Truck Sits Uneven?

I recently noticed that the rear end of my 05 tacoma is sitting uneven. The drivers side of the rear of the truck is lower, and the whole truck looks crooked. I had parked on a snowpile a little while ago and it flexed the rear end to about its max, so could this cause negative pressure in the shock preventing it from fully extending? (i'm going off of mountain bike suspension for this idea)

 

It's not just you.

This is known as the "Taco Lean".

Unfortunatley it's very common.

 

It's not the "tacoma lean". I would say the gap in the rear wheel well is probably 2 or 3 inches different from left to right in the rear. The front looks "normal"

 

I just went out and measured. At the center of the wheel, the passengers side wheel well gap is roughly 7", and the drivers side is roughtly 5.75". Is the taco lean really this bad?

 

taco lean is about a 1/4 inch. check your shock.

 

It's probably a little under half. Thanks for the unfortunate info! I was sure i screwed up the rear shocks and could get it back to normal! btw I love the truck lrgrnr

 

That's what I was thinking...

 

Stock taco lean is barely noticeable. I checked my 09 when it was still on the show room floor with 1 mile on it, saleman thought I was on crack.

Lift components sometimes don't compensate for it making it worse. Dakar leaf springs come with a driver side and passenger side spring.

 

Are there any signs in particular I should be looking for when I check the shocks out? I am able to lift up on that side of the truck and the shock does extend. I was rear ended last july, and had some frame damage, and I'm starting to wonder if this is a result of that in some form....

 

What did you do to screw up the suspension?

Typically, the driver's side does lean down more as the weight is unbalanced, and causes more wear on the suspension on that side. Driver, battery and fuel tank are all on that side... so unless you have a 300lb passanger (and aren't that yourself) to help balance it out everytime you drive... it'll 'break in' that side more.

However, if the driver and pass side is running the same height... did you twist the frame/body? Also you might want to check the bed alignment... is it lined up the same at the cab on both sides? The fact you mentioned you thought you screwed something up makes me wonder... though these trucks can take a real beating even on some mild jumps...

 

You replied before I finished lol...

Unfortunatly it sounds like you might have a tweaked frame... I'd follow up with that, and if it is you need to get with the insurance company... normally twisted frame means a totalled vehicle.

 

I parked at a Burger King for a few hours, and knew my one wheel was partially on a snow pile. I didn't noticed how bad it was until I got back in my cousins truck from fishing, and saw I had completely flexed out the rear suspension. I thought I was on about 2 or 3 inches of snow, but instead that rear wheel was way up on the pile.

It was a very drastic difference that I have noticed. The front of the bed seems alligned with the cab, while the rear of the bed has a noticeable lean.

As far as the accident goes, I got rear ended, and I had just towed the boat so I had my hitch in, and that buckled the rear of my frame pretty good. They ended up cutting off the rear of the frame, replacing the bed, etc. It seems "klanky" in the rear end of the truck when I'm driving, but I can't simulate the klanks by grabbing a hold of the bed and trying to shake it at all.

 

Had the same lean...they all do.

 

Check your leaf springs and spring hangers also. In particular look at the welds. If there was weakening from the accident you might have aggravated it.

 

It is so noticeable that last night walking out of a restraunt my fiance noticed it from probably 50 yards. And she wasn't even looking for it.

 

my 03 taco does not lean

 

An inch and a quarter doesn't indicate that something is bent or messed up. That's just the way it is. You could take it into a suspension shop and they could help you out, but it's really not worth it in my opinion. My brand new '09 is probably nearly an inch out of whack. I can notice it, but no one else does.

Just a note... at least with a stock suspension... checking your shock has nothing to do with it. The weight of your truck does NOT sit on your shock. It sits on the springs. The shock's job is to slow and absorb the movement of the suspension when it moves up or down. Your shock should have nothing to do with the height of your truck. The "problem" will be defined by springs or something bent out of specs (unlikely).

 

Good to know, thanks

 

Anyone with the rear TSB notice the lean is gone?

 

brb

I don't like measuring fenders since they're curvy and it's hard to get an accurate number soooo

15" from the ground to the base of each front spring hanger.

32 1/2" from the ground to the corner of a dropped tailgate.

Measurements taken in my garage with 1/8 of tank and some crap in the backseat.

Level.