Rear Leaf Springs are flat. Need suggestions.

Hi there.


I've got a 1999 Tacoma Extended cab 4WD manual whose leaf springs are flat, possibly negative arch. The truck has ~290k km (180k miles) on it. I'm fairly competent around vehicles, but I've never really known too much about suspensions.

The right rear shock absorber blew about 1 or 2 months ago. Most likely the condition of the leaf springs contributed to this. I replaced both sides with Monroe replacements, super easy and relatively cheap.

Now, I have the funds to replace the leaf springs, and I was wondering if I should just go with whatever the cheapest ones NAPA has, or if it's a good idea to spend more for a set of tougher ones.

I live pretty far north in Canada, so shipping is a huge % of NAPA sourced parts, so they're usually cheaper online, even after shipping. I was quoted somewhere in the range of $300-400 per side to get them locally (the cheapest ones they can get).

The truck is used as a daily driver around town, but also use it for a bit of driving down mining roads and other very un-maintained bush roads, getting firewood in the fall, etc., but nothing truly "off-road". I'd like to maintain a similar level of ground clearance if at all possible.

Feel free to comment on anything else you notice, suggestions welcome!

Here's the obligatory imgur-hosted photo gallery:
http://imgur.com/a/IN1sL

Thanks!

 

Go with the Wheelers 5 pack. rides great, little bit of lift. Might as well get new front coils too. If you don't, your ass end will be super high cause the front is sagging bad too im sure. So if you bring the rear up a tad higher then what a new stock pack would be(probably 2-3' higher then what you are now, but only 1'' higher then a new stock pack) the front will be super low.

Id go with OME 881 coils to match the 5 packs.

or

OME 880s and the Wheelers 4 pack

Nitrocharger shocks all around.

ride like a dream..especially compared to what your riding on now. And it'll handle nice offroad for the most part, nothing crazy though.

 

Great advice, though I went with Bilstein 5100 shocks. Very happy with both the ride and the look.

 

I had the same problem with my '98. I replaced my suspension in two steps (as my budget couldn't swing it all at once). I called Dan at Wheeler's Offroad. I decided to replace my ENTIRE suspension as the suspension is a SYSTEM that is designed to work together. I went with OME (Old Man Emu) front springs (881), Nitrocharger Sports and just this summer, I installed a new Dakar leaf pack.

I couldn't be happier. The whole thing cost me about $1000 (US).

Best advice I can give you is lurk some more here at Tacoma World, school yourself for a couple of weeks, and then give YotaDan a call at Wheeler's. He's taken care of a LOT of us for years.

 

Stay away from the SINGLE add-a-leaf. Rough ride, hard on the other springs.

But, I would consider the 3-leaf progressive AAL. All of the new leaves are of the SAME THICKNESS as stock, and progressively shorter. Thats what I did, and the ride is like stock, and is as easy to install as the single AAL l (no need to remove the spring pack). It basically converts your 3-leaf pack into a 6-leaf pack. You can also, optionally, not re-use the stock overload.

 

grab an all pro standard pack, bilstein setup of your choice, ext SS line, & new rear shackles & call it a day. best decision considering you & I have the same MY.
whatever you do, make sure you WD40 the hell out of the rear overnight...its a bad scene if you don't man.