Trd OR feels unstable/uncontrollable

I bought my 16 off-road back in November 2016. When I first got it thet soft suspension and swaying took some getting-used-to, but I eventually got used to it.

After 3 months of ownership it startrd to feel less stable at highway speeds. Bumps and level changes would make the truck sway around more. Winds also started to feel like they pushed the truck more. The steering had felt sensitive but direct, and i was able to correct for it.

Now, a little over a year. Things have progressively gotten worse. The truck is all over the road to the point I can bearly stay between the lines. I feel like I'm driving drunk all the time.

I brought this up at the dealership 6 months ago and they said it felt normal when they drove it and blamed it on the wind.

I would just like to know what I can check for myself? I know toyota isnt going to do damn thing so I got to figure this one out on my own. Let me know if you need anymore info about it.

Thank you

 

I had the same thing happen, check your tire pressure. The service guys pushed my pressures up to 40 psi and my truck was all over the road. Good luck!

 

Have you checked for alignment? It is actually recommended to do alignment every 6 months. I do it every 4 months since I take a lot of back roads with big pot holes.
Firestone does a lifetime alignment so I always just go to them. I think I paid 180 for it which pays itself after 3 alignments.

 

You are right. My 2nd gen had the same issue the first week of driving. Felt unsafe on the highway, especially braking. Went to the dealer and requested alignment as it was under warranty. At first they did not agree, until after I got them to test drive. When they put it up on the machine, indeed the truck was way out of alignment...

 

check your tire pressure and get it aligned. Low castor can create less stability at speed.

 

This

 

Sorry guys, i forgot to mention I upgraded tires/wheels this summer. Had an alignment done right away and caster is at +3°. Camber and toe at zero.

 

I should also mention Psi is 35 across the board. Any other ideas?

 

Did an alignment, got a ton better. But the steering wheel was not centered any more. They fixed that, ruined the alignment. Rinse & repeat twice now.

 

Is the wandering feeling more pronounced over bumps or uneven surfaces; like it's getting dragged one way or the other?
For example:
If the passenger side drops or the driver's side lifts, does it pull to the right?
If the driver's side drops or passenger side lifts, does it pull to the left?

Tire and wheel specs?
Lift specs?

What's the the thrust alignment?
Why are camber and toe at zero?

Have you had tied rods and steering rack checked for slop on an alignment rack?
Checked for wheel bearing slop?

 

The is definitely most pronounced on bumps and uneven surfaces. It pulls just like you described.

Tire spec: 285 75 16
Wheel Spec: 16x9 -12
Stock suspension

I dont know what the thrust is.
Shouldn't camber and toe be at zero?

I didnt even know you can check the slop, but that sounds like a good idea.

 

Camber and toe should be zero; when it's moving.

Calculator says your wheel and tire combo added 1-5/32" of positive scrub radius. On a tire with a tread width of 9-5/16", that's huge.
For reference, trophy trucks have about 1/4"-1/2" of positive scrub radius; a stock truck has maybe 1/8", at most.
The amount of tire outside the SAI causes the tire to pull outward when its rolling. That's why spec toe is positive(toe-in); it zeroes out when rolling.
With the amount of positive scrub radius you have, the tire is rolling with negative toe(toe-out).

The pull happens when weight is transferred to the tread outside of SAI, and pulls the tire further out.
It wears on the hubs and tie rod ball joints too.

Positive camber zeros out, as the tire toes-out, and rotates around the SAI, while rolling.

It also messes with SAI offset and the deflection lever arm, which has a profound effect on handling.

In the diagram below, the vertical line is tire centerline; the diagonal is SAI.

 

Here's some videos that explain it pretty well.
I included the wheel spacer video, because that is essentially what you did; add a 1-5/32" wheel spacer.

 

Have you had a chance to drive another Tacoma?

 

Do you still have your sway bar on?

Perhaps new tires. Could just be a bad belt in a rowt causing it to wonder.

 

Great information! Looks like I need some new alignment specs. Do you have an idea what I should shoot for? Should i just explain this to the alignment shop and let them make the adjustments?

 

Go to one the specializes in lifted vehicles if you can.
Have them check the hubs, balljoints and steering rack for slop.

If all is good, I'd shoot for:
+2.8-+3.0 degrees caster
+0.50 degrees camber; if you want it set-up for road crown, +0.75 degrees on the driver side and +0.50 on the passenger side
+0.15 degrees toe

Our trucks stock, are +2 degrees positive caster(+/- 0.75).
Most want as much as they can get, for clearance purposes, when changing to bigger tires.
It should be used sparingly, to gain enough mechanical trail over a taller tire.
Too much caster will increase bumpsteer; part of that pulling feeling, when your suspension lifts or drops.
This is why I suggest lowering it some, if clearance allows.

Make sure SAI and included angle are equal side-to-side. If they aren't, it's usually a sign of damage or worn parts.
Make sure rear thrust angle isn't too crazy either.

 

Any Update??

 

I had the same problem with my first OR at less than 5000 mi.
On my PRO I replaced all the original suspension since it felt soft and went with Icon front and back. Now is rigid as a tank and love it.