Seeking Input on Dobinson Heavy Duty Leaf Springs

I was hoping TW users have had experience with these leaf springs and could provide some feedback rather thumbs up or down. Thank you!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dobinsons-16-taco-suspension.474308/

 

I appreciate the link. I Read through many many pages, seems that most folks are giving input to the front shocks/springs and rear shocks, not a lot of feedback specifically on the heavy duty 4/2 or the 5/2 leaf springs.

 

i have sold a few sets of Dobinson leaf springs and customer feedback has been great. some say they are a little stiff especially when they are brand new but soften up a bit over time. They are definitely built to hold weight up well for those who run RTT and a bunch of camp gear all the time so if thats when you are looking for i would say thats a perfect spring kit for you!

 

I'm getting the 112-Rs as soon as the shop gets them. With a family of 4+dog on our camping trips, we easily get 800+ lbs in the truck (RTT, racks, dometic, gear, sliders, etc). I completely flattened our factory leaf pack on our 5-day White Rim Road trip and it has never returned. Looking forward to not bottoming out at railroad crossings and speed bumps!

 

I am having an Alucab Canopy Camper installed which weighs 450 lbs, that including my refrigerator, base and the cabinets I will build. I'm expecting I will always have 650 - 700 pounds on the bed. I expect to add another 150 - 200 lbs when I'm camping or on an adventure. In addition at some point I would like to add an after-market increased capacity fuel tank which will add another 70 pounds (when full) to my every day carry weight.

 

I am also thinking 112-Rs

 

The guys at the shop seemed to think this would be a good setup for me. Also going with the Bilstein 6112/5160. I am a little worried about the 112s being too stiff for my everyday drive, but I don't see a lot of posts here that really talk about it. But I rather err on being able to haul more than end up sagging too much.

 

I realize I don't have a thumbs up or down for the Dobinson's, but have you researched the Deaver U402 kit for your needs? I run the stage 3 for 700-1000lbs constant bed weight, and they've been great. I've had compliments on how well the truck road multiple times. I'm also running the Bilstein 5160s with them.

 

I did reasearch the Deaver leaf springs, from everything I've read they are great. The Dobinsons are less than 2/3rds the cost and the installer says they are his go-to solution for my application, he has them in stock, and his customers have been happy with them. That is why I created this thread, to gather a bit more information before i make a decision.

 

Thanks! It is always good to get other ideas. I'm sure the Deaver would work just fine, but the Deavers look a little pricy for me. The Dobinson 112s come to about $750 for parts. I'm still in the trial and error stages - hopefully I don't screw it up too badly.

 

OME for the win...

 

I looked at OME, people have posted several pictures of failures on this forum (springs becoming inverted with a load at significantly less than the so-called ratings), also a lot of complaints about them "squeaking". I am putting on OME BP51s on the front and back because they have fantastic reviews... the leaf springs not so much.

 

They are designed to be inverted when unloaded. Not a “failure”. Neither are the squeaks. That’s an annoyance for some. Mine squeak due to rocks in them, but doesn’t bother me all that much. Off roading you’re bound to get squeaks.

with that said, I’d go Dobinson or try something new if I had to get a new set.

 

No. Never again if I could go back in time. They squeak like crazy, and sag like an old lady's tits with any weight. Do yourself a favor and try something else.

 

I have the Dobinson 111-R rear leafs and I am really impressed with how they hold the weight and how they ride completely unloaded. The picture below is with about 500-600lbs of weight to give you an idea.

 

THANK YOU

 

Nice setup

 

I'm considering the same. getting ready to lift my truck and saw my rear leafs are flat with almost nothing in the bed

 

I remember seeing some posts about the retainer bolts scratching gas tanks for some users. It was a simple fix to switch the bolts around but something to keep an eye on.