AAL or full leaf pack?

The photo without the RTT, Truck has the 30-40 lb Tacoma bed mat, 2 maxtrax, a bin of tools/emergency kit/shovel and axe. If I had no topper and an empty bed, I would probably get over 2 inches empty. Even with the RTT and lots of camping gear it sits pretty level and feels way better than when I had the RTT on the stock leafs. I think that top picture, truck has all the camping gear loaded up. RTT weighs around 165 lbs if I remember correctly. I was told the Shell is around 150-175 lbs.

 

Mother of God, the bed mat is 30+ pounds!? Had no idea.
What are you running in the front? I live in Hawaii where we spend our tax money on the homeless more than repaving some of the countries worst roads, so I know it's a truck but a nice ride would be nice. Lol

 

yep - all those little things add up and next thing you know your truck weighs as much as a full size. Front is Bilstein 6112 at 4/5 setting and rear is 5160 shocks.

 

I think the HD and Medium Dakars use the same pin. I was able to run an AAL and shim with the standard duty spring pack center pin.

 

Oh wow, okay so I should be fine on the heavy duty's center pin especially if a leaf is removed. Did you buy the shim as a precautionary measure or you found out you had vibes and ordered later?

 

get this shim

 

The shim I got came with the kit and I installed it with the leaf pack. I haven't had any vibes. The center pin is now flush with the nut, so its about maxed out but it tightened down fine.

 

Nice. This is exactly what I was looking at. Are Leaf spring center pins like rear axle u-bolts in the sense that it is recommended not to retorque them?

 

I have the bed mat, factory tonneau, some recovery gear, tools and my sliders. I'd guess a little less than 200 lbs over stock. The medium Dakar pack has settled to just 1" of rear lift with a full tank of gas.

The people reporting significant lift from the medium are either carrying no weight over stock or they are measuring too soon after installation. Mine sank about a half inch overnight the day I bolted them on and almost a full inch over the next several weeks.

I'm happy with my setup and don't have any driveline vibrations but with your front lift and load plans I think you need the HD pack.

 

Will 5125s that have 15 collapsed length and 24.38 be good for the Dakars after I take out a leaf? Eventually I'll grab some performance shocks all around but for now it seems like 5100 front and 5125 should work right?

 

OME Shock Specifications:
- Collapsed: 14.173"
- Extended: 23.583"
- Travel: 9.41"

These are the Nitro Charger shocks that were designed to run with the Dakar pack but they have a conservative extended length so they will limit the droop. No brake line or bump modifications needed.

The 5125 are a little longer so you may need brake lines and bumps, also they are a universal shock, not valved to the tacoma.

 

I've been looking at those too but thought it would be weird to have Bilstein up front and OME in the rear. Would that be okay?

 

IDK.. if you plan on replacing them with performance shocks I'd check whatevers cheapest, 5100 probably.

 

I've got rear 5100s right now. The 5125s are he same price as the 5100s but accommodate a higher rear lift. I didn't feel very comfortable putting the dakars on with my 5100s unless they will be okay

 

how long till you to get performance shocks?

 

Maybe another year just to see how I like my spring setup. Thinking about going the Bilstein 8112/8110 combo route in 2020

 

if you gonna buy something now just get the B110 with brake lines, u-bolt flip and bumps of your choice. You'll need those anyways.

 

Are those better than the 5125s? I understand the 5100s are valves for the Tacoma but would that be too much extension?

 

Run the leaf liners the entire length + a half inch extra on each end (to allow for the leaf to flex etc) keep the anti friction pads in, put a good dollop of grease all over the anti friction pads when assembling. My whole rear suspension is SO smooth and doesnt make a damn sound. FYI the two overload leafs, do not get a leaf liner as its not necessary.

I run 2* shims (but fat end forward to till the pinion down) as that worked the best for my truck. I would skip shims for now. If you get the heavy pack your center pin for the leafs will be plenty long especially if you pull out the 3rd leaf to make it a medium pack. Also, you can go with vibes for however long you want.... i still have a few vibes around 5-10mph but they arent bad an are MUCH better than any combo i have had before on the truck.

 

Best thing to do would be to get the leaf pack in with even the stock shocks, get driveline angles sorted to minimize vibes if they are present, get whatever bumpstop setup you wanna go with. then go flex the truck and measure the compressed shock length. This number is the absolute maximum compressed length you can go (i always error with at least 1/2in smaller in compressed length if not 3/4in)... once you have that measurement then buy shocks that fit at or under that compressed shock length. Last thing you want is a shock bottoming before full bumpstop compression.


EDIT- after doing some measureing the other day on my truck ill probably be running the proper specd 5125's with my medium packs and the stock bumpstops as the b110 5100s are likely too long of a compressed length.