Added a Cap - Now Add-A-Leaf?

Hi - New to TW and gotta say that I love the enthusiasm here. Great community!

I have a 2022 Taco SR and added a 165 lb (4ARE high-roof) cap to the bed. Was surprised to see that now my rear leaf springs are now flat. When I add any cargo, the rear sags down.

I was considering adding a Torch 1.5”-2” Add-A-Leaf to the existing leaf spring pack. I called Totch and they indicated that the additional spring will add 300-500 lbs of capacity. Seems easy enough to install. At $70 on Amazon, the price is right.

Any thoughts from the experts about adding this Torch Add-A-Leaf lift kit? Good or bad idea?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts or recommendations!

Dennis

 

Welcome to TW!

 

A 165 lb cap should make negligible difference. That's less weight than having an average size male passenger sitting in the passenger seat. My cap is closer to 180 lbs and there is no noticeable difference.

What is your payload? There is a sticker on the driver's door jamb with a statement that reads (The combined weight of passengers and cargo should not exceed XXXX lbs). The number varies considerably from truck to truck. Some are as low as 900 lbs, some are closer to 1500 lbs with 1100-1300 being the normal range. Tacoma has the lowest real world payload numbers of all the trucks out there. They just aren't designed to haul much weight.

Adding springs or modifying the suspension can improve the ride when loaded near the max payload. But it doesn't increase your payload, and you might have one with a very low payload. A 165 lb cap shouldn't be anywhere near max payload. But... it's possible to max out a Tacoma's payload with just a driver and 3 passengers if they are large people with nothing at all in the bed.

 

Thanks for the tip. Checked it out and I have a massive 990 lb payload. I did a separate search and the cap weight again comes up at 165.

I suppose the payload rating doesn’t imply that the springs will keep the truck level at that payload. I’m just surprised to see that my spring is essentially flat with the addition of the cap and an empty bed.

I’m planning a road trip in a month and will be loading up the bed with a max of 300 lbs. Last month this load (with the cap) pointed my headlights slightly skyward.

I suspect that the drawback to the Add-A-Leaf is that the rear suspension will stiffen up a fair amount. Not sure if that would be enough to make for an uncomfortable ride, but I think I’m willing to give it a try - as long as it’s not a red flag / dumb idea.

Anyone install an additional leaf and have feedback on the empty ride quality - or other issues?