Front quick strut defect?

Finally wisened up & looked over the parts right when they arrived

On one of them, when I straighten out the boot to be perpendicular with the shock, it is practically touching the coil, 1/8th inch or so. I called rancho & “Hank” said this was normal & I was “overthinking it”. Something I accused of from time to time. I try to set people straight in that I am a thinker. The world needs both. It’d be pretty dull if we were all the same.

Anyway, before I proceed, I wanna run it by those I trust more

The other one is still somewhat sililar, so maybe this is how they are supposed to be. I will admit I have been guilty of not inspecting parts or posting pics prior to install. Something I am learning to do.

 

Coilover; Tacoma doesn't use struts.

Completely normal to move around and ok to touch. A lot of shocks don't even have that boot.

 

Gotcha. I did finally look that up recently, but a reminder is always good. I do like to get it right. It’s just they are referred to as quick struts. Not sure why since these ones are for Tacomas however I do thank you.
Actually, my bad. Those were the last ones I had. These do not have that as a description.

 

Wrong ones anyway. Right boxes, wrong coilovers. Both of them....

 

Wrong ones anyway. Right boxes, wrong coilovers.

 

Bilstein 4600's have been suggested several times to you; why not just get those and be done with it?

 

Because, as I was trying to get at in my other thread, my measurements are coming in at a longer length than stock. 19.25. Plus you are supposed to add an inch. Compressed is longer as well.

& I'll admit, I am a little intimidated by the idea of putting coils on myself.

 

The Bilsteins are 18.4.
I do know I am pretty confused.
Some may say overthinking.
I do know others on here have had problems with aftermarket shocks & ride height.
I also know the quick struts I put on a year ago are in poor shape & they are stock height. My truck has been in traction a lot as well what with all the work I have been doing on it. In other words, no baja-ing
I followed the guides for measuring & came up longer than stock & the guidelines have you add an inch on top of that.
So since the Bilsteins are 18.4, by my calcs they would not be long enough.
I did a Rancho search on here & plenty of people seem happy with them. I was a little hesitant though because I am not looking for a lift per se. The guy at Rancho informed me the ones I got are for, or can be used with, stock trucks.
I would be willing to attempt coils with the 4600's if I was sure they'd fit ok.

 

Just.put.on.4600.and.quit.overthinking.

Everyone that has put them on has not had issues as mentioned before.

 

Funny how you pick up on things here & there, like how important it is to have the proper size shocks & coilovers. I didn't think I needed to concern myself much with this since I was stock. When I started on all this rehab, my original coilovers were shot, but so was the rest of the suspension. As I pieced the truck back together, I put stock length coilovers & shocks on (little over a year ago). Continued working on the truck & pretty much, no, very much, replaced everything. Something was still off. I was hitting the bumpstops too often, right coil & bushing looked all askewed (left bushing is as well). That's when I recall that thing here & there that I picked up on - proper sized shocks. I measure & now I'm learning the measurements aren't important in the way I took it to mean. Now I learn that an 18.4 will work just fine on a 19.25+. & a compressed 13.75 will work on a compressed 15.75? (can't recall off the top o' my noggin', but it was off a couple of inches). Good to know. This is why I turn to TW.
I have another set of the monros. Amazon gave them up for free in a dispute. I was going to put them on Craigslist, however since they are stock length, etc, I might as well use them & continue on the search for just what else could have caused the original set to get screwed up. Maybe I messed up the control arms? I checked for any looseness up front, did the tire wiggles, etc, & everything's good, so it's got'a be something that won't give it up that easy. Or maybe simply replacing with the new coilovers will set everything straight & I should be good for at least a few years, not just one with limited driving. Maybe they were duds. Anyway, plenty of members use the monros & are perfectly content....
So as always, thank you!

 

That, is extremely hard to read.

More punctuation, less run on sentences, and paragraphs breaking up the different points you're making.

No one is saying you're wrong about the travel you've become so focused on, but stock replacements are just that, stock replacements.

If you go back to what I posted earlier, you missed something very important; coils support weight.

If your coils are not rated for the weight of your truck, then your coils will compress even more under your trucks weight (while stationary even) bringing you closer to your bumpstops. Add a lower quality shock to the mix, and you've got a shock with performance that degrades quickly as it heats up and won't dampen as well as say, one of better quality. You did enough research to look up shock lengths, but no mention of the spring rate of those coils.

You have to remember, 6 lugs came in both 4x2 as well as 4x4. Not to mention a 4 cylinder model as well as a 6. Imagine a single cab 4x2 4 cylinder (Prerunner) vs a 4x4 6 cylinder Double Cab...the coils up front will differ between the two even if the shocks are the same.

Factory coils, and some Bilstein 4600's, and you will have a vehicle that rides at the height as it did from the factory, who's performance won't fade immediately even on some dirt trails.

 

Coming from a dealer tech that’s seen all the quick struts on tacomas.


Don’t , just get the 4600s. They’re the closest to OE you can get and are the only cheaper shock that rides as good as oem

 

Ok. So first let me get this out of the way. I left “home” at 14 & dropped out of high school the day I turned 16. Needless to state that survival was higher on my list of priorities than writing/English/etc. I can focus on breaking things down when someone brings up my crappy way of conveying my thoughts. Hopefully I have achieved this in this post.

Back to coil overs -

Coils were mentioned. & I did absorb the info, however the suggestions being given have not been regarding coils. They have been focused on shocks just as much as I have been. So.... any coil suggestions that won’t break the bank? Because while I do see that the 4600’s are not expensive, that is without coils. & yes, $ is a factor.

The 4600’s have been strongly & repeatedly suggested despite my confusion over the lengths. To help me understand, would someone explain to me why the 4600’s, with specs of 18.4 & 13.75 would be good to use on a truck with measurements of 20 & 15.75?

Because.... there is obviously something I am missing here. Since “stock replacements are stock replacements”, why would I be good running stock length if mine are measuring longer? Or does everyone measure in at longer than stock?

So rather than telling me I am overthinking it & to just do it”, which includes spending at least 200.00 per coil over, assembly & installation, would someone please explain away my confusion. Educate me, so I feel comfortable in my decision.

So two questions -
1. Which coils are suggested?
2. Why is it a good idea to put an 18.4 / 13.75 length shock on a truck measuring for a 20 / 15.75?

 

Factory coils suggested, stated above. Check this thread out - 1999 Tacoma Xtra Cab Build! | Tacoma World

Had a chance to talk to Dusty in length over the phone and we were discussing suspension primarily.

Buy the components, and take it to any shop to assemble the shock and coil for ya. You can find someone do it for as cheap as $20 give or take.

As for your second question, maybe someone will come up with the length provided from the factory. Because the 20/15.75 is simply what you measured on your aftermarket Monroe shocks right?

 

No. These were measurements I did using this site suggested on TW

https://help.summitracing.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4779/~/what-length-shocks-do-i-need?


The aftermarket Monroe's are as follows - (by the way, I called monroe & the rep said the ones for my truck have a spring rate of 460)

Body Length 13.375"
Compressed Length 13.625"
Extended Length 18.190"
Travel Length 4.565"

Bilstein 4600's are as follows - The Bilstein site does not provide travel info on these (that I can see)

Extended Length (IN): 18.41 Inch

Compressed Length (IN): 13.7 Inch

 

Oh shit, 460?

What's the length of that spring?

For stock weight, on a 4x4 I expect about 550lb give or take.

That coil is compressing even more than it should be due to the weight of your vehicle.

 

Yes. The Monroe is 18.19.

So here’s the thing, what happens when you install a coilover with an extended length of 18.19 into a space that is 19.25 with a suggested buffer of 1in, so 20.25?

& what happens when you install a coilover with a compressed length of 13.625 into a space that has a compressed length of 16.25 (I went to the previous thread & doublechecked the compressed length)?

& what happens if you take both these factors & add in the lower spring rate?

 

Left side. (It’s been either in the driveway or on the garage floor for the past few days, so it’s picked up all kinds of crud) The one that looked messed up up top while installed was the right, however the left now looks worse.

 

I do a lot of ripping around and hard driving on poorly maintained logging / Forest Service roads in Montana: 4600s and Moog coil overs work just fine. Not sure everyone loves the Moogs, but the 4600’s have been well established as working real darn good as stock replacements on our trucks.

I learned a long time ago that if you start measuring everything per some suggestion on (TW or elsewhere) and get fixated with this, that, or the other you’re gonna drive yourself nuts playing whack-a-mole.