Shocks and Struts recommendations.

I'm looking to buy new shocks and struts because my 01' Taco is needing new ones. After reading through a ton of threads i'm seeing that the Bilsteins 5100 are pretty popular. My Taco is my daily, but I do some off-roading in it on the weekends, not much but some.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for suspension that they can point me towards? If so thank you )

Currently have Monroe quick struts that I got from eBay, and the rear end is still stock from 20yrs ago.

 

5100’s are decent better than entry level. 6112’s are entry to premium. 22 YO truck. You may wish to get a professional inspection of the entire suspension (springs, bushings, ball joints).

 

Unless you plan on doing a lot of off roading or are specifically looking for a lift, just stick to 4600s (over the 5100s). They are going to be night and day difference better than any junk Monroe makes.

 

Overall, I wanted to lift the front end an 1'' or 2'' to level it, with the rear end, but I'll look at the 4600s and see how they compare price wise.

Thanks for the recommendation !

 

Your front end is likely low because of the Monroe quick struts (they are actually coilovers- Monroe can't even get the simple things right). There were a slew of folks who were unhappy with new Monroe's which lowered the front of the trucks.. they were trying to get 4 runner versions thinking they'd be better, and they just weren't. It's a crappy product.

That being said. With 4600s you'll likely need new springs as well. Places like Wheelers or Trailgear (same company) can pre assemble a coilover assembly for you with OME880 springs which should shake out to be level from stock or just a small lift.

The rear springs probably need to be replaced too. Most folks go with General Springs, but I think the Rock Auto (Husky) or Doorman springs are all the same part number, so likely the same manufacturer. Anytime you replace a spring (front or rear) you'll end up a little higher until the spring settles in after a few 1000 miles.

 

My truck has 150k miles on it, reading through this thread, I think I'll get the 4600s preassembled, as well as some new leaf springs. I'm not sure how to install new springs, but I can always look it up and try to save some money. But looking at some kits with preassembled springs its gonna be 600$ which overall is cheaper than the 5100s

Now to look for some decent leaf springs and not buy shitty parts from Monroe again, lol.

 

Just note that if you want to lift a bit, 4600s aren’t going to get ya there. Otherwise that’s a solid plan.

When were your lower ball joints last replaced?

 

I think ya gotta take into consideration that many folks who installed Monroe "quick struts" measured a 1" lower ride height. What the OP is calling lift, is really just getting back to stock height, which is in the 4600's wheel house.

 

oh interesting, that’s lame lol. Good point.

 

The leaf spring job isn't hard, but it is harder than replacing the shocks or coilovers.

In short:
Spray every bolt in the "break free" step with pb blaster for a week

Make match makes on the slip yoke - use a paint pen, don't get pb blaster on the paint pen

Lower and remove spare tire (optional, but gives you room to work under there)

Break lug nuts free, break forward spring hanger and shackle bolts free, break u bolts free, disconnect hard brake line (just loose where the hard lines route over the axle housing, don't disconnect the line)- same for abs/ or locker wiring if you have them. Depending on rust, this can range from a piece of cake to a complete nightmare (the forward bolts in particular can seize, and then need to be cut out with a sawzawl later when removing the pack)

Jack the truck up from under the rear axle (center of the housing under the diff)

Remove tires

Support the rear frame rails (with at least 3 ton jack stands) just forward of the front spring hangers. If you need extra height, place the jack stands on wood blocks (not cinder blocks)

Lower frame rails onto jack stands. leave jack under axle & lower slightly

Remove rear shocks

Working one side at a time now:

Disconnect the parking brake from the bell crank

Remove u bolts (U bolts are not reusable)

Lower axle until the leaf spring is free, but not so much that you allow the slip yoke to come out, or the axle to sit on the ground, or over-extend the brake line

Remove shackle bolt and forward bolt, lift and remove the old leaf spring outta the way

Installation of the new spring is the reverse of that. If you have an issue with the center pin not lining up with the perch, use a ratchet strap to pull the axle into place. I've found that the jack under the axle, and only doing one side at a time kinda solves that issue for the most part.

Plan on also replacing: U-Bolts (they are 2.5" x 14mm / 9/16), forward spring bolt, and maybe the shackles depending on their condition.

Some notes on retorquing things- The spring hanger, shackle, and u bolts all need to be torqued once back on the ground. I usually don't go to full torque on the u bolts until I am satisfied with the new leafs and that everything else is squared away. Find a copy of the FSM. It has all the diagrams and torque specs you'll need. Just search 2003 tacoma FSM. you'll find it as a PDF.

I've gotten things to a point where I can knock this out in two hours by myself, but I have all the tools and then some on hand, and it's not my first rodeo. You should plan on a whole weekend.

 

You will probably have seized front spring eye bolts so be prepared to bust out a reciprocating saw or something like that to accommodate. I have greaseable bolts that should be coming in the mail later this week and I'll attempt to install my Deaver leaf springs this month.

While you are underneath the truck grab a drill + wire wheel and clean up any rust problem spots underneath the bed, and give them a good coating of paint to stop future rust problems (I'm assuming you have a good 20 year old frame).

Cheers.

 

While I have no doubt that in certain cases, it's best to get the sawzawl out and send it, I even had issues on my CA rust free truck. BUT they weren't seized, they just need an actual air impact gun and enough air pressure to drive the gun. I think it's fair to say that it comes down to what tools you have access to. I have a good compressor with a big tank, and a good impact driver. The battery impacts are fantastic, and they've replaced a majority of the times I would use the nematic impact, but sometimes you just can't replace the big gear.