Rough ride: possible improvement ideas?

I won't say I'm totally dissatisfied with my current setup, but I would like to improve it. I get a lot of chatter/hop over small road imperfections, cracks, potholes, dips, uneven pavement. I'm trying to make some changes to improve it. I think the rear axle's reaction to the imperfection is worse than the front.

Here is my setup:

2015 DCSB 4x4 AT, TRD Off Road (3000 miles)

Front:
2.5" Eibach 521600 coils
0.5" Toytec top plate spacer
Bilstein 5100 set at 0.0

Rear:
Toytec/Deaver AAL
stock Bilstein HD shocks

Tire:
BFG AT KO2 265/75/16 (Load Range E ! )

I guess it boils down to the following:

--is this the result of keeping stock rear shocks (will upping the rear shocks to 5100's help this?)

--is this the result of going with AAL's?

--is this the result of going with Load Range E tires?

or all of the above?

 

Taco rear leafs are sh*t. Put an AAL and they're worse. Load range E tires have very little sidewall flex unloaded but you could reduce PSI to help.

 

My guess would be the E tires and the AAL. Changing from the single AAL to a progressive AAL would help. IMO with any lift your not going to be as smooth as stock.

 

For the front, you soaked up a bit of your down travel to gain lift, this does impact the quality of ride a bit. Also the 5100 are a little firmer than the 4600 series, so that doesn't help.

For the rear I wouldn't say its a cheap AAL, thats not fair, but in adding it you did increase the spring rate so that will stiffen things up. It wouldn't be so bad if you had just the 3 leaf packs, but I assume you have the 4 leaf packs and now the added AAL.

Lastly E rate tires are hard and don't give very easy, what tires did you have before them?

In a nut shell its a combination of things that create the rough ride, not just one component.

 

Thanks for all the input.

The tires are here to stay as I just bought them, however I'm considering going ahead and adding 5100 rear shocks. In your opinion, will it help at all?

 

No

 

Shocks only dampen. What PSI are your load range E tires at?

 

Nope

 

Consider swapping out your AAL for a set of these. They vastly improved the ride at the real axle on my truck, over a single AAL

 

Well it looks like I'm going to go with the Icon Progressive 3 leaf pack, and ditch the Deaver AAL & stock O/L leaf.

Probably will go ahead and add 5100's in the process.

I guess all this finally gives me good enough reason to get back under there and add my 3deg shims as well!

 

Update on this:

Finally checked my tire pressure and the tire shop had set them to 45psi. Let air out down to 31psi (door jamb spec is 29 front, 32 rear) and the ride is greatly improved.

Huge relief!

 

I hate it when tire shops do that. probably still a good idea to ditch the stock shock and add a leaf

 

Definitely will, but I'm just thankful for the improvement in the meantime. Where do you run yours?

 

I have on board air so Im constantly changing tire pressure. If I know I will be back out on the trails soon or we will have wet weather I run about 30 - 32. If I plan on alot of freeway driving for a while I up it to 36. When I wheel at a local offroad park 25. When I wheel hard 15 psi.

 

I run my E rated tires at about 35. I've had them there for about 20,000 miles and wear appears nice and even. I never did the chalk test to verify the contact patch, but I'm pretty happy. I have Dakars in the rear and they're pretty stiff. I now have about 100 lbs of stuff in the bed and that helped the ride too.

 

10-4.

Love the rig by the way. A Bestop will be my next purchase. Is that the 1250mm/50" ARB awning? Looks great on the double cab. I'd like to see how you mounted it to the OE roof rack/yakima crossbar combo. I'm thinking about doing that same setup.

 

Thanks. yes it is the small 1250. And I mounted it with 2 L brackts, 2 ubolts, and 2 sheet metal screws. 2 dollars worth of hardware