Tacoma Spring refurbishing

So far there are these members running my springs:

1 myself 1st gen

2 Recklesstaco (matt)- 2nd gen

3 taco_me_elmo (micah) 1st gen

4 00taco00 (Reagan) 1st gen

5 csjumper2003 (Chris)- 2nd gen

6 Gregero (Greg) -2nd gen.

7 Donnod - 2nd gen (out of Las Vegas)

8 S.B. (Sean)-2nd gen. is getting ready to do this MOD also

9 Tmectaco79 -2nd gen is pending

10 Fiddynut- 1st gen. he just did this


I feel confident anyone of these guys can give their feedback if you ask them

 

So far there are these members running my springs:

1 myself 1st gen

2 Recklesstaco (matt)- 2nd gen

3 taco_me_elmo (micah) 1st gen

4 00taco00 (Reagan) 1st gen

5 csjumper2003 (Chris)- 2nd gen

6 Gregero (Greg) -2nd gen.

7 Donnod - 2nd gen (out of Las Vegas)

8 S.B. (Sean)-2nd gen. is getting ready to do this MOD also

9 Tmectaco79 -2nd gen is pending

10 Fiddynut- 1st gen. he just did this


I feel confident anyone of these guys can give their feedback if you ask them

Aint nobody gonna be able to search for me if you put the wrong username

 

So far there are these members running my springs:

1 myself 1st gen

2 Recklesstaco (matt)- 2nd gen

3 taco_me_elmo (micah) 1st gen

4 00taco00 (Reagan) 1st gen

5 CSJUMPER2003

6 Gregero (Greg) -2nd gen.

7 Donnod - 2nd gen (out of Las Vegas)

8 S.B. (Sean)-2nd gen. is getting ready to do this MOD also

9 Tmectaco79 -2nd gen is pending

10 Fiddynut- 1st gen. he just did this


I feel confident anyone of these guys can give their feedback if you ask them


That better ?

 

Fuck it then. See if I help you again.

 

Jk but thought I would help your ass out

 

Hello guys, Im new to this forum as of a couple of days ago. I have been thinking of just rebuilding my pack like you guys are doin for years. So i finally came up with enough money to get a complete lift kit for my 2000 taco 4x4 auto!!!!!! MINUS the leaf pack as im buildin my own. Well I am the type of dude to always take the road less traveled. So I said screw it went and got a pack off an old chevy. I disassembled them to do basically the exact same thing 4wd and the few others here are doin. They are sittin in my carport ready for install in the next 2 days!!!. I will see if i get the desired Height and even more importantly clean up that literally peice of shit stock suspension.Then get the front ordered. If i could i would build my own struts as well.Well anyhow i had searched and searched these forums and others to try and find any sort of advice, aid (ie what donors to use, if anyone has a kinda method to acheive diff heights and so on) ......found nothin until yesterday!!!!!I found y'all!!!!! Seriously glad to see someone else is into tryin to do stuff yourself like this! The info and things in this thread and a few others i since found are very helpful. I have sat and stared at my suspension for hours thinking this through and am ready to do it! I know alot about suspension (mostly dirtbike ie coilovers) so i would love to help or just join in this discussion. I will post pics and let y'all know what my experience is. It really iss cool to see other rlt's(road less traveled) on here. So um, hi!

 

Welcome to TW Matt, glad ya found us !! My Toyota is the first IFS 4x I've ever had but have had 4x's since 1977 & I come from the world of solid axles & leafs I've done a few write ups like this one since last year & no one would touch it, even got a few "why you putting junk on your truck ?" kind of comments until a few rode with me or were behind watching the ass end soak up the harsher shit with ease..

I'm running 2 Ford springs per side (recently added a teaser Chevy spring)

3 toyota
2 ford
1 chevy per side

A real wierd leafpack.... i like it gives me slightly over 3" lift in back

if ya have any questions just ask

& post up some pics when your done...

 

Doug,

Here is a thought that I had that some may want to investigate further, but ties in with your low budget idea. For those with either a Regular Cab or 4 cylinder Access Cabs, would not the front coils from a Double Cab V6 give front lift. If you were able to get recent take-off coils from someone who has lifted their Double cab V6 at a good price. There would not be a decal or bragging rights, but I think this should work.

 

I have the original sagging springs on my '99, 4wd. But here's the thing:

I want to put good springs on it, but I don't want to lift it. Don't want to get into all that, and I don't wanna have to change the front to match the rear.

Is there a way to do this mod without lifting my truck? Like I said, all I want is non-sagging springs.

EDIT: (Btw, I don't rock crawl, mudbog or any of that silliness. My truck rarely even touches dirt roads. I just love Tacomas.)

 

I think this has already been done but I would think it would give added lift , the down side might be a pretty harsh ride, maybe not , might be something to check into, thnx Rick...

Thats an easy one, keep your main spring & start replacing the stock ones with thicker leafs with little or no arc...

 

Thanks for the welcome Doug. how did running 3 new bottom springs treat ya? did it really reduce flex? stiffin? add lift? anything really. I am curious what the smallest leaf being added would produce.I am thinking about adding 3 bottoms. to balance out the fact that each individual leaf is slightly different in arcage. Im preppin it all out now just came in for more coffee. I imagine it would be easy to go overboard and have something with no flex but decent ride. Hopefully after we get a good couple ppl done with this we can compare notes and devise a formula rough draft for what does what. Ride, Lift heights etc. Im sure you have some really good answers to this Doug. I am just gonna kinda wing it, trial and error it, eyeball it and see if my thought pattern is even on target.

 

Let's hold up right there a sec. Matt, this is why it takes 2 leaf packs of donor springs to do this MOD/upgrade, generally taking 2 or 3 leafs from each of the donor springs OF EQUAL VALUE, meaning the springs you choose are the same lentgh, more importantly ,same ARC.. It'll be hard if not impossible to get equal lift on both sides with just springs.

Also since you have a 2000 1st gen. keep in mind that we have a centerpin offset spring config. (leafs are longer from centerpin to rear shackle) 2nd gens. aren't.. I threw that little Chevy on the bottom more for fun than anything else, it really doesn't do much & is coming off.

Also from the builds I've done so far the adding of the extra springs has been giving 3" of sustainable lift..

I didn't notice but are you extended cab? 4x?

 

So like everyone has stated above im pumped to have found this thread just what I was looking for! I was just about to the point of cuttin off my spring perches spelling?? lol and welding some new ones on and running chevy 63" springs, but after finding this thread and read it, this is exactly what I want to do!! But I do have a few quick questions.

I don't wheel my truck that much so I'm not to concerned with getting any lift out of my rebuilt springs, but a little lift isnt going to upset me ether!

So basically what ya'll are doing is taking apart the chevy or whatever you find leaf spring pack and using some of these springs to rebuilt your toyota spring pack?

When you take apart your toyota spring pack the only spring you keep is the top or main spring or are you keeping more?
Which springs out of the chevy pack are you using to rebuilt your toyota pack with and how many?
Then after you have found the springs you want to use you put them together and I assume you buy new leaf spring clamps for both ends and add the anti friction pads in between both ends of the springs?
After doing this you simply just bolt them back up to the truck, and you should be good to go except for needing to extend the brake line and longer shocks and possible driveline vibrations?

Sorry if these are kind of dumb/simple questions, they are just somethings that after reading the entire thread I really didn't catch.

Thanks!

 

OH man, I just typed a 4 page report and then just exited out of the window......speechless. Im a noob yes.
I just finished my test drive!!!!!!! this report is gonna be to the point
I used 2 chevy spring i beleive came out of a bronco. I cut them to be abt 3 inches shorter in succession and added then to the bottom of my 3 pack. I gained exactly 3" from my 21 1/2 measurement from hub center to fender. It is no longer a *(*&(*)()- suspension that i can feel everything in the road jiggliy wiggly soft bumpstop ridin crap. Its firm (NOT STIFF) but feels like i could throw a deer in the back and drive back down the mountain!!!I CANT just hopp on the bumper and hit bumpstops anymore.!!!!!It dips down when i jump on it but only a lil bit!!! Its like i might actually be able to haul a load in this thing.Then i drove my 30 mile dailt route ........ALLLLLL of those lil things i used to feel bounce threw my wheels into my springs while my axle wrapped to and fro are GONE. Just gone. First impression.!!! VEry VEry nice. NOT STIFF. i was real worried bout stiffness. its just firmer.Comfy truck like! I hit curbs jumped speed bumps, broke laws. It is seriously So very nice to ride in. Now i only went for an hour ride (NO real wheeling) although i did fly down some washboard......i could never "fly " down this before.It soaked it up....I spent 40 bucks on springs from cl/jy. 20 bucks on randoms (paint, adhesive, sand block...etc) Add blood, Sweat(lots o sweat as im fresah outta shoulder surgery so i did this with really only my non dom arm for strength....heheheh.), and tears because i wept, cried like a lil girl .....when i realized this whole time i beeen dealing woth absolute crap ride in my favorite truck, i coulda had this for less than an aal.......WTH>????>?>?>? I have been talkin to buddies sayin i think i can just add the app arced and sized leafs and i can have better springs........crickets....silence.....friends like well um there is deavers and.........im like .....silence......crickets. Thanks Doug and all yall who gave me somethin to find in my searches for.......Leaf spring refurbishing/ rebuilding/ diy/ !!! Rock on rlts! Im comploetely toast doin this with 1 good arm. I will post the pics i took very soon.

 

This is the most recent 1st gen. i did, same year as ours....

his springs were pretty trashed, almost didn't bother with one side was already opting for a replacrment main spring until it started to take shape

pretty nice ARC...

 

As far as flex & droop go, yeah it flex's just fine... if you look at the driverside rear, you'll notice even at full droop (pass. rear) I've still got at least 2" of travel left in shock..

 

Well shit then bro' I'll save the tech lecture for later, well done !!...


pancake rock in san diego east county....bad ass little trail..

 

Hey bro' there are no dumb questions in my threads, you ask, I'll try to answer.

Hey I see you're in Ft.Smith Ark. I have relatives there & just a little west of there in Heavner ,Ok. too.

Ok anyway

 

Hey Doug I know it's been awhile but are we still lined up to replace my rear springs? Sorry it's been so long, got busy with the old lady coming out then a bachelor party then a wedding all kinds of craziness and then no money but now I'll have the money in a week or two so we can knock everything out if you're still game

 

Thats fantastic bro', props for toughing it out with the shoulder too (I've had 3 shoulder surgeries myself) I'll add you to the list of successes, the more of you who think outside the box (dont even have to do that ,i already did it ) the more others will at least see that there ARE alternatives out there that will not just meet "name brand" performance but in some cases exceed in performance,ride,etc; Like a broken record I'll say again, this is waaay more than a typical AAL this is a suspension upgrade that will last...