Shocks for a heavily modded 05 lifted Tacoma? (lots mods)

I have a 2005 V6 4x4 Tacoma access cab with OME lift kit and fiberglass shell, plywood sleeping/hide-my-snowboards platform, Body Armor 4x4 steel rear bumper and swing-out tire carrier with full size spare (265/75/R16 I think?), BAMF sliders, and Brute Force hybrid front bumper with Smittybilt XRC8-Comp winch. I also keep about 80lbs of chain and recovery equipment in the bed at any given time. Needless to say, she's not a light girl.

I installed the OME kit when the truck was literally stock, and I remember that it handled great. It had 884 springs that I switched out for 885's when I got the front bumper/winch, and still has the original nitrocharger sports in the front and old-style nitrochargers in the rear. It feels more wobbly/squishy than it used to (I think), and I'm pretty sure it's the rear shocks (combined with 60k miles on the suspension). What would be a good rear shock? Would the Nitrochargher Sport 60091 be a good solution, or would a bilstein like the 5125

$130 33-230337 Monotube Shock Absorber, 46mm

33-230337 be a better solution? I've read arguments for/against both, and can't decide what's fact and what's marketing. Is the Fox 2.0 980-24-675-B worth the extra $40 over the OME's? I'm tempted to not touch the front, but am open to suggestions. I don't have anything to compare them to really.

Most of my driving is on pavement (sadly), but offroad I primarily go fast over washboard or slow over very rough stuff that requires 4-low and the diff lock. Mostly I overland or just camp/explore where no Subaru has ever been

 

It looks like some stores recommend the Fox 2.0

$175 980-24-675 Body Shock

980-24-675 for 0-2" lift, and some recommend them for 2-3" lift. The next size up is 980-24-679. Any idea which is the right length for Dakar leaf packs? The 980-24-675 is the same extended as the OME's but an inch shorter on compression, and the 980-24-679 is an inch longer in extension than the OME's but 1.5" shorter on compression.

 

I took some measurements and did some calculations, and as far as I can tell, a shock with a collapsed length of 15.5 inches would allow for the bumpstops to compress about 1" before maxing out the shock on the driver side (the side that compresses the most due to the axle moving towards the upper mount). This would make the Fox 2.0 980-24-679 an appropriate choice for the Tacoma with 2.5" lift, as it gives an extra inch of down travel over the OME's, but for some reason almost NOBODY lists this shock as being compatible with a 2005 Tacoma of any lift height. All the shocks listed for a Tacoma with 2-2.5" lift are shorter. Am I missing something here? I'm tempted to pull the trigger on the 980-24-679, but don't want to risk blowing out a $260 pair of shocks.

 

Update:

The shocks are measured from the center of the eye of the bottom mount to the bottom of the threads on the stud, not up to the mounting surface on the truck as I thought. The bushing adds about an inch, so the Fox 2.0 980-24-679 (15.55" compressed) is pushing it for the driver side with stock bumpstops but would be perfect on the passenger side. The upper shock mounts really limit this truck's rear suspension. If I had more time I would probably fab up a higher mount and get some bigger shocks, but I can't put that much time into it atm.

It looks like Toytec has a set of Fox 2.0

$175 980-24-675 Body Shock

980-24-675 for the Tacoma, which are 14.95" compressed and 23.55" extended. I'm going to call on Monday to make sure they are valved specifically for the Tacoma, and if so I'll just go that route. For $40 more than the OME, I'm guessing they're worth it. I scoured the web and didn't find a single complaint about them, even regarding low-speed compression, which seems to be the weak spot for monotube designs and is why OME use twin tubes.

Hopefully this thread will be of use to others. There seems to be a lack of info on 2nd gen Tacoma rear shock length around the web. 15" is about the min compressed length for an '05 Tacoma without modifying the bump stops or upper shock mount, and will still allow for some compression of the bump stops (this is with Dakar leaf packs btw, thinner springs might change this). This is because the shocks are staggered, and the axle moves both horizontally and vertically towards the driver side upper shock mount on compression. The axle moves horizontally away from the passenger side mount on compression, and can handle a shock about 1.5-2" longer as a result.

24" extended, or 23.55" in my case, will definitely limit down travel by a couple inches but that is due to the design of the truck requiring short shocks. The Bilstein F4-BE5-B110-T5 5100 series shocks that people are using for lifted 2nd gens will bottom out before the factory bump stops do, potentially causing issues, especially for people who load up the bed like I do (they are specified to work with 4" lift blocks, which are essentially 4" bump stop extensions). I also want low-speed and small-bump performance, which is why I'm leaning towards Fox over Bilstein, and honestly OME over Bilstein too. I love flying down dirt roads in the desert as much as the next guy, but I HATE the rattle and chatter of low speed, especially when I'm crawling in 4-Low for hours at a time with a full bed.



One a side note, it looks like Bay Area Metal Fab makes a weld-on rear upper shock mount to allow use of a longer shock. I also know that Jeep guys will put Ford shock towers on the front of CJ7's to allow for longer shocks, and I'm wondering if there are any hacks like that for the Tacoma. I'm going to do a little bit of homework on that I think. I don't think there would be a way to avoid needing to weld the shock towers to the frame though--I've both seen bolted-on shock towers rip off under heavy use, and I've done it myself...I used to 'wheel a CJ7 with Ford towers bolted on, and while they were fine on pavement, I ripped one off 2 miles into the Rubicon and had to weld it back on with car batteries and jumper cables. It was exciting, but is not something I want to repeat...

 

You need taller bumpstops when you install dakar leaf springs.

 

I agree that for a lot of lifts you really should extend the bump stops, but for smaller lifts I feel like it's not usually an issue. You definitely want to prevent the spring from binding or going into over-compression, which is a real possibility with large lifts, especially if you have heavily arched springs or don't install longer shackles. I've looked closely at the Dakars at full compression though (the bump stops squishing about .5"), and they looked fine. They were relatively flat and the shackles weren't compressing/binding them. OME doesn't include bump stop extensions in their kits, which I think says something about how the springs were designed to work.


I also just realized that the Ford shock towers would probably work, but would require welding new lower mounts to the axle tube. The BAMF kit is probably the best bet because of this. It's not a route I'm going to go though...too much work.

 

What is your extended height on your shocks? And are you looking for remote reservoir or non reservoir 2.0 Fox shocks?

Overall summary. I want to see three measurements to be able to help you out:

-Current ride height
-Extended height of shocks
-Collapsed height of shocks

 

The Fox's I'm looking at are 23.55" extended, which is about the same as the OME 60091, and after playing around with the jack it looks like I could use a couple more inches at least. My truck is so heavy as it is though that I would be better off adding a leaf to the Dakars than extending the bump stops.

I would love remote reservoir shocks, but at almost double the price, they are out of my budget right now. I'm just looking at the non-reservoir 2.0 shocks, mostly because they are so closely priced to the OME's. I did notice that the RR 2.0's have slightly more travel for a given length though. I'm guessing the reservoir frees up some space inside the shock body.

 

I'm looking at about 23.7" extended currently. They aren't maxing out on compression, but the specs I found online say about 14" compressed. I measured about 3.5-4" of uptravel between the bump stops and frame and about 26" from the ground to the bottom of the frame by the rear shock mount, but I don't have the most level driveway (if you want to call it a driveway).

This is also with a steel transmission transmission jack in the bed by the tailgate (100lbs maybe?). I'm getting ready to replace the clutch and forgot it was back there. I'm guessing the rear is sagging a good .5-1" because of it.

 

Again, I'm going to need your actual ride height right now as well as fully compressed specs of your current shocks. You could honestly probably get away with 15.5" collapsed 25.5" extended shocks from Fox so 10" travelers, but depending what your current ride height is unloaded it may or may not be right for you.

 

I already posted that info. Without the jack in the bed, the ride height where I measured and the up-travel of the axle would be about .25-.5" higher. I honestly don't see how it matters though. The suspension will be the same height when the bump stops hit regardless of ride height or how short my current shocks are. I know my math is good, but it's possible my measurements were off a bit. I played around with margins of error though and didn't come up with anything that made the 15.5" compressed length look like a safe option. Have you been able to run that length shock in the rear with the oem bump stops without it bottoming out? I'm hoping to give the bump stops at least .5" to compress before the shocks reach full compression.

 

Well the deal with the fox shocks is that they have a built in stopper at the top of the rod end in order to protect you from potential bottom outs if your bump stop is not properly set up. Valving it properly should save you from bottoming out that hard. Unless you blow through your valving from hard bottom outs like when you are wheeling like I have.

You really should opt for something better than stock honestly as stock is just super hard rubber which will bounce and jar you around more than anything. Not to mention it actually robs you of AT LEAST 2" of overall stroke most of the time due to how hard they are. I have posted mods on how to run and use Chevy Silverado Polyfoam bump stops while using the All Pro U-Bolt flip kit. The bump itself is 4 inches tall (a full inch taller than stock I believe. You can space the bump stops a full .5" longer using the supplied stud on it or you can remove the stud and run your own stud for longer lengths of spacing. My point is it gives you options and performs pretty damn well at higher speeds when wheeling. It also would also allow you to buy shocks of various extended and collapsed lengths based on your ride heights you will be at which would allow you to fully use all 3 inches of the bump at all times.

Ride height is important because if you get a longer shock over what stock height is (most of us have) the amount of useable shaft travel upwards you have available will either increase or decrease before you bottom out. Thereby having a bump stop which you could adjust accordingly is important if you want full bump engagement and effictiveness during the upstroke travel cycle.

For me. I run a 2.25" lift in the rear not including the .250" thick U bolt flip leaf pack retainer I have in place.. If I remember right using the Fox shocks I have it is close to 5" up/ 5" down. 25.5 extended 15.5 collapsed. The setup is perfect for my air bump stops in the rear end and I use all the travel I got very effectively.

 

I had no idea about those GM bump stops--thanks for letting me know! I've been out of the loop for a while now on this forum. I did some searching and saw people measuring ride height from center of hub to bottom of fender, which is 23" front/23.75" rear without the jack in the bed. I'm thinking the OME extra leaves wouldn't be a bad idea seeing that I have almost no rake anymore. Since I've reused my u-bolts more than once already, it's probably time to replace them, so a u-bolt flip isn't a bad idea either. Especially with those GM bump stops, it looks like the 10" travel 15.5/25.5 shocks you recommended would be a good choice. Or for the standard non-RR Fox 2.0's, I guess it would be the Fox 2.0 980-24-679 at 15.55"/24.65"? Do you know a vendor that sells them valved for the Tacoma?

Thanks again for chiming in Roberto, your post was a big help for me.

 

I did A LOT of research when I was doing my rear end on a combo that would work well with stock. I saw a lot of people inverting their bump stops by relocating them to the frame and not the spring pack and I also noticed the Silverado bumps were highly regarded in the wheeling community in general. That took me to the direction I was at for a while. Then I started wheeling harder so I had to step it up to hydro bumps.

I would never worry about the stock shock towers. Those are not the weak points on the trucks. The weak point is actually the stem top on the shock due to the angle the towers are welded in causing stress on the stems if the nuts are overtightened, which will cause binding of the shock stem bushings, potentially opening the door to snapping the stems. I've done it before on my previous generation Fox RR 2.0's. The new updated design allows for a replaceable stem if the issue ever arises again.

Now, my next question for your Fox shocks you have in mind. There are two versions. Aluminum or steel body shocks. One is labeled Performance Series, the other Factory Series. Which one are you after?

Footnote: Rake is a good thing to have with these trucks as it preserves the traction control programs how they should similar to stock heights and it allows for even ride heights when towing as the extra height drops off to compensate for the additional weight the rear is seeing.

 

I'm looking at the performance series with aluminum bodies according to the descriptions I've found. A few sites allow you to select a lifted 4-runner as the application, but I have no idea if the shocks will be valved properly. I haven't found them listed for Tacomas anywhere yet. Does the steel body shock have different lengths?

 

Yes they do, also. Whatever you do, DO NOT shoot for the aluminum series. They lack the black upper cap/ non replaceable stem provision recently implemented by Fox. If you give me some time I will find the right shock for you. The question though is, how thick is your leaf pack as of current? That will tell me what I need to know.

 

Good to know! I already had them in my cart. My spring pack is 2.5" thick currently, and with the

$81 D29XL Leaf Spring

D29XL extra leaves I'm guessing they will be 2.75", and with the u-bolt flip kit that should bring me up to 3".

 

It's probably your rear leaf springs more than your rear shock. The shock controls the motion, the leaf spring supports the weight. As they wear out and stop supporting the weight, the rear end will sage and respond too soft on bumps.

If you have fresh leaf springs or you think that the springs aren't the case; I would go with a remote resi 2.0 shock from Fox or King. Perhaps one with a click adjuster so you can bring the shock valving closer to what you need for the weight you are carrying.

You could also call Downsouth Motorsports and they will valve whatever shocks you buy from there for you specifically for your application.

 

Oh shit. 3" of total pack. That's quite a bit! Okay. Let me see what I could find you. With that amount of thickness, it is sounding like a 10"- 10.5" shock would work much better in your favor than a 9".

 

I agree with a lot of this but I actually do not agree with the click adjuster. They are great for short term adjustments,but in the long term it is always best to valve them correctly especially if he does faster offroad stuff since they are basically restricting oil control coming into the resi. It causes the shocks to heat up insanely quick in a really short amount of time.

In the OP's case. I would actually suggest valving at 12/10. Or in Fox valving numbers, 70 compression/50 rebound to take some of that bite as he compresses the shocks in while driving down the road down. It's a happy medium between a softer 10 and a wickedly stiff 15.