2012 TX Baja rear TRD shocks keep going bad

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but have a few issues to throw out with my truck to see what the responses are. I have a new 2012 Tacoma D-cab TX. Baja 4x4, I live the truck but and on my 3rd new rear TRD shock, and have another appointment Friday for a forth possibly, it's been both sides, and all the times the shock just completely fails, clanks and bangs until they replace it, under warranty of course. Are there any known issues? Questions, concerns?I'm just worried that the cost will be prohibitive after the warranty is up? I have had a possibly related issue with ride height in the back, the truck is sagging at this point over 2 inches from the original ride height, Toyota engineers state their is no fix, some of the sag is intentional as part of the baja look from the front being lifted, buy it's now over 2 inches lower than when it started. I keep no weight in the back, but do have a Leer 100xq cap on the truck. Oh I've had the truck one year 16k miles

 

The shocks don't really have much to do with the sag of the rear... the rear is supported by leafs and the weight of the Leer is probably what is causing the sag issue...

the payload capacity of these truck is surprisingly low on stock suspension.

 

I have lifted the leer off and found no distinct difference. I didn't figure one was not necessarily related to the other, just having 2 similar issues in the back? The sag has continued to increase gradually over the last year?

 

Lifted off, still saggy! Lol

 

How many miles on the truck? I can see the cap flattening out your leafs over time... just a thought

 

this sounds right. especially if changing the shocks over and over isnt changing anything

 

Do you have 3 or 4 leafs in your leaf pack? Snap a quick pic for better replies.

 

Nah, eff that. The Leed can't weight that much to sag the leafs in 16k miles.

 

The stock leaf springs are terrible and have sagged because of the weight of the shell over time. Even unloaded, the stock leafs sag over time. Toyota did a shit job with the leaf springs on the Tacoma. That being said, your shock issue is not related to the truck sagging, sounds like you have something else going on.

 

Those caps weigh about 150 lbs give or take and my stock leafs used to bottom out at 350 lbs... The shell could definitely have sagged the leafs that much in a years time.

 

I'd still like to see pics, my curiosity has sparked now.

 

I don't have pics of my factory springs, Toyota perfomed the TSB so I got a new 4 leaf pack. Here's a picture of my TSB leaf pack with about 1 year of wear on them carrying an ARE shell:

My ARE is a mid-rise shell so it might be a little heavier than the OP's and I have a plywood platform in the bed (figure the weight of a 3/4" sheet of plywood). The leafs are pretty firmly planted on the overload leaf and that's with a year worth of driving, which is roughly 15k miles for me.

 

damn i didnt realize how worn out mine were until i saw this lol. time to start saving i guess

 

It's a 4 leaf system, never towed anything heavier than a seadoo, got the truck last December, cap is only 6 mos old, nothing major for off road use yet, 16k miles bed rug in the bed, I'm a police paramedic so the cap makes sense for gear and uniforms, one of the problems is that the lines of the cap exemplify the sag in the rear end, it does not look so pronounced when you take the cap off. (But the sag is exactly the same when measured) maybe imam just being over critical, but I don't think that putting a add a leaf or lift block in the back should be my only option for making the truck look right, I get everybody flashing their lights at me at night because my headlights are high due to the rear sag.

 

The rear of the Baja comes with a lift block, right? If so, lose the block and put an AAL in. It'll better support the weight of the shell and actually ride better also. I'd check out Icon or Wheeler's 3-leaf AAL, both are great options that would put you back to a factory rake.

 

Damn, I'd take it to the dealer and complain my ass off. No way are the leafs supposed to sag that bad with a cap on it for 6 months, even Puggas were not that bad and his cap was heavier.

 

No lift block that I can see, the factory TX Baja package just adds the TRD Remote reservoirs in the rear, it does add 2 inches to the front but no rear ride height changes over a stock tacoma TRD according to Toyota

 

And I have no idea why the TRD shocks keep failing? Has there been any other issues with them, they do not hold up well finish wise, they are right in the spray, dirt, debris line of the wheel well!

 

x2... those leafs are pretty flat for being so damn new... pretty crazy...