Roadactive Suspension (RAS) Offroading

Greetings Tacoma World. I recently installed the RAS (Roadactive Suspension) system on my '23 TRD Off Road to mitigate issues with sag when I load up for camping trips.

Some online searches mentioned potential issues with offroading, so I contacted RAS. They said there shouldn't be a problem with the system contacting the frame, and they recommended spacing the coils at 50% to reduce the chance of spring damage or frame contact.

Once installed, it was obvious however that the RAS bracket attached near the bumpstop u-bolts is about the same height as the bumpstop itself (slightly higher actually), meaning it would in fact contact the frame when the truck's rear end fully compresses the suspension.

Anyone with RAS installed on their truck have feedback/experience with regard to offroading? If enough users with RAS feel like they've run it thru the offroad ringer with nary an issue, I'll be a happy traveler.

I'm sure it will be fine for normal travel and basic offroads, but we all know how easily even a simple trail can offer up obstacles that would cause the suspension to fully compress, especially with a full load of gear in the bed.

I'm considering aftermarket bumpstops to add more buffer/padding between the frame and the RAS bracket to compensate, but at that point I'm kind of duplicating efforts to deal with rear end sag.

 

Welcome to TW.

I had never heard of this product until reading your post and looking it up, so I have no practical experience to speak of. It looks like any number of other “spring assist” type devices, from helper springs to air bags.

As you pointed out, these usually work fine on road, at least for a time, but don’t always work well for off-roading. The components aren’t usually as high of quality as OEM parts either, so you start getting corrosion or component failure after a while.

At the price point these springs are listed at, you’d be a long ways towards a high quality set of aftermarket leaf springs (Deaver, Alcan, etc) that would handle the load you’re looking to carry, do very well for off-road/trails, and last a lot longer than a band-aid type product. That would be my recommendation, for what it’s worth.

 

Indeed. This was a project on a budget no doubt.

I have yet to find major negative reviews on the RAS, and there also aren't many that address the offroading implications. Hopefully some users with RAS can provide their experience and feedback.

 

1)Google is your friend.

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2) From a quick glance, this product looks like it is attempting to fix a problem (poor stock rear suspension) with a $500 stick of lipstick, imho.
If the problem is the leafs (and shackle hangers), your best bet is to replace those items.
To work with those low-value components neglects the root cause of this (well known) issue.

As luck would have it, there are a plethora of high quality aftermarket options that far exceed OEM performance. Deavers leafs for example. Or go with air bags.

I would also suggest getting Archive Hammer Hangers to replace the stock shackle hangers for vastly improved strength and dramatically noticeable improvement to tracking and handling.
https://archivegarage.com/products/bundle-hammer-hangers®-2005-2023-toyota-tacoma-hd-shackle-hangers