How difficult is it realistically to replace a suspension at home? Can I do this myself?

These trucks are real easy to work on.
I did this in 2 days, including new wheel bearings. Good luck with your truck.

 

I saw you mentioned 6112's for the front. IIRC they come assembled so that shouldn't be an issue. I'd recommend either buying an assembled front shock set up or having a shop with a real strut compressor do them. I did a 2" lift and retained the stock UCA's and the truck drives fine but depending on your planned usage your results may vary. As far as the rear springs I would stay away from the single leaf AAL type but the 3 leaf I put in from Headstrong Off Road rides very well and is a lot less $$$ than a full leaf but again, it depends on what you're going to use it for. I did mine over the course of 2 short days. One for the front and one for the rear.

 

Estimate your desired ride height before removing everything. Measure from a memorable spot on your fender to the middle of your hub. Then when you have the coilovers out but the upper control arms installed, connect the spindles and lowers and use a digital angle finder to measure your alignment.


Step 1: Use a couple lug nuts and some washers to secure the rotor to the hub.

Step 2: With a floor jack, put the arms at the desired ride with the same hub to fender measurement you made when the truck was on its own weight. You can do one side at a time with one floor jack.

Step 3: Then use the angle finder to measure a vertical measurment off of the frame with the angle finder's readout facing the front of the truck. Put the angle finder on the brake rotor in the same orientation facing the front of the truck and use the adjustment cams on the lower arm to push the spindle as far forward as possible while still maintaining a 0* camber angle.

This link explains how the adjustable cams affect caster and camber:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-do-an-alignment-at-home.252256/

This really helps avoid a novice alignment tech from taking away all the caster your shiny new uppers are supposed to be giving you.

Step 4: Then either follow the toe measurment technique from the link or do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6EllJTMrZs

Then you'll be able to bring it to an alignment shop and either just have them do the toe or slightly even up the caster / camber measurements on each side - not do a whole redo.

This may add an hour or so to your install, but for anyone doing this, it teaches you more about how your suspension works and less reliant on people that don't know what they're doing at a run of the mill alignment shop that doesn't often work with aftermarket offroad vehicle supsensions.

 

Want to say a huge thanks for all the motivation and advice I've recieved. I asked my brother in law if he would lend me floor jack and jack stands he says he's got my back. I'm going for it, expect more from me, but put a slow burn on it, I plan to have the whole job done by Christmas. Thanks especially for the instruction links and videos. I'll be deciding on brand now. I'm on the warpath to 33s. I'll get a cmc if I have to.

Edit: shocks surplus wants 200 to put on coils. Should I do that, get them put on locally, or buy a 200 dollar spring compressor..

 

Add your location, you might even get a couple of locals looking to help you out.

 

I'll say this. I have a hardware store that's a third of a mile away. I have an auto parts store that's a quarter mile walk in the opposite direction.

I have found myself walking to both when the truck was sitting on stands for one thing or another. But, knock on wood, thanks to my ability to do that, the truck was always ready in time for Monday rush hour.

 

Good info all around. Pre assembled coil overs are a must. Huge C clamps helped me in the back for my AAL install. Also with a uca you will need an alignment too. I did mine with hand tools by myself after work during the night. Front will bring a few head scratcher moments lol. Backs not bad though.

 

What brand are you looking at? I'm pretty sure that Bilstein 6112, Fox, and King are usually sold assembled with a new coil. Bilstein 5100's usually require a swap. $200 seems steep if they are just assembling. If they are swapping from your originals, still a bit steep but probably about right in this economy.

If this is something you think you will do several times and have space to store the tool, might be worth buying one.

 

Even if you don't change the UCA you will need an alignment.

 

Very true

 

the warpath to 33's can be an easy walk: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-skinny-on-skinny-tires.529656/

 

I'm getting 255/85 km3s. They'll fit a stock height actually. I need better angles in general. I wasn't able to find a line and had to back down a giant rock hill yesterday in fact

 

It took me 2 longs days (whole weekend) to install king coil-overs, rear shocks, UCAs, leaf packs, and a carrier bearing spacer. I had a little bit of help from a buddy.

If I had to do it again, I would cut the UCA bolt instead of reusing it. That was a PITA.

The rear shock reservoir bracket was also a PITA due to limited space to work in.

There’s nothing super technical in the whole job assuming you are familiar with dangerously heavy objects, jacks, jack stands, basic tools, and torque wrenches, but there are some finicky steps that require some patience.

 

You can do it! Here’s some advice from doing my own (and I haven’t read all the replies so apologies if I’m duplicating):
-Install the ECGS bushing as part of the process.
-Have every torque spec written down so you’re not hunting for it like I was.
-Do NOT assemble the coilovers yourself. Buy them assembled or let a shop do it. Dangerous and also difficult to seat the coils properly.
-Use new top hats for the coilovers.
-Grease all the bolts in the leaf spring assemblies prior to reinstallation.
-Make sure you consider what bump stops you’ll use in the back and include in your parts list.
-Consider stainless steel extended brake lines in the rear, and consider how you’ll route/secure them.
-Build a tool and parts list on paper. Be organized. Watch videos of all the installs multiple times. Have a list of links to the videos you need on your phone ready to go. Give yourself two full days just in case.
-Make sure you have Jack stands that are tall enough for a lifted setup. Don't rely on a floor jack to support the truck while doing work.
-Chock the tires while doing the work. Be safety minded and protect yourself.

Good luck!

 

Im pretty anal when it comes to working with my hands. Everything has to be perfect, and well thought out before I start. I probably spent over 40 hours measuring and calculating out all my angles and clearances before I started. It took a full afternoon to do the front diff bushing, 5 six-hour shifts to do leafs, ubolt flip kit, UCAs, disassemble and apply antisieze to cam bolts, shocks, and rough alignment. Another 40 hours or so to work out my rear bump stop height, axle shim angle, retighting ubolts, and other final tweaks. Everything did end up perfect eventually.

I also spent a three day weekend to install Hammer hangers.

 

I’m more of get it done in a Saturday kinda guy. Only thing I measured a bunch of times is when I cut my bed. Came out perfect.

I installed the C4 wheel well kit, body mount chop, hammered my pinch welds and firewall. Then went to the tire shop to get 35” installed Before they closed.

My bumps took me 2 different sets. Duros which I very much disliked. Wheelers u bolt flip and timbren bumps which have been great and is perfect up travel.

BAMF hammer hangers should be here soon. I’m hoping it will only take a Saturday but it looks like a rough install.

I guess I’m just not as meticulous as you but it seems to be working out ok

 

This. Generally, I never do anything more complicated than an oil change after a day of work, when I'm tired, when I need to be somewhere in X hours, or when a parts store isn't open -- and I still have a spare drain plug bolt just in case.

All lessons I learned the hard way. Tired, rushed, on a deadline... Only ended up taking way longer, which made me hurry, which broke things, which required a trip to the store, who didn't have what I needed at that hour, and now I am down a vehicle with no way to get to work. Then I'm up at 5 am, getting a ride to work from my wife, arranging trips to the dealer from a coworker, etc.

 

buy a shit box and not have to worry

I recently bought a 2008 4Runner sr5 4x4. Took me about a month but found one for $6k it just needed a little love. It’s actually not a shit box. Now I don’t have to worry if I break my truck.

 

Will encouragement here and good YouTubes will help, nothing beats and experienced hand sitting beside you. Even if they don't do much work, just real time coaching can be quite helpful.

Post in your regional forum and see if there are any tech days happening by you. Or if the lure of BBQ or Pizza with some cold drinks will draw some assistance for you.

 

OP, we need some feedback. How did it go? The suspense is killing me.