Needing new suspension on 2" lifted tacoma sport.

I'm not too sure how to post correctly on here just yet, and I'm a first time truck owner, and first time doing any major work on one, but I want to learn. I've researched for days on here but still have some questions that I'd like direct responses too. I bought a 2011 trd sport 4x4 the other day. First owner of the truck put a 2" lift all around with a lift block in the back and from what I can tell a the fronts just lifted with an aftermarket coil over. The rear existing shock absorbers are Rancho RS9000 xls and i cant identify the front from suspension from all the wear on them. Currently riding on 265/ 70R 17's. My first question is am I going to be okay keeping the 2" lift blocks on the rear and installing some 5100's? 2nd owner put a new leaf pack on but I have noticed there are only 3 leaf springs to it and I thought trd sports came with 4 leaf springs, should I be concerned about that? I don't plan on towing or hauling anytime soon but will upgrade the leaf springs if i buy a tow behind camper (Which I plan on doing) And my other main question is what suspension I should put under the front end. I'm open to dropping the front end lift to give the truck some rake but not sure if that is advised. I'd also like to change tire sizes to a skinnier tire (my fuel economy is lower then it should be, I barely got 15 on the highway) and I'm considering doing a 255/ 75 17.

 

I would replace the leafs and the blocks. Those are likely the original leafs. Or, whatever leafs the 2nd owner supposedly put on are OEM leafs from a pre-2012 tacoma. In any case, they are shot (which happens at lot). You can see them flat and even some negative to the arch in one of your pics.

Up until 2011 they only used 3 leafs. This resulted in the leafs sagging, so they issued a TSB to replace the leafs with 4 leaf versions. 2012 and forward have the 4 leaf TSB leaf packs. The 4 leaf packs weren't a huge improvement either. Mine lasted about 3 years before sagging on my 2013 lol.

OEM leafs are expensive af to buy new (for what they are). And used ones are often already sagged. So you're better off going aftermarket for replacement. If you stick with around the same lift numbers, you can put a set of Deaver Stage 1s or Dobinson 111's to get about 2" of lift without any blocks. Deaver will ride significantly better than Dobinsons, but they are also more expensive. Both will handle towing much better than the OEM leafs. If you find either too stiff when unloaded, just toss some bags of rock back there.

The front coilovers are Rancho as well, likely came as a kit with the rears. They claim 2.5" of lift in the front. 5100's will be a decent replacement. They would be comparable to those Ranchos in terms of ride quality, maybe a bit better. You'll need to purchase new coils to use with the 5100s in the front though. Might want to look into 6112s as they are a step up and include coils for not much added cost.

Tire width doesn't matter as much as the weight of the tire. I'd look for anything in an SL rated tire. You don't need LT tires (especially load range E) on a Tacoma. If the 255's you're looking at are E-rated, they won't improve your MPG at all. Also, 15 MPG is about what you can expect for these trucks with a lift and 32" tires.

 

Thanks for all the advice! So I'm gonna be doing a lot of highway driving in this rig but will still do a decent amount of wheeling in some mountain forest service roads kind of environment. If gas mileage was my number one priority and offroading a secondary one, what set up do you think would work best? I've considered going back to stock height but are my suspension options worse/limited if I do so? I eventually will be trying to buy a 3-4,000 tow behind trailer hopefully in the next year. I could honestly care less to have a lifted truck at this point so going back to stock makes more sense for me just not sure if that entails more work/ money.

 

Rear axle seals leaking?
see all that grime caked onto the brake backing plate?
cant tell if shock is leaking to from pic, dirt of grime / oil trailing down the rear shock?

 

I hope the rear axel isn't leaking, I had a prepurchase inspection done by the local toyota dealership and the only thing the mechanic said about the rear end is that my shock absorbers (especially passenger side) were shot and needing replaced. So it could be from the shock draining but I also live in PA where we love to over salt our roads and that winter grime builds up quick, it was a 3 hour drive home from buying the truck and I haven't washed it yet.

 

Not certain from 1 pic, but the last pic....
See all the grime, caked onto the brake backing plate at the rear wheel?
All over it.....
Its wearing out inboard past the leaf....
Thats usually a sign of rear axle seals leaking....
Run your finger through it & run it grime in-between your fingers...
If it's grimy, it aint just dirt.....
the dirt collects to the gear oil & hides the oil.....
Looks like a leak from my laptop!!!

You can also compare the side in question to the other side, if other side is dry & clean......

Just like everything else in life, theres good techs, then theres bad techs....

 

If gas millage is your #1 priority, sell the Tacoma and buy a Ridgeline lol. At best, bone stock, you'll get like 19 MPG average on the highway. So not really worth bothering trying to maximize that IMO. Unless you drive a ton every year it won't make a huge difference in fuel costs over the year.

 

I just went outside, both sides look almost identical when it comes to the grime coverage. I scratched away to the metal surface of the brake backing and rubbed the grime in between my fingers. It was slightly grimy but there wasn't an oil residue left like i would normally expect. Is there a chance that a fluid film undercoating would assist in the grime build up? Either way I'll get the area cleaned up and keep an eye on it. Thanks for the heads up. If the axel seal is bad I'm assuming that's a pretty serious job?

 

I work in national parks and ski resorts seasonally, and want to explore a lot more. Ive been set on a tacoma for a while now and just wanted a truck I know can get me anywhere and last 300,000 plus. I get I could have went with a more fuel efficient truck but I would like to get this truck closer to 18-19 mpg highway if possible. This spring I'm doing a cross country road trip to move back out west. I plan on using this truck for it, and there will be a lot more explorative road trips to follow.

 

I'm just saying that trying to maximize fuel economy is going to be diminishing returns. Like in a 10,000 mile year, the difference between 15 and 20 MPG is about $500. So just build for your use and forget the fuel millage. Smiles per gallon is important too lol. Plus finding stock height options for suspension really limits your options.

 

Thanks for the insight! I wasn’t too sure about stock options yet but I was assuming they’d be a lot more limited. I think I’m gonna end up keeping the lift height/ drop it slightly, but definitely change out my tires as they are very heavy duty for my needs.