Smooth and Easy . . . possible?

This is going to seem out of left field for many of you. I have a '98 SR5 4X4 with the 3.4 V6 and auto tranny. All stock, no lift. Never been offroaded. I have had a love/hate relationship ever since I 'inherited' it from my daughter after her and the ex broke up. The love so far outweighs the hate - but the latter is getting increasingly irritating. i basically really like everything about this truck . . . except the ride. I'm pretty sure a German Panzer tank rode better. I realize it is a 4X4, but we also have an F250 that rides like a frickin' limosine compared to the Taco. It is just a very stiff, jarring ride and if I hit a pothole or something, the whole truck shakes and trembles like a whale that's just been harpooned. Plus it squeaks and creaks like an old barn door. I've had the tires balanced (no change), tires changed (slight change from ATs to road tires), rims changed (no change), alignment done (twice) and as far as i can tell, there is nothing loose in either the front or rear suspension. I've ridden in a newer Tacoma (I think it was an '01 or 02) and it rode tight but not nearly as bad as mine. Any ideas of what to look for or soften 'er down some - other than 'buy a newer truck?'

 

@Taco critter

 

At its age, at a minimum all suspension bushings will need to be replaced, likely the ball joints will have some play, etc
Are the shocks in the coilovers original?

 

Shock absorbers

 

Suspension.

The only thing you've messed with that impacts ride is the tires. And you say it helped some.

And verify they are at the correct pressure, using the 'chalk test' method.

 

How does the back end sit? The rear leafs on these are pretty soft and eventually lose their shape. If the rears are really low, that may be part of your issue.

The other thing I would check is the shocks. There is no way they're still good.

And lastly, check your lower ball joints - they are slightly famous for failing at inconvenient times. They could also be one of the sources of your squeaks.

 

Great input and thanks much.
To address some of your comments, rear shocks I replaced because oneof the ones on there when I got it had snapped off. I have not done the front ones and don't know if they're original or not. They seem to absorb shocks, so...
As I mentioned, I've jacked the truck up on both ends and shook the hell out of everything and I can't detect any looseness of ball joints or anything else. Bushing all seem tight and do not appear from what I can see to be degraded/torn.
Back end sits right. Same as any other Taco I've seen.
Yes, tires helped. And possibly OEM rims. When I got it it had 15X8 American 'Baja' wheels that stuck out quite a bit past the fenders. Also Bridgestone Revo with aggressive (to me) tread. I replaced with stock 16s (off a 2001 I believe) and used-but-decent 275 series tires - came as a set and were cheap. I forget brand but they're nothing special I don't think. I did the chalk test with the old tires but not the newer ones yet. I will do that. I did experiment with different pressures tho. Seemed to run best around 35 lbs. Looked too squished out at pressure recommended on sticker, which is like 26 or something.
The squeaking, which can get really bad (I can hear it echo off store fronts when the window is down) I'm 99% sure is coming from the front. It's very evident going over speed bumps at slow speed, and coming to a stop braking. That SEEMS to suggest it's in the springs. (It also suggests 'binding' which may be some part of the ride issue...? Dunno) I've silicone-sprayed every bit of the suspension up front wtih no difference noted. I've been wondering if the original owner might have put new shocks in and possibly left out a pad at the top of the coil spring or something (if there is one,I don't know). Or could springs themselves just be that noisy as the compress and stretch? Very weird and I've never had another car that does it.
Anyway, thanks again. I'm trying to resist rebuilding the front with new bushings but that seems to be where this is heading. Might as well replace the springs/shocks while I'm at it. Any input on OEM or aftermarket on either springs or shocks? Remember I'm going for less aggressive and smoother. Even 'softer' as bad a word as that might be around here. (This is my DD and I want to like driving it every day.)
Maybe I will do that when time and money (and warmer weather) allow. My big fear is goign to all the trouble and the problem is still there. LOL

 

@Oddball

Long read and not enough alcohol lol

Can you take pics of your suspension?

I had to stop at stiff ride, jarring, etc.

I'm just wondering if this thing was lifted, preload like hell, etc. that sort of thing

 

Loud squeaks to me means something is rubbing metal on metal, possibly in a place you can't see or spray. Highly recommend checking the ball joints.

 

Is this a TRD truck?

I had a 98 SR5 4 x 4 auto Xcab and I now have the same truck in the TRD package. I switched to the SR5 shocks. The Bilsteins are just too stiff for me. My ride is better, but not as good as the 98 was. I believe its the 16" wheels. The 98 had 15" wheels.

I was swapping tires around one day and placed the 2 different truck tires side by side. They were the exact same physical size. I honestly think the 15" with taller side walls made for a better ride.

 

Oddball,

Ride quality is very subjective.; you and I probably have vastly different ideas about what "good" ride quality means. I have always felt my '02 4x4 TRD is too soft stock (spring rates and shock valving). To me the front OE Bilsteins felt blown out but upon inspection were in good physical condition.

Tires can have a big impact on ride quality. LT or P metric? 35psi is pretty high unless you are running the truck with a full load, and is not helping your ride quality if not.
Have you thoroughly inspected the rear? A broken shock suggests a problem there. Rear-end problems often get relayed to the front.

Pics would be helpful for people to see if your front shocks are stock or if something is missing from the assembly.

 

I've never heard of anyone with a 1st Gen Tacoma say they had a smooth and easy ride, despite any upgraded suspension or modifications. I can say that getting new springs and replacing the ball joints and bushings (at 18 yrs) made a dramatic improvement on handling, especially over bumps that used to send me flying to the side. It's still very stiff, but handles much better over bumpy roads and no longer dips while cornering. The overhaul was worth the expense, in my opinion.

 

Just a heads up, I had a bunch of squeaking in my front end and it turned out to be preload on the upper control arm bushings. I guess when it was aligned the uppers were tightened when there was no weight on the front tires. When the truck is lowered off the lift, it twists the bushings and loads them up, causing them to squeak. Another is making sure the lower ball joints are well greased, and that your sway bar end links are good.

 

All good input and I as time allows I will follow up on all this stuff. Next time the front tires are off I'll take some pics. I will try to update here on any hinckiness I find.

 

for the price of 2- 90 lbs bag of cement you can "test" the ride quality. Put one in the bed and go for a ride, then the other and see if the ride improves to you.

 

To add to this, Home Depot has 60 bags of sand for $4.40 ea...


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Tube-Sand-115960/100318522