Rear Suspension bottoming out

Anyone else having issues with the back end bottoming out frequently due to added weight? I only have a canopy and some dog crates in the back.
Looking for solutions...
Should I get helper springs? Sumo? Airbags? A full lift kit isn't out of the question, but I would like to know if there are cheaper alternatives

2017 DCSB OR, ARE V series canopy, stock everything else

 

Ome Dakar

 

This is a question better suited for the suspension forum: https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/suspension.18/

 

Sumo springs worked for me, easy to install too.

 

I've also been hitting my bumpstops quite a bit lately driving on the road. I always carry about 300 pounds of gear in the bed. I purchased a set of firestone ride rite airbags to help. They're still being shipped so i can't say how they perform

 

Superbumps are great for offroading and the occasional bottom out

 

Agreed, but just a bandaid.
The stock leaf packs have been shit since 2005. If carrying an extra 300lbs or so on the regular, its gunna cause permanent sagging which will exacerbate the issue.

1 always needs to keep in mind that payload means EVERYTHING added.
Driver, passenger, accesories, dogs, as well as the actual items being hauled that day.

 

I have the Firestones so I can adjust to the load and keep my headlights properly aimed. If you have onboard air I think you can actually get them set up to automatically correct for load changes.

 

I admit I am not a suspension expert, but simply having a cap and dog crates should not be enough to bottom out your OR suspension... doesn't sound right. I've hauled way more weight and gone fairly fast over crappy roads and no bottoming out. maybe you suspension is faulty.

 

FWIW my 17' dcsb OR also bottomed out with not that much in the back, just me inside, when trying to go fast on rough dirt roads. Looking at the rear susp.; nothing seemed wrong with it, the sumo springs pretty much solved it.

 

Single leaf Dakar from Headstrong off-road- call them for suggestions.

 

Yes, bumps in the road were harsh when up to speed.

 

Anyone have any new updated info to this problem? I have a 17 DCSB OR and with nothing in the truck but myself both on and offroad I am bottoming out in the rear. The only thing I have added is a 1" spacer block in the back.

 

Are u sure it's actually bottoming out and not just stiff rear suspension?

 

I have a 2018 with the same problem, it's not you. I installed the Firestone Ride Rites and it helped a bit. I found that if I put less than 30 lbs in it still bottoms out fairly low speeds and over that it starts to pogo the back end. I have the Daystar cradles so maybe taking those out and bolting it to the axle would solve that? It wasn't the silver bullet I was hoping for.

I contacted Headstrong for options and was told that I wasn't used to a "truck-like" ride, which was odd since I was asking about bottoming out (not a harsh ride) and the fact that I came from a 3/4 ton diesel. It almost seems to me that the shocks just don't have the ability to resist the fast movement. There is a lot of suspension compression available and no sagging, so I may try some of the stiffer valved Old Man Emu shocks, though I am a bit sick throwing untested solutions at the problem. If I get the shocks and they don't solve the problem I could bump up to the heavy Dakar springs. At that point, I can't imagine having any more problems.

From the reviews I've read, the TRD Pros seems to be able to be "rally'd" so maybe the Fox suspension would help? That's a lot of money for a maybe though. I'd prefer to keep my rig stock height and not bottom out, that would be my ideal situation.

 

TRD off roads have a softer suspension when compared to a TRD Sport.

I have an off road and experienced the same thing as you. I ended up getting the OME HD Dakar leaf pack and the HD coil overs up front. I think they were the 886 springs. I installed the lift when I had only 400lbs of extra weight and I felt like the truck drove like a truck. I have since installed a steel bumper and winch and the front is sagging, thinking about putting spacers in there to get my lift back. The rear has been just about right for me. The only problem is that the Dakars squeak after a few months, so I suggest putting some grease or whatever lubricant you can find between the leaf springs.

 

All Tacoma trims use the same rear leaf pack which is undersprung from factory to give a pleasant ride when unloaded. The stock uptravel in the rear is just a couple inches before you contact the rock-hard bump stop.

Solution: stiffer leaf pack to suit your load and aftermarket bump stops like the dual-durometer DuroBumps.

 

Thanks guys, sounds like the spring pack is indeed the problem. Hope this helps the OP too.

 

Get it done right. Take it to a spring shop and have another leaf or two added to each side. Oh but wait... that will lift it in the rear and you'll have to add a couple inches to the front.

 

Being unsatisfied with the airbags, I installed a full OME kit including the medium dakar leaf pack with the firm shocks. I wasn't able to get to the front right away so I drove with just the rear lifted. The difference is night and day. No more bottoming out and not too stiff. I can now drive down a gravel road in second gear. I left the airbags in and inflated to the minimum of 5 psi, they are now unnecessary. I just installed the front OME 887 coils and soft shocks in the front and it rides the way I'd excepted it to from the factory. I tried to avoid a lift, but in hindsight, it's a must-have. My advice to past-me is to skip trying to make the stock spring pack work and replace it.

So, thanks for your advice! I can now confidently confirm that the stock rear suspension on the Tacoma is useless and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. The Dakar leaf pack was the silver bullet.