Help me choose a replacement suspension

01 TRD with flat springs and shot shocks. 235,xxx and original everything. I don't really want a lift, but I'm ok with around an 1" as long as it doesn't cause wear and tear on any components. I rarely do some mild off-roading, nothing too serious. I think I'll do a junkyard refurb of some Dakota or Chevy leaves. For everything else, these are the options as I see them:

1) Bilstein 5100's all 4 corners, just assume that my front springs are ok. -$350

2) Bilstein 5100's all 4 corners, OME 880's up front. -$530

3) OME shocks all 4, OME 880's up front. -$700

4) Bilstein 5100's all 4 corners, some cheaper spring I don't know about up front. -$350+X

Thoughts and suggestions? Price is a very major concern.

 

Bump here. Currently planning on #3. Must I do my rear leaves at the same time or can I do that later?

 

You can do rear leaves later. But if money's tight you may want to skip all that and go with Monroe/Gabriel for shocks and General Spring for suspenders. You'll have a suspension that should be better than new, for on-road. Let's hear what others have to say.

 

sub'd. I'm looking into a similar setup for my 2nd gen. Curious on what the ballpark labor costs are for installation as well.

 

Speaking of hearing what others have to say ... there have been a few "no lift wanted" threads here in the last year or so. Below are the ones I'm following.

Haven't decided what I'll do yet; I get either a big goofy bounce from the front end at very low speed (driveway curb) OR a "bam!" hard hit on potholes/road seams. But just driving down a smooth road the front end's perfectly firm with no float. The rear's another story. Leafs aren't flat but any highway washboard surface/road rut wants to send the ass end into the guard rail. Truly scary. "Other than that" it's great as-is.

My impression is that these mentioned in the links below are all decently better than whatever we have, so it's probably hard to go too wrong. That's not the same thing as saying "it doesn't matter / they're all the same."

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/suspension-upgrades-no-lift-wanted.361845/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/looking-for-advice-to-fix-ride-quality.375565/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-leaf-springs-installed.388520/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/in-need-of-new-leaf-springs.382298/#post-10529866

Be advised that each of those threads "favors" a different brand (and there are others not mentioned in any of them.)

 

Thanks deckeda. There's a lot of good information there. I'm still a bit drawn towards OME for the front, mostly because I hate the thought of putting a non-performance coilover up there when it's a TRD. I know it's ridiculous when it rarely sees mud, but it just feels wrong. That being said, the General HD's look like a solid option when the time comes.

 

Not trying to talk you out of anything, just to be clear. From reading this site, my understanding is that the TRD suspension (compared to otherwise) means more flexibility (softer springs) for flexing around all those boulders and mud bogs.

Multi-leaf designs like Dakar and Deaver should excel at that, being conceptually closer to the "TRD ideal" of allowing greater axle articulation? while giving a great highway ride at the expense of less payload/towing. Not sure how you'd be able to tell if anything from a Dodge or Chevy donor would match as well.

 

Hmm, things to ponder...