Adding a Heavy Plate Bumper?

Okay, I am adding a heavy plate bumper (145 ish lbs) on the front of my 14 Sport DCLB.

All I want to do is preserve the ride and alignment near stock capability and feel.

What, if anything, should I change?

 

All your front suspension with stock shocks it will be really spongy.

 

What needs to be upgraded to compensate for the added weight?

 

Look guys, I'm fairly novice when it comes to the suspension on our trucks and I need your help.

Thanks to JLee I know that the front suspension is going to be a bit jacked up, but no one has offered the best means of counteracting the additional weight.

I will be using the truck for light off road, but nothing more interesting than light trails to get the bikes places to ride.

So, I'd like to properly support the weight, I might entertain a slight lift in the future but nothing more than a few inches and I'd like to do everything right, nothing half-assed.

Suggestions?

 

What is your budget?

 

Honestly I don't have a budget...

I made a choice to get this bumper and now I NEED to support it.

I'd rather not do a full up lift right now because that would require wheels and tires and lots of ancillary items.

If what I can buy sets me up for future suspension upgrades that great!

If possible I'd like to go mostly plug and play mods, no cutting or fabrication, just bolt on...

 

I'd just go for some Bilstein 5100's set @ 0 and OME 886 coils. Or OME Nitrochargers with the 886's.
Didn't read the not wanting to lift part. vvvvv Pugga's suggestion sounds better in that case.

 

Keeping everything at stock height is the clincher. This site is pretty well versed in getting 3" of lift with that kind of weight hanging off the front end but staying at stock height while beefing up the front isn't overly common and can become a bit of a guessing game unless you go with a fully adjustable coilover.

If you went with something like OME 884's, they provide 2" of lift on an unloaded Tacoma, throw 145lbs up front and you might settle down to 1" of lift or less. Same with Eibach coils, they lift 1.5" but are stiffer than 884's so they might sag less. It becomes a little bit of a guessing game.

Your other option is get to get a set of fully adjustable coilovers with a stiffer spring. This would provide you the best ride and the threaded collar would give you the the adjustability to set the ride height where you want it. Talk to someone like Downsouth Motorsports or SDHQ, they might be able to give you some more options or ideas.

 

Not for stock height... That combo, even with the bumper, will give him at least 2" of lift if not more.

 

You can get replacement coilovers like fox, icon, kings, etc.. and set them so they effectively have "0" lift with the weight of the bumper. You will need higher spring rate springs to support the extra weight along with shocks valved for this application as well

 

^what this guy said. I bet eibach coils with 5100s set at 0 would be a good choice.

 

I second the OME with 884's, once you are ready to lift it's as simple as changing the springs. You can also do the 5100's that were mentioned, but a softer spring I would think.

If you maintain stock ride height/rake, 3 months down the road will you be happy or will you be looking to then do a 2-3" lift? Consider your goals over the next year, a project like this that requires you to take apart the front suspension isn't worth repeating again a few months down the road.

I'd suggest either waiting to instal the bumper until you have some tires lined up, or doing the small 2-3" lift and leaving it on stock tires - it doesn't look bad, and there is a thread around here that shows exactly that. Save yourself the headache (or money) from having to pull apart the front suspension a couple months down the road.

The suspension won't cost any more either to tackle the small lift (when you consider what you need to maintain stock height) - just use caution as when you approach 3", some have trouble getting an alignment (which then brings on the need for new UCA's).

Greg

 

This is good stuff! I like the idea of the fully adjustable coil overs, especially if that supports any future upgrades. Well, I like them in theory anyway...

 

this. go 5100's and 884's and it'll be at stock height again

 

I did some checking, $1300ish for the adjustable King coil-overs is the way I'd like to go but that will have to wait...

The guys at Downsouth think I could get away without doing anything for awhile...I still think better safe than sorry.

 

What do you guys think of adjustable ToyTec coil-overs? There is a set local to me...

 

Does anyone have an opinion on the adjustable ToyTec coil-overs?

 

They are the same thing as 5100s/ eibachs, just with an adjustable collar.

 

I think 885's would do it. I think the 884's might be too soft with that bumper.

 

I have the adjustable coilovers from toytec with the 5100s on the front. It holds up my bumper and rides nice.