Ride Quality with your lift

I started out with Toytec 3" spacer lift and AAL in the rear and it was VERY rough. It actualy bothered me how stiff it was.
Since then I've switched to Fox coilovers and wheelers 3 AAL pack for a total of 5 leafs with 5100's in rear and I took out the overload leaf as well, I dont tow anything so the weight capacity doesnt matter to me. the rear is so much softer and absorbed bumps pretty good and doesnt bounce around.

 

I dont want to feel every bump when i drive down the road, so when you guys are saying much firmer and stiffer how bad are we talking?

 

Oh no, not a lot at all. Just enough to where you can notice like going up a driveway or something or going over a speed bump. Just cruising on the road, I can't tell much difference.

 

I guess I am the odd man out here. I had 30K on my original TRD sport Bilsteins. The only reason I changed to the 5100's was to level the ride out with the 1.75" setup in front and the new shocks out back. I'm actually disappointed. The truck was stiffer before, a lot stiffer. I liked the nice "thud" you felt over every pothole and rut.

What I really hate is that there is more roll and lean in the corners. I used to be able to take turns and the rear end was flat and planted. Now it bucks and hops like nuts. Feels like I'm gonna hit something. And the worst part is now that the ride is softer, It needs a lot more force on the brake pedal to stop. Because the front is soft and dives slightly, I need to push a good bit harder on the brakes.

Has anyone else run into this?

 

Never heard of that before---^^^ changing your shocks wouldnt change the spring rate on your coils, well you did lift yours some so all it would do is actualy make the spring rate higher making it a tad bit stiffer. maybe its all that snow your driving in

 

Of course the spring rate is the same... duh.. I'm not stupid. But the damping is different. On the stock shocks, the compression and rebound valving rates made the shock stiffer and thus the braking distance shorter. Preload from the lift does not increase the spring rate unless your talking about a progressive coil, since it would move it further into its "stiff" range. Is it possible that the 5100's were tuned to be softer?The shock body is so much larger than stock perhaps to make room for different valves?

 

not sure man, Ive never heard of anyone with those issues before, Sorry I couldnt be more help

 

X2.

 

what do yall think of using spacers

 

my TC long trav and Icon CO's rides...

 

I was always told to stay away from them but lots of people like their spacer lifts, others hate them. So I guess it all depends on who you are.

 

bad idea. i hated life when i had my spacer.

 

I was on the edge of buying a spacer lift but about 5 minutes ago I just bought 4 Bilsteins and an AAL. WOHO! I feel so much better now.

 

did you also have to get LR UCA's with the billy's set at 1.75" to get the alignment back to normal...so all and all you like the ride with the billy's better?

 

if you want a good ride, make sure you don't get a spacer lift! My ride is very rough!

 

Here is my ride with Bilsteins on all 4 corners and eibach coils set @ zero. I am extremely picky and did not want to give up too much of the nice stock ride. Looding cool, eye candy and bouncing around just is not my thing.

I can tell you that for my taste and what I needed to achieve the eibach front coils, the 5100's on all four corners set @ zero and the 1/4" spacer lift for the Taco lean was exactly what I was looking for. You will notice my truck is a tick nose up. I am going to have the rear leaf spring TSB done soon. This will level everything out nicely. I would not reccomend a spacer lift. Kinda like a "fat lady" in high heels. (no offense to those with spacers) Spend a few xtra nickles and buy suspension components. You will be glad you did in the long run.

For what its worth to each his own, I hope I have helped. Also you will probably get a closer to factory alignment if stay at zero or .85 on the Bilstein shocks. Once above those numbers you may begin to sacrafice some camber, caster, etc. Good luck.

 

OME 885 + Billes @ 0, 1.5" AAL + TSB suspension + OME rear shocks. Rides more planted in corners. Still need to take it off road, but its still a little soft for my liking. Still rides like a car, but better than tsb suspension upgrade in my opinion

 

what made you go with billes in the front and OME in the rear?

btw nice truck i have one just like it! Still trying to figure out what lift to go with

 

Just got a 2.5'' leveling kit on and makes my truck look a whole lot better, in my opinion it feels more sturdy when I drive it now.