Do tacomas ride rough?

I'm hoping its the tires.. Its not that it seemed bouncy of stiff per say.. It was just really jarring.. Like slamming into the rocks and vibrating the whole truck. and causing the steering wheel to even wiggle a lot. hard to explain I guess. I'm really hoping its a tire thing

 

I agree that they feel pretty weak offroad. You feel the bumps especially in the steering wheel. Lots of knocking and play compared to full size trucks. I even felt that the Nissan Frontier pro4x feels more solid on washboard and potholes.

Pick up a

$102 Viair 88p Portable Compressor Kit (12V, 120 Psi, Forup to 33" Tires)

Viair 88p on Amazon. They're dirt cheap and work really well for the price. Air down to 15-20 for any duration on rough roads and bump them back up a bit before hitting the pavement on the way home.

I did Old Man Emu Nitrocharger shocks (the new Nirto Sport models are stiffer), OME 884 coils up front for a little more than 2" of lift, and Dakar leaf pack in the rear. That thing felt really solid off road and the larger diameter shocks absorb those jarring jolts that you would otherwise feel in the steering wheel and through the frame. I regretted not doing it sooner. Spongy tires don't fix weak shocks but they're a little help in the meantime.

Also, I get that rough ride is subjective... but you're comparing it straight across to other trucks so it's fair to say that Yes... it's a rough ride in comparison to equally priced trucks.

 

I would guess tires. My summer tires and winter tires are the same, but the summer ones are worn way down and are way more rough on bumpy drives.

 

reduced tread depth doesn't make a tire ride rougher. stiffer construction (i.e.. 10 ply) and more importantly, air pressure make the difference in how jolting of a ride you get off road.

 

Its the combination of your tires and suspension. Go out and spend $60 or $65 on a Superflow MV50 or Masterflow MF1050 compressor (same thing) and lower your pressures by around 10 psi when you run those roads and then air back up at the pavement. Airing up and down just takes a few minutes and makes a world of difference. Plus, it's just a really good idea to carry a decent compressor and tire plug kit even if you never hit the rocky gravel and washboards again. Cheap insurance. And if you get better tires and want to tackle more technical terrain then having a compressor and plug kit is all but mandatory. If you really get into offroading then consider buying an expensive high quality Viair, ARB, or similar pump.

 

ive always carried a plug kit and a little cigarette lighter powered compressor. Saved me several times

 

I have a 2011 TRD Sport SBDC with a fiberglass roof high shell on it, all stock suspension and tires, my Sport came with the Bilsteins (yellow/blue). I run my tires at 29psi unless I am making a freeway trip somewhere. My truck pends most of it's time on forest service, logging and BLM roads and I do not drive slow due to my lead foot, 25-40 is my typical speed, no different at 25 as it is at 35. The ride in my truck is no worse than any other mid size IFS I have owned and way better than leaf spring trucks I have had.

Could be the weight of my shell but tire pressure is probably the majoy factor. I run mine at 35 on the freeways, but around town and gravel road always at 29, makes a big difference.

 

My truck definitely rides better with weight in the rear and going off-road with street pressure is a horrible idea.

It might be time to do some upgrading if you're not happy with the way your truck performs off-road. A couple thousand should make a difference.

 

That hasn't been my experience - the tread depth part. The rest, I whole-heartedly agree with.

 

Stop. Drop. Settle down open up shop.

 

Zip tie mod will help a lot with steering wheel shake

 

it all depends what you consider rough?

 

Are you on a shitty spacer/block lift? The faster you go the smoother it rides.

 

My Tacoma rides perfectly in my opinion, and I have a Sport with a stiffer suspension. I don't have issues with too much jarring.

 

I have noticed over the past three winters that with weight in the bed (this year, 250lbs of sand bags), and, even before snowfall, it drives better than it ever does without the weight.

 

I used to run a Jeep on a Caribbean island and, one day, took a drive to the other side of the island. The island wasn't/isn't known for its infrastructure. I went down a pothole-filled road at about 10mph. What a f'in drive it was. On the way back I told my buddy to hold on. I hit the gas, and it was more bearable than the drive out.