Deaver Stage III or Dobinsons 112R

So I'm in between the 2 leaf packs and there's really no comparison out there and im in between the two. My truck is heavy in the rear. Looking get the leafs right before bumper is done.

Rsi smart cap
Freespirit evo Hard shell rtt
Decked drawers
Roof rack
This is not including all gear such as fridge and everything else

BAMF HC with swingout (In powder coating phase)
And 35 spare once the bumper is
done

 

Deaver U402 stage IIIs here. Only 6200 miles on them so far but completely satisfied. Just be sure you have at least 700 lbs of added weight, whether fixed items like camper shells/armor/rear swingouts or just steel / sand ballast.

If you aren't at the 700+ lbs mark, just go for the stage IIs with their lighter load rating.

If you don't get to at least 650-700 lbs on the Deaver U402 stage IIIs, the springs won't flex at all and the truck will ride (as you would expect) like a buckboard.

Can't speak for Dobinsons, but in my reading on TW forums it seems like Deavers are the most-respected leaf spring for long term durability w/ no squashing/flattening over time. (Unlike, say, Icon or Dakar leaf packs.)

 

My setup is close to yours.
I have Deaver stage 3.
Been running them for almost 3yrs now.
Very happy with them.

 

I have the Dobinsons 112R and I can not keep the leafs in line. I've seen others comment similarly. It is not that they shift over night nor every serious off roading, but it is damn annoying. I have 15k on them in the past year. Lots of trips to Utah and CO from CA adds up. Weight on the truck is close to even driver side to passenger side. I have fixed this twice and it needs to be addressed again. I would go with Deavers or Archive Garage Explorer Series Tacoma XD Xtreme Duty Lift Leaf Springs.

 

I have Stage 3. I am sitting with about 500ish. They ride stiff but I just massaged the shocks to help a bit. I would still get 3 as I wanted a bit more of a lift and if I need to tow and or haul more I had plenty of room. Plus I found them used for a great price.

 

If you get sick of them being "stiff," just add 250 lbs of steel ballast to the bed. Your truck will ride vastly better. Deaver U402 stage IIIs are rated for 700-1000 lbs of load and they won't feel right until they're in that range, regardless of shock valving/adjuster settings.

 

That's why I went with Deavers due to their reputation on forums etc.

IMO leaf springs are not something that should need to be fussed with, adjusted, tightened etc. if they are properly made & used in an appropriate load range. You shouldn't need to do anything to "keep the leafs in line."

At ~6,200 miles so far on the Deavers, I'm satisfied with them in all conditions on/off road, towing heavy, overloading the bed (>1600 lbs of cargo, still well above the extended foam bump stops) etc. No complaints.

One time I went to pick up a full pallet of large-format bathroom tile (16" x 36" per piece or some such) that weighed 1500 lbs. Forklift driver gave me an "are you sure?" look when I said just chuck it in the back of the Taco. With the heavy Deavers (plus Fox 2.5's on all 4 corners) it was no problem at all. I wouldn't do that regularly but it's nice to have the capability when needed.

The only thing that is a bit annoying & others also complain about in the forums is that they do squeak quite a bit. Not a high-pitch squeak, more of a "creaking" sound. I'm sure there's some right way to stop the squeak (besides spraying them with WD40 or similar every 300-400 miles) but I haven't pursued it. It's not that bad & it gives the truck character.

 

Fully agree!

 

Dobinson 112 heavy here with similar setup as you mentioned but from alucab. No issues on mine. Been great with super bumps, ADS 2.5 RR with heavy loads and trips all over PNW. Definitely need to also have some weight back there to help smooth it out. Came from dakar heavy but to much squeaking. Might try deavers if I start having the issues others mentioned. Heard nothing but good things with deavers.

 

I'm all about the Deaver stage 3s. When I'm loaded, I'm probably one of the heaviest Tacoma's on here. They've held up great. I'm starting to lean a bit to the right side when loaded heavy, but I'm pretty sure that's mainly from years and years of heavy torque in that direction from towing.

I actually run empty quite a lot (heavy steel bumper but no tailgate), and yes it is really stiff back there, especially with my E-rated tires pumped up to 55/60 pounds still (practically unbearable). When aired down, to 35 it really improves the ride, but you might as well not have rear suspension unless you hit stuff at like 60, then it's great, lol.

Stage 3 is probably overkill for most people, but perfect for people constantly hauling 1000+ pounds. or 3000+...




An important thing to remember is they are rated for 3 inches of lift at 700-1000 pounds. It takes a lot more weight than that to get back down to stock height. So when empty, or below 700 pounds, you are going to have a LOT of rake.

 

How exactly does one massage a shock?

 

Based on the shape of a shock... maybe stroke it? repeatedly? at varying speeds?

 

Another vote for Deaver here. I've been running the stage II U402s for a little over 3 years with zero issues. When I called up Deaver to ask about ordering directly from them the owner picked up the phone first thing in the morning and took care of everything. There's something about being able to speak to a real person that makes me feel better about spending my money with them.

 

The only thing that comes to mind (realistically) is to get up on the bumper and jump up & down to 'settle' the shocks... which would do absolutely nothing to the shocks & the ride height as soon as the jumping ends.

 

Yeah, I don't know how shocks would help much if the springs don't bend. Shocks dampen motion. No motion = No dampening.

 

Lol. I have adjusters on mine. Since I do not have the roughly 700lbs that work best, I just found settings that loosen it up a bit.

 

The whole point of what I said several posts ago, and which remains true, regardless of "massaging" the adjusters on your shocks --

Doesn't matter if your shocks are set at 0 / as sloppy as possible, if you have 700-1000 lb rated springs, and only 500 lbs in the bed -- the springs are not going to flex enough to allow the shocks to do very much at all.

Put 200-250 lbs of additional ballast in the back -- whatever it takes to get to >= 700 lbs -- and see how much the ride improves. I know what I'm talking about, I have Deaver 402 stage III leafs and FOX 2.5's w/ DSC adjusters on all 4 corners.

 

As @GilbertOz said, adjusters won't do anything if your load isn't enough to actually overcome the spring rate of your suspension.

 

Stage 3 Deaver u402's:

 

Ever weigh it loaded?