tacoma suspension up grades [Archive]

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Nullifier

09-30-2005, 08:50 PM

Suty

10-01-2005, 12:27 AM

HOLY FRIJOLES BATMAN, You are going to be busy...All of your Ideas are great. I wished I had the pockets to finish mine up. I spent most of mine last stash O'cash on my Harley. I can't see any faults in your plans..I run Bilstiens, with Downey Coilovers and add a leaf. I'm thinking of changing it all out for the All Pro set up. I would really like to get a set of the Bushwacker Pocket flares, they say they don't fit the D/C's. However, they show them on a D/C on their website. Keep me posted , and I'll help you if I can. Tu Compadre, Suty

Scott Brady

10-01-2005, 09:55 PM

Ok so in about 6 weeks I am getting a nice check owed to me. The wife says I have to spend half on the house LOL! The rest can go into the truck.

I am going to try and get all my suspension gearing etc done. Here are my thoughts. upper a arms either camburg,TCF or All Pro. Probably doesn't matter which, they all seem real close. Either Camburg or Extended Donahoes. Do you guys think the extended donahoes offer that much more travel? I know the camburg are good shocks and are 100 cheaper. Since I have Manual hubs I can probably skip the diff drop..

I am not a fan of the control arms, mostly from a noise/maintenance situation. I am also not a fan of long travel without upgrading to high angle CV's, as the additional travel allows the stock CV's to operate at an extreme load (the cage has minimal contact) and can lead to failure at full droop.

I know the Donahoe uses a higher quality spring and the flutter valve, which helps with slow speed sensitivity. That could be the $100 cost difference.

My recommendation would be to skip long travel and skip the 9000's with controller. Just go with OME or Bilsteins in the back and keep it simple. (see more logic to this further on).

In the rear I have a real debate. I know I am going to run deavers. I talked to them about getting a custom eye made big enough to hole those AOR orbit eyes. You guys have any thoughts on that?

I would run standard Deavers, and get the 9 leaf. Unless you plan on doing custom shock mount work, the shocks are the limit to travel in the rear. Not the springs. The AOR orbit eyes are cool, but would not actually provide any benefit without long shocks. My rear has about 12" of travel, which is excellent!

Also In the shock Department I was thinking Ranhco 9000 adjustables with in cab controller but wanted to get some feed back. Of course I could run Bilstein, Racerunner, or 100 others so what are your recommendations for rear shocks.

I would not recommend the 9000 shocks. There is better shock technology available now. I prefer the OME. The new Donahoe remotes are sweet, but more cash.

I am planning on 4.88 gears rear ARB locker and 33x10.50x15 tires. I know the trends now is the 16" rims with 255/85's but I am not interested in buying new wheels at this time.

I like the 33x10.5, great size (I have those on my Jeep).

Ok, so IMO (for what it is worth), I would avoid all of the exotic suspension stuff, long-travel, etc. Go with the stock Donahoes or SAW and a Deaver 9 leaf. THEN, use the money you saved to install a front ARB. Have lockers front and rear will get you much better performance than long travel, or a remote control shock system.

BajaTaco

10-02-2005, 03:08 AM

I agree with Scott on the uni-ball arms. I think the money is much better spent on something else. Having manual hubs alleviates that a little bit, but not much.

I also agree with Scott on the orbit eyes. However - Scott recommends a 9-leaf pack. I think that should depend on what the weight of the back half of your truck is. If you plan to keep an open bed and not have a lot of weight over stock - Scott do you think 8 leafs is more appropriate? (he is going to do skids and has a custom bumper).

For rear shocks - once again, I concur with Scott.

Lastly, I will say that I think you are taking a bit of a chance putting 33" tires on a 2.5" lift, unless you plan on doing some considerable clearancing work to avoid rubbing the tires a lot when on the trails.

Nullifier

10-02-2005, 03:58 AM

Thanks for the pointed feed back. That is why I am glad I joined this forum. No here say, opinions that matter from the guys who know.

Thanks for clearing up the extended coilover issue. I guess your right if I'm not running baja I probably won't need it. I heard a few people make coments about the unibal squek but didn't really think it was that big a deal. Since both of you have mentioned it I will consider not doing this now. Maybe when Donahoe comes out with theres it will be more queit and worth upgrading.

My original thought on rear shocks was bilstein. What do you think makes the OME shocks as good. I am planning on adding a cross member in the rear to triangulate the shocks for beter travel.

I am still up in the air on the rear springs but your opinion is noted in running standard deavers. Obvioulsy alot of trips are weekend outings, but there will be times when we will be out for a month. I am still trying to deside on leaf count and am debating between 8 & 9 count. SOme more feed back on that would be great. I am working on beter balancing my truck. I have quite a few goodies for the bed planned so I will have some wieght back there.

I have also debated on the 32" vs 33" tire thing. I have no issues trimming back some material in the wheel well since this is a trail truck not my daily. I figure that the .5" or so gained in tire hieght would only help on super tuff trails but I do like to go to tellico and places like that as well.

Lastly on the front locker issue. with out a doubt the locker outwieghs the arms or orbits or anything else in traction. I have really avoided this topic for now since I have mixed emotions. In some ways I feel that the locker is going to help me break more cv's. Obviously not the kind of thing you want to happen on the trail. I was considering an LSD in the front. It will give alittle help without the steering and breakage issues. I don't know what do you guys think on the front LSD locker thing.

Scott Brady

10-03-2005, 05:32 PM

I am running the Bilsteins, but don't really care for them. They are too stiffly valved IMO. They have poor low impact sensitivity, which makes the ride a little jarring on rough surfaces.

I like the OME shocks because of the HD construction and the better slow speed valving. The dual tube design resists dings better (or at least, they continue to work if a small ding occurs).

Having run both now, I just prefer the OME

I would not recommend the 8 leaf pack for a truck used for camping. Everyone I have talked with that went 7 or 8 leaf, and uses the truck with a load have all upgraded to at least a 9 leaf.

For a trail only truck, the 8 would be great, just not with a load...

Desertdude

10-03-2005, 06:44 PM

Agreed on the 8 leaf debate - the 8 leafs were fine until I loaded another 200 lbs into the back bed

Scott - Which Bilsteins are you running? 5100's ? have the 5150 Bilsteins (extra reservoir) Not having any experiance with the OME the 5150's appear to be very smooth - although one mount tip came loose and had to be welded in a pinch - (should have applied some loctite on the nut before mounting)

Scott Brady

10-03-2005, 07:21 PM

I am running the 5100's.

I have heard that the reservoir shocks you are running are a little more plush.

I also don't want it to sound like a "hate" the Bilsteins either. They are fantastic at high speed, and exhibit very little fade. All things I need too...

Desertdude

10-03-2005, 07:30 PM

your research is always thorough and real world experience opinions respected - I view you as the "Switzerland of equipment advice" always directed towards the needs of the user - not brand specific.

Note: after my shock mount came loose I removed the shock for a quick weld repair - the shock travel was much easier than when it first was mounted - meaning after 7 months of moderate/heavy use it was all ready fading somewhat...

BajaTaco

10-03-2005, 07:50 PM

Getting back to the coilover/arms issue, I think by just disconnecting or removing the swaybar, you will be getting the most travel out of the IFS while still maintaining a reasonable amount of CV joint integrity.

Regarding Bilsteins, I too have used them on a few different vehicles and like them. The last pair I had was on my current Tacoma, and I felt like they actually softened up quite a bit and didn't control body roll as well, but had a nice ride to them. They were the 5100 series. I had removed them to keep as spares, but they now reside on Crawler976's '98 Tacoma.

Regarding the double-wall tubes on the OMEs, there is an advantage in durability regarding denting the outer tubes, but also keep in mind that the double-tube does not disspate heat as well as monotube, as the heat can build in the void between the two tubes. I have no idea if there is any realistic performance difference or not on your particular truck - it is probably negligible. However, with my heavy truck, regular diameter rear shocks can get VERY hot and fade prematurely. I now have 2.5" reservoir shocks to address that issue.

You mentioned triangulating the shocks. Keep in mind that you will lose damping performance the more you move the shocks away from parallel to the sides of the truck, and the further they are from vertical. This is not such a big deal for trucks that mostly crawl on trails, but if you go fast on trails as well, you may want to consider the trade-off. Read the "geometry" section of this article. (http://www.4x4review.com/feature/shock-genius.asp)

On the topic of leaf springs - you may want to consider using extended rear shackles to get more efficient use out of the springs. This allows less arch to be required for the springs to achieve a desired amount of lift, and allows the spring travel to increase with less of an arched spring. This is purely optional though. I think extended shackles are going for around $60 or so.

I haven't used a LSD front end, but I'm not sure I would want to use it on slippery roads. I prefer the "yes it is locked" or "no, it is open" kind of decision making. You are correct that the front locker will expose you to more risk of CV breakage. I think carrying a spare CV axle, tools to change it out, and the knowledge to do so is prudent in this case. It's easy to learn how to do it, so shouldn't be a major detractor in your decision if you want the added trail capability of the front locker. I think the biggest drawback is the cost if anything. If you are already breaking CV's with an open front diff, then I probably would not get the locker :) .

Regarding 32's/33's, this was discussed at length at 4wdtrips.net and each side of the coin has it's advantages and disadvantages. Both sizes can be viewed as a good decision. Making the decision however, is a very difficult one for many people, myself included.

BajaTaco

10-03-2005, 07:57 PM

Oh yea, you may already be aware of these issues, but I will post for anyone who may be reading this:

95-04 Tacoma suspension upgrade - "hidden mods"

1. Brake Proportioning valve (http://www.bajataco.com/Brakes3.html)

2. E-brake cable contacting thicker leaf packs, and Extending Rear Brake Line (http://www.bajataco.com/Brakes1.html)

3. More rear axle travel can mean dented shock cans (http://bajataco.com/spacermod.html)

4. Disconnecting the front sway bar (http://bajataco.com/quick-discos.html)

Nullifier

10-04-2005, 07:13 PM

I knew about the Brack line and possible conflict with thicker leaf pack. I was wondering about the BPV bracket and if Would have to relocate some of it. Thanks for the limk tot he article. That is an easy mod but I see critical.

p1michaud

01-26-2006, 01:53 PM

Hi folks,
After a few years of putting up with my rear suspension set up:rolleyes: , I’m going to replace my rear leafs and shocks. I’m driving a 1999 Tacoma, Extended Cab, 4x4, with the V6 with a Leer shell along with a few recovery items and tools. My load varies between 400 to 900 lbs in the rear including the shell and gear mentioned above. After discussing with a few members and Scott Borne at Deaver Spring, I will be purchasing a set of the Deaver Rear 9 leaf Springs along with a set of Bilstein 5150 shocks, part number BF5-A195-H1 (8.33” of travel, 22.50” extended and 14.17” collapsed).

I do have a few questions:

1-Do the Deavers re-locate the rear axle 0.5” forward to center your rear wheel in the wheel well?

2-Do you have to replace the U-bolts with longer ones or will the factory ones long enough?

3-With this set up, would I have to make any other modifications besides:
• Adjusting the Brake Proportioning valve
• E-brake cable contacting thicker leaf packs
• Extending Rear Brake Line

Some of the items I was concerned about here were:
A-Having to extend the bump stops by 1” to eliminate the possibility of bottoming out the shocks? I will be measuring for proper travel as BajaTaco described (http://www.bajataco.com/travel-measurement.html) but how do you do this safely (i.e. without crawling under a truck that is being held in place by a jack? For those of you that have measured, did you block the truck in place?

B-Do you have to correct the pinion angle via tapered shims? See below for more details.

C-With the increased rear axle travel, is there a possibility of contacting or denting the shock cans with the Bilstein 5150?

Correcting the rear pinion angle when lifting your vehicle.
I have a few minor vibrations that show up between 55 to 65 MPH on the Tacoma and have been doing some research. I checking my rear drive line angles as per Roger Brown’s Driveline 101 page (http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Driveline-101.shtml) and my angle was off by about 5 degrees. This might lead to some drive line vibrations. I have also discussed the issue with Roger and here is what he had to say: “If you have a driveshaft of X" long and a pinion flange that sticks out Y" from the centerline of the axle. For every degree you tip the pinion up or down, it will move Y*sin(angle) inches up or down. Since the driveshaft is bolted to the pinion flange it'll move up or down the same amount. And so for every X/Y degrees of tilt on the pinion the driveshaft angle will lower by 1 degree. A typical 2-piece Tacoma driveshaft is around 29-30" long (on the rear half) and the pinion should be the same 11" from the center line of the rear axle, so your ratio is 29/11 or 2.6:1. If you are 5 degrees low on the pinion angle and you want to end up about 1-2 degrees low, a shim of about 3 degrees will tip the pinion up 3 degrees and also drop the driveshaft angle a little over 1 degree, netting you about 4 degrees of correction."

So having read all this, have any of you with lifted Tacoma (~2") corrected your rear pinion angle?

Cheers :beer: and sorry for the long post! :Wow1:
P

Scott Brady

01-26-2006, 02:17 PM

P,

In response to your questions:

1. Yes, unless otherwise specified, all Deaver pack are delivered with the .5" forward pin position.

2. U-Bolts should be replaced everytime the springs are removed. U-Bolts are fine thread and deform slightly at the final torque specification. U-Bolts should not be re-used

3. Exactly :D

The critical thing to remember about multi-leaf, progressive springs is that they cannot be overloaded and flexed. Most factory leaf packs are dual stage (with the overload) for that reason, but results in a crappy ride.

The key thing with the Deavers (Alcans, National, etc.) is that your weight estimates must be correct. Running 8-900lbs. with an 8 leaf pack will kill them in short order when off-road.

p1michaud

01-26-2006, 05:41 PM

1. Yes, unless otherwise specified, all Deaver pack are delivered with the .5" forward pin position.
...
The key thing with the Deavers (Alcans, National, etc.) is that your weight estimates must be correct. Running 8-900lbs. with an 8 leaf pack will kill them in short order when off-road.

Scott,
I would also assume that Deaver marks the leaf packs for left and right as well as forward/backward for proper orientation during installation?

Before placing my order, I will be going to a local scale to get accurate weight measurements

Do you have any comments with respect to the concerns listed below?

Some of the items I was concerned about here were:
A-Having to extend the bump stops by 1” to eliminate the possibility of bottoming out the shocks? I will be measuring for proper travel as BajaTaco described but how do you do this safely (i.e. without crawling under a truck that is being held in place by a jack? For those of you that have measured, did you block the truck in place?

B-Do you have to correct the pinion angle via tapered shims?

I had also heard rumors that Donahoe Racing had new shocks for the tacoma and here was the response I got from them:"Our Rear Reservoir Shocks for the 96-04 Tacoma are available now. They are great for on and off-road performance. They improve handling with stock applications and improve performance with aftermarket leaf springs. They are applicable on Tacoma with 0-3" of lift in the rear. They are covered by a life time warranty and will out perform any other shocks on the market. They usually go for around 199 a piece and are a great addition to your truck if you are looking for improved ride quality and performance."

This might be an interesting alternative. I replied asking for more details so we will wait and see! :D
Cheers :beer:,
P

Ursidae69

01-26-2006, 05:53 PM

Scott,
I would also assume that Deaver marks the leaf packs for left and right as well as forward/backward for proper orientation during installation?

P

Mine were the same left or right, but I had a slight driver's sag. Scott at deaver can make one side slightly stronger and you call that the driver's side. I plan to send mine back and make then 10-leafs because I sometimes have more weight than you are looking at and when I do I plan to make the driver's side stronger. Forward and backward isn't a problem, different bushings so you know which way they go.

Scott Brady

01-26-2006, 05:56 PM

P,

I should have a pair of the remote res. Donahoes in a few weeks. I can report on their performance.

I have been unhappy with the Bilstein performance with regards to fading. My set is toast after the last trip. The valving was good, but mono-tube shocks cannot recover from extreme overheating. That is why dual tube or remote res. are prefered for high speed/long distance travel.

I believe that Pasquale (DesertDude) had similar negative results with the 5150.

Scott Brady

01-26-2006, 05:58 PM

good point on the bushings Chuck. The forward eye is also milatary wrapped.

BajaXplorer

01-26-2006, 06:19 PM

I'll wade in here with some info for my specific vehicle, '02 Tacoma D/C. My truck as a daily driver carries 500+lbs (shell w/rack, fridge, bumper, large chest of tools, parts, survival gear, pullpal). When I go it is loaded with add'l 300-400 lbs. In the daily driver mod it is at a total of 5100 lbs.
Have Deaver 9 leafs in rear with 5150 bilsteins, also 1 1/4 shackles.
Been running this for two years without probs (AllPro coils/A arms in front)
Your questions:
1. Deavers are centered, no problems with flexing.
2. Longer u-bolts come with the Deavers.
3. (1) Adjust BPV no big deal.
3. (2) brake, Can't remember but I think I moved it some.
3. (3) Brake line, bought second one from Toyota and screwed into original and added a spring to pull it out of the way on compression.
A. Did not replace bump stops.
B. Did not do anything about pinion angle.
C. Hit shocks, did shock offset mod with washers/bushings, no more probs

I don't believe the Deavers are side oriented, but frankly I don't remember.
Deaver will want your weight. Plan ahead, if you are going to add more weight later, calc it in. Deaver people are real easy to work with.
Good Luck,
BX

I see there were several replies while I was writing mine.
My 5150s seem to be holding up fine.

BajaTaco

01-26-2006, 06:25 PM

P,

To answer some of your other questions:

3A - This depends on what length shocks you end up with. One alternative to jacking the truck is to just take to to a gully or ditch on a trail, that you can drive into and max. out the suspension travel. Put the vehicle in 4wd, and leave it in 1st gear, shut off the engine, and set the parking brake. Chock the wheels, and you can get those measurements. Donahoe should be able to give you the extended and compressed lengths on those new reservoir shocks.

3B - I highly doubt you would need to do this.

3C - Yes. I recommend the spacer mod.

As I mentioned to you via email, I think the best solution for those of us with heavy trucks, is to get the largest shock body (oil capacity) that we can afford, even if it means getting shocks with a reservoir. Cooling capacity is a must for our kind of loads. Equally important is valving. We don't hesitate to spend $175-$200 each on really good tires, but most of us balk at spending more than $100 ea. for shocks. IMO, they are just as imperative as tires, when it comes to a quality ride and driving experience. Faded shocks will also add more stress/abuse to your leaf springs and/or coil springs.

Desertdude

01-26-2006, 06:29 PM

P, I should have a pair of the remote res. Donahoes in a few weeks. I can report on their performance.

I am not crazy about the Bilstiens mostly from a stoutness point of view - for offroad shocks they are quite fragile( in mounting and shock stem dia) as far as the attached rez - a fellow from fox shock mentioned - with that small of a remote rez cannot truly keep up or add anything to the main shock.

But in defense of Bilstien - I think my set held up fairly well through Baja
- for the money -they seem to be OK for moderate off-roading and higway use.

If The new Donahoe shocks are anything like the coilovers - this will be a winning combo :bowdown:

p1michaud

01-27-2006, 11:35 AM

Wow,
I can’t believe all the responses!
Thanks guys for you time spent answering my questions and all your comments. I really appreciate it.

Deaver will want your weight. Plan ahead, if you are going to add more weight later, calc it in. Deaver people are real easy to work with.

BajaXplorer,
I am planning on having the truck weighed prior to placing my order. I have found that the Deaver people are extremely easy to work with. Scot Borne at Deaver has answered all of my questions. I did not think that the U-bolts came with the Deavers if you order directly from them but am not sure. Where did you purchase yours?

I should have a pair of the remote res. Donahoes in a few weeks. I can report on their performance.

Scott,
I’m looking forward to another one of your excellent reviews. They are always very informative. :coffee: Make sure you get the extended and collapsed length for the shock. They seemed a bit reluctant to send me that specific information after I asked. You might have better luck with your contacts.

Until Scott gets his hands on them for a proper review, testing and feedback here are a few pictures to drool over! Here is all the information I received about them to date: “Our Toyota rear shocks have an external reservoir with a 2” shock body. They are specifically valved for the Tacoma’s”

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/Suspension/Donahoe_Air.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/Suspension/Donahoe_Air-2.jpg

…I think the best solution for those of us with heavy trucks, is to get the largest shock body (oil capacity) that we can afford, even if it means getting shocks with a reservoir. Cooling capacity is a must for our kind of loads. Equally important is valving. We don't hesitate to spend $175-$200 each on really good tires, but most of us balk at spending more than $100 ea. for shocks.

I’ve thought this over and fully agree with you. Most of my questions came about when I started doing some reading about the various configurations for the rear of the Tacoma. After re-doing the front suspension 3 times and the rear suspension twice I want to make sure I do it right the last time around.

If The new Donahoe shocks are anything like the coilovers - this will be a winning combo

I don’t have the coilovers yet, but I will agree from all the reports I have read on the Donahoe coilovers. :victory:

Cheers :beer:,
P

Scott Brady

01-27-2006, 01:45 PM

As I mentioned to you via email, I think the best solution for those of us with heavy trucks, is to get the largest shock body (oil capacity) that we can afford, even if it means getting shocks with a reservoir. Cooling capacity is a must for our kind of loads. Equally important is valving. We don't hesitate to spend $175-$200 each on really good tires, but most of us balk at spending more than $100 ea. for shocks. IMO, they are just as imperative as tires, when it comes to a quality ride and driving experience. Faded shocks will also add more stress/abuse to your leaf springs and/or coil springs.

:clapsmile Well said amigo...

BajaTaco

02-05-2006, 09:45 PM

Just an "FYI" to keep in mind for heavy "expedition style" trucks:

The Bilstein 5100 series uses a digressive piston that flows much more on compression so it usually makes for a smoother ride. More oil is allowed to pass through piston very quickly allowing the shaft to compress more easily on a hard hit. The 7100 series piston uses a 50/50 flow racing pattern (50/50 compression/rebound) which doesn't flow as much during a hard hit.

Donahoe Racing does a lot of product apps for SuperDuty trucks and will actually take a 7100 series reservoir shock and install a 5100 series piston inside of it and valve it accordingly (for more rebound control). I bet these new 2.0 reservoir shocks they are making work really well, and I am curious at what "average" weight (GVW of vehicle) they decided on for the valving. My guess is somewhere right between stock curb weight of an Xcab and a moderately loaded weight (aftermarket accessories - bumpers, etc) on a Dcab. I would be interested to find out if they will custom valve these new shocks for someone with a heavily loaded (in excess of 5,000 lbs) Tacoma or if it is close enough that it won't matter much. It seems it would be really cool to utilize this reservoir shock with the 2.0 body that bolts into the stock location, and valve it for our heavy trucks with the fast compression and more robust rebound control.

BajaXplorer

02-06-2006, 05:39 PM

BajaXplorer,
I am planning on having the truck weighed prior to placing my order. I have found that the Deaver people are extremely easy to work with. Scot Borne at Deaver has answered all of my questions. I did not think that the U-bolts came with the Deavers if you order directly from them but am not sure. Where did you purchase yours?
P

U-bolts came with my Deaver springs. I can't remember having to ask for them, but may have. I went to Deaver's shop after weighing truck (front, rear) at a public scale and talked to Scott. Waited while they put the springs together (30 minutes?), then took them with me to a MORE desert race in Johnson Valley on my way back to Phoenix where my friends insisted on putting them on before I headed home.
Drive thru spring shopping. And friends mounting them in 40 minutes. It doesn't get much better than that.:)
BX

p1michaud

02-12-2006, 09:55 PM

Drive thru spring shopping. And friends mounting them in 40 minutes. It doesn't get much better than that.:)
BX

You have some real good friends! I'll be able to con one or two of my friends in helping out with some :beer: but only after all the work is done! :jump:

Cheers,
P

p1michaud

04-25-2006, 12:16 PM

Hi folks, well since I received a wealth of information from the good folks on this forum while doing my research I though I’d share with you what I have gathered to date. To give you an idea, I spoke to Scott, Desertdude, BajaTaco, Scott Born the Sales and Marketing Manager at Deaver Spring Inc. (scott@deaverspring.com), Jason Perry the National Sales Manager at Wheelers Off Road Inc. (Jason@Wheelersoffroad.com) and Jeremy Johnson the Sales Representative for Donahoe Racing Enterprises (dr_info@donahoeracing.com). Everyone was extremely helpful by generously offering information and experience as I was doing my research and I thank them for that. :coffee:

The rear configuration I chose was Deaver 9 Leaf combined with Old Man Emu N85. I picked them up yesterday! :victory: I chose this configuration for various reasons: weight (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1231) of the truck, available funding, type of use my truck will see and the environment it will be used in. I also chose the OME rear shocks to match my current front suspension: OME N91sc shocks, in hind sight I should have gone with the N91s, 881 springs and one trim packer per side. I am very happy with the OME performance up front so I expect the same performance from the rear shocks.
I believe that the coilovers such as Donahoe and Camburg would not fair too well in the Canadian climate. My main concern here is winter road salt. It will make anything rust in less than two years. I’m sure the coilovers would function, but they would probably seize so you could not rebuild or adjust them and to me that defeats the purpose of a rebuild able coilover. I would be willing to test the Camburg or Donahoe products for them in Canadian climates! :D

Shock Information (using stock mounting points):
Stock Configuration for reference:
Stock, the approximate travel is:
Driver 6" travel
Passenger 6.5" travel

Option 1:
OME N85 approximately $75 US each
USA, ARB 4x4 Accessories, 720 SW 34th Street, Renton, WA 98055-4814
Tel: (425) 264 1391 or Fax: (425) 264 1392

Description / mm / in (Driver and Passenger are the same)
Travel/ 230 / 9.05
Extension / 587 / 23.11
Compression / 357 / 14.06

**Option 2:
Bilstein 5100 (5125) approximately $75 US each

Description / Driver (in) / Passenger (in)
Travel / 8.13 / 8.60
Extension / 21.54 / 22.50
Compression: / 13.58 / 14.06
Part Number / BE5-6252-H5 / BE5-6253-H5

**Option 3:
Bilstein 5150 (http://www.bilstein.com/offroad_5150.php)approximately $100 US each

Description / in (Driver and Passenger are the same)
Travel / 8.33
Extension / 22.50
Compression / 14.17
Part Number / BF5-A195-H1
(Reference:

**Note: You will have to replace the Bushings for the Bilstein shocks or drill them out to fit on the stock mounting location. Here are the specs for the replacement bushings:

Standard hourglass shaped eye.
3/4" I.D.,
1" min.O.D.,
1 1/8" max. O.D., 1 7/16" long.

You will need 4 of these (i.e. two per shock)

I understand that these bushings are available from either Energy Suspension bushings (http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/sk_bsp1.html) as part number #98108R or from Daystar as part number KU08007.

Option 4:
Finally Donahoe Air has released their 96-04 Toyota Tacoma rear shocks. They have an external reservoir with a 2” shock body. They are specifically valved for the Tacoma’s. They are applicable on Tacoma with 0-3" of lift in the rear. They are covered by a life time warranty and go for around $ 199 US a piece. Scott mentioned that he will be testing a set of these in the near future and report on their performance.

Other items to keep in mind:
When upgrading the rear suspension on 95-04 Tacomas there are a few "hidden mods" ( http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1559&postcount=11) to address as well.

Brake Proportioning valve

E-brake cable contacting thicker leaf packs

Extending Rear Brake Line

More rear axle travel can mean dented shock cans

Disconnecting the front sway bar

You may need tapered shims (http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Shims.shtml) to correct pinion angle. From what I understand, not too many people here have had to deal with this problem on the Tacom, but it may crop up so be aware. Roger Brown’s Driveline 101 page ( http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Driveline-101.shtml) has excellent information about this on his website.

You should always use new U-bolts.

The new Deaver Springs will locate you rear axle forward (i.e. towards the front of the truck) by 0.5”.

For the rear, there are two main options: Deavers or Alcan. Both have been discussed here in great detail, so I won't add to that. What I struggled with was finding once source of information on shock choices so that's why I posted this information. I chose Deavers due to the good experiences that other members on this board have had with them. I can say the same about Deaver, excellent customer service!

Hopefully this information will help other people make a choice with their Tacoma rear suspension set ups. Feel free to comment or point out any mistakes!
Cheers :beer:,
P

Desertdude

04-25-2006, 01:31 PM

Well done :coffee:

BajaTaco

04-25-2006, 03:33 PM

That is a very well thought-out contribution to the forum, and all of those will come along looking for info. Thanks P! :clapsmile

p1michaud

04-25-2006, 04:48 PM

Well done

That is a very well thought-out contribution to the forum, and all of those will come along looking for info. Thanks P! :clapsmile

Thanks guys, just trying to make the information available to everyone.:elkgrin:

Cheers :beer: ,
P

seth_js

04-25-2006, 04:53 PM

Damn... I wish I put that much thought into my truck. Maybe then I wouldn't have replaced everything 4 times.

**Option 2:
Bilstein 5100 approximately $110 US each

The 5100's (5125) actually go for $75 USD each.

-Seth

p1michaud

04-26-2006, 10:41 AM

Damn... I wish I put that much thought into my truck. Maybe then I wouldn't have replaced everything 4 times.

The 5100's (5125) actually go for $75 USD each.

-Seth

Seth,
I've done the front 3 times, so I wanted to make sure I did not have to do the rear 3 times as well. Thanks for the correction on price, I've updated the information.

Cheers :beer:,
P

p1michaud

05-01-2006, 10:55 AM

Hi again folks. Well after a long wrenching session and the help of a friend the new springs and shocks are now installed! :victory: Wow what a difference in ride quality, lift and flex. We spent 6 solid hours doing the replacement but did not use any air tools and ran into a few problems with bolts being seized or fused to the metal sleeve of the bushings on the existing springs. We basically followed the instructions of the Factory Service Manual and the write up on expeditionswest ( http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/tacoma/deaver.html) but where we wan in to trouble was in this step: “After the ubolts are removed, the spring mounting bolt at the front of the pack needs to be removed. As the bolt is removed from the spring bushing it is necessary to hold the spring pack to prevent it from dropping. ”

Way easier said than done if your truck is not relatively new or you that live in rust prone climates area. After attempting to pry, beat and press the bolt out we had to cut it just inside the spring hanger using a mini grinder and zip cut disk. We had to do this on both sides. What a PITA! :ar15: Luckily I had purchased one new replacement bolt for just this reason but I needed two. I used a ½” Grade 8 bolt as a temporary measure. The stock replacement bolt was 0.540” diameter so I figured that a 0.500” would be a suitable temporary replacement until the part arrives. So a word of caution for those of you who do this, I’d recommend purchasing two new replacement bolts and have them there in case you need them. Cheap insurance!

After inspecting the old leaf springs, we found that I had one broken leaf on each side. :Wow1: This attributed to the sag and rough ride. I knew one leaf was broken but not two. These leafs were stock replacements that were two years old! I had them re-arched after 6 months of use and added an extra leaf and they lasted another 18 months. Not the type of performance I had expected especially for the price I had paid. Nearly the $500 at the time. Too bad I did not go the Deaver or Alcan route back then!
Cheers :beer:,
P

BajaTaco

05-01-2006, 02:45 PM

p1michaud

05-01-2006, 03:17 PM

Hey P, great news! :victory: Man, that rust is the devil! :smileeek:

Two broken leafs?? You deserve to run the super secret, coveted mexican backcountry route called "sick spring road". :D If you ever come down this way, just ask Al Walter about it and we'll set you up. ;) It is named after him :p

Yep, it was worth in when I took it for a test drive. :elkgrin: I also tested the rear flex and whoa I did not know that the Taco was capable of such flex! :D

Perhaps some day, I'll get to visit down your way. I've been thinking about it for quite some time now. "sick spring road" nice one. I know how that feels.
Cheers :beer:,
P