New Shocks - Still bouncing, chattering and slamming into potholes

I don't recommend cutoff wheels for the inexperienced.

 

How does one rate the experience of someone you don`t know?

I have been told making a brake line is beyond most on here.

 

Well, I guess you would have to assume somebody's experience based on the questions asked and go from there. A mishap with a Sawzall is far less likely to take out an eye than a cutoff wheel turning into shards at 8k rpm. Safety fucking first right?

 

I do agree safety first ! With the proper safety equipment you should be safe.

Most times it is someone else catching a disc that causes the person a few feet away to have damage just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have seen more accidents with Sawzalls on millwright jobs then grinders .

Just what type of questions can tell you the level of experience I would love to learn??

 

Damn guys, I wasn't planning on losing and eye or anything...

In terms of this thread I've done a fair amount of work on truck over the years and did the shocks in which I did run into the mentioned seized alignment cam and had to use a spring compressor which I was told was called "the widowmaker" and survived. I've not used cutoff wheels or a sawzall on it yet. Maybe that's your first question to new forum members like me to gauge experience . "No cutoff wheels yet? better stick to oil changes buddy".

 

I guess everyone is safe with this and there's no assuming?

 

Following b/c I have similar issues with truck feeling like it jumps sideways when I hit certain transitions from asphalt to concrete on the local freeway.

 

Here's a guide on rear leaf spring replacement, with several options for the leaf springs themselves (and the other things you need to go along with them). Walks you though the whole process (with photos), which you can totally handle yourself; there's nothing there that's rocket science as long as you can support the truck (jacks, stands) while you make the swap.

Replacing Leaf Springs on a Tacoma

And, if you need to replace the LCA bushings (to hold an alignment), here's a guide on how to do that. In your situation, I'd recommend replacing the Lower Control Arms with aftermarket replacements that have pre-installed rubber bushings. That will be the most straightforward, and will work great for a truck that sounds like is used mostly as it was originally build (i.e. in stock form).

Step-by-Step Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement on a 1st Gen Tacoma

One thing to check any time you feel like you are "jumping" on the road, is your alignment. A truck that's improperly aligned can feel jumpy b/c it doesn't *want* to track straight.

@2000Coda - your initial description didn't trigger this for me, but something for you to check as well, I suppose. Though, perhaps you already have, having installed new front suspension (if you haven't, new front suspension always means you should realign).

 

Given what OP has and has NOT done, I am betting on upper and/or lower control arm bushings being shot and not allowing for a good alignment to hold in the first place.

 

Are your alignment cams still frozen? Mine were before I got my frame replaced and I was pretty surprised how much better the front end handled after getting the new LCAs and bushings. With the frozen cams the truck would handle potholes and rough pavement very poorly.

 

I’ve been putting off the alignment until I completely re-do the front end. I have whiteline LCA bushings, new inner and outer TREs and new sway bar end links. Still need upper and lower BJs

 

An alignment can make all the difference in the jumpiness of a truck. I would definitely recommend buying a lifetime alignment at somewhere like firestone, if you can. They easily pay for themselves when you are using your truck Offroad, and or making modifications to it and it’s suspension.

Edit: additionally, without the proper alignment, you could easily wear off an equivalent cost of tire rubber while you are waiting to get the alignment, depending on how much you drive. No point in wrecking a set of tires, just to see if the cost of an alignment.

 

I can personally attest to this. After I was finished with my steering rack & LCA bushings, and new lower ball joints, even though I marked the cam adjusters, the alignment was way off. The truck wanted to keep jumping into the lane next to me every time I hit a bump in the road on the way to the alignment shop. Once they were done, the truck tracked straight down the road again.

 

I am no alignment tech but it seems to me that *if* one’s alignment was deemed okay at the time but was initially set on worn out components, even if you hit the same exact paint marks for your cams it will drive differently with all new bushings that are not worn out. A fresh alignment working off new parts is all that should be needed then. I didn’t word that well but I slept like shit.

 

After I did the new shocks I had it aligned so presumably the alignment cams are no longer seized and its aligned properly.

 

Since I'm going to have to piece meal this out, from all the comments it looks like the easiest/least expensive bank for the buck to get started would be LCA/UCA and leaf springs? I called my local shop and they quoted me $1500 for an OEM rack installation. Any thoughts on that? Of everything mentioned that seems like the most difficult repair?

Thanks guys!

 

Sleep experience notwithstanding, you actually nailed it. That's exactly what happened.

 

Unless you plan to completely replace the steering rack, I wouldn't sink $1500 into that job. Replacing the bushings is totally a DIY project, especially if you're doing the LCAs at the same time.

 

Might be worth posting up a picture of the alignment sheet if they gave you one. I've read that sometimes an alignment shop will cut corners and will do a "toe and go" as opposed to actually doing the job right and adjusting the cams that let them set caster and camber. Would be worth ruling out before dumping more money into parts/repairs.