Before You Buy Any Springs for your Tacoma: Shackle Interference Issue

NOTE: this info is subject to change or be outdated IF a manufacturer decides to correct their issue. I have contacted 2 mfr's about this issue and they ignored the issue. This is data to help consumers.

This collection of data is to educate and protect the Tacoma off road community against flawed leaf springs that do not function properly with the Tacoma shackle arrangement. This can damage shackles nearly to the point of failure, so it's a safety issue as well.

Archive Garage has the extensive knowledge about the many brands of Tacoma leaf springs, their inherent issues, and how they work with various hangers, because we have been supplying Tacoma hangers for 7 years now.

The BIG Interference Issue:
Virtually any leaf pack where the 2nd leaf (directly below the main leaf) extends inside the shackle cavity is NOT compatible with the Tacoma shackle arrangement. Currently, this includes most Australian leaf packs which are based off the typical Hilux design. These must be modified to avoid damage to Tacoma shackles, binding and jamming while articulating. It is NORMAL operation for the 2nd leaf to slide side-to-side like a blade and separate from the main leaf.

Just because you can bolt them in DOESN'T mean its going to work correctly, leaves are much stronger than your thin shackles and cut them up easily.
The interference is due to leaf packs not being designed for the application.

Dakar 112 and stock hangers/shackles, picture from an installer:




Here's Dakars just off the lift after install, so no damage yet, but the leaf is touching the shackle


2 Separate customers with Dob 112 and stock hangers/shackles




What Spring Designs DON'T Have Interference?:
Below is a picture of a stock Tacoma leaf pack with stock Tacoma shackle. Toyota's design should be a good guide to follow if you have to modify your leaf pack to function without interference. It seems logical that this is as long as the 2nd leaf should ever be.

Leaf spring Brands that do NOT have a clearance issue: Archive, Deaver, Icon RXT, All Pro and there may be more

Stock Toyota Spring:

 

Nice

 

Happened to me! It popped once and I thought I busted my rear diff it was so loud!! Then I found this out! When I swapped to my hammer hangers my shackles were pretty f'd up! Unfortunately when I did the swap I didn't swap the leaves and I may or may not have done some damage to the beefy hanger kit (Dakars totally gouged them a bit!) But great info for people that haven't had to learn from experience!! Damn Aussies! I've just recently put in a set of Icon RXT's.

 

This has been apparently corrected since at least early 2021 with Dobinson leaf packs.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/leaf-pack-recommendations.772537/page-3#post-27608923

 

Well shit!

 

Not here to fight, but that is not enough clearance, what is that 1/8"? Just because you can bolt it in, doesn't mean it works off road or even on road, the 2nd leaf moves around like a blade.

 

Hard to say. Mine are probably about ⅜" at ride height. I'll have to check them after I clear out all of the dirt and crap packed in them.

 

That distance get used up off road. Under full droop at articulation, the leaf pops outside the shackle, then can hit on the way back in as axle goes back to horizontal

 

Also not here to fight, but just removed Dakar HD + AAL that were on there for at least 3 years. I don't think i had any rubbing issues, and didnt trim the leafs before installing..

 

So the solution is to run hammer hangers?

 

No, the solution is to trim the springs just enough so they don't /can't hit