Rear suspension rush on a budget.

Notice a few weeks ago that my rear leafs were flat/worn out when I loaded a couple of hundred pounds of bagged top soil in the bed.

Have been keeping an eye on them for a bit and today when I took a look underneath, saw the passenger side rear strut covered in oil.

What's the go-to replacement on a budget?

Called toyota parts desk just to check on OEM and at $875 per side for leafs plus a few hundred for ubolts/bushings, that's not realistic for me.

$ Low/$$ medium/$$$ high seems to be:
OME/Icon RTX/Deaver

What's the move here?

Sorry to spam: I started a thread yesterday in Suspension, but things just got a bit more urgent https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/worn-suspension-advice-daily-driver-with-weekend-hauling.831114/

 

Sounds like the blown shock has caused the urgency?

Put some new shocks on it and deal with the springs a bit later.

How many miles on vehicle? It may need front shocks too.

And being in New England, is your frame healthy? One of the prime failure points is around the leaf spring mounts.

 

5100's and airbags.

 

Depends what you want in the end. Easiest thing to do is pick up a gen 3 Off Road low mile takeoff for sub $400-ish.

 

Don't all those leaf spring options you listed add lift?
If you aren't doing anything with the front you'll have one hell of a rake.

 

151 on the odo, needs fronts too for sure.

Aiming for a set of 3rd gen take offs, have called around a few places, but haven't lucked out yet.

Was shopping and saving for leaf springs to handle my weekend hauling, and the leak lit a fire under me.

Frame appears healthy, will crawl under and poke around thoroughly check before putting new suspension on.

Rear struts seem cheap enough that if I can do that first and set aside leafs for a moment, that'd be good, but with the wear/age, I'm thinking I really might need to just do it together... and as bkhlrTaco said, that'll be a hell of a rake if I don't do the front.

No cheap way out here.

 

Alternative to the options above:
aftermarket 0" lift leafs with helper bumps like sumosprings for overloading?

 

Wasn't there a recall on 2nd gen leaf springs? Tacoma stock leaves are kind of flat and wimpy from the factory.
I'm a 3rd gen, but for price context my suspension upgrade cost about $1500 in parts: Icon RXT, 5100 w/855 assembled and 5125 rear, carrier bearing shim and extended brake lines.

 

I just got off the phone with Jeff at Deaver, and their OEM+ replacement springs (made by Dayton) sound like the direction I'm leaning.
$650 for the pair (bushings included) + $65 for u-bolts + a set of Bilstein 4600s

 

I have 3rd Gen rear leafs, blue sumo bumps and Bilstein 5100s and like it very much. The previous owner had Hellwig overload springs and I didn’t like the ride. So I replaced it with the above. When I hunted, I’d haul about a half a ton of corn in the bed. I have a 12’ trailer that I tow from time to time and the back never sags, nor did it with the corn. If I did it again, I’d think about getting a leaf pack from a spring shop, such as Alcan.