Rear springs- WHY _so_ wimpy?

As mentioned in another thread or two, I'm facing the fact that the rear springs in my 2011 Double Cab LB bottom out disappointingly easily with even what I would consider moderate "homeowner payloads" in the bed, such as helping friends move and carrying a non-dense mix of household or garden items.

I've owned a number of trucks of a number of makes, foreign and domestic, and this is my third Toyota (past '95 "last of the pre-Tacomas, and 2002 Taco 4wd Dbl Cab) (and the 02 also had worthlessly undercapable rear springs)... but am left wondering...

With the thoroughness and care that Toyota demonstrates on so many other aspects of design and manufacture, WHY are the Tacoma rear suspensions so incapable of handling any significant payload without bottoming out?

Is it that they assume no one carries anything other than a cooler in the back and everyone needs a non-truck plush ride (although I have had other trucks such as Ford or Dodge that managed a very agreeable ride without wilting under much greater loading) or is this just a corner that Toyota opted to cut?

 

Not all of us, at least some of the 2005/2006 tacos have the 3 leafers, and I agree, they need help. Ride-rite air bags was my non warranty answer, one I'd recommend for stock height trucks.

 

fuckin' canucks.......

 

this ^^^^^

 

that's what I'm gonna do too.

 

The Tacoma was not designed to be a truck. It's as simple as that. The suspension is a mess, no bumpers, gears meant for a car. It's a truck bodied SUV for people who want that look. They were also after MPG numbers. The taco is a 4,500 lb vehicle stripped back to 4,000 to get those numbers. Add back in all the stuff to actually make it a truck, and you'll invest another $5-6k, add 500 pounds, and get 16mpg. I just wish they would have taken the more honest route and offered a "real truck" version and saved us the trouble.

 

I got a real truck! That's why I get 16mpg.

 

Your pretty close, except I pretty much think it starts out "right" in engineering by the time it hits production the once solid design conceptual truck is a mere shadow when the bean counters get done with it...

 

Well, I didn't realize how bad some of the things were, but the Toyota is at least fixable. None of the competitors are. It has a fabulaous engine in the 4.0, and generally the quality of the truck is very good. If I had the decision to make over, I would still get it, but with fewer delusions about what I was buying. I've done the things I listed. A complete suspension replacement, new gearing, and bumpers. It's a nice truck, but IMO, these are not things I should ever have to do to a new "TRUCK". You buy a "truck" to get these things, or at least I do.

 

Exactly! The Camry is a great car, but I needed a truck.

 

I may or may not really like the ride of my bone stock 2009 OR Mexico built taco.

 

Mine handles the rated payload okay, it does bottom out on hard bumps with the stock leafs. I haven't tried to tow with it, so not sure how that would go, but I imagine it would be fine if I don't exceed the payload rating with too much tongue weight.

My opinion is it's designed to be able to haul the rated payload occasionally, and ride nice the rest of the time. If you need to haul all the time, you're probably going to need an upgrade to be happy with it.

The target market is for people who will use the truck as a car most of the time, and occasionally haul something a short distance. That describes me. In my weaker moments I wish it was a little more big-macho-truck-like, but 90% of the time it's perfect.

 

Toyota has rated the Tacoma with a 5100 pound GVW. Unfortunately they did not deliver on that rating. I am in a fight with Toyota now to get the other half of my truck GVW through a rear suspension TSB. Mine is a regular cab, so I will have to fight to get it, where those with Access and Double cabs need only ask for it.

As you read through the foums, you will note that there are more people concerned that their cupholders have LEDs, their headlights are tinted and enough hatchet jobs to their wiring to scare me about ever buying a used Tacoma.

I bought my first truck in 1974, a time when my truck was only one of two in the work place parking lot. Trucks are now owned and seen everywhere, but few are used as trucks today. Those of us who actually want and need a real truck have to work at it to make them real trucks I guess.

 

I've never had my truck bottom out, not even with the bed fully loaded with concrete blocks. I have the 4 leaf pack.

I've towed a 5x8 enclosed trailer, and I've also towed a flatbed trailer with a YJ on 33"s and armor without any issues...

 

I remember as well. My first truck was a 1973 F250. Before that it was a 1969 Bronco 302. Neither came with a "baby on board" placard

 

badger,

No cupholders either were there? We had to man up and hold a scalding cup of coffee between our legs each morning.

 

My truck had 4 leafs

They sucked

Now I have Dakars

 

Truth.

The salesman seemed shocked when I told him the highly optioned truck I was buying was a "good start". He essentially asked what else I needed. I listed off most of the stuff you did.

It'd also be nice if:

- They got rid of the carpet.
- The rear axle was big enough for the weight/engine power.


They're still best-in-class, and with normal on-road use they'll last til the end of time like every other Yota. The little corners are disappointing though.

That's my plan. The factory spring are *ok*. They flex super well. But they don't like loads.

 

Good point about the rear axle. I'm hoping I can make mine live, but I may be in for a D60 swap eventually. They definitely should have gone 9" on the 4.0 instead of 8".

 

8" is simply not enough differential for this weight and torque. 9 to 9.5" would've been nice.

Think that's bad though? Nissan put a Dana 44 under their Titan. I don't care how much you reinforce a D44, it has no business under a truck that heavy with an engine pushing that hard. R + P failures left and right - it's notorious for them.

That's why Toyota stuffed a 10.5" ring gear in the new Tundra. They were gonna be damned if the same thing was gonna happen to them.