Leaf spring options for towing.

exactly.. air bags, ras system and the like are just band aides.. no one wants to hear that though.

the facts are that the tacoma is a nice little truck for what it is.. what it is not is a full size truck that people try to use it as at times.

 

As said above: hitting the bump stops is not fun, the porpousing sucks, and I don't want to blind oncoming drivers with my head lights.

I have owned many trucks over the years, as have my dad and grand dad. Dodge, GMC, Ford, and Toyota. None have ever sagged like the Tacoma with as light a load I tow with the Tacoma. Most didn't sag this much with far more load being towed.

I do however like the Tacoma better then all the other trucks I've owned. My grand dad's Tundra would be the only possible exception. Love the 2nd gen Tundras, just more truck then I want.

 

Ha...we are talking about towing 3000# and less. Well within the Tacoma's capability. Some of us use it as a truck to tow and haul.

 

What's the tongue weight of what your towing?

 

Towing 3000 pounds is fine. But sagging is from tongue weight. Problem with a Tacoma and even the tundra is the pathetically low payload capacity. My 2017 DCLB off-road only had a 900 pound payload capacity. That's nothing once you add the weight of the hitch, tongue weight of the trailer, a passenger or two and whatever else you may be bringing with you.

 

I am skeptical that rear ride height has a significant affect on weight distribution. That's what a weight distributing hitch is for. Yes?

 

Yes it distributes weight but maybe it's not enough. We are talking a Tacoma here.

 

It also sucks driving at night when everyone is flashing their highbeams at you even though your lows are on because your rear end is sagging.

 

The weight distribution hitch works well, but it will still sag with anything close to capacity.

 

Edited (see manual page 570): 900 pounds? That wasn’t because of the suspension, was it because you didn’t have a tow package (Transmission, power steering oil and engine oil coolers, etc.) ? The tow package allows you to tow 6500 pounds, and carry a load up to 1,000 pounds on a 2017 OR short bed GRN305L-PRTSHA model , but I don’t think there’s any suspension differences in there, it was just for engine and transmission cooling plus a higher capacity alternator.

 

I have Sumos, 5160's and HD Dakars. No issues towing anything you might hook to a Tacoma.

 

It's mainly the rear of the truck going up and down so much after going over a bump that bother me. Tongue weight is good as the weight of my load is centered over the axle of the trailer. The side by side takes up the entire 12 ft trailer.

 

In my personal opinion having inflated bouncy balls (airbags) above the leaf spring isn't going to help with "the truck going up and down after going over a bump". I'd vote AAL first. Your unloaded ride is going to be slightly stiffer either way.. AAL for the obvious reason of stiffening the leaf pack and airbags because the way they attach to the leaf pack they slightly limit the movement.

fwiw I have both headstrong AAL and Ride-rite airbags.

 

I think a little porpoising while towing something relatively heavy is par for the course and it doesn't bother me much. If I couldn't feel the boat at all I would think I bought a bigger truck than I needed. I only tow my boat a handful of times a year though.

 

More leafs is not a terrible idea, Sumo Springs are pretty good for picking up some plywood.

A Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) is what you should be looking at for towing.

Start your reading journey here....
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

maybe you do better with video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkK9uktf32E

 

How does a WDH do offroad?

 

Where are you seeing 1620lbs for an OR? Is that an access cab 2wheel drive 4cyl?

 

Ok reading some bad info here about WDH set ups.

First off they don't do magical things proper reinforcex rear suspension won't do. If you understand how they work that is insanely clear. Those that think wdh are some fancy life changing gizmo, please lay off the kool-aid and whatever weird breed your smoking.

The only change to axle weight is simple physics: when squatting the force of the weight is going down towards the lowest point. Which is the ball hitch. You raise that location either through air bags, springs, WDH (which is nothing more than 2 spring bars, basically square or round versions of a LEAF SPRING) and level the load back out the weight distribution spreads out.

FIRST BY LIE ABOUT WDH, that there is no lost weight in the front axle area. Yeap they think their products defy physics, nope they don't. But if your truck isn't squating, the loss is much less than if it is. AGAIN BASIC PHYSICS taught in school. How a teeter totter works at the park.

Save yourself the headaches and useless crap on your trailer especially if you leave the pavement. Get bags, AAL or whatever and be done. I use air bags personally. My AAL pack is more for lift than anything but does help with payload/towing, less air needed in the bags when loaded up.

 

Wow, that was wrong! I googled it- sorry, I made edits to the original post. On page 570 in the 2017 owner’s manual, depending on your certification model, it has either a 950 or 1000 pound capacity and on page 170, it states a 3500 or 6500 pound TWR capacity depending on if you have a towing package or not.

 

I went back through the thread and couldn’t find any ‘wrong info’ on wdh setups. Nobody claimed they made towing life perfect, or brewed a steaming cup of joe once out on the road.

For the most part, they do a decent job at mitigating the forces of a heavy tongue weight. They do transfer some weight back onto the front wheels. Perhaps not all. They do minimize porpoising. And they do reduce squat. This is of course when properly setup.

For someone that doesn’t want to change their daily driving setup, this is not a bad solution.

What bad info has the thread given to the OP? I’m honestly curious if my knowledge and experience is way off base.