Dobinsons 2nd Gen Tacoma Suspension Options

@Crikeymike
First I'd to say that Dobinsons has a large following with the Wisconsin TW folks.

I've been running Dobinsons IMS system for over a year now and been very happy with it. In the front I have the 314 springs. They were set up for 2.5 inches of lift. In the back I have stock springs with a 3 leaf progressive pack.
I have added some more weight.
So currently
2013 DCLB
Demello front alum bumper
Apex 12k winch (new)
RCI alum engine skid
RCI steel transmission and transfer case skid(new)
RCI alum gas tank skid
RCI roof rack
RCI sliders installed shortly after lift
Fiberglass cap with about 100lbs of gear in bed at all times.
full size spare 285/70/17

The rear I'd like to upgrade to your 111 leaf springs. What is the availability on those?
The front should I upgrade to the 352 coils? I have bottomed out the front a few times since adding the winch. If so what should I set them at to get 2.5 inches.

Thanks

 

Thanks man. Them WI-Boys sure do like their trucks!!

That's a good bit of added front weight. I'd suggest going with the C59-354's and set them down to the standard 213mm seat height (no added preload) and it should sit right at 2.5" with that. Or you could put them on with where they're set to now, and lower it down if needed to bring the height down.

We're looking at September before the 110R and 111R springs are due in again. You can grab the 112's though, since you have a long bed, you should jump up to the next level. You could always remove a leaf from those if needed (5th leaf down), which will reduce the height and rate of them, and make them the same as the 111R's.

 

Thanks Mike, I'll be ordering soon.
Any TW discount?

 

@Crikeymike

I ordered on Friday and parts came yesterday. Now thats service
1 question. What torque do you recommend for the u bolts.

 

I go with 90

 

@Crikeymike - Looking for some input for suspension replacement if you could - 2012 Tacoma, DCLB, it's my DD and camping vehicle.

Heavy. Steel bumpers, skids, sliders, winch, aux batteries, rear swingouts, 34gal fuel tank, alucab canopy camper with built out interior, fridge, etc. Overall scales at 6,750lb, 3,100lb on the front axle and 3,650lb on the rear in DD trim. Estimate that when on a trip the weight increases roughly 300lb depending on if I have the kayaks. Most of that weight rides on the rear. Attached is a picture for reference.

I do tow on occasion to bring along the motorcycles and for projects around the house. In general, trailer weight is roughly 2,000lb, tongue weight around 200lb to 300lb.

I’m currently running OME 886x’s up front and Dakar HD in the rear, with an additional added leaf (7 leaves total) and ¼” spacers/shims. All are high miles, sagging and worn out. The fronts run Wheelers Superbumps, SPC adjustable UCA’s and I am running a swaybar and relocation brackets since putting on the canopy camper. Static ride height now is ~21.5" hub center to fender and CV's are pretty much horizontal.


The rears have Timbren active bumpstops on a modified axle flip setup. The additional weight added over the years means they become part of my “suspension” pretty regularly. Attached is a picture showing static ride at the rear height in DD weight, 23” in the rear from hub center to the fender.


What I’m looking for – Springs and shocks that can manage the load while providing a mild lift, roughly 2” to 2.5” over stock, about an 1" to 1.5” more than where I’m riding now. Due to the weight and physical size of the truck, it is not a serious offroader and sees easy offroad at best – usually corrugated forest service roads. Truck spends a lot of miles on the road getting to and from destinations but needs to be able to handle washboard roads once I pull off the pavement.

A was leaning towards the IMS range - Based on load, I’m figuring I need stuff from the heaviest end of the spectrum. Planned the IMS59-50220 struts and C59-354 coils and hoping that I’ll be able to adjust preload to level ride height. Rear would be the L59-112-R leaves paired with the IMS59-50940 shocks.

My concerns are the C59-354 coils could be “light” for my setup. I do not want to over coil or bandaid via preload either – when I first did the 886x’s on the OMEs I was lighter but found them unable to manage the spring rate on rebound. For quite a while they would top out over bumps which was unpleasant at best – this eventually went away though I don’t know if it’s because I added weight or the coils sagged, or both. I recognize that heavy weight, heavy coil setups that are not mid-travel or more are likely to face this issue when trying to get 2+” of front lift as there is only so much down travel to be had in the shock.

- Any input/advice on a product combination that may fit my scenario?

- I saw the MRA front’s are available with the C59-318 coils but didn’t see them for the IMS – how do the 318 and 354 coils compare weight handling wise? For my setup?

- How do the AllPro Expedition 2.0’s compare to the Dobinson leaf springs?

- If I do find the leaves lacking, the L59-112-R KIT would be an option for the Dobinson from what I could tell – right?

- In consideration of the MRA’s having free shipping, the equivalent optioned MRA kit is about $900 more than the IMS setup – might I benefit from the MRA based on being able to adjust shocks for load/non-loaded/towing? (I firmly subscribe to the buy once cry once mentality)

Thanks!

 

354 coils are stronger than what you have now. By no means are they light.
318 coils are listed for both, but you don't want 3" of lift, so you don't need those.

IMS59-50220 with C59-354 and your super heavy load should be right at 2" with standard coil seat height. Then you can go up from there if needed.

The All Pro's are new for us, I haven't yet sold them to someone as heavy as you so I can't give you first hand feedback. They are all made at 3" of lift though, so more than what you're looking for. The L59-112-R should be ideal for you.

 

Awesome, any data on the lengths and coil rates for the C59-354 and C59-318? I'm just worried that while both may be better springs than my current 886's, I think I've added more than 300lb to the steer axle over the years. I've tried looking around for stock front/rear axle weights but have found only a couple data points and they vary considerably lol.

Also, what are your thoughts on the IMS vs MRA in my situation? Is the juice worth the squeeze if I'll have the varied load based on trailer/camping/DD weights?

 

318's are the same as 354's, but 1/2" taller. Specs are in post #1 of this thread. You can't use a 3" coil though and get 2" of lift.

2886's are 660lb rate, C59-354 are 730lb

I've not had anyone buy and run the MRA and not like them or regret it, unless they couldn't afford it. The benefits of being able to adjust the ride quality through valving is very much worth it. That said, the IMS are great all around too, and ideal for someone doing mild everyday stuff and some offroading without going too nuts.

 

Great - Appreciate the responses and I've got some thinking to do - Thanks!

 

@Crikeymike

Last weekend I installed my new leaf springs, 112s minus the #5 spring and changed out the 314 coil to the 354 coils.
Wow, what a difference. The ride before was good, now it's even better.
Thanks again

Your customer service is
Keep up the good work.

 

You're welcome!! Glad to hear it worked out so well for you

 

@Crikeymike - I didn't want to order before vacation since I wouldn't be around to receive, now I see the L59-112-R is listed as Out of Stock - any idea on when these'll be back in stock? I saw the other options are shown as backordered with an ETA this month.

 

There's no ETA now for the 112's. I'd say 3-4 months minimum.

You can order the L59-111-R and the add a leaf set for them to make them into the 112's. The 111's are due in about 3 weeks

 

Gotcha, I'll probably go that route then. I'm going to be away again next week - is it just an order the kit and everything would ship at once when the 111's come back in stock in a couple weeks?

 

That's right

 

After 11 months and 5K miles with my new Dobinsons setup, I want to share my experience because i) the truck drives so poorly and ii) maybe you can help

2012 Tacoma DCSB with Pelfreybilt steel bumper and 285 tires
Current setup: Dobinsons GS59-220 struts + C59-352 springs + 1/4" spacer on each side

I installed Sept 2022 and first impressions were that it drove marginally better than my 50k worn out OME setup. I lost ride height so I added the spacers.

It continues to drive badly, so last weekend I installed new LCAs + bushings + ball joints and upgraded to JBA UCAs.
Got it aligned by a reputable shop and I can't believe it still drives this bad. The plastic road reflectors that sit between lanes jar the cabin. Speed bumps and dips create more shaking than dampening.

Exit Offroad helped me choose the parts and gave me a nice Tacomaworld discount but the post-mortem was tough luck.
With the front suspension components that contribute to ride quality being all new, I am still no better off than I was before with my OME 90000 struts + 2886 springs.

I cannot recommend Dobinsons for these reasons, but would love to know how you all made it work. Maybe it's the curse of the steel bumper, maybe my Dobbys are a lemon, but wow I am disappointed.

What am I missing here?

 

The L59-110-R and L59-111-R just came back into stock. Grab them before they run out again!!!

https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...air-for-toyota-tacoma-2005-to-2023-l59-110-r/
https://exitoffroad.com/product/dob...air-for-toyota-tacoma-2005-to-2023-l59-111-r/

 

Changing the truck up, was told rear is sagging and would need new leaf springs. Was sent link to purchase old man emu, but don't see good reviews on here. Don't carry any weight in bed, just put a 6" lift on steel bumper. Which leaf springs would you recommend?

 

You have a 6" lift? If that's the case, we don't offer any springs for you.