Rear Suspension Options with poll

Greetings ladies and gents.

Time to do something with my rearend.

Front is TC UCA's, Ext. Travel Fox Reservoirs, TC Spindle Gussets, I run 285/75/16's on Sidebiters 16x8 with 4.5'' backspace.

My driving is a mix of higher speed desert and what I would consider moderate rock-crawling, but both are limited by my truck not my desire to get a little more extreme in both areas, hence my need to upgrade the rear.

I have gone through a ton of posts on here (and elsewhere) so I have probably seen about every post you link to, mostly just looking for feedback from those folks who have any experience running one of my options. Performance, install, issues you ran into etc..

Cost is a concern but so is performance, drive ability both on and offroad, maintenance etc.. I will weigh all pluses and minuses when making my decision. Thanks in advance for your input.

My top two candidates are the Defined Engineering Stage 1 SUA kit

http://www.definedengineering.com/products.html

And the allpro offroad rear suspension with reservoirs. I should add if I go with Defined I wouldnt be doing shocks and bedcage until down the road

 

Talk to 4WD (doug) about his OMD Springs... http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/194386-tacoma-spring-refurbishing.html

 

First one to vote....youhoo!

SUA will be your best bet for higher speeds and can still do good in the rocks! I've seen a few rock crawler jeeps running SUA set ups and they were fine. Just look into low profile ubolts/leaf skids etc! I'm at the same cross roads as you and another option I'm considering is AP standard springs with Icon 2.5" rears! Hell you could prob even run a 10" travel 2.5" shock with the stage 1 SUA and be pretty happy for awhile?

 

He's looking for the standard, over the counter SUA Chris, I got no input for him.. Ha ! thanks for thinking of me tho'...

 

Thanks I have followed that thread, Definitely a lower cost option.

I have emailed Mike a few times at defined, like what he has to say and honestly if I had a bucket of money laying around probably would have already bought his kit.

He said even with stock shocks and the stage 1 kit I will see a very noticeable increase in performance. I like that it has the ability to grow with me. I hate buying things then down the road wanting to upgrade so I have to re-sell or scrap what I have already put money into. This kit avoids that.

The Allpro kit is more of a it is what it is kit, meaning once you bolt it on, thats it not much you can do to improve on it if you want more out of your rear set-up later. But its still a solid kit and would be a complete bolt in option for a good penny less.

 

He edited it after I had posted... LOL

 

Well maybe a little input, his answer may have been on the first post of my thread...


OP, below is a factory SUA from an S-10 flatbed, w/ eyelett to center config. (just like a 2nd gen) & whatta ya know, it's 53" eye to eye (just like a 2nd. gen.)...

Out of pocket expense... about $70-$80 for the set, just sayin'...

 

Thanks for the info, I'm still undecided (hence the reason for this thread) so any input is welcome. Your solution would certainly make changing down the road less of a factor due to the lower upfront cost. Feel free to post I'm all ears.

 

One more & I'm out, GL OP which ever way you go....


2nd gen 6-pak

 

where to get spring perches for your kit, 4WD?

 

The AP kit is a solid kit and prob the best you can do spring over! What type of wheeling you will encounter "most" will prob be the deciding factor and budget!

What's the cost break down? $1500 for the stage 1 kit? What about the rest?

 

$1650 out the door for the Defined kit including the rear brace.
$1100 for the AP kit.

Of course down the road if I want even more travel The AP kit doesn't really leave me any options where as the Defined kit does. At that point I would need to add shocks, bed cage, hydro bumps.

My truck is just a toy. I use it for offroading and pulling my trailer to camp. I don't know that I will ever long travel the front but if I did the Defined kit leaves me better prepared to do that.

Aside from the cost the other advantage of the AP kit is its complete and doesn't require any welding although the defined kit is minimal welding.

My other concern is for rock crawling applications SUA leaves a bit more stuff to hang up on in the rocks. Since I do a mix of offroading and I'm not long travel the wiser choice is probably the AP kit.

AP kit with shackle flip could be a good all around option.

I was hoping some with either set up would chime in their experiences.

 

DMZ spring under kit

 

I looked at the dmz kit already. The issue for me is, it requires you go all the way with glass bedsides, cage everything welded up etc.. it was going to cost me 5K and required I use glass. Not what I want.

I also noticed a couple comments from those running DMZ kits to go with the defined. Not that there is anything at all wrong with the DMZ kit by any means, just looked at it and not for me, thanks for the input though.

 

Yea the Dmz kit does cost a lot and if you dont want glass the it's not the right choice. I have heard good things about deavers though

 

I have an email in to allpro to check availability on their kit. If its going to be be too long I might head over to North County Spring here in Escondido and see what they have to say.

I talked to ORW who sells Deavers the guy I spoke to didn't inspire confidence in me. I hate talking to sales people who don't know anything about what they sell. Customer service and product knowledge seems to be a dying attribute among Salesman and companies in general.

 

aight OP, ive got the AP standard springs with u bolt flip kit and 2.5 king rr shocks. The best thing about this setup is the clearance! It is the most clearance out of a leaf pack setup u will get



along with great clearance they give a very smooth ride on and off road. When i first got the springs they were a little stiff but have since then become very smooth riding. They are not soft at all and i have never bottomed them out except for at full flex on a trail. They also seem to ride better with 150-200 pounds in the bed (i have a tool box with a lot of tools in it and also am about to install a steel rear bumper)

i dont do any desert running but i can go over a speed bump at 60 and barely feel it. The only thing that you lose with these is up travel vs. the sua springs. You say there is no room for improvement but u are limited by the shock travel more then the spring travel.

Building a shock hoop inside the fender well and running 10" shocks is an improvement and will provide additional uptravel. Building a bed cage and running 12"s or 14"s is a greater improvement and will provide a lot of uptravel, all while maintaining your ground clearance

 

Awesome, thanks. Yeah bedcage may be an option further down the line. For now I want something a little less involved than that route so the standard kit with the Fox reservoirs is what I was looking at.

 

A 2.5" shock will make a big improvement with any leaf pack! Problem is too much up travel puts the springs in neg arch and kills them which is why the sua would be better! You need good up travel for high speed wheeling!

allmotorrex - what are the lengths of those rear kings?.....just curious!

 

I agree. Problem is I do a lot of slow technical stuff where the lower hanging suspension components may be an issue. Pluses and minuses to everything just weighing them all.