Stiff ride

Hey everyone,
I have a 2015 Tacoma, Later this summer I installed some king suspension with resivors for the front a rear. The resivors don’t have the adjusters on them. But either way since I have been with them the ride is incredibly bumpy and stiff. It just feels like the truck is getting tossed around. I also have 1 procomp add a leaf in the rear. I’m running 285/70/16. Does anyone know how to make the ride any softer?

 

Kinda strange that they haven't worn themselves in yet. I really don't have anything to tell ya, but the truck looks amazing though!

 

What PSI are you running at?

 

Take off the sway bar.

Get a new leaf pack for the rear.

 

I've got the same issue with my 04 after installing my Kings. I had 5100s/881s on before that and it feels exactly the same, if not stiffer. I've narrowed it down to the fact that:

a.) The Kings are on 600lb springs (my 881s were 490lb). So I need to add more weight up front which I plan on doing with a front bumper in the future.

b.) I'm still running a 3 leaf AAL in the rear. Until I swap those out for a good aftermarket leaf pack, the suspension will always feel stiff back there. And if the back end is stiff, the front won't exactly shine either.

Also I'm not sure how much preload you're running on your Kings (if at all), but if you are you might want to lessen it some and see if it helps.

 

Wow thx guys! I’m running at 35 psi I think all around. And I’m not sure on the preload I can take a look later. And I am looking at the pelfreybult aluminum bumper for the futureand add on with a winch. So that should add some weight and maybe a high clearance bumper in the rear for some weighting that’s needed as well. If I did get an aftermarket leaf kit is there a specific type I should use?

 

Kings are valved pretty firm, like desert racing firm, AFAIK. Your spring weight isn't that heavy - OME 885s are almost as stiff (590 lbs)

How are your alignment numbers? Too little caster will make the truck feel "jumpy".

Start with a bit lower tire pressure, get the rest of your weight-adding mods on, then if you need more plush, it's time to revalve the shocks.

 

I know the truck is aligned perfectly so I can rule that out. So maybe once I just get the weight added on it I see how it is an if it’s no good I get the shock revalved? Is that a good plan you think?

 

How do you know it's aligned perfectly? Just curious, because most alignment shops won't properly align a lifted truck (most shops, especially chain ones like Firestone, only align to factory specs which are usually way off for a lifted truck). Finding a shop that will do a custom alignment is the way to go, though it's usually considerably more expensive.

I've learned this the hard way with Firestone, I bought the lifetime alignment package that turned out to be a big waste of money. Every time I bring my truck there it feels okay for a day or two before it's off again.

 

This. Lifted trucks with bigger tires need more than the factory rec on caster, on the order of 3* or so

 

Curious to see what people have to say, mine ride pretty harsh too. People on basic Bilstein 5100's were "comfortably" doing 60mph on high speed washboard while I was getting the crap beat out of me with my fancy Kings at 30. Something just seems wrong to me.

 

Preload might be too high and/or the coils might be rated too heavy for the weight you have up front? What's your rear setup? If running an AAL or 3 leaf AAL then it will never feel comfortable, the downside to AALs is that they are notoriously stiff. If the rear end is stiff, then it doesn't really matter how well the front is setup because the back end will be making you jump around.

 

If you were bombing down the washboard at 80, I bet you'd find the Kings got nice and plush at that speed.

 

An aluminum bumper will add weight but not much...they're much lighter than steel which is good for mpgs but not so good if you're looking for more front end weight. The winch will help though. Also aftermarket skids could be something to look into.

Or find a set of springs that are rated for less weight

 

The small shop I have in my town works with a lot of lifted trucks and I have noticed the difference taking my truck there rather places like Firestone.

I know the aluminum isn’t that heavy but I do want to get some steel skids for the truck so I’m sure that will help a lot too. If I want to adjust the preloads should to do that myself or have a shop do that? And I’ll take a look around for spring that are rated for less weight. Does anyone have any suggestions for new springs?

 

From looking at your first pic, it looks like you've got a decent amount of preload on your springs. I would start by lowering that down some and see if the ride improves.

 

King recommends taking them off of the truck and using a wall mounted spring compressor when adjusting them, but it can be done without removing them from the truck. Also, keep in mind, you'll more than likely need an alignment after you get them adjusted down.

 

time for some steel heavy plate bumpers brotha

 

I've never had an issue with Firestone doing an alignment with my specs over the factory specs.

 

Alright I’ll adjust the preload in the front and see how it goes from there! Thank you guys for the support! And if that doesn’t work I’ll start playing around with everything else!