want a nice ride for potholes - i also need a terminology lesson

I wouldn't go with icon. From what I hear they have a very progressive valving meaning they absorb bumper better at higher speeds. But I do think that a pair of king or fox coilovers paired with LR UCAs would be your best bet for a decent price.

All you people saying this isn't going to help anything please explain why. Absorbing bumps is what those A/M coilovers are disigned for and will provides huge improvement over the crappy stock shocks

 

fixed

 

Fixed

Fwiw you can make the truck ride and handle better, but a pot hole is a pot hole...you're gonna notice it unless you have a sick lt set up. Coilovers would be better than stock for pot holes but just barely.

 

What he said^^^

I would use that as a starting point.

FYI... search button.

 

How is a lift going to help?

Coilovers generally have stiffer springs. An AAL is sure going to make the rear ride worse over potholes.

I have SAW coilovers and a fabtech AAL and I would say my truck is more uncomfortable than stock over pot holes.

Maybe just some better shocks at stock ride height would be best? Maybe 5100 all round?

 

Did I ever once say lift the truck...setting the coilovers at 0" of lift gives better ride quality than stock.

 

NYC? pushh. try the HOLE da** state!!!! lol. we go to upstate just south of buffalo almost once a year!

 

The spring rates would still be more than stock. From personal experience the stock suspension is the most plush ride you are going to have over potholes. When I had my 5100's and Eibachs it was terrible. ICONs at no lift weren't much better. If you wanted to change up your suspension and you are set on it I would go with a digressive adjustable coilover such as king and keep it at no lift for the best ride. Talk to DSM to get the coilovers valved to your needs.

 

I don't read the post as trying to get the plushest ride. I read it as "dont break my shit when I'm running with the maniacs in the urban jungle."

So:

Symptom #1: tire blowout on road hazard.
Solution: Tougher, slightly larger tires.
Recommendation: Michelin LT/X AT/2 tire. LT265/75R16. Make sure you get the "LT" (light truck) not the "P" (passenger) tire.
A tough, long wearing tire that won't kill your gas mileage or slide around too much in rain and snow.

Symptom #2: bottoming out on the nastiest holes.
Solution: Higher spring rate, longer uptravel, softer bumpstops.
Recommendation:
1. OME 884 springs (not 885 - that'll lift you too high!!)
2. 1.5" add-a-leaf spring in the rear
3. OME nitrocharger shocks for better damping
4. Timbren bumpstops.
This will ride stiffer in general, but be much less likely to bottom out, and will bottom out more gracefully when you DO bottom out.

Symptom #3: Don't want to snap your neck after flying off an expansion joint.
Solution: Keep as much downtravel as possible, given the recommendations in 2, above. Do NOT lift a full 3" high! 884 springs as above. Also, replacment upper-control-arms to avoid ball-joint bind.
Recommendation: Most folks are happy with the Light-Racing upper control arms. For maximum durability, you could go to the total-chaos upper control arms, but the uniball requires more maintenance.

If you make all these changes - your truck WILL ride stiffer. You'll be more likely to spill your coffee on the "smooth" sections. But it'll be less likely to break or lose control when you hit nasty unexpected obstacles at traffic speed.

Like all internet advice: your mileage may vary and objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. bridges may be icy and beware of occasional blinding dust storms. one at this price. results may vary. illustrated weight loss not typical.

 

nice, well thought out post. i appreciate it.
but i read elsewhere that nothign will help and stock setup or spending $10k is the only option....lol.j/k (i hope they were too)

but seriously, thanks for the input. Im glad someone caught on that Im not looking for a luxury car ride, im looking to just NOT rattle the thing to pieces of the next 25k miles.

 

on the ride to work tomorrow, im going to stick the iphone on the dash (the best i can) and video some of the sections where i drive that have a lot of screwed up roadway. Maybe after seeing (possibly feeling) the road, you guys can they figure out what will make it better.

I wanna say to the troll who will say shit like "you can ride in the next lane! look its empty"......go find some place else to offer nothing. no one is interested in it here.

 

Dont feed it, just let it go

 

Bilstein 5100 shocks, UCA's to correct castor and step your tire size up a notch. If you're driving a Tacoma in the city, mileage doesn't seem to be a huge concern to you. I would set the Bilsteins a notch higher to level the truck out and run a 255/85R16 or 285/75R16. People saying he should step up to a LT truck tire, you will lose ride comfort for sure in trade of durability.

This advice has been repeated to you multiple times already in this thread. Either a bolt-in coilover or Bilstein 5100's. They will give you a more controlled ride, not a necissarily a "smooth" ride. And if you end up lifting the truck I would recommend adding an aftermarket UCA for better castor angle so it doesn't handle like a shopping cart with bent wheels.

In all honesty, if you wanted comfort buy an F150 or other fullsize. My dad's F150 rode like butter and it's completely stock with standard load tires. My buddies Chevy 3/4 ton rides like a caddy too even with load range E tires. Heavy trucks just seem to ride smoother than light weight Tacomas and Rangers.

 

There is more to the FQ than Bourbon street. The outskirts and the rest of the city/suburb is as bad or worse than anything I've seen in NYC...and I've been all over NYC many many times.

Plus I never said that there were not potholes in NYC. I said that adjusting your driving habits is a more cost effective method of alleviating your issue.
You weren't interested in that...so I said spend as much money as you can on a great long travel kit and see how that works out.

 

every full size truck (diesels) i have riden in have been similar to riding in covered wagons

 

Chevy 1500's specifically,do have a very soft ride.... That's why a lot of people dont like them, they ride and handle like a car.

 

yup, it's the IFS and heavy weight combined with weak torsion bars.

My mom's F250 rides like a rock however because it is solid axle.

 

And a rock is how a truck should ride... I'm my opinion.

 

By full size I meant f350s dodge 3500s chevy 2500s all with the solid axles.

 

yeah, but the the death wobble that goes along with the late model fords is not good.