Leaf Springs for 1999 1st gen Tacoma

Rabbit hole...
I'm also going to change out mine rears as well. Don't want to lift it, but an inch wouldn't bother me. I have a shell and either camping or work tools in the back. Stock has been ok, but I feel if your going to change anything you might as well go with an upgrade.
Bottom line, I'm still not sure what would be best..

 

Thanks, I just looked through their website. I may go with them for the sku 90-237HD. Sounds like what I'm looking for and the price seems fair.

 

Here are my (9 month old) SDs. Seem to work okay even if they look a bit funky.

 

Thanks, I’m really beginning to think the “reverse arch means it’s worn out” thing is an internet myth, wish I could find a pic of a new first gen spring to compare.

 

Maybe in the background of a Haynes/chilton manual picture? I don’t own a manual or I’d take a look

 

The thing is if that if its really reversed arch it has zero uptravel and is going to ride like shit. They're pretty flat from the factory so the difference seems subtle.

Here are my brand new General springs, (non -HD). I've got a touch more weight on them than factory due to the flatbed (<50lbs), but they're pretty flat. They do ride a whole lot better than the old ones though.

 

Reverse arch springs can still have up travel,

 

Not as much as they should if they were designed to be flat to start.

 

Thank you for everyone's input. I'm thinking of going with the General Spring HDs. Does anybody have any experience or input about these? I am also thinking of replacing my stock bump stops with the Wheelers super bumps, anybody have any experience to share with those?

 

Thanks for your input and although it’s kinda hard to tell the arch of your springs from the angle of the pic but they look better/ flatter than mine and others in this thread. Here’s what I don’t get, I had/have 3 1/2 to 4 inch’s of up travel before the axle hits the factory bump stops with the old AND new springs, both of which are pretty heavily negative arch. I just had about 800 lbs of flagstone in the bed and still had more than an inch of up travel and it wasn’t bottoming on the drive home. I wish I could say the ride was better with the new springs but I can’t tell any difference.

 

It seems like you can't judge the leaf spring by its curvature/flatness, but by how it reacts or behaves when the truck is loaded. @SLAPS 65 so do you wish you got the heavy duty springs? Do you feel like your new standard duty springs are still better than your old ones?

 

I just put a set of AAL Icons on mine. Mine was sagging bad and lifted the rear nicely.

 

So the other thing we're missing here that I have no idea about is how linear the force of the spring is. An ideal spring pushes back with an amount of force proportionate to how far its been squished (or stretched). I suspect that leaf springs are not ideal, and that how much force they can deliver varies a lot by the arch of the spring. It might explain why toyota likes to be flat, but GM seems to go for more of an arch (but with a longer, maybe softer spring)

I dunno, I'm not a suspension engineer and I'm still working on my first cup of coffee

 

I went with the Heavy Duty Springs both my old ones were broke.

It works for what I do I am quite happy.

If it lifted things above stock it was not enough that I took notice.

Unloaded it rides like a empty truck.

 

You went with the HD Springs, What brand are they and where did you get them? thanks

 

The General Spring I thought we were talking about them.

At that time General Spring gave me a much better price delivered than any of the Local Spring Shops.

I have bought a few sets of Springs over the Years Great Customer Service Pre China Flu

 

Thank you. I've been looking all over the internet and have seen so many different brands, I didn't want to get them confused.
I'll be ordering them today.

 

Knowing what I know now I would have just added the progressive 3 leaf aal’s, I pretty sure that would have gotten me where I wanted to be and saved a few hundred bucks, live and learn.

 

How did the general springs hd's work with stock suspension? Did you notice much of a rake?