Bilsteins and Ride-Rite airbags...

Bought my 2008 Tacoma last year, a low mileage (16000 mile!!) garage queen, silver TRD Off Road Access Cab, with a 6 speed stickshift, bone stock, zero mods. Immediately replaced all 5 factory tires with fresh KO2's.

The ride in this truck has always been a little too jiggly, too much 'pogo' going over speed bumps in town, etc, either empty/solo, or loaded for a trip.

On our extended 3 week 2500 mile road trip in August, I was very unhappy with how the tacoma was riding, the back was quite heavily loaded, and towing our 2500-3000 lb Casita trailer too. The truck was sagging in the back badly, and the ride was quite choppy up front. The truck motored through all sorts of stuff just fine but we were getting tossed around a fair bit.

So, decided to pull the trigger, and yesterday got the truck back from the mechanic with fresh Bilstein 4600's and the Ride Rite air bag kit installed. I had planned on doing Bilstein 5100's, but my mechanic assured me the 4600's are exactly the same damping rate and valving, only difference is the color, and that the 5100's support up to 2" of lift kit, something I have zero plans on ever doing.

Now, I've only driven it across town solo a couple times, with minimal junk in the back, but it seems way better. when I picked it up from the mechanic, he'd left the air bags at 40 PSI to leak test them, suggested I drive them a couple hours and verify the pressure was still 40 PSI... I did, and it was, and boy, was the tail riding hard, hah! dropped them to 5psi maintenance, felt the truck go down an inch or two. now its riding MUCH better. bounce and pogo over various speed bumps is way reduced.... its still not the magic carpet ride of my 1993 Mercedes 300CE, but its much much better.

Of course, the real acid test will be our next road trip with full gear and Casita, which likely won't be until spring.

 

Enjoy

 

shock:


airbag:


and we'll just route that up into the tail light compartments...


and put the air valves here...


seemed like a better place than hanging out on the bumper.

 

so other folks with airbags on their taco... where did /you/ put the air valves?

 

On my trailer socket bracket.
I also added the Daystar cradles under the airbags due to off-roading, etc. I tow a 3750# dry travel trailer and keep the bags at 25-30 when towing They made a huge difference in the 'porpoise' action.
Also check your documents as what to do when the truck is put on a lift so you don't ruin them when the truck is worked on.

 

good point re the lift. documentation says, let all the air out, then the bags can stretch more.

 

What did the bags set ya back? Something I'm interested in. I normall hail 25 to 30 sacks of feed

 

the airbag kit was $300 on Amazon,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FEOSJY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

this is a kit specifically for gen2 tacomas. I think it might fit gen3 too.

my mechanic charged me $250 to install it, as he's got a nice lift and I don't, that seemed like a deal to me.

 

I mounted my fill valves underneath the license plate lights. They are easily accessible yet somewhat protected.

 

I put my fill valves in the holes that were already on the underside of the rear bumper.

 

I'll try and post a picture but I drilled through the bottom holes on my license plate bracket and stuck them through there. They look factory and they work awesome!

 

I put them in the driver side bed cubby. Didn't want anyone messing with them.

 

I thought about putting them in the passenger side storage cubby, just forward of the AC Inverter outlet, but when the truck is mostly loaded, thats not easy to access. My driver side cubby has a couple cam straps, a pair of channel locks, a whisk broom, and a pair of work gloves in it...

 

This is the location I chose. Fits perfectly and never had an issue

 

I run mine with the bracket they gave and attached it next to my hidden hitch