1st Gen. Softer Rear Ride Shocks?

Following my all-four upgrade to OMEs and Dakar leafs, the front feels great, but the rear's a bit jolty. "Demelza" is an '01 Extended Cab, 4cyl, 6-bolt, SR5, with zero extras, and an empty back end. To soften the rear, i removed one leaf from the Dakars, but not really feeling the change, so i'm starting to suspect that the OME rear compression damping is just a bit too much for an empty truck.

Do you guys know if Bilsteins, VS, or others are lower in compression damping and/or adjustable? Are my OMEs adjustable??? Am i even on the right track with this thinking?

 

I wrote up a thread about rear bilsteins for 1st gens here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-tacoma-rear-shock-info-aftermarket.793217/

You can try the softer 170/60 valved bilstein 5125s. There are multiple options linked in that thread

If you want adjustable, you will need to get tunable shocks. Accutune offer a lot of info an options: https://accutuneoffroad.com/

 

It’s a truck ☹️

 

I have Dakars out back, and a custom shock mount along with Accutune Fox shocks that are custom valved. It's "softer" but it's still leaf springs. A very expensive choice I made to solve my hatred for washboard and generally rough roads. Best thing to do is air down more and deal w/ it.

EDIT: I think maybe you would have preferred the Deaver springs. A softer spring rate. The Dakar are meant to be loaded out a bit.

https://accutuneoffroad.com/product...MI3cHT377digMVoBFECB1pBBtXEAQYAyABEgLdKvD_BwE

 

JJ04TACO, THAT'S BADASS! Nice work, and thanks for sharing. No, Demelza's pretty much stock and happy that way. Just a slight lift bc OME, and budget shade-tree mods here and there.

 

nzbrock, this is just amazing, and i was certain that SOMEONE on here has been deep down this road, but seriously... that's a DEEP dive, man. Thank you for all that work!

I suspect the 170/60s might be my solution, but of course, i won't know how they compare to these mystery OMEs until installed and tested. The question i forgot to include in the post is, do shocks "break-in"? Do they soften after a period of time? The fact that all four were done at once and the front feels softer than the rear implied that the unloaded rear is just too stiff for me.

 

I never really noticed a break in with shock, mostly just springs. I suggest putting a couple hundred pounds in the bed and drive around for a few weeks. That will break them in if it’s needed.

 

Do those even compress more than an inch?

 

Bilstein 6112 front and 5160 rears were amazing for the price, but after one year, the driver-side 6612 started to develop a loud clunk during compressions or even hard turns. Bilstein said I would have to run the warranty claim through the shop that installed it and there was a chance I wouldn't be covered. My truck was stolen while I saved up for Kings so I never processed the warranty claim. Just something to keep in mind since they're not rebuildable, but I think my situation was rare and I really did love the shocks (FS roads and Anza Borrego medium-speed desert washes).

 

sierra_surfer_tac, that's a terrible story, and i hope insurance has you driving something fun again...?

It turns-out getting OME specs is a LOT of work, but i think i've finally got it solved. The best i can discern is that these OMEs have several stiffness options, and the ones i was sent were the stiffest, so no matter how soft my leaf set is, i'm only getting as much compression compliance as these shocks allow. I've blown a lot of time and money on this project, but i WILL get it how i want, and when i do, i'll comment here and post it. I'll also add data to nzbrock's post (above).

 

Bilstein has a lifetime warranty. The retailer just has to be willing to deal with it. I got my front 5100s replaced completely free after they developed a clunk from Downsouth Motorsports.

 

You can air down your back tires a bit depending on what size you're running. The backs of these trucks are light. I'm running a 256/75-16 on my 2nd gen and run my rear tire pressure at 29 psi. I can tell by the wear on the tires that the outer most lugs are barely touching.
What tires and air pressure are you running?

 

I've got 265/65-17s, and generally run them high for the long paved distances out here (New Mexico), but for the nicer half of the year i've got frequent trips connecting pavement with 9 miles of chunky dirt, so airing-down just for that, then airing back up becomes something i'll whine about. I will air-down when helpful, but first, i just want the front and rear to be synced in their response, and i know coils and leaves are different animals, but right now, the front's plush and the back's a kidney punch. I did find-out that the rear shocks i got are designated "firm" for heavy loads, so once i replace those i might be in better shape.

 

OP, you really have to add about 500lbs for the Dakars to feel decent and level out. Sand bags, concrete bags, or cinderblocks or bricks work wonders

The rear shocks imo are almost imperceptible in difference

 

treyus30, i might have to, but only after at least testing their softer shock. It's funny, i tried 3 or 4 different leaf configurations with no discernable difference, then one morning i woke-up suspecting the shocks, so i pulled them off and i could easily bounce the truck like a trampoline = PLENTY soft.
It sounds like you've been able to compare the different OMEs? Are they really no different from one another? How about the various Bilsteins?

 

I’d like to piggyback onto this thread with a related question. I have two different configurations I run my truck in. Most of the time it’s an empty bed or softtopper, however I have a Four Wheel Camper eagle that weighs in at about 850lbs that I install for trips.

My current setup is OME 822s + nitrochargers in the front, OME Dakar HD leaf pack in the rear (with the overload leaf) with the nitrochargers that came with the package. I also have Riderite airbags in the rear that are kept at 5psi with the empty bed and upped to 35psi with the camper onboard.

Neither configuration feels great, the empty bed is a real kidney smasher (too stiff) while the camper configuration feels underdamped (bouncy undulating highways cause the truck to buck up and down like a bronco).

I’m wondering if there’s a shock with adjustable rebound speed that would allow me to be comfy in both configurations.

 

Your truck sounds like a good candidate for adjustable shocks. They aren't cheap and typically need to get setup specifically for your needs (custom tuning).

 

hp415, do you know if your OME shocks (rear) are stamped "60065"? And i assume your trailer's 850 lbs is the tongue weight?

 

I haven't run OME on Tacos but I have on old Land Rovers...OME leafs are just stiff, they assume you are carrying a lot of gear it seems.

 

I think my rears are the 60062 models. The camper is a slide-in, not a trailer; the 850lbs is payload.