How blown out is blown out? Rear leafs

How bad are my leaf springs? I don't really notice bad ride quality, but i upgraded to this truck from an '84 pickup that also had shot suspension, so that might not be saying much. I've had a little over 500 pounds in the bed and didn't notice any issues with it bottoming out. Previous owner claimed "never used for towing" but had 3 giant boats in the yard ...am I good to ride like this for a while until i can upgrade? Or should I move this up on my priorities list? Also, any recommendations for replacements? Thanks

 

I think you're fine to run em like that for awhile. Plenty of room before bump stop contact. The only issue I've experienced with worn suspension on these trucks was in a friend's 01. He had a tendency to overload the truck and that combined with clapped out stock suspension led to some speed wobble at times at freeway speeds.

 

Air bags?

 

Cool, I think I'm going to budget for some bilstein 5100s and maybe see if I can pick up some better leafs from the junkyard. Got some more pressing things I'd like to do first

 

Are you asking if I have them? You might be looking at the spare tire, this truck isn't on bags

 

If you’re not hitting the bump stops in your daily uses, you still have some time. Worst case your bump stop plates on the frame cave in.

If you snag leaf springs from the junkyard you may be able to slip one into your existing pack to add some capacity.

 

They're frowning and damn close to needing replacing. Especially as old as they are since they look stock.

Just buy a new set and replace them, really simple.

 

Looks like what I recall mine looking like over 10 years ago, and I only upgraded to lift it.

Your shocks are most likely done though. When I took mine off they held their position and didn't extend on their own

 

That was how I got to looking at the springs in the first place, I was thinking about pulling a shock off and testing it out to see if it was wasted. Unfortunately, my power steering pulley just started making some noise, and the pump isn't doing so great either, so I'll turn my attention to that first

 

I changed my old springs a couple months ago and it was sorely needed. I posted some before / after pics here: What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

 

As long as it is on the list of work to be done.

It can go for awhile . Just keep a watch they don`t break they like poking holes in tires and fuel tanks.

 

Unless they’re cracked or rotted you don’t really need to replace them. I wanna replace mine just to get the rear higher than the front.

 

Constant load (and dampening as your shocks wear out from doing this) causes a leaf pack to lose it's arc and support weight as it should.

Could pay a shop to rearc them but a replacement pack is affordable; so yes either replace or refurb. Otherwise it does get worse and does warrant addressing them even if they're not rotted or cracked.

 

These first gens always seem to have a little frown in the leafs. They should be replaced but they aren't currently a safety hazard. That frown will cause accelerated wear though.

 

The newer ones have weak leafs too. Most American buyers prioritize a comfy ride over payload and longevity. They’ve finally ditched them for coils in the 4th gen.

 

I put 5100s on my truck with wilted stock leafs and was disappointed to find that they were too long- IIRC they're built for a lifted truck so just keep that in mind prior to buying and trying to fit them in if you're not going to lift the rear above factory height.

 

Were they bottoming out? The first aftermarket shocks I used on the rear were the Bilsteins (5125's) and they didn't require any sort of bump stop extension....in other words, they weren't too long to use with stock suspension even though they were sold for 2" of lift..

 

They were close to bottoming out but again I think the proper choice for rear suspension is the 5125s if your vehicle isn't lifted. The 5100s were much longer than my stock shocks when compared side by side.

 

5125's are basically the same as the 5100, difference being that they are universal, available in various lengths and valving. The 5100's are application specific. Back when I made the purchase, 5125's were the extended length shock sold for a 2" rear lift. 8" travel one side, around 8.5" the other. Mine were purchased from Toytec with one of their 2" AAL's.
As long as the shocks don't bottom before the bump stops do, they fit.

If there is some kind of fear of 5100's being too long, these ones certainly aren't too long.

 

How interesting. I had previously attributed the mismatch in length to the lack of lift, but maybe I was actually bottoming out in earnest. 5125s designed for a 2" lift sounds eerily similar to the 5100's intended design.