How much weight in bed before it is a problem w/ 3-leaf springs?

In LA ?

 

what's "TSB"?

 

It varies based on a lot of things not the least being how tender your butt is.

If you're really interested in how your truck handles a load and how you feel driving it: load up with bags of sand. Cheap and most places let you return them.

 

Loaded my '08 DC with my wifes bike ( 650lbs ) plus luggage ( maybe 100lbs ) -- no problems on the rear springs from Tennessee to Ohio.......plus myself ( an easy 275lbs ) and she tips the scales at 130lbs = total payload of 1155lbs......."nubs" never touched the frame.......most of the bikes weight was on the tailgate too ( I got the shortbed ) so I was happy with it and held between 70-80mph thru the hills of Kentucky -- of course fuel mileage was another story

 

Mine was almost riding on the bump stops with 900-1000lbs of gravel in it. Any bumps at all caused it to bottom out. Since the TSB springs were put in, I can do ~1200lbs of gravel and not bottom out unless I'm being stupid. Huge difference.

 

Same observations as above. This summer I took 1700lb of concrete chunks to the dump, I had to be weighed at the scales. Actually climbed the trash mountain to dump off concrete. Not bad for a 2.7L stock 2X4.

This is not a trip I care to repeat. I took it slow and all on back roads to the dump.

 

It stands for "Technical Service Bulletin" All it really means is that if Toyota finds an issue they fix it and call it this. Kind of like a recall but not necessary to do. There are numerous TSB's out there like this one for the rear leaf pack, transmission, and more. I hope I explained that correctly.

 

I've had several hundred pounds in the truck now without a problem. That's why I asked. People here have claims ranging from "2000 pounds in the bed, and it's just starting to hit the bump stops" to "I put 200 pounds of topsoil in the bed and the truck is slammed in the back and rides on the bump stops."

With such a wide range of claims, and my own experience, I am left wondering how the same basic truck with the same basic suspension could vary so widely from truck to truck.

 

My .02...
Before I had the TSB done, I made a couple trips to the landscaping supply place for some 3-way soil mix. Less than a half-yard load each trip, with the approximate weight around 900 lbs. (I asked) Each trip home was literally on the bump stops the whole way. Yea, rough ride because the only suspension left is the air in the tires! Quite hair-raising..ever seen a pickup with a broken axle when carrying a load? Not pretty. These 4-leaf springs should be part of the TRD Off-Road package, period.

 

I've had probably 400 lbs of wet firewood in the bed going over very uneven mountain terrain. I didn't feel the bumpstops when I was driving, but I do think they hit as you can see the rectangular marks on the leaf above the stop. I'll probably do an AAL and leave it at that until I have enough money to totally upgrade the entire suspension. I'm not totally disappointed in my trucks capacity, and maybe the springs are more progressive than they seem, but I do wish I could carry the advertised weight without worry. I would gladly give up a softer ride for more capacity. Maybe Toyota will listen to us and make this standard for the 3rd gen.

 

If you bought your truck 100 miles north of you it would have the 4 leafs stock .

 

About 500lbs without the TSB... after I had over 1000lbs without hitting the bump stops.

 

The answer to that is simple: people are different and everyone has their own expectations. And trucks that come in various cab styles (regular cab, access cab and crew cab) are obviously used in a variety of ways and every one leads to different gripes 'cause nothing can do everything perfectly.

And then add to that the owners for whom the stock suspension is nothing more than something to carry the body and drive train around a little until they get their lifted mods plan all lined up. It's just real hard to make everyone happy.

I do tend to agree with RJB49: the 4 leaf pack prolly should come with the TRD OffRoad since you pay enough for that package and anyone who buys it shouldn't be looking for a soft ride. But prolly also in a Heavy Hauler option that could be added to any of the trucks as, ideally, a dealer installed option. The cost doesn't need to be as high as it is...the cost for aftermarket AAL's make that pretty clear.

 

Your post doesn't address my point. Same truck...same (?) springs...but 1500 pounds in one is hardly a problem, and 200 pounds in the other puts the frame rails on the bump stops.

It isn't about expectations. If one truck can be loaded down with eight times the weight of the other truck before experiencing problems, then something has to be very significantly different between the two trucks. Payload capacities range from 900# (X-runner) to 1570# (reg cab prerunner). There is no production configuration where one would expect 200-300 pounds in the bed, plus a 200 pound driver, to result in an overload condition.

If the owners are being truthful, then there must be different versions of the three-leaf pack, some with substantially higher spring rates than others. There just isn't another explanation.

I'd like to know what those spring rates are, so I'm thinking about running an informal experiment with people taking measurements of their bed height and the squat under specific loads.

 

I'd be very suspicious of anyone's claim that 200lbs ALONE puts the frame on the bump stops. Just don't see it happening, unless the truck's already beat to heck. But that changes the assumption 'same truck' doesn't it, just a little? So yeah, I think there's more to that story.

I also wonder what someone considers 'not a problem' with 1500lbs. Sitting hard on the bump stops you wouldn't get the really rough harshness as the frame bottoms over bumps...maybe that's what they mean? The truck would still...truck...even with a saggy back. More than enough brakes, engine torque and clearance to handle it. I know I'd make all sorts of allowances when I took a light truck to full load limits. Actually 200lbs over, in my case with a DC 4x4.

Many people are clearly pickier about things and I have no idea what they were expecting when they did what they did, that was my point to address your question.

You're experiment could be interesting, but be sure they all equalize their trucks: all modded the same, or none modded at all.

 

Yeah, I figure for static load sag, the only two groups we should look at are "stock 3-leaf springs -- USA" and "4-leaf Toyota pack (Canadian or TSB trucks)".

 

Also check for after-market bumpers, trail armor and tool boxes, they add up real quick I imagine.