Oem must stand for offensively egregious mechanisms

So I finally had a chance to install (gasp) my rough country loaded struts and UCA's which for a mere $450, have showed me that they're in every way superior to my oem set up. For the last 40k miles, if I hit a pebble on a brand new, freshly paved road, I thought I was driving an old stakebody Ford from 1953. The factory suspension (with a laughable warranty) couldn't even last 75k. Pretty appalling for bilstein tbh. When I removed the filth, I fought brand new hardware that should've been relatively easy to undo. Not so much. Sad that when I rebuilt my 84 hilux, I never so much as snapped a head off a bolt let alone needed the red wrench. But what really took me by surprise is how they looked when I laid them down. If anybody has had anything similar, please let me know bcuz I wouldn't so much as waste any time dealing with toyota anymore and their illustrious parts dept. I don't know if I just have sour luck, but a buddy's 2018 didn't look bent. Maybe my Lasix is getting bad but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't look like this.

 

well... its got a spacer lift on it... all the preload on that spring under the mount has caused it to bow out.

 

I thought the same thing, but Holy hell that seems excessively bad. I had upgraded the UCA's and joints too

 

thats a pretty large spacer so that springs VERY compressed compared to normal. that will also indeed cause a really horrible ride.

 

Is that…2 different spacers?

 

Negative. The bottom is the spacer the top piece is factory from toyota. I was astonished

 

you sure about that.... an oem aluminum strut top from toyota???

really does look like two different aluminum spacers in that pic

 

I dont think so

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/review-3rd-gen-suspension-on-2nd-gen.542843/#post-17559193

 

I don't think there were supposed to be two but my buddy's had the top one come stock

 

Those are two separate spacers. One is preload and the other sits on top of that aftermarket extended lug top hat. The strut isn’t bent just not centered in the coil. Makes my back hurt just looking at it.

 

Is that one the trd sport or OR?

 

What you had was absolutely NOT oem...
It is an OEM with a preload spacer AND top hat spacer installed. Don't blame the hardware, blame the idjit that installed it. Of course a half ass quality unmodified aftermarket component will perform better.

 

I should be making a phone call to someone else it appears... jokes on me for being the idiot who didn't catch it from day one.

 

Has shoddy aftermarket stacked spacer lifts and complains about the OEM's equipments ability to not handle the shoddy aftermarket stacked spacer lift.

Also..if your not sure what is OEM and what isnt, id find out before you start busting balls.

That spring isnt at fault. The aluminum spacers are.

 

I stand corrected. I was under the impression from the shop that installed it, that it was factory with the single spacer on bottom. I definitely feel like a moron

 

Not all on you.
Sometimes dealers add aftermarket spacer lift or level kits. So it may have come brand new from the dealer with non-oem parts installed.
Also, often enough, people in shops don't really know what they are talking about either.

 

Now that I'm going thru it myself, I'm cleaning up everything that ain't right. I built my last two trucks frame up. I'm rather embarrassed that I never thought to look. I had my fab fours bumper installed by the dealer so it makes me wonder if they installed the spacers too