Why Don't Tacomas Have Coil Springs in the Rear?

A legitimate question. How come we have leaf springs in the rear?

Ram offers coil springs in the rear and they tow and haul just fine.

I can see how a bunch of people will argue that leafs will tow and haul better, but Tacoma leafs specifically are built flat for a softer ride, which already makes towing and hauling worse. Why not just offer Coil Springs?

 

I'd say cost plays a huge part of it. Leafs are simple cheap and do the job.

 

That seriously blows.

Leave it to the largest auto manufacturer to cheap out. If Toyota just tried to innovate and create interest like how Jeep/Chrystler does, they would crush competition.

With so many members doing TSBs replacing leaf packs or individually taking them apart for squeaks, you would think they would've just gone coils by now.

Old land cruisers had coils on all four corners. 4runners have coils on all four corners. Seriously, just continue that onward to Tacomas.

Idk I'm bitching for nothing. Toyota ain't gonna do anything to Tacomas for another decade anyways. End rant/

 

Don't quote me on this but I remember reading some about how the undercarriage was designed. Leafs are simple if you want coils you need upper and lower control arms plus track arm to keep the axle straight under the body and with the way the gas tank/spare tire set up there isn't really any room for all that

 

Hmm. I remember seeing a Tacoma with rear coils but I'm not sure what he had to do to make everything jive together.

 

@Evenflow

 

You're asking about coil springs across the lineup when they can't even put power seats in the limited or TRD pro?

 

Its less expensive and alot simpler to locate the axle and ride height with a leaf spring then to have trailing arms pan hard bars and links everywhere, suv's used to be the only ones to have this setup purely for ride comfort, I couldnt tell why ram did that setup instead of having leaf springs

 

Cross shopping is what got the Ram the coils. Same with 10 speed trans and 1/2 ton diesel.

The american 1/2 ton truck market is feverous and you need to be cutting edge to sell trucks.

The Tacoma has limited competition and had little need to redesign ground up. Thus we have the same frame and suspension as a 2005 Tacoma with 1 more leaf in the rear.

 

It's difficult even finding discussions online about it. I did find something on TTORA, and it looks like a handful of people converted to rear coilovers. I realize I have a lot to learn when it comes to suspension and why things are the way they are, but seriously, if it can work with other Toyota 4 wheel drives, we should at least consider it with the Tacoma. Right?

 

I tagged the member Evenflow in here. He doesn't have a build thread but I'm sure you could ask him some questions. He has coilovers in the rear done by JTA Fab.

 

Maybe one day but the only real competition the Tacoma has are the new GM trucks and it is still selling just fine. There isn't any need for a multi link coil suspension that would increase engineering/production costs.

 

Leaves work. They are cheaper. There isn't someone riding directly over them to care about the ride quality as say a 4runner.

Not sure what I'd rather have from the factory honestly.

 

I understand that. I don't expect Toyota to get off their ass and actually innovate with Tacomas. I guess I'm more interested in people's experience with converting to coils/coilovers and if it's even worth it.

Sure leaf packs work but they're ancient. Even with our flat OEM springs, they ride rough offroad and even over speed bumps or potholes, and that's not covering all the complaints for squeaky leafs. With all the money people on here spend on Dakars and Deavers and fabrication for Chevy 63"s, you would think that coils/coilovers would be somewhat more popular given they have more travel to them.

 

A lot more money to Fab links and mounts for coilovers.

 

Lifting a solid axle with short factory links causes issues. Pinion angle often goes to shit. My friends old TJ had issues after lifting his, so it's a new leafpack vs new coilovers and new links. Leaves are cheaper to modify as well.

Coils do ride better sure, but at the cost of more expensive customization.

 

I wonder if it's easy to chop suspension parts off a 3rd gen 4Runner and put it on a 1st gen Tacoma.

 

Tacoma leafs are not built flat on purpose, the flatter curve of the springs is simply a result of it being a spring over axle configuration.

 

With any lift pinion angle goes to shit, that is what shims are for, longer OE style links are not very expensive hell you can get heim'd links for less than $400 at places like low range offroad. Leaves are cheaper to modify ?

 

The 4Runner has a shorter wheelbase than the Taco, and still manages to pack everything under there. In reality it came down to cost. Toyota will probably go to rear disc brakes before a coil-sprung rear axle.

It'll be interesting to see if the 2018 Frontier will have a coil-sprung rear axle, like Nissan offers on higher trim Navaras in global markets.