Suspension Noob

Hey all, new comer to the Tacoma life and loving it! I was lucky enough to pick up a 2021 AG TRD OR 4x4 in April from a guy that built it mostly up the way I would have probably done it, minus some skids and a RTT. I ended up adding RCI full skids and an RTT.

After using it for ~4-6 camping trips this year so far, I've noticed a few things with the suspension that I might want to upgrade (not not, depending on folks with more experience say!).

When going through some rocky off road trails with gear loaded, I find myself hitting my bump stop if I'm going not crawling speeds, and even then have hit my bump stop. I actually will end up hitting my bump stop if I go over speed bumps at more than 5-8 MPH. I also perceive a slight sag currently.

Is this something that I should take care off with some upgraded leaf springs, maybe upgraded bump stops? Or am I just being a worry wart and should just ride this guy out until it breaks?

Gear while camping probably weights an additional 150-200lbs, not including what's already bolted on the truck and an additional passenger and a GSD.

 

That added weight has the truck sitting lower than stock. To alleviate that constant bottom out, you should probably start looking into heavier rate springs/suspension. It can snowball pretty quickly so it will take some time to be thorough with research. Usually replacing one thing (like leaf spring) will affect other things like shocks. There are also going to be several different bandaid fixes that are very affordable. I would suggest thinking about a realistic budget if you plan to have the truck for a long time, keep using it off-road and plan to keep upgrading it over the years. TW is a great resource and plenty of threads started with similar questions

 

Thanks for the great advice! I do plan on keeping this car a very long time, so it seems like a whole suspension upgrade might be worth it in the long run.

 

How do you know you are hitting the bump stops? Have you had someone watch? Have you noticed any physical evidence on the bump stop or axle? Or are you basing this off how it feels and sounds inside the truck? Honest question.

 

Great question…honestly just assumed it was the bump based on feel and sound that it (what I perceive as) shouldn’t be making

 

I hear of similar experiences on the forum often and I aways ask the same question. I suggest you test your assumption, before spending money on a solution.

My personal experience is countless hours riding dirt bike, 1/10 that driving trucks hard, and 1/100 that driving UTVs. In that experience, I’m confident I hit the bump stops at least once, but I cannot claim one for sure. I would need to see some physical evidence that it occurred to believe it.

There could be other reasons you perceive your ride quality to be harsh. I will not rule out bottoming out on the bump stops though.