Adding 500lbs permanent weight

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the tips on this forum. I've done some research on here but as I'm somewhat OCD and what I want to do is probably going to cost me a few grand, I'd like to get some feedback to double check if this sounds about right.

Have a 2018 double cab OR, longbed. It's my daily drive, but will be using it for car camping a few times a year and once in a while, will involve some dirt roads, something similar to death valley or grand staircase escalante (no climbing over rocks, just loose gravel roads); have a snugtop rebel and getting the decked system installed so I'm expecting the rear to sag bc between the shell and decked it's about 500lbs. Will probably have 150-200lbs max of gear during the trips I take. I dont plan on getting bigger tires and I park in an apt building where I can only afford 3inches more max of height before I'd hit something (trying not to move bc the building is under rent control).

Local shop recommended Bilstein 5100 series shocks and sumos to keep her evened out and still have a decent ride. Seems like that's consistent for my type of use and with what I've read on here.

Does this sound good or would you recommend something different? Thanks a ton!

 

Get a full Dakar medium leaf pack. With that much weight you won’t have much lift but you will have way better springs than the factory stuff.

 

Shocks and Sumos aren’t going to address that. They’re just going make it less terrible.

Dakars won’t last long with 500 lbs, either. Everybody I know with that kind of weight is running custom leaf packs - and most of them from Deaver.

 

airbags will do the trick.

 

Probably the best option, seems like.

 

Thanks! So it sounds like if I want to get this done and have it last the longest, Deaver leaf packs are the way to go? Is any additional height somewhat of a guessing game with the leaf packs?

 

Cool, did you keep the stock shocks?

 

@Blackout14 sells a rear leaf pack that will more than suit your needs. Worked for me for sure. Couple of options. Maybe he will chime in.

 

When you go custom, you tell them what your setup is and what you want out of it.

It’s not cheap, but they’re made for your truck, not off the shelf.

 

So I weighed my tuck, and its at 5150 lbs . I am driving a 2017 TRD OR BCSB with all the fixings so I am sure its at the upper end (4500ish) dry. I started doing the.. "what the hell is in my truck" and it adds up quick. I have a diamond back taneau, two sets of chains, an excessive recovery kit, hi lift with the winching kit, and all my "I need this" crap. The truck seems to be riding fine, but its at level or close to it. I regularly load it up with gear and head out for a weekend plus of hunting or general shenanigans.

would a stock front end (for now) be ok if I ran the following in the back...
http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p456/Deaver_Leaf_Pack_-_J66.html
http://www.headstrongoffroad.com/st...",_2"-3"_and_3.5"-5"_(PAIR)_-_05__Tacoma.html

 

Dakar heavy packs have served me well with a pretty constant load of 4-500 lbs in the back. I tow heavily also and The Dakar springs have been great.

My truck tips the scales at 5860 lbs with me, normal load and a full tank of fuel. Just for prospective.


This pic is loaded to about 6800 lbs for our last trip to CO.

 

For 500 lbs? No way he definitely needs to get the dakar heavys. I have the mediums and even though I don't carry that much I still think they're too weak. Haha.

Two people sitting in the back causes them to deflect pretty bad, so I'll be adding the extra Leaf later except I do wish it was possible to get more strength without more lift because I've got as much as I want haha.

 

I just got installed the OME medium duty leaf pack from headstrong paired with fox stage 2 kit.

Be warned my medium duty pack gave me about 2.5 inches of lift in the rear! Its quoted at about 2 inches but I have now heard it takes some time to settle or break in. And eventually it will lose about 1/2 inch when broken in. (To get that 2 inch rear lift)

So food for thought, even with my front fox coil overs pre loaded to about 2.5 inches of thread showing (on driver side), it still has a good 1.5 to 1.7 inches of rake (larger in rear) than the front. This is about .7 inches more than the factory rake of 1 inch higher in the rear.

That deaver pack linked above quotes about 1.5 inches of lift with 0 lbs. Sounds like that may be more suited to your needs instead of an approximate 2 inch lift I'm eventually (hopefully) going to yield.

Just some of my experience and I'm a lift and 4x4 n00b.

Good luck

 

Thanks for all the tips guys! Contacted Deaver and they're recommending that I rebuild my existing springs for the additional weight based on my usage of the truck. Guessing I'll also stick with the existing shocks and see how bad it is with them. If any advice on that end of things too, let me know. Great advice on here.

 

I run about 5800 lbs with permanent weight and have the Dakar's with the extra

$81 D29XL Leaf Spring

D29XL leaf, but it sags without my air bags. I keep about 20 lbs in my Firestone air bags to keep it level.