Need advice on suspension upgrade

Hi all I am getting ready to upgrade my suspension and wanted some advice on a good set up for my vehicle. What I have Is a 4 door off road with the six foot bed. I have added a cap sliders and the transfer skid. The reason I want to upgrade is I have added enough weight that my rear springs are pretty saggy and bottom out every once in a while going over bumps. And it just gets worse with any added gear. Lift isn't as important to me as gaining load capacity in the rear. Would like to have about the same as stock rake. I do more driving on rough dirt roads than 4x4ing and would like a more cushy ride if that makes sense. I was thinking of this kit. Control arms yes/no? 600 or 700 lb coils? Or would I be better off piecing a kit together? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

That’s a great set up IMO. ALWAYS been a Bilstein fan. UCA’s a must. As far as cushy ride. That’s in the eye of the beholder. Opinions will vary.
Good luck

 

I had the same setup and problem with saggy rear on 2017 OR and just did Icon AAL, nothing in front. Restored factory appearance/height as far as I can tell, slight rake.

See photo here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aal-install-looks-very-wrong.694510/page-3#post-24570299

 

+1 for @Wheeler's Off-Road Inc . Great guys, Courteous, knowledgeable, and friendly. I bought my lift from them. And reached out to them last week with some bumpstop questions. You could always reach out to them directly too.

 

I though about a aal but people on here keep suggesting full packs.

 

Full leaf pack for constant loads IMO.

 

I’d recommend adjustable suspension. It’s remarkable how much small adjustments can change the driving experience/ride quality.

 

Reach out to Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road and see what she can get for you. She was great to buy from and top notch customer service!
Ironman also makes a great and affordable lift kit. Check out this thread for info- https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ironman-4x4-foam-cell-pro.427407/

 

Firestone air bags with daystar cradles is a great setup too, allows for changing load capabilities especially with a trailer. I have that with dakar packs and its great.

 

I'd be careful about ordering anything from Wheeler's Off-Road Inc, they are thieves with horrible customer service, sent me the wrong parts and ended up having to deal with the manufacturer directly, as they are only a reseller. Write-up detailing my experience in my signature

 

I'm currently working to spec out a similar suspension setup for my '19 OR. 6112 front with 700# springs, 5160 rear with Deaver Stage II leaf packs and timbren bump stops is likely how I'm going to end up. Been doing a lot of research and 6112/5160 seems to be the best bang for your buck combo without going full Kings / Icon. The kit should be right around $2k.

Obviously it depends on setup so adjust spring rates / specs to your liking but I'm going with a minimal build to support a GFC all the time in the rear, and minimal add ons up front (hybrid bumper, skids, and SC will be the most I'll end up doing)

 

Sorry you had a bad experience. Never had a problem myself

 

I don't know how heavy your cap is, but I'm surprised/skeptical you are bottoming out over bumps on dirt roads. How do you know you are hitting the bump stops? Perhaps your shocks are toast?

Increased load capacity and cushy ride do not generally go hand in hand, because stiffer springs and shocks lead to a stiffer ride.

Generally speaking, the ride quality of a pickup will increase as you add load (up to a point). They come over sprung and over shocked from the factory so that they can carry a load. So I'm surprised that your ride quality deteriorates with increased load. Perhaps your shocks are toast?

If you want to increase the rear ride height while maintaining a cushy ride, I suggest a full leaf pack with a bigger arch like Dakar's, Deavers, etc. An AAL will make the leaf stiffer.

There is some decent info about coil spring rates in this article:

https://accutuneoffroad.com/articles/coilover-spring-rates-for-toyota-tacoma-4runner/

There is info about the stock suspension including the coil spring rate in this thread:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...2016-tacoma-presented-by-toytec-lifts.395798/

My n=1 personal experience is that after upgrading to medium dakar leaf packs and king shocks with 600 lb/in coil springs (stock is ~700 lb/in) my truck drove down the road slightly better when loaded and when unloaded. For example, it porpoised less when pulling a trailer. It is a subtle difference though and not worth the $$$. Where my suspension shines is off the road.

 

Great educating stuff with these guys, https://www.youtube.com/c/Filthymotorsports/videos
More great info, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...lift-ride-quality-and-how-they-relate.705194/
Better leaf springs here, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/help-deaver-vs-dakars.699299/ and read the Tacoma3G thread too