'05 Taco Suspension Set-Up Advice

[Applejack]

I am driving an '05 Tacoma D/C TRD off-road. For now I am running the stock suspension with 2.5 in lift (Spacers ) Those are going away soon. My wife, daughter and dog, oh and me too, are moving to Guatemala to be missionaries, and need to be outfitting our truck to not only get there but to travel about the country and neighboring countries to deliver supplies to villages. I don't know what best suits our needs. Should i go with some OME 886's or SAW Racerunners? I've got an ARB on the front with an XRC8 winch. I will be switching to synth rope too, to shed some weight.
Drove down last summer and I didn't really feel the suspension was up to the task of a long term stay there.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Best bang for the buck IMO is the heavy duty OME setup.

 

[zolo]

I agree The OME are very nice for the money, also if you were to have a failure with the RaceRunners it might be a bit hard to get repaired out of country.
I run the 2.5 R.R. on my rig and love them they are super nice but if they failed out of country it would be a concern.
(not that ive ever heard of any failing but you never know, ive broken alot of things?!?)
Have fun though sounds like a great opportunity!

 

[CYi5]

I agree, while the adjustable coilovers are perfect for a winch setup, any issues would just be magnified by your distance from available service. The simple heavy duty OME setup is your best bet I think.

 

[Applejack]

Thanx for the input, which seems consistent(OME). Would we be also talking OME shocks too, or just run my current Bilsteins?

 

[zolo]

Just remeber the OME coils only work with there strut assembly.
(as per there fit guide)
Also If you put OME rear leafs in the best bet is to get there shocks as well.
They are set for the lift height and will not top out on full exstention. The Bilsteins might not be long enough at full drop.
Its the little things that really make that package a great one they seem to have though of everything and it all works really well "together"
Right down the the carrier bearing drop, for the two piece drive shaft.

 

[Applejack]

Good info here! Thanx guy's.

 

[hillbillyjake]

i not to thread jack but i thought the OME coils would work on the factory bilsteins?

 

[zolo]

Straight from the application guide. I would not mix and match.
I do believe its a size difference. The coil is thicker hence "heavy load" Witch makes the coil seat different.
Then there is the fact that the springs are lifted and the Bilsteins may not have the needed lenght that the springs offer for the suspension travel. toping out and what have you. Even the adjustable Bilsteins may not work.

As for the rear leaf bushings just get new ones from Toyota they are a struggle to remove from the old leafs.


"OME front coils can only be installed with OME Nitrocharger struts and coil seats."
IMPORTANT NOTE: Leaf spring bushes must be OE. Use Toyota part number 90389-A0003

 

[Overland Hadley]

I am driving an '05 Tacoma D/C TRD off-road. For now I am running the stock suspension with 2.5 in lift (Spacers ) Those are going away soon. My wife, daughter and dog, oh and me too, are moving to Guatemala to be missionaries, and need to be outfitting our truck to not only get there but to travel about the country and neighboring countries to deliver supplies to villages. I don't know what best suits our needs. Should i go with some OME 886's or SAW Racerunners? I've got an ARB on the front with an XRC8 winch. I will be switching to synth rope too, to shed some weight.
Drove down last summer and I didn't really feel the suspension was up to the task of a long term stay there.

My vote is OME all the way round, with Dakars in the rear.

 

[CYi5]

My vote is OME all the way round, with Dakars in the rear.

Agreed. Also, OME products typically work best paired with their corresponding part. I personally wouldn't mix a bilstein with a OME coil. I know sonoran does it with their rear setups, but R & D is there for a reason.

 

[flyingwil]

As mentioned above you are best off with the OME kit.

FRONT: OME 886's with OME N140S's.
REAR: OME Dakkar CS047R with OME N182's

As mentioned you should be able to get replacement parts at any ARB distributor if needed. As for a coil over, you might get into a bind if you have a failure, although I have about 60K on mine with no failures.

If you need a quote for pricing feel free to contact us and we can get you a quote.

 

[Applejack]

Thanks, I will do that!

 

[Crikeymike]

Shedding some weight by switching to synthetic rope is a good idea, plus you can splice it back together if you get in a bad situation, which might happen in the places you'll be going.

The OME struts have a different location for the coil seat compared to a stock replacement strut. IIRC, it's lower on the strut than stock, allowing for a longer coil, and better ride control.

 

[Applejack]

I believe I've been convinced. I'm going with OME. I used their 2" medium duty kit on an '01 Grand Cherokee I had, and really loved it but, thought I needed some more convincing for my Taco. That sad part is I need new tires now, and so OME must wait a little longer.