Prerunner/4x4 leafsprings - lemme get this straight

Ok, so check me if I'm wrong ...

If I look at the leaf springs on any new prerunner and I see 3 in each leaf spring, it is eventually going to be screwed up and bottom out with little or no load, correct?

Or, in other words, Toyota has issued a TSB to install 4 leaf springs and shocks, and that these prerunners/4x4's, TRD and non-TRD are supposed to have 4 leaf springs

Just what is the scope of this issue?

 

I'm reading posts about owner's trucks, built in January this year, whose rear ends are sagging after carrying a 450 lb. load ...

WTF is going on?

 

I've never had an issue.(knock on wood) Had the bed full of stuff while pulling a trailer full of stuff, moving my g/f over here. I hear a lot of folks have had issues. I think a percentage of folks get the TSB just because they can. (just a guess).
I really like the ride of mine and am hesitant to get it done because I hear it stiffens the ride up to some degree.

 

It's for the 2005+ trucks.

Do a search or even google it, you'll find tons of information about it.

If you have a 2005+ truck that's still under warrantee, they'll put the new leaf spring pak in for free. If you already have a TRD truck - you will not get new shocks. They'll allign the front-end because the truck rakes a bit. Lots of people are installing small lifts up front to level things out.

I've only had my truck since last march and I got the TSB done in December. I plan on hauling a lotta mulch this spring and I wasn't about to wait and see if the truck could handle it. I've been hauling 210lbs of sand in the bed since winter - and before I got the TSB done, the rear dropped 1" just with that 210lbs in it. That's pretty bad....

 

Can anyone confirm the upgraded leaf springs have 4 in the stack (my '88 pickup has 4)? , and that if a new Tacoma on the lot has 3, don't buy it?

 

the upgrade has 4. pretty much every truck on the lot will have 3. you can either buy it and get the TSB done later, or have them include the TSB with the truck at time of purchase

 

I notice Toyota does not list cargo bed capacity, only payload which is GVWR - Curb weight.

Sounds like Toyota has a case of 'well, we've got all these 3 leaf packs hanging around which we've gotta use up'.

I wonder which engineers bright idea was to look at the origianl pickup springs (4 leaf), the Gen 1 Tacoma (4 leaf), then say, yo boss, let's drop it down to 3.