looking for advice to fix ride quality

Interesting that the TRD springs weren't as strong as the regulars, this is the first I've heard of this. If you're up for the effort, you would be able to measure how much travel you're getting out of the rear with the stock springs and then compare that to the General Springs' travel?

 

OP, thanks for the heads up regarding General Spring K.C. I'll make sure to buy their HD springs!

 

that wont work because I only have like 1/4" to 1/2" travel at best so I have no suspension and im riding flat on the axle for the most part, thats why I knew I needed new leaf springs. my springs are completely flat with no spring left to them at all so I have nothing to compare the new springs to.

best I could do is measure them hanging free and check the gap to fender lip but that's not going to be very accurate since they may not fully open after being smashed flat for years now.

by the way the springs arrived this morning while I was out and they look like leaf springs lol, what else can I say, but the flat leaf bars do look thicker then stock (which he said they would be) and the leaf pack looks very nice and all but again I haven't seen many springs (in hand) to give a real opinion on them.

I cant put them on yet until the hanger bushings arrive thou, they aren't supposed to arrive until Monday.

 

When I did my general HD write up I mesured the before and after "drop" from no load to 400 lbs. I used water jugs so I got the same weight . I can remember right off but it was a huge difference.

Hang on let me look.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/review-of-the-hd-general-rear-springs.354768/

 

ok, its done and man what a difference. i'll make the "well duh" comment and say road bumps feel very dampened now.

I got about 2 1/2" of lift from them but im sure about 1" of that will settle down after it gets a few thousand miles on em.

as expected my shocks were shot, one completely useless the other still had a "little" dampening left to it but not much.

went for a ride and it feel wonderful and finally rides smooth instead of like a rigid frame. cant wait to get those front struts on and see how much better it gets with good suspension in the front as well.

I didn't take any pictures or measurements, it was too damn hot and it was bad enough pushing through with my tongue hanging out and sweat in my eyes to just get it done.

everything came off very easy thank god and for the most part went back on easy. the first side I followed youtube video advice and hung the hanger then the front eye then the axle but I had to fight to get the axle to line up as it wanted to shift to the rear and it was tricky trying to figure out how to leverage it forward without knocking the truck off the jack stands but with rope tied to the tranny support and around the axle I used a pry bar to pull forward until it dropped into the hole.

I tried to get smart and on second side I thought I would do the axle first since it gave me the most trouble but it was very hard to line up anything else afterwards because just like the other side, the axle shifts to the rear a little when its unbolted. the front eye was hard to get started until I used the same rope trick as before and the rear hanger was a supreme PITA and required creative prying and jacking to get it to line up to get the bushings in.

if anyone does this stuff do the axle connection last, I was within seconds of having to pull it apart and start over that way after fighting with that rear hanger for 30 minutes.

not sure if I should do my back brakes or not but I found they has about 3/16" of pad left, but then they hardly get used so that's enough to go another 50k miles at least. I went to go get some pads while it was apart but all they had in stock was cheap no name Chinese junk and I wasn't using those $15 Chinese junk break shoes and the guy said they would have to order them, same thing for drums and rotors, name brand you have to order, Chinese junk they have in stock

 

standing on the bumper and bouncing it feels good like a truck suspension should feel, it definitely doesn't feel weak and wimpy but its also not too hard.

was hoping to get to the front struts today but it rained so everything is wet but im also tired and sore all over from all that work yesterday so I think i'll wait a few days to recover first, I aint no youngster any more lol

 

You can use a ratchet strap. Attach axle to spring, then rear shackle, use ratchet strap to pull axle forward and line up from bolt and hole.

 

Glad you got it together.

 

The fronts on yet??? That's were I got the most "road" improvement . I super interested in the fronts you got. Great price if they work.

 

no I haven't got a chance to do the fronts yet, all sorts of shit going on lately demanding my time be spent elsewhere but maybe by the weekend I hope I can make time for it, but I need to do the back brake shoe replacement to wrap up the rear completely before I move to the front.

I do notice the front being bouncy now and before I really couldn't tell so there is no doubt they need to be replaced too.

the rear has settled about 1/2" already after pulling the boat with it twice, it rides worlds better so im happy and the extra payload feels just right for the truck like it should have been from the dealer.

 

How do them fronts look? I had that same bounce in the front. I knew the front springs were smoked.

I'm going to be changing out my front hubs for locking hubs soon, just wondering if that rock auto strut assembly should go in wile I have the front tore down?

Jcl

 

maybe this weekend, things have been very hectic, believe me, im more frustrated then you guys they aren't on the truck yet but its my DD and the truck hasn't stopped rolling yet but things are looking god for this weekend.

all I did was undo the bolts holding the lower ball joint to the spindle and it had all the room it needed to get the old strut out and the new longer strut back in with a "little" finagling of course but it wasn't hard, getting the bolts lined up straight to get them restarted in the spindle was harder then mounting the strut lol.

 

update:

ok, for anyone who was wondering about the front struts, I put them on today and it gave the front end around 1 1/2" -2" lift from where it was but the instructions said it would not stay like that and it would settle about an inch after a week or two. that leads me to believe my stock springs had shortened about 1"-1 1/2" from age.

the ride quality is fantastic and it rides as smooth as a brand new truck again, no more bounce or any vibrations over rough patches of roads.

if anyone missed it above, or just too lazy to read the whole thread I used the stock oem replacement Monroe quick strut complete strut assemblies from rockauto.com

 

Did you use the stock oem tacoma Or the tundra? I thought that was a tundra number.

But any way, Sweet! It's crazy how the stock springs sag over sutch a short time.

 

I bought the ones designed to fit my truck, I don't miss match stuff like that even if it would fit.

these are the ones I bought:

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?catalog=904&partnum=171352R&a=www.google.com+Search+for+MONROE+171352R&blanktemplate=true

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?catalog=904&partnum=171352L&a=www.google.com+Search+for+MONROE+171352L&blanktemplate=true

I wouldn't hesitate doing it again, I was right in that a 12+ year old coil spring wasn't giving it the same ride because the spring lost its support tension, so it makes sense to go all new when you do it. the ONLY time I would just change the strut and reuse the spring is if it had less then 5 years and less then 50k miles on it

 

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but how is your truck doing with the Monroe's on front and the General Spring HDs on the rear? Is the rear higher than the front? Maybe post a pic?

Thanks,
MF

 

it rides like a Cadillac, the rake or stance is completely stock with the rear about 2" higher then the front

when towing it doesn't squat like the weaker stock oem springs do and its the best decision I ever made to go with the HDs

 

Thanks. I ordered my HDs today.

 

you will love them

 

Sub'd. I'm going to revive this in a few years to ask about the HD's and see if they've sagged. You've been warned, Keaker.