

 

Would getting new bilsteins work in the rear for the length? How would 3 inches look with +1 tires on 17inch sport rims. I'm not interested in getting new rims. What you think?
thanks for your help!

 

morning bump

 

I have an 05 and it had 48k on it when I got it and the leafs were just sad faced past being straight. They sucked ass. The back of the truck rode like crap cornering or hauling anything. Of course no TSB for me, I asked a coupla different dealers too. All I did was do 5100s all around with front set on 2.5 and added the 1/4 taco lean spacer on the drvr side to level that out & got Toytec non TSB 1.5 AAL for the rear. It is level side to side up front and has 1.25" rake with rear being higher. Couldn't be happier with the results. Truck rides like a truck and hauls 1500 lbs without issue or touching bump stops. It is not the best setup for offroad but I don't have 4x4 so offroading is at minimum anyway. Also ended up doing LR UCAs later to get caster back and it drives and rides great. I would suggest just going 5100s set at 1.75 with 1.5 or 2" AAL with the crappy leafs depending on the rake you want and height up front at least until you want or need to take it further. With it at 1.75 or .85 up front you won't need the UCAs to have caster correct. Caster won't wear the tires but makes it drive all twitchy in grooves, uneven surfaces or in wind.

 

Great info thanks- but here's a noob question...how do you put an AAL on a flat of frowning Leaf pack...is it hard to do?

 

Once you take off the wheels and get the axle propped up where you would undo the ubolts, the leafs will be smiling instead of frowning and you just slip in the AAL and bolt up new ubolts and tighten it all up. The AAL will keep it smiling.

 

Thanks for your help. I think i'll get the AAL for the rear and bilstein 5100 up front. Do you think I'd benefit from new bilsteins in the rear?

 

Yes, I would do them all the way around so it's a matched set. IIRC, the rear 5100s are valved better and made for couple of inches of lift. They'll probably cost more doing seperately in prs too. Some do 5125s out back but I think those are people doing more than 3 inches of lift. Check out downsouth motorsports, they usually have discount for TW members. I want to say my set of 4 were 378.00 shipped.

 

You think this would work ? Could I achieve a leveled stance with it, or close to? Do I need the coil over springs or just get 5100's and aal
Id like to avoid needing new UCA's because of $$

 

Mine is 3 leaf packs with 1.5 AAL with fronts set at 2.5 and I have 1.25" of rr high rake. The AAL in that kit will lift 2" in the rear. That will give about 2 1/2 inches of rr high rake if you have 3 leaf packs on truck and 3"+ if you have 4 leaf packs with fronts set at 2.5. If you want lower setting on front than 2.5, the rr high rake will increase by however much lower the fronts are set at. At 1.75 and that AAL on 4 leaf packs you would end up being around 4" of rr high rake which I'd say would be a bit much. All this is a preference thing. The right AAL would depend on what the fronts will be set at and what rr leafs you have, 3 or 4 leafs in each pack. Those make about an inch of difference on how high rr is before even doing AAL. Question is...do you haul or tow often and want truck to be level then or have it ride level all the other times and sag a bit when hauling or towing. I don't tow or haul stuff often so I set mine where it is close to level most of the time and sags a bit hauling 1500 lbs in the bed. It didn't touch bump stops at all doing it either, not even close. These are the things that drive your decisions. Based on your target above, I'd say 1.5 AAL tops with your 3 leafs to get them right and 1.75 up front to get towards level and not need UCAs. That should end up being about 2" of tail high based on where mine ended up. That would be look just barely rr high from level, not bad at all, just right for a shell on back or hauling to be level. A 1" AAL or 0" AAL helper or overload leaf would allow less lift up front and still be close to level.

 

Thanks, going with 1.5 ( i have 3 leaf pack) and billy front and back.


Thanks again for your help

 

Did you need new u-bolts?

 

Think so but not knowing where the old ones are in my garage off top of my head if I did. I'll check at lunch to see how shiny the ones on the truck are.