Stiff ride

Pretty much impossible unless you get aftermarket UCA and most have that caster built in so he's probably good on alignment or at least it's not the problem here. I'd put my money on the one piece procomp AAL. That's why your ride is stiff. Ditch that POS and never put anything procomp on your truck ever again. Go with a 3piece AAL or aftermarket leaf pack

 

yeah I've heard they are hit or miss depending on the location you go to. There are a couple in the LA area around here that supposedly have techs working there that are 4x4 enthusiasts themselves and will work with you on your truck's alignment....unfortunately the ones near me and somewhat near me have proven to not be so helpful

 

interesting thread. i have always wondered about this myself. i have the same setup as you. but i started with just the kings and left the factory leafs on...... it felt HORRIBLE on the freeway. like someone was constantly kicking me in the back every second. after about a week or 2 of being so unhappy. i bought the deaver leaf pack for the rear, which i read good things about. while it did help out quite immensly, it is still kind of harsh for the most part, i can just deal with it more now. the rear is definitely a bit more squishy on things like speed bumps (with the factory leafs speed bumps felt like the suspension didnt even budge)

i come from having a super rigid street car (modded subaru). so i guess i was expecting to be a little smoother than that car. even the dealer that sold me the kings, said they are valved from the factory specifically for tacomas weight etc. (like almost used as selling point) - "OK this sounds great, it should be a nice ride"..... yea.... some times i wish i would have kept it more basic with the 5100's. but oh well, the kings do have their place for some of the rougher stuff..... i duno, just kind of thought it would have smoothed out all the imperfections of the southern california freeways. instead i feel all of it.

 

That is one fine looking ride!

 

I have the headstrong 3 leaf AAL (same as the icon 3 leaf) and its stiff as hell. Was better when I put my rear Icons w/resis back there but I don't think it'll get much better until I swap out the AALs for aftermarket leaf packs. I have a 1st gen though with a lighter back end so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

The above posts should get you heading in the right direction to soften up your ride.

Changing out those leafs will really make a difference in the front. After I put the Kings up from I had to wait a couple weeks to install the rears. Once I did it made a huge difference in how the whole truck felt. I couldn't believe how much it changed for the better.

Taking out a bit of preload should also help out. Adding weight should soften them up as well.

If all else falls, send them in to Down South Motorsports for a revalve. Let them know what you want and they'll make it happen.

(For reference, I have extended travel Kings with 700lb coils and 8 threads showing above the adjustment rings (about 2" between the ring and the bottom of the hat) and Dakars, ride is plush.)

 

From your picture OP, it looks like there is too much preload on those coilovers. How much lift do you have them cranked too?

 

OK, flame way guys but I have a 2014 TRD Off Road. I LOVED the factory ride and didn't want it to change.
I put in a spacer lift and couldn't be happier with it. I do some off road driving with it, mostly fields and field roads around here. It's been flawless since the install.
For any other of you cheap bastards out there considering a spacer lift, I wouldn't go more than 2".

I did have to install the ECGS bushing on my driver side afterward to get rid of the droning vibration.

Your mileage may vary.

 

No flaming here, but anyone considering spacers should know that they compromise the integrity of the shocks they're mounted on and will cause the shocks to wear prematurely at best, at worst they can break the shock and cause a dangerous scenario.

Not saying they aren't an effective way to lift on the cheap, but there are risks involved. If you plan on wheeling regularly you might want to be especially careful.

 

I did install the Toytech shock extenders to the rears and drop limit straps on the front. My passenger side UCA was hitting the coil spring on full extension. I also extended the front bump stops.

I'll keep an eye on things but I didn't want a stiffer ride so the spacer provided a little lift without compromising that. We have a small bridge near us that I jump a couple of times a week so I am being kind of hard on it in that respect. If I damage a front strut, I'll report back and eat crow.

 

Jumping your truck even with coilovers is a recipe for broken suspension, trashed ball joints, tweaked frames, etc...you need long travel dude, lol.

 

I don't mean to sound like a dick here but can you point me to a thread or discussion where someone had a problem with a moderate spacer lift. I'm not arguing the point, just really curious if I'm in for future problems. I did see on thread a while back that showed the bottom of a Biltein (yellow) strut that was bent pretty good but I don't remember the circumstances.

Without the extended bump stops, I could see where this could be a problem.

 

There was a big thread on here maybe a month ago...milkteacoma or something like that....that snapped his shock with a spacer lift. I'll see if I can dig up the thread later when I'm not on my phone.

 

Man that is a sweet looking truck

 

My regular old 5100/eibach and wheelers 6 leaf is quite stiff.

I drove on a washboard road not even going 20 and was getting beat to death. Things were flexing and shaking in ways I didn't know were possible, I swore the steering column was gonna fall off. Interested in how to make it soft again

 

What are the Eibachs rated at weight wise? Are the 5100s set to 0 or..?

 

Set at zero and they are 620lb coils

It is nice on smooth roads because I don't really have body roll, but you can feel it over rough pavement.

 

look badass though

 

This right here. The add a leaf is only for height and not for performance. The add a leafs also sag eventually over time. I have 600 weight kings in the front that just eat up stuff and the rear has adjusters. I too would bet a good leaf pack would cure your rear pretty fast. Good thing you got kings instead of icons if you think your suspension is too stiff.

 

This can help if you add some weight like some quality skids underneath or a front bumper as the weight will soften them up front a bit more.