Better suspension than stock, but not a lift?

Hey guys, I have a kind of odd question. Been thinking about upgrades to my truck and all, and I don't know that I want or will need a lift. But I would like a suspension that is better than the stock suspension, i.e. more durable/capable etc... but isn't necessarily a lift.

I didn't really see any threads addressing this, so I though I'd post it.

If I'm not looking for a lift, what should I replace the stock suspension with that will be more durable for light to moderate off roading etc?

I have the rear leaf TSB on my 2010 DCSB TRD Off Road, 4wd.

 

Bilstien 5100's at all four corners and set the front ones at zero

Now thread

 

Could replace shocks with 5100's all the way around. They ride a lot smoother. You could just set the fronts enough to level it out with the rear with the TSB.

 

Yeah, I would say 5100s, or I believe some of the coilovers can be run at zero lift.

 

Does nothing for your springs though. If you run coilovers set to stock, custom Deaver or Alcan pack and shocks to match the coilivers you will far exceed the capabilities of stock springs and 5100.

 

Yep. 5100's

 

That'd be an expensive ass way to go about getting a better ride and dont the deaver and alcan packs raise the rear end 3 inches? He will have hella serious rake.

 

So I'm looking for with my stock coils? And if I set the adjustment at 0, then I wouldn't have to mess with anything else in the suspension system, correct?

 

That or order from DownSouthMotorsports they have discounts for TW members and free shipping too just FYI

 

^^this is what I want to do.
I am suspecting that this would require a new alignment also, right?

 

yes any time you mess with your suspension (lift lower etc) you need to do an alignment to be safe

 

No they are however high you make them... note the word "custom" in the description... as in made to order to the height you specify.

 

As I stated earlier... 5100 are not the answer. You said you wanted a a mote capable and durable suspension. No capabilities will be improved (towing ability, load control, srticulation, better handling, etc.) nor will durability be improved (less sagging over time, etc) so do you care about capability or just ride comfort?

 

Capability.

Maybe I'm not asking the right question.

So far when I've been off roading, the suspension seems to bounce around too much. I get too much vertical travel when driving over various obstacles. Thus far, I've mainly been riding some wooded trails and though the rock bed of rivers when they are low, so there's a lot of rough travel conditions and it feels like maybe the suspension is too soft?

I'm not interested, at this point, in getting bigger tires, which as I understand it is the reason to get a lift. So I'm not interested in the lift, but rather a more capable and more durable suspension (i.e. one that will take more abuse and not wear out as fast).

 

By vertical travel do you mean belly flopping onto your skid or bouncing up?

 

get the 5100's. i almost guarantee that if you keep up with tacomaworld, you will want to get bigger tires and a lift (just read my sig below the post). this way you can get good quality shocks and also have the ability of lifting the front if you ever decide it

 

Belly flopping onto the skid plate under the engine, yes. Like the shocks aren't taking the load as well as they should. And I'm not riding over terrain that I consider to be all that tough and not very fast, like 5 or 6mph usually. It migth be worth noting that I usually seems to feel like it's a problem in the front suspension, and not so much in the rear suspension...Maybe?

Thought it didn't happen here, this is the kind of terrain that I was driving on, which is a combination of river bed rock and loose rock in a river bed that is mostly dry (it fills with water during heavy rain and we don't get to ride on it, obviously).



This is looking down the river bed

 

Digressive gets firmer with increases in speed, it just starts higher (usually) and it is less steep than progressive at high shaft speeeds. Higher speeds still result in more resistance... just a lot less at higher shaft speeds than progressive. It is not actually less resistance than lower speeds though. It ramps up then levels out. In this case I dont think 5100s are the answer (at least not 100%). I think you need stiffer springs. All the weight on a Tacoma is up front. The front compresses WAY more easily than the rear. Even the progressive coils on the Off Road are not stiff enough and IMO a little lift to gain clearance, even with stock tires, is a good thing. Consider 884 coils. Lift is minimal and it will 100% solve you issues with added stiffness. It does not look funny with stock tires IMO. I run 885 coils and they are just longer for higher ride height. Still rode great with stock tires... good enough for my rear to be far exceeded by my front. New shocks wont change height either. Just realize that more damping ability means less on road ride comfort/softness. Choose your shocks wisely.

There are three things that absorb compression impacts... shock valving, spring stiffness, and distance. New shocks and springs solves all three.

 

883's or Eibach coils could also be used and would be a shorter lift. Both would give around 1.5" of lift up front and both are stiffer coils that stock (Eibachs being the stiffer of the two).