Spring recommendations

2004 Double Cab TRD off-road pkg with Bilstein 5100s at 2.5" lift front and 1.5 lift rear. Stock springs with Wheeler's Off Road 1.5" add a leaf.

Rear leaf springs are original and very flat. I installed the 1.5" add a leaf about a year ago to try to eliminate axle wrap, which was happening with my 1.5" rear spacer blocks and extra u-bolt clamped leaf springs. The add a leaf did eliminate the axle wrap for about 10 months, but it is back, and getting worse. I've heard these things are only good for about a year or so, especially if towing and carrying loads.

I tow a large 2500# pop-up trailer and occasionally haul lumber, heavy siding and other materials on a lumber rack, so this tests the limitations of the worn stock springs and the add a leaf.

I've read about the Chevy 63 springs, but that seems to be more for off road use, and requires some fabrication and fitting. I'm capable of that, but am more interested in matching my application, which is mostly road driving, sometimes towing and carrying a load and occasional light off road while camping.

What are some springs to consider? Are there any that are better for towing and carrying load, but don't stiffen up the ride to the point where it is overly harsh?

Thanks

 

63's are for flex. What you need are the ome dakkars with the extra leaf.

 

Couldn't tell if you still have them or not, but definitely get rid of the spacer blocks if you do. Those are the number one contributor to axle wrap. Adding a leaf is a band-aid, like you said it'll last for about a year. I would look into Dakar leaf packs with the extra leaf, they can definitely handle some weight, they are a bit stiff but ride well with a few hundred pounds on them.

I have chevy 63's on my truck, they are a 5 leaf pack off a 3/4 ton truck. They can handle a shit ton of weight, and are still long and springy enough to ride very well. It's a little bit of work to get them set up correctly, but if you're willing and knowledgeable enough to do the work, it's well worth it. I can put a yard of gravel in the bed of my truck and tow my utility trailer with another ~1/2 yard in it, with room to spare under the bumpstops.

 

People who aren't looking for a lift like the General HD springs from www.generalspringkc.com

 

Thanks for OME recommendation. No, the spacer blocks were replaced with the Wheeler's Offroad add a leafs which were also 1.5" lift. That matches pretty evenly with the 2.5" lift setting of the Bilsteins up front to make the body level.

A couple questions: OME says that the extra leaf in the OMEs is recommended as an option for vehicles carrying an extra 220lbs+ as a constant load. My rack weighs in at under 80#. Although I use the lumber rack some weekends, and haul the trailer for 7 or 8 camping trips in the summer, a majority of the time, my constant load will be the empty lumber rack (80 pounds). Is the OME leaf spring pack without the extra leaf comparable, or an upgrade from new Toyota OEM leaf springs? If it is an improvement, I would think that the spring pack without the added leaf would be more than enough for my needs, especially if it would eliminate rattling myself and passengers teeth out with an oversprung rear end and not enough weight to dampen it?

Secondly the OME leaf springs lift aprox 2.25", which would raise my rear about 3/4" from where it is now. Would the extra leaf raise it more? I think 3/4" would be OK as it would not upset the level very much from where it is, but it would lift the rear slightly.

Finally, do the General Springs lift? I guess I would rather stay at 1.5 lift than install stock spring height that would lower the rear again while the front is at 2.5" lift, and I'm done with lift blocks.

 

I don't have any experience with the General HD Springs. With your normal load of an empty lumber rack, I would go with the Dakars without the extra leaf. You can always add it in later if they start to sag. They should match a front 2.5" lift pretty well, the OME coilovers give about that and my truck sat pretty level when I had the whole OME kit on it.

 

Good info, thanks. OME also recommends with their spring packs their poly spring shackle bushings and greaseable shackles (shackles alone are $100). OEM shackles are not greasable, so is this necessary? Maybe the poly bushings squeak more than rubber OEM.

 

Yeah poly tends to squeak if they're not greased with lithium based lube. Worth it though, they last a lot longer and will cut down on the sway that rubber bushings will induce after being compressed for a long time.

 

I've seen some people claim some lift and others argue that there was definitely no lift. I have no experience with general springs but hear good things.

I have OME dakars and I like em

 

I'm ordering a set of Dakars with greasable shackles and poly bushings. I'm finding conflicting info about whether or not longer than OEM u-bolts are needed with these? I have my stock set (installed) and a long set that came with my 1.5" spacer blocks (stored in the garage), either of which I could use if required. If the size required is right in between the two, it would be helpful to know, and I will order them.

What about an exhaust relocation bracket? I didn't have any clearance issues using my spacer block or Weeler's off road AALs, or is this due to the position of the OME spring clamps in the way of the exhaust?

 

Your stock ubolts may work, there won't be much thread left though. It's usually recommended that you replace those when you replace springs, if you don't beat on it you might be ok though. Pretty sure the spacer block ubolts will be too long, if there is enough thread you could cut them down.
I think the Dakar's will ride real close to your exhaust tip, I just cut the exhaust right past the axle, which worked a lot better.

 

Thanks drr. I found that my 9" ubolts from the spacer kit had about 4" of thread, so plenty to cut down to 7" total length, which is what Wheeler's sells for the OME springs. And since I don't have to buy those, I sprung for the exhaust bracket.

 

I have the General HD springs on my double cab, mostly street, daily driver and mostly used to tow my early 80s Glastron. I have 1.5" lift up front and the truck is "level". You would be nose high with 2.5 inch up front using the General HD leaves but I like it.

Photo to see how the truck sits with those rear springs and with the load -