Insight on my suspension

Hey everyone im looking to get some info on what suspension is currently on my truck. Im new to the Tacoma world and bought this truck used from a dealership with a lift already installed.
Ive had the truck for a few months now and it is slightly annoying how rough the ride is. It doesnt bother me that much but the fiance and kids always comment on it but its got me curious as to whether or not the lift was either installed incorrectly or its really just that rough. It looks like bilsteins in the back and then trd springs and im not sure what shock in the front. Ive attached pics below to see if anyone could notice anything out of the ordinary. Thanks!

 

looks to me like you have the 2015 TRD Pro shocks on there. Depending on the spring rate (600 for pro, 650 for the Baja). It also appears you have a single add a leaf in the rear which could be causing your stiffness. If you have the 600lb springs, the ride up front will be pretty plush and I’d look into headstrong off road progressive add a leaf for the rear and ditch the single leaf. Hope that makes sense.

 

It’s probably your tires. If they’re E rated that’s going to be your issue. The lift on your truck is quality.

 

This, and what pressure are you running?

 

The front looks awfully tall. This is what the TRD pro shocks look like. They look different.

 

It looks like he has the toytec coil seat spacer on there and a single AAL. that is causing the ride to be stiffer. I doubt those tires are E rated just looking at them.

 

^ this..Dealers usually will go with the cheapest route regarding lifts just mainly for the visual effect to get the sale. Like doorsidedown mentioned, likely a front spacer and rear aal. Doubt it's the tires, looks to be standard OEM.

Edit: PO went cheap if it was a trade in.

 

How is trd pro suspension with an aal cheap?

 

There is no way a stock strut is going to produce this angle at the LCA on its own.



This is the actual cause of your trucks stiff ride. The combination of a lift over 2" combined with a stock UCA. The stock UCA ball joint runs out of down travel angle and the result is a stiff ride. Get aftermarket UCA's specifically designed for a Tacoma with over 2" of lift and your ride will greatly improve. If at that point you're still not satisfied consider changing struts and/or springs.

I chose JBA High Caster UCA's because I don't like to do truck maintenance as a hobby.

Most people choose UCA's with uniballs instead of ball joints.

 

Sorry for disagreeing with you, brother, but the Baja Bilstein’s has a different spring seat than the Pro’s. The Pro’s ones are tapered as shown in Muddinfun’s pic, while the Baja’s ones are “square” I guess I could call it.

Here’s a pic of the stock Baja Bilstein spring seats:


And here’s the Toytec 1” Spring Seat Spacer:

 

OP, the likely fix for you would be swapping the front COs for softer rated springs or go back to stock. Measure your lift from hub center to fender to see how much lift you have. Stock should be approximately 20". Personally, I would swap out with adjustable COs for the front. The rear will still be rough with an unloaded bed unless you ditch the single aal for either a progressive 3 leaf aal or whole leaf pack replacement. Headstrong offroad would be a good shop to consult with.

 

Looks 100% correct to me. I was under the impression they had the same coil seat! Learn something every day.

 

Sorry for the late response but just got back from a weekend training. Again new to the Tacoma world and never ran a truck with a lift. I will definitely look into the UCA. Im in central FL and have been looking for a reputable shop to take it to to see if they could give any insight but haven't had the time to follow through yet. So should my first solution be replacing the UCA's? I really appreciate the insight so far.

 

changing ucas isn't going to make your truck less stiff.

 

The "stiff" ride will be related to the springs and tires.

If you want a "softer" ride, then you will need to change the front coils and the rear leafs.

Tires can be adjust by playing with the pressure. Although, I would not suggest a pressure lower than the door placard for paved road driving. Off road, then lower pressure can help with mobility.

 

if anyone was to be looking for a cushy ride a truck wouldn't be what you'd want to be driving regardless

 

You also have a potentially 5+ year old suspension. It’s probably at the end of its “optimum” lifespan depending on how it’s been used.

2015 was when Toyota introduced the Tacoma Pro, and if the above post is showing those are actually “Baja” shocks (2012-2014 Tacoma model years), then the prior owner either bought those secondhand and installed, or bought them brand new and installed. So no telling how many miles are on them. And idk the mileage on your truck either.

You have a lot of options, either budget or not for new suspension components. UCAs are not going to do anything with stiffness on your setup. The factory alignment should still be able to be attained with this setup which should be less than 2” of lift in the front.