Rear suspension- AAL vs new spring vs leave it alone

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum, and am trying to decide what to do about the rear suspension of my recently purchased 2001 Tacoma. It's a 4x4 double cab with 306k miles, which I intend to use for a mix of off-roading and driving around town.

It came with an ARB front bumper and winch, and a set of used- and at the time, not yet installed- Bilstein shocks. The front shocks were 5100s, and have what I believe to be OME coils on them, installed at the lowest preload setting. I installed the fronts on the truck, and, with the heavy front bumper weighing it down, it now sits approximately level with the sagging original rear springs (leafs are roughly horizontal at static- not much overall bend).

The rear Bilstein shocks, which are not installed yet, are these, which I believe require a 2" rear lift and bump stop extension if I decide to use them: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bsn-33-186542

Now I need to decide what, if anything, I will do about the rear suspension. have to do something because both rear bump stops are broken off.

I am thinking about lifting the back as a "while I'm in there" thing. I'm ok with the truck sitting level, but I am not opposed to having some rake, and if I can get the rear up two inches over stock, then I can use the nice, expensive Bilstein shocks that I already have laying around.

1. Can someone please tell me what the stock distance is from the rear wheel center to the top of the arch, so I can tell how far my suspension has sagged/what 2" of rear lift would look like?
2. Any thoughts, based on the info above, on whether I should get some different shocks, or lift my rear 2" above stock and run these Bilsteins? And if I do lift the rear, what would you guys think about putting these add-a-leafs on my stock rear springs (or would I be better served by replacing the springs and adding a leaf?) https://torchoffroad.com/products/1995-2022-toyota-tacoma-add-a-leafs

 

1. Not certain but pretty sure I've heard 22" from center of wheel hub to bottom of wheel well.

2. I'd just go for a new leaf pack that provides the added 2" of lift, or a basic stock height leaf pack with new extended shackles.

I recently installed an add-a-leaf on my 2nd Gen Tundra, and it was a royal pain in the *ss to install. That being said it was only $300 and the final outcome was great (provided exactly the amount of lift advertised, and truck sits level side to side, no lean). However, the existing leafs only had 75k miles on them and had some arch left. With how you describe your leafs, they need wholesale replacement.

 

Don't get extended shackles. The leafpack should bear the load. Extended shackles can allow the leafpack to flatten out more than designed. Look into Alcan or Deaver leafpacks for reputable good quality products. OME Dakars can work, and I've had a set on my 01 and my 15. I did a lot of prework and customization on my 15 to increase quality and capacity for my needs. I dont advise that if this is your first rodeo

 

Your first critical step before you do anything else at all is to inspect the lower ball joints up front. They arr prones to failure, which can be extremely dangerous. There was a recall, and you can use your VIN on the Toyota website to see if your truck was affected and or fixed. Several threads on this site adress the issue.

 

I bought the truck from a good friend who told me he replaced the front ball joints with OEM just a few thousand miles ago, but I appreciate the heads up.

 

My leafs were basically flat. I put a 1.5" aal in and got about 2.25" lift on the rear.

I put the 5100s on the middle setting (think they have 4 positions now but used to be 3). And used the oem springs.

2004 4x4 xtra cab

LR before 21-5/8 after 23-7/8 RR before 22-1/4 after 24-5/8
LF before 21 after 22-1/4 RF before 20-3/4 after 22-3/8

 

My 2004 leafs were probably original and frowning downward and rusty. My buddy said don’t add a leaf if they are like that and it’s better to just get new ones and I did. It feels better to just start new. I got the All Pro Expedition but have not installed yet. I recommend a rake with the back higher. I hate level Tacomas honestly. If you level it and add any weight to the back, you will start sagging right away.