Soften my ride

Took the wife Mall crawling today I have 14000 miles on my 2016 Access cab TRD sport At.
she seldom complains about the vehicles I drive, but today as we went slowly over the speed bumps on the mall parking lot in the 100+ degree heat, these rear shocks have almost no give to them, they feel extremely hard , I think they are Hitachi, any suggestions for a more user friendly rear shock ?

 

5160’s

 

TRD yellow offroad shocks if you can find a set of take-offs on Craigslist.

I actually bought a 16 offroad because of how it was softer than the sport or SR5 models.

 

5160's you mean Bilstiens? are they not also very harsh ?

 

For very little money you could switch up to the OEM Off Road Bilstein version shocks. Everything I've read say it's a much softer ride than the Hitachi shocks. A lot of guys sell them here on the forum cheap when they upgrade to more expensive shocks. Couple hundred bucks and you're done.

 

Bishop 84 good to know, T Y

 

Thanks Robp62

 

Absorbs bumps better and settles quicker than stock. My stock off road shocks were soft but I was bouncing a lot.

 

Can this just be the rears ? the fronts seam fine to me ?

 

You're welcome. @Bishop84 and I are basically saying the same thing.

Also, and this is a little more dramatic but if you remove the sway bar, going over speed bumps (or similar obstacles) at an angle will stop that sharp, harsh rocking motion that makes your heads bob back and forth. Some guys do it too for more articulation. It will cause a little more body roll at higher speeds. Especially in turns under severe breaking situations. You won't flip though at normal speeds.

 

If you decide to go with the stock off road suspension, shoot me a PM. I live down in GP and have a set in my attic with less than 200 miles on them. Should be able to make a deal. Although, based on my personal level of pickiness, I'd recommend you find somebody with whatever suspension you're thinking about and go for a ride with them.

 

The fronts seem fine because the weight of the engine, the cab and the occupants help the front shocks cycle through the full travel distance. The rear weighs less so the leaf springs are providing the additional support, or basically working properly too.

Try this, go buy like 5 bags of quickcrete cement. Those 80 lb bags. Put them as far back in the bed as possible. Then go over those bumps.

It will be night and day.

Just keep in mind, and explain to your wife that it is a truck, and is designed to haul heavy loads. It can only do that if the suspension components, the shocks & leaf springs are built to withstand additional loads. Without those loads though, it's going to ride rougher than most cars.

It doesn't have to be that way though. It depends how important a cushy ride is to you. If you're not going to haul full loads all the time then try the inexpensive route and get those Bilstein take offs. If you think you're going to haul some weight more often, then run the 5100s and go with an add a leaf and stronger front coils. Then you'll have a softer ride than stock and more ability than stock as well. However you'll start to approach that rougher ride again. Not as bad but.......

It's hard to have the best of both worlds without spending some moderate money though.

 

He can buy his wife whatever she wants at the mall

Load the bed with newly bought stuff

Ride home nice and cushy

OR
Find a new woman, who speaks only when spoken to and doesn’t complain.

 

This is an excellent idea on both counts. Plus take a ride in his truck to get a sense of what a higher end suspension is like assuming that is why @IllTrucko has the take offs in his attic.

 

True.

 

I got a set of the Bilstein OR takeoffs and installed it on my Sport. Made a big difference in the ride. The sport suspension was firm and felt more sporty, the Bilsteins are softer and less jarring over the speed bumps. For me, it made the ride better.

 

I bet she'd like a full long travel suspension.

 

Who wouldn't

 

My wife. She knows enough to know $$$

 

That's a good thing right?