Taco Lean Update

The issue is the center of mass for the truck is not centered. So, with equal rate springs, one will support a little more load than the other, this compress a little more. I suppose this could be the preload you all talk about? That said, after market springs have the same rate and can’t be adjusted. Adjusting the perch setting on the shock will also not affect the compressed length of the spring since the weight distribution remains the same.

 

So if the spring is a set length and the point and the spring seats are at fixed points, your saying the if you shorten the distance between the two seats that the spring will still be the same length as if you didn’t shorten that distance. Example 11” between the two fixed points and 10” between them the spring when compressed to fit they’ll be the same length.

 

On the bench yes that is true. Yeah, when I was assembling my 6112 coils, it was a LOT harder to assemble on the 4th ring than on the 1st. But the shock is NOT a fixed length. So as soon as you bolt it on the truck and put weight on it, both springs will compress some more. On the 4th setting it will compress less than on the 1st setting, but the net result is the spring is the same length, you’ve just move the shock underneath it. If I had a hydraulic press I’d do before/after measurements but alas I do not. This also results in having less total available downward travel when at the 4th setting compared to the first.

 

This is the proper way. I have 6112 set on the top notch/2 1/2" lift and the lean was corrected with a 1/4" top spacer
on the left.

Previous had 5100/eibach 521600 set at zero which is a 2 1/2" lift and this was also corrected with the 1/4" top spacer.

You do not have EQUAL SPRING RATE left vs right. Good luck with that

 

Spring rate. Please look it up. as I said, the customer can't change it.

If the shock has a rising rate (it does) that will change slightly.

So far I don't notice much.

 

TACO LEAN UPDATE:

My alignment job turned out pretty well. The truck steered better than ever, and then it didn't.

WTH? Alignment went wonky.

I was pumping more air in the rear bag as I thought it had leaked. Then I saw the broken link.

It turned out the rear stabilizer bar I added was helping to control the taco lean, a lot, and suddenly it wasn't.

I had jacked things up too much with the air bags and at full droop my custom linkage topped out and one broke off at the bend.

The link ties thru the spare tire crossmember with rubber bushings. This was taken 4 years ago.


I made it into an adjustable rod end by welding a bolt to a coupling nut. I also made them 3" longer, to prevent "topping-out"
and overstressing things.

Anyhow handling is restored, but the stabilizer is doing something it isn't supposed to: level an unladen vehicle.

I am planning a re-balancing act of some kind.

 

You do not have "lean," you have body mount issues which is causing the body to appear leaning, but you in fact do not have frame lean OP, you have body lean.

 

Stop focusing on lean Set your front coils even. Include the driver side spacer and even up the rear airbag pressure. Or better yet, switch to a single valve going to both bags for even pressure.

The lean only happens and can only be seen when the truck has been backed into position and left. If you roll forward the lean is gone and the truck will sit normally.

You are over-complicating an issue easily solved by MANY before you. That's why the spacer exists. Additionally you're uneven spring rate will negatively affect a road incident should you need to make an evasive maneuver or brake hard. On top of that, You're settings will also confuse the VSC system should that come into play during such a maneuver . Creating an unsafe vehicle that affects you or those in your path.

Please reconsider your set up for the safety of your family and the rest of us who share the roads with you

 

This lean is not just a static issue. The dynamic behavior is affected. I noticed it when I drove.

Thanks, but I don't know how you deduce that remotely. I will check the mounts for sagging though.
I measured from the frame to the ground, unladen. The truck clearly sagged at the left front. High at the right rear.
Empty. Didn't matter too much if pointed uphill or down, or flat on the alignment rack.

It was worse with a driver.

Please be unconcerned. You guys are all still safe after I shimmed my suspension.

I've been driving since 1971. Almost 50 years. I drove professionally when I was young. I've driven everything from an MG midget to a 40,000 lb gooseneck road roller delivery rig with 26 tires. I delivered thousands of eggs over the Rocky mountains driving for the USAF.

Amazingly, almost nobody here seems to understand the difference between spring rate and spring pre-load.
Haven't any of you owned a motorcycle?
Before you try to give suspension advice you should at least know the basics.

I'm not concerned with the looks.
Visible lean is not a concern.
Uneven weight distribution is.
It makes the truck handle funny.

It handles better now. It's not perfect, but nobody has ever claimed that the Tacoma handles well.
Mine handled like crap until I added the rear stabilizer. It doesn't want to flip over in hard cornering with no load now.
Instead the rear squats and power slides in a controllable manner.

Now IMO that could affect the VSC, as could the biased weight distribution.
But I don't think the system is that critical.

 

Best of luck friend

 

I decided that my truck was too high in the front. Dynamically it handled better in most respects but it was right on the edge of not getting a real good alignment.

So I let the left front down to the bottom notch. I decided to counterweight the truck again. I cast one today, but it needs trimming to fit the frame.

I decided to get an on-board airbag inflator for the rear. I diddle with the pressures, depending on what's in the truck, which helps a lot.

 

The springs have to be compressed to mount them to the shock, hence they are preloaded, they are under compression even at full extension of the shock. If this weren’t the case then you would be correct.

 

Whoa Doggies!

I consider the counterweight idea to be a complete success. This truck has never had such good road manners, and it rides better too.

That's because I'm not pumping the airbags on an empty truck, to get weight transfer to the right front end.

I cast up a 40lb ingot of old wheel weights & it sits vertical, about 3.5"x3.5" and 7" tall.

(After trimming, it was 35 lbs net wt.) ​

Then I slit it & trimmed it to lock onto the stamped frame bracket under the left front body mount.
It also slots around the body mount bolt

I made up a long steel strap, like a hose clamp, and strapped it to the frame.

It sits on the front radiator crossmember, outside the side rail, and is bolted thru the crossmember from below.

It should have two bolts up from the crossmember, but right now it has one bolt and one broken drill bit.

I'll have to take the block out and heat that bit to remove it. but it's plenty secure for a test run. I bounced it around on rough pavement and gutters, then tightened the bolts, then did it twice more, and it seated in tighter to the frame each time.

I'll take a photo when I take it back out for final fitting and paint.

 

This is the only photo of it installed so far, and I'm looking from the tire toward the front of the inner fender.

 

Today I replaced that 1/4" bolt with a 5/16" bolt, and replaced the broken drill bit with a 3/8" bolt. I also trimmed things up so it fits really tight to the frame.

 

I didn't mention that that broken drill bit somehow fell out by itself during the test drive. I hope it's not in my tire.

I did a few toe-in adjustments to improve the alignment and I added a smaller weight in the right rear bed compartment. Basically a bag of scrap lead about 20 lbs.
This improved things further, and I expect that I will counterweight the passenger side of the truck a bit more.

Initially I will use lead, and when I'm happy with the balance I'll go for a professional alignment.

But I expect to eventually replace those weights with a stainless water tank, roughly under the passenger seat, which I can drain at will. It never hurts to carry extra water in the desert.

I want to replace the front weight with a spare battery. Not sure if that ill happen.

 

OK, after some fiddling and rear air bag adjustments, I decided the left rear spring was weak.
I got a really good alignment after I added about 25 psi more air to the driver side bag.
15 lbs passenger side and 40 psi driver side.

This truck has much stiffer rear springs than my old 2009 model. I'm surprised there's so much difference from left to right.
I may decide to just rotate the rear springs. This should reduce air bag pressure required a lot.

 

Wow, this thread is just not worth it at this point lol. He clearly knows it all

 

Holy crap this guy had made all of this stuff on his truck extremely extra and complicated for no reason. @Hobbs you thought I was bad!?!