Heavy Shaking while off road

Hey dudes,

So i took my rig off road to work today for the first time. I drive to timber sites deep in the woods on roads that usually very bumpy. My old tuck was an automatic 2002 ranger, and i dont recall it seeming to shake as much as the tacoma does while i am off road.

The Tacoma, a 2002, shakes a bunch, prob bc of the tread on the road left by the logging trucks, but it just seems like its kinda outta hand, also seems like the stick shift shakes too, sometimes strongly, while im off road and going over bumps, potholes ect.

is this normal, my ride was owned by folks who didnt go off road ever, and the under carriage looks flawless, fwiw

Is all this normal? Is there anything I can do to make driving to work, everyday back and forth for miles, on these roads more comfortable, while not compromising ride quality?

i was thinking EMU setups bc i read they make there kits for guys who have to deal with off road stuff daily.

thanks for your input

 

I see in your truck has the TRD package. In addition to the e-locker, it also comes with stiffer springs.

I suppose what's really going on here is that your Ford Ranger was much less of a truck and more like a car :/

Things that could improve your ride quality on those bumpy backroads:
Going slower
Ask them to pave it
Avoid the bumps
Get new tires with more sidewall
Swap out your springs for softer ones
Get new shocks
Putting some weight in the bed might help


Ever heard the phrase "rides like a truck"? Well...you bought a 4x4 off-road machine. Enjoy.

 

Your suspension is probably all stock? How many miles? Might be time for a upgrade new shocks front springs and rear leafs.

Old man emu is a good setup,

 

This could be a bad motor mount (there are 2 under the motor, and one under the tranny). Have these checked out.

 

How many miles are on your shocks?

 

What PSI are you running in the tires?

 

Hey guys,

So yeah I realize its an off road machine, but i have been in yota before and they seemed a bit more soft over the bump. Maybe not

my rig has 130k miles

im going to check the tire pressure but they are not too full i know that..

thanks for the input guys and ill report back with somemore info.

Its not that i didnt expect the truck to work like a truck, thats why i got it and thats why i work with it, I just didnt expect the shifter to shake so much, Im gonna have the motor mounts checked out, as i have a subaru 5spd that on the same roads is as bumpy, but doesnt shake the stick

 

Shifter movement could be a motor/trans mount issue, or it could just be a semi-worn shifter ball. My 94 Hardbody has as much lateral shifter movement in gear as most new cars have in neutral. Only 150k on it. The shifter ball has worn out of clearance slightly over 20 years. Same with my Honda. But that has a linkage. Only difference is the shifter bushings can wear and cause play and slop in the shifter.

I definitely recommend inspecting yours mounts, but I would think you would have noticed a shot motor mount earlier. If you have a broken mount, and you floor it, your whole motor will rotate, especially on the v6s. I've seen cases were v6s put dents in the hood. And your shifter will also move significantly while accelerating.