-Looking for advice on first stages of build-

[PoeDog]

Hello all. Just purchased a '98 Tacoma that will soon serve as my humble abode indefinitely. I'm selling practically everything I own, save for some tools, clothing, a few books and lots of backpacking and climbing gear and moving into the bed of my truck, with a labrador. A few days after purchase, I found a heavy duty lumber rack on CList for $250 and jumped on it immediately. The next day I found a rather beat up but salvageable fiberglass shell that fits under the rack. Plans are underway for a sleeping/storage system built into the bed.



Here is the truck: 98 Taco ext cab 4x4, V6, 199K, stock wheels, 235's, stock suspension. The rear leafs are just plain flat and worse with the rack and shell on. I imagine that after I move into it permanently the sad suspension would just give up the ghost. As it is, I'm not bottoming out, and the truck doesn't sag too much one way or the other, due to the fact that a good bit of the weight in the rack is over the cab.

I've searched and read tons of posts about suspension, tires, airbags and such but am still having a hard time deciding on upgrades.

What I want out of this rig is something capable of hauling said weight, used for light off road use, mainly highway and fire roads. I'd like it to be a little taller, but don't want to alter driveline and such. I've researced OME, AllPro, Deaver, Alcan, NWOR, Wheeler, etc until my eyes bleed but can't figure out which of these (or a mix of them) would suit my needs.

I'd like to hear what you think would be a good setup, without breaking the bank, for a solid heavy duty suspension that wouldn't require alteration of the driveline/brakelines/etc but still lift the truck a little. I will be putting taller tires on her after the suspension upgrade. And do you think this steel rack is just too damn heavy for the little Tacoma? Thanks for your time.

 

[Containerized]

For what you want, the OME system may be the most cost-effective. Some here who are more "rock crawling" oriented will criticize it, but it's a very good tradeoff of ride and handling for the type of thing you're talking about. You may want to consider ordering those parts after some more planning, based upon your planned vehicle weight. For instance, the OME Heavy springs and shocks might make more sense for you...

 

[washington taco]

For what you want, the OME system may be the most cost-effective. Some here who are more "rock crawling" oriented will criticize it, but it's a very good tradeoff of ride and handling for the type of thing you're talking about. You may want to consider ordering those parts after some more planning, based upon your planned vehicle weight. For instance, the OME Heavy springs and shocks might make more sense for you...

X2

I have a 2000 Taco run the OME system. I have a shell, sleep platform and a sh#$ of recovery gear, tools and what not in the back.
I would base out the basic maintenance items plus the timing belt, water pump and thermostat if that has not been done at the normal 90,000 mile intervals. I camp at my local ski hill all winter every Thursday and would plan on some sort of heat source as the canopy is not warm. I use a Mr Buddy heater and it kicks butt. Have fun with the build!

MIke

 

[washington taco]

I speak with some knowledge as my Taco is at 285,000 miles.

 

[tanglefoot]

Your stance looks very much like new. I think the leaf springs are designed to be nearly flat on these trucks--they're likely not worn out or sagging. If you end up adding enough weight that the suspension isn't supporting it well and you're getting a lot of body lean, you can always add a helper spring. I use a pair of half-leaf helpers that ran about $25 from the auto parts store to help support the truck camper. Another option is the "Zuk" coil mod that supplements the stock springs with a coil spring on each side, usually sourced from a Jeep TJ. Here's more information on that (toward the bottom-left of the page): http://www.gearinstalls.com/

I do like the spring packs and shocks from OME but I consider them to be expensive and they do end up giving you a fair bit of lift (usually more than manufacturer claims). The Toyotas start out with best-in-class ground clearance--I find it to be plenty for exploring and it's always nice to keep the center of gravity as low as practical.

Nice find on that rack but that does add a lot of weight up high, as you've surely noticed. You might decide that you can carry what you need with a few roof bars or a basket instead to help keep the weight light and center-of-gravity low.

I would hesitate to go with much more tire. They only gain you half of the height difference in ground clearance and negatively affect the road handling and fuel economy. If your tires are in good condition, I would keep them. For a home-on-the-road, you want to maximize reliability and minimize operation cost. The best way to do this is usually to keep things as stock as possible and focus on maintenance items such as making sure the timing belt on the 3.4 isn't overdue, keeping the fluids fresh, the filters clean and the chassis lubed, etc. You'll end up with a more reliable platform that costs less to operate and you'll have more $$ left for travel expenses and any repair needs that could arise.

Best of luck!

 

[RockyMtnFamily]

Your stance looks very much like new....... If you end up adding enough weight that the suspension isn't supporting it well, you can always add a helper spring. I use a pair of half-leaf helpers that ran about $25 from the auto parts store.

I have the full sized version of your truck with the same drivetrain. As you can see below, I put a add a leaf and some ball joint spacers on mine and upgraded to manual hubs as the ball joint spacer would have killed my cv axles/boots more often. I hauled 1800 of landscaping pavers this past week and it did fairly well. I would suggest only putting an add a leaf on so you can level it out once you get the shell and rack on. I have 285/75/16 tires on mine and the front rub a bit at full lock, but nothing that some minor trimming wont fix. You could probably get 265/75/16's on there with the load you plan on carrying which will be fine for 99% of the trails in your corner of the state.

Kevin

 

[PoeDog]

Thanks for the replies. If I could save $1000 in suspension parts and get away with a less expensive option, I would. I don't need this rig for wheeling, just to live out of and to travel comfortably. And although the rack is heavy, I like it for the platform I have above the truck. I guess i need to decide if the weight of the rack is worth having to upgrade suspension to heavy duty. Thoughts/experiences with lumber racks?

 

[RockyMtnFamily]

Thoughts/experiences with lumber racks?

I will be building my own this weekend to bolt to my existing camper shell. For the light amount of weight I plan on hauling up there occasionally, it will be more than sufficient. I will be building it out of 1x2 steel in this fashion: l_________l and will then tie it into the camper shell with self tapping lag screws. Total cost will be under $30.

Kevin

 

[PoeDog]

Thanks, just wondering if anyone had run a similar rack and had experience with suspension upgrades and such.

Would an extra leaf and some airbags be a good choice since I won't be wheeling too much but need some support back there? I'm completely into minimalism with this setup, and would rather spend time and money keeping the rig on the road and not keeping up with everyone on upgrades and mods. Thoughts?

 

[PoeDog]

Thanks, just wondering if anyone had run a similar rack and had experience with suspension upgrades and such.

Would an extra leaf and some airbags be a good choice since I won't be wheeling too much but need some support back there? I'm completely into minimalism with this setup, and would rather spend time and money keeping the rig on the road and not keeping up with everyone on upgrades and mods. Thoughts?

 

[Clutch]

That rack isn't too heavy, but if you plan on carrying a lot on it, you're going to need a whole new set of springs. Since that rack is already fairly heavy...just add a little more gear, and you'll break the stock springs. Plus it puts a lot of weight up high which puts even more stress on the suspension, since it will cause the truck to "roll" more in the turns.

I have had three Toyota trucks, and have broken all three vehicle's stock springs, the stock springs do not like to be overloaded. Even with helper springs/add-a-leaf, they will break over time. I have a set of Dakar heavies in the rear...I have yet to break them...they ride like poo, but like to carry weight.

Good rule of thumb is to keep the weight as low as possible, close to the center of gravity.


Since you said you want to keep it as simple as possible (and perhaps cheap as possible) I would suggest not using that type of rack, so you don't have to go crazy with suspension upgrades, and go for a Thule type system on your topper, and perhaps a top box for your lightest items. Or no roof rack at all...I try not to put anything on my roof. For two reasons: One, I like low center of gravity...and two, for stealth...I like to hide everything in the topper, even have curtains so people can't see my treasure...

Keep the truck's add-ons as light as possible, and less stuff will break. That ladder rack has a lot of air resistance for HWY speeds as well.