Rough ride

I’m currently having an issue with my tacoma riding very rough. I recently had the balljoints give on me so I replaced all of those/ tie rod ends and got an alignment but I didn’t even think to throw shocks in there. I’m not sure really what’s causing it to ride so rough but feels like most of the impact is coming from the rear of the truck. Every tiny bump I feel it in the back, every dip I feel it, it’s very aggravating but I’ve got used to it. I know the body mounts are shot, the old shocks look as if they’re shot but I’m not sure how to test and the tires are A/T 31s. Any advice on making the ride more like a pillow??

Also, what kind of shocks are the best riding for 1st gen Tacomas?

 

The "best riding" shocks? That's subjective, and based on a lot of factors, mostly the type of driving you do, your budget, modifications you've done, etc...

If you're into some off-roading, look into Bilstein 5100s or 4600s if you're on a budget. If you own oil reserves in the UAE, Fox and King, or several of the other high end shocks will suit you well since they can be custom valved to your liking (for additional cost).

For cheap shocks, I hear the Monroes are good for a "good ride" but they're going to suck off-road.

Keep in mind everything will be a compromise. If you set up your suspension to ride smooth and soft, you will take away, with few exceptions, any advantage of being a pickup truck.

 

Bilstein or emu ain't soft. I've had both. Look up that thread with the softer valved (140/70 or something like that) Bilsteins. Or try 32 psi

 

Maybe I'm just used to the stiffer springs on my Kings, but when I was getting them rebuilt last week I slapped my 5100s/881s back on and they felt smooth as butter on the street. Kind of ironic considering all the talk about Kings and their ride (they are world's better offroad than the 5100s though and that's what counts to me).

I don't know what load rating your tires are but E rated tires on these trucks is guaranteed to give you a harsher ride.