Taco lean and Dakar springs

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm set on doing this and will report back with how it affects my ride height.

 

This is crazy, I have both A and B springs, and they both have the + sign. And A has clearly more arch to them. I'm confused

 

me too.

 

Arch does not equal spring rate. The rate of deflection is directly proportional to the section modulus of the spring pack, which is a function of the width and thickness of each leaf.
I agree it is strange to have two "over spec" leaf packs that have different arch, but they are formed by hand, so there will be manufacturing tolerances.

 

I got you, but why have a specific part number for driver and passenger side? I don't know how the truck is going to sit, I have the leafs installed but don't have the weight on them yet. So I guess there are 6 different variances in dakar leafs you can get?

 

It's an imprecise manufacturing process, hasn't really changed much in 50+ years. So if they took the extra step to make sure that all "A" springs were +, and all "B" springs were 0 or - (for example), they might end up with twice as many A springs as B springs due to manufacturing tolerances, the batch of steel they get, etc.
I'm guessing the part numbers are more for tracking purposes, to make sure they always ship out a "pair" regardless of the spring rates. We're probably talking about +-5% difference in spring rate anyway, not a huge deal.

 

Just checked mine earlier today and I'm in the same boat as you (A and B both have the + sign as well). I'm curious to see if there's still a difference in arch in my springs since I've had them on for a while now. Regardless, whichever has more arch will go on the driver's side.

 

drr is saying the arch doesn't necessarily mean stiffness though. Same boat. Have lean.

Even if I switch sides it may still lean.

Eh, that's all I needed to know to blow that job off.

 

ARB Tech Support set me the spec sheet for their leaf springs. The PDF is for the 1st Gen Tacoma

 

According to that spec sheet, the "B" springs have a higher spring rate than the "A" springs. If that's true, then you definitely don't want to put the A springs on the driver's side.

Due to the confusion on what goes where and all, I would be tempted to get real scientific about it and test them by balancing them upside down on a flat surface and measuring the free arch, then putting a known load (say 100 lbs) and measuring the deflection at the center. Whichever one deflects less at the same load has a higher spring rate, and that would be the correct one to put on the driver's side.

 

sh*t.

 

A is Driver, B is passenger. The +, - , 0 is just for ARB/OME to keep track of minor spring variances.

 

Didn't have enough time to mess with my leaf pack this past weekend. I'll play around with it after I get the rest of my armor on the truck. Will come back to this thread to add my experiences after.

Thanks for clarifying further.

 

If I have time to burn this weekend I may just switch them to see. I am pretty sure I put A on drivers side and B on passenger.

 

Here's the run down on what I found to be the differences between the "A" side and the "B" side.

We'll use this as a reference to identify each leaf:

#3 (3rd) leaf. Bottom = Pass (B), Top = Driver (A). Arch is identical.


#4 (4th) leaf. Bottom = Driver (A), Top = Pass (B). Driver (A) side has more arch.


#6 (top overload). Bottom = Driver (A), Top = Pass (B). Pass seems to allow for more "flex" or negative arch.


Driver's (A) side full leaf pack.


I ended up installing the full leaf pack on my driver side and on my passenger side I left the top overload (#6) out. So far it looks to be a lot closer to being even from the rear, left to right. Unfortunately I only have before measurements as I was strapped for time. I also adjusted my front coilovers to compensate for the extra height that I gained. Either way, once I find a flat surface I'll get the current measurements.

Previously I had removed both the 3rd leaf and the top overload from both sides. Ride was soft and the height was slightly too low for my liking. Also, when loaded, even just around 100-150lbs, the rear would start to squat already. For these reasons I opted to install the 3rd leafs back into both and the top overload on only the driver's side to compensate for the "taco" lean.

With 3rd leaf and top overload removed (fuel tank was around 3/4 full):

Front Left - 22 3/4"
Front Right - 23 3/8"
Rear Left - 23"
Rear Right - 23 7/8"

Surprisingly the ride doesn't feel as stiff as it was when I had the full packs in my previous truck (2002 double cab) installed. On the highway it felt more stable during turns but I could definitely feel the road more.

In short:

Leaves/leafs 1-3, 5 and 7 have the same arch
Leaves/leafs 4 and 6 differ from the "A" pack and the "B" pack

Also, should we start, or is there a 1st gen version of this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-ome-dakar-hub-to-fender-measurements.173193/

 

I just received my Dakar leafs from 4wheelparts and they are both 'A'. They made a mistake and are willing to ship(I'm in the middle of the prairies, 500km from anything in any direction) a replacement on their dime but I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle and wait. What would you do?

 

I'd say it's worth it or you will lean a bit toward your driver side

 

I'll try it as ARB intended, but the wait has been torture.
My stock springs are worn to the point of inversion.
The ride is rough and tough to control.
Maybe I'll fatten up my wife some more to even out the lean.