Suspension

So i know this has been talked about alot but i really can't find the exact answer im looking for.

I have an 01 double cab 4x4 taco with 240k miles on it. Time to redo my suspension.
But i am on a budget and dont have the funds and dont want to go out and buy all new stuff and blah blah. Yea i would like to, but my plan is to drive it for a year or to more then ether sell it or build it to rock crawl.

I have a buddy who's parents own a scrape yard so i have access to alot of different car and car parts for very cheap.
Has anyone build springs for their tacoma out of leaf springs from another vehicle? I know this has been done before but i cant find exactly what im looking for. I don't want to lift the truck or anything like that. Just want a better ride.

 

So heres another question. I want to try and retain a stock ride.

Should i go with chevy 63" springs or find some 4runner springs?

 

I have nothing to add, but I am interested in the answer.

 

You will not be able to improve ride quality with parts from a junkyard. If you can't find a Taco to pull from, you can try pulling individual leafs out of other trucks and using them as an add-a-leaf, which might fix your sag but it's not going to be plush. That ride quality you're looking for will cost you $1500, and even then, it's a pickup. Gonna beat you to shit no matter what

 

I disagree with this. I have read about alot of people who have used different springs (ie chevy 63" springs) and have had a very good out come. Yea its a truck and it will never ride like a cadillac but anything has got to
Be better then a set of springs with 230k miles on them.

I think chevy 63" are the way to go but the negatives are that you have to do some light moding and it adds some lift to your truck which i wouldn't mind but i don't want it to look "goofy" with a 3" lift and 265 75 tires. This is why i had the 4runner springs thought, but i assume they are probably the same leaves that are on the tacomas.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/194386-tacoma-spring-refurbishing.html

 

I have to agree with you.

Revamping an old pack like 4WD did using springs form another truck will greatly improve ride over a badly worn leaf pack. Yes. brand new leafs made for your truck will ride better...but if you are on a budget the option linked above is a good one.

As for the front, you will want to purchase new coils (OME or toytec) and new struts. (OME and bilstein being the best strut/shock options)

It all depends on if you want lift, and how much. Then we can point you in the best direction.

And avoid 4 runner springs, They will have the same sag issues as the taco springs. And maybe worse because the increased weight of the 4runner.

 

Thanks alot this is what I was looking for!!!!!

 

I'm not against a lift as long as I can keep my same tire setup and it not look like a truck with a lift and tiny tires lol

As far as the coils and the bilstein shocks go I have a quick questions about those. I have read about people buying the 5100 I think is the number and then it lifting their truck 2.5" or so. Is this an adjustment made on the shock or do you need to buy different coils depending on how high you want the lift to be?

This is probably the route I will end up going after I install the chevy leafs in the rear, I will buy new coils and struts for the front to adjust for the height change in the rear of my truck!

 

A 3" lift and the 265/75/16 tires will look just fine. I ran this set up for a few years and I prefer it over the 285/75/16 I just installed. Way fewer clearance issues with the smaller tire and you only give up roughly .5" ground clearance.

 

The 5100's are adjustable for lift up to 2.5'' using preload, and your stock coils.

That is not recommended especially since your stock coils are probably shot at 240k miles.

The 5100's have three positions, stock, 1''lift and 2.5'' of lift. Those are used w/ the stock coils.

People use the 5100's with toytec coils to give 3-3.5'' of lift with the shocks set on the stock position, so the coils do the lifting.

OME makes coils that are designed to be used with their struts. They have several coils for our trucks, the most popular are the 880s (1-2'' of lift) and 881's (2-3'' of lift). There are others for trucks with bumpers/winches.

The amount of lift these coils also depend on what engine and body you have. ie...if you have a 4 banger and a regular or extended cab...you will get more lift because your truck weighs less. A V6 or double cab will get less lift.

I see you have a v6 double cab, so if you chose OME struts and coils the 881's would be the way to go getting you around 2'' of lift, unless you plan on adding a winch and o/r bumper the 882's would be a better choice.

The eibach/toytec coil and 5100 combo will get you around 3'' of lift.

Downsouth motorsports, wheelers offroad, and toytec are the prefered retailers on TW.

 

265/75 should look fine. if you had 265/70s i'd say not so much....

 

There's a reason why they call it a junkyard it's full of junk.

 

So your telling me that if i got springs off of a 2011 chevy pickup that the front end was totaled that they would be junk?

 

Thats perfect just what i needed to know!

My only other question and i will probably get grilled for this but say some one didnt want to pay for top of the line shocks and struts such as bilstien is there any other good brands out there where you could save a little bit on that stuff for a rig thats only gonna be drove on the road.

I know i know lol you get what you pay for but just a thought.

 

All four bilstein 5100's from DSM is $309 + the TW discount (5%) + plus free shipping.

Thats pretty cheap....less than $75 per shock.

I know OME is significantly more espensive. If you are on a budget, go Bilstein.

 

Ya thats not to bad at all for such a good shock.

 

Oh really ???? Guess I'll take mine off & toss'em I'll tell others that have done this to do the same, with all due respect, more wrong you could not be....

& why would he add more crap springs from a Toyota ? Thats what we're getting away from...

Awww c'mon Randy, I expected better from you....

 

Yep , these are about the biggest pieces of shit that a junkyard ever spawned....