2009 TSB 4 LEAF SPRING UPGRADE

Just had my TSB 4 leaf warranty upgrade done.Yes , I allowed to have my accelerator pedal modified. ( big deal, NOT!!). Stevenson's Toyota, Aurora, CO. Ride is stiff without a load. The way it should be. I truely have a 3/4 ton truck now. If you have a Tacoma near Aurora, ask for Scott. He will hook you up. No questions asked. no BS. Covers up to 2010. I have been 4 wheeling since I was 15. I remember when Dick Cepek started his shop in South Gate, CA. (circa 66?) He was the guy who first convinced certain MFRs to make off-road tires. No more tractor tires, HeHe . Look it up for you young-uns. Does anybody remember Armstrong Tru-Tracs or Desert Dogs??. I gave myself a smilely because it seems that several fellow Tacoma owners are not sure about TSBs'. All auto MFRs' have TSBs'. If you have a vehice under warranty, and more than a year old , you need to check the TSBs' Recalls are only for safety issues. TSBs' are only an advisory for the repair techs. Do I need to explain this further in more detail?? ( I hope not) 54 going on 50. super great site. A lot of good info, all though some of the polls are pointless and trivial. Get to the nuts and bolt issues, not the best factory paint color for example. The 2009/10 TSB is worth @ $ 1583.00, free!!! I retract my smilely. I guess I have to earn it. USMC, Semper Fi. Earned that!!!! 1st post.!!

 

The TSB does nothing to upgrade the GVWR (else they'd put a new sticker on that door pillar)... so you got a 1/2 ton truck still. It just handles the 1/2 ton much better than before, without riding on the bump stops.

Apparently, that sticker is pretty important thing to the guys in Canada.

Welcome to to TW!

 

I got the rear TSB done Friday. I've got a '10 Pre-runner which is is only suppose to get the new leaf spring. My service coordinator actually ordered the bumper stops as well as front and rear shocks. The ride is a little but firmer but not much. Hopefully, she'll perform better under load now.

They did the gas pedal recall at the same time. The pedal looks a little funny but can't tell any difference when driving. Figured a safety recall should be done just to prevent some crazy from trying to sue me if I get in a wreck. Put my weathertech mats in after the pedal work and there is NO way that pedal is getting "stuck".

 

Aurora,CO stands for Colorado not CanaDUH! According to Fourwheeler Mag and Toyota the Tacoma is the only mid- sized truck rated a 3/4 ton. The 4 leaf upgrade allows loads up to about 1380 LBs . (I know that is not actually 3/4 ton, but considerably more than 1/2 ton, do the math.).The three leaf set-up did not allow that. Too weak. I could be wrong and I don't give a rat's ass about stickers and not Canadian.

 

Aurora,CO stands for Colorado not CanaDUH! According to Fourwheeler Mag and Toyota the Tacoma is the only mid- sized truck rated a 3/4 ton. The 4 leaf upgrade allows loads up to about 1380 LBs . (I know that is not actually 3/4 ton, but considerably more than 1/2 ton, do the math.).The three leaf set-up did not allow that. Too weak. I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time)and I don't give a rat's ass about stickers and not Canadian.

 

Well...I guess you're up against common sense and someone who can do the math...

1380 - (200 lbs your weight + 126 a full tank of gas + 180 for tools/mods/compadre) = 1000 lbs. Even in Colorado 1/2 ton of cargo hauling goodness.

Now...if you wanna listen to the marketers go ahead. But that's the real math. Not that it matters...if you don't haul in Canada go ahead and run around on the bump stops with 3/4 ton of gravel if you really think that's important to you. But if you smack into anything the courts will fry you good running around so overloaded and if there's personal injury you could even find yourself in jail (ever hear of reckless endangerment?)

Point is: don't delude yourself into thinking you got a 3/4 ton truck, and I don't think are going to convince most anybody around here to the contrary.

But about those Canadians: apparently they get big tickets for overloading to the GVWR labeled, even if their suspension has a real upgrade and not just another leaf that simply gets the truck to work half decent at the marked GVWR.

 

Just because they call a truck a half ton doesnt mean thats how much weight you can load in the bed. For example the dodge 1500 has a payload capacity of 1900lbs, while the 3500 has a capacity of 5130lbs.

 

Your math clearly makes sense. Not unusual for mfr's and biased reviewers to stretch the specs. I personally don't ever plan on loading a 1/2 ton of gravel in my truck, but I do like the stability I gained towing my pop-up camper and gear this past weekend. The ride is the way it should have been from the factory. The upgrade is worth having done if you are going to tow a boat or trailer, & a lot of gear.