Good leaf springs?

Hi everyone,
I was wanting to know the best leaf springs nothing crazy expensive. I tow a lot up to 4,000lb especially since I own a landscaping business. (Yes I know it’s a lot but it does what I need the truck to do).
I Even some off road with a buddy. Pretty much everything and it’s my daily.
I have bilstein 5100 in the front with 2.5” or 3” I’m not too sure, I didn’t measure before and after.

Recently I have noticed my truck sagging and the leafs are getting a little weaker. I do have 1” rear blocks to level the truck.


So maybe ideally 2” lift leafs with a certain load range yall would recommend? I’m thinking heavy but I would think the truck would ride too rough without towing. I don’t want bags due to the articulation for the rear factor.

I’m looking for something nothing too aggressive but good enough. Especially I do like how stock feels without towing. My rear shocks can handle up to 2” lift I’m pretty sure (Bilstein 5100).

Thanks.

 

To add one more thing. 2nd gen Tacomas with towing packages can tow up to 6500.

 

Airbags with Daystar cradles. You don’t lose your articulation.

 

I went with Bilstein 6112 on front and ICON RTX on back. The RTX has a default, add the extra spring (handle more weight in back/medium), and reverse the extra spring (handle alot of weight in back).

My standard leafs were sagging so went that route with 1" bigger tires. I use the default setting on RTX about 1.75" lift. The 6112s you set the left side 1 notch higher for the taco lean. I think I am a little over 2" lift in front. I think the ride on and off road is superior to stock 4x4 off road for my 2014

The default RTX still handles a decent load. I put 1/2 pallet of grass squares in it and didn't bottom out. If I regularly hauled stuff I would do the medium setup.

 

You lose uptravel though.

The airbags replace the bump stops – both the bump stops and the air bags (when/if they fully compress) are a little over 3”. Then you add the cradles, which are another 5/8”.

 

Dude, you can’t run different size tires on front and back of a 4x4.

I mean, you can, if you want to trash your drivetrain and tires.

Edit: To add, I’m totally dumbfounded someone would do this. For every rotation of your front tires in 4x4, you are scrubbing, DRAGGING, your rear tires forward three inches. In 4x4, the transfer case turns the front and rear driveshafts — thus, the front and rear tires — exactly the same number of turns. But the rolling distance per revolution of your front tires is more than three inches longer than the rolling distance of your rear tires (an additional inch of diameter x 3.14), so the front of the truck has to DRAG your rear tires along.

I hope you just made a typo, and didn’t actually do that. If you did, go out to your truck and pull the 4x4 knob off the dash, so you do not put your truck in 4WD again until you buy a set of 4 tires that are the same size.

 

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, look at 3-leaf progressive add-a-leafs, or the “heavy duty” leaf packs from General Spring. The 3-leaf AAL’s will give you about 1.5” lift, and the General Spring packs will probably give you 2”.

 

Deavers, in your choice of load rating. Buy once, cry once.

 

But you loose up travel.

 

Wouldn't a heavier leaf also lose up travel when not fully loaded?

I think the cradle with air bag would lose less travel in comparison

 

A heavier spring has more curve to it, giving it more room to flex upward. But a cradle sits above the spring, diminishing the distance the spring can flex upward.

If you can’t hit your bump stops in articulation, you’ve gone way too heavy with your springs for off road purposes.

 

Icon RXT on level 2 or 3 with Sumo springs bump stops

 

I feel as if my leafs are stressed out from me towing a lot. As I had mentioned my truck is sagging on its own. But I could try that.

 

That’s why I was considering medium load over heavy.

 

I bought these 2 years ago and tow a 3500 lb camper. a little stiff with out the camper
2005 - 2025 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 / Prerunner Heavy Duty rear leaf spring, 4(3/1) leaves
SKU: 90-297HD
$174.99
25 reviews
7 answered questions
Heavy Duty Replacement
Lifts 1-1/2" Over Stock Height
Bushings Included
Sold Per Side - Order Quantity 2 for a pair

General Spring

 

Came to say the same thing. You are already on 1" blocks, that means that you're sagging even with a slight lift. That's the sign that the leafs are on the way out, you can add-a-leaf but it's a temporary solution and you will have to do all the work again when you realize that they are sagging too. All these band-aid devices like the RAS springs and add-a-leaf are just cheap alternatives for people who rarely load up their vehicles, yours is loaded up everyday.

 

Did the same thing, General springs, I'm very happy with them. My recall springs were shot. I've often carry a 275~300# moto on a hitch rack and the truck's headlights no longer point at the sky when it's loaded, I also pull a 1000~1200lb trailer with zero issues and of course the typical around town unloaded driving. It's a little stiffer then the stock leaves but still has a pretty smooth ride. They complemented a set of OME 884 springs on the front nicely for a 1.5~2" lift all around. Other springs can approach $1000 for a pair shipped which is kind of pricy for an 18YO truck that doesn't do any serious four wheeling. I was all on on these for about $500.

This is after the springs install, moto loaded, 5 gal of gas, 5 gal of water, tent and and all the camping stuff for 4 days loaded in the bed.





This was the stock 3 leaf recall springs (that are shot). Sumos made it usable when loaded but weak of rear springs suck when you load the truck up.


4 leaf General Brand HD springs

 

I’m waiting —hoping— he comes back here to say that word salad does not mean what it looks like it means.