How do you assess off-road damage on your Taco?

TL;DR: I put Bilstein $300 4600's on my Taco and thought that morphed it into a Baja 1000 custom-built competition crawler with King race shocks that are taller than a person. It did not.



so I accidentally hit a bump in a way that...I wouldn't hit in a car. I find it challenging to read the surface of a dirt road by eye; not sure if that's a skill you develop.
And now the rear leaf springs squeak, which I hear is a normal result of off-roading. Maybe I can solve that with some pressure wash cleaning and spraying lubricant or something. No big deal.

I am worried about the rest of the truck though.
Now I'm sure you'll all say, "Well it's not a car. It's a strong truck with beefy iron parts that's built for this. It's probably fine."

yet meanwhile, I've heard of bent control arms.
Seeing as off-roading is common, thought I'd ask:
At what point do you look for damage, and how? Versus just simply washing dirt off the paint.

For now I'll probably just wiggle things (like the wheels) to check for play. Maybe inspect suspension parts for bending, and pry joints with a prybar or pliers to see if they flex.
As well as front end alignment check, and visual inspection with a flashlight to look for any obvious issues.
and maybe keeping ears open with music off while driving, to notice any symptoms if they appear.
I heard motor mounts can break into the frame but only on earlier years.

On one side, yes, it is a rugged truck.
But on another side, it may still also use weak car technologies such as motor mounts.

I am not sure if any damage (such as a bent arm or upright) is something that occurs from slow crawling, or going fast. And if transmission matters. I think people with an automatic might do both, or crawl better. Whereas I don't know how well you can rock crawl with a stick and not burn the clutch.

 

If it drives, feels and sounds the same, and nothing is leaking out the bottom side its likely fine.

Unless you were in water too deep. Then you may be set for future problems, probably not immediate.

Everyone's leaf springs squeak. Even my 5 lug that's barely been off pavement.

Searches will find a variety of fixes. Some very good, some temporary at best.

 

How do you assess off-road damage on your Taco? - If you have to ask this question I'd be looking real close at everything . . . shiny spots, paint flaking due to a crease, u could string your front end to get an idea if its off.