Another Tacoma Build (Brian's 2015 DCLB)

[brianjwilson]

Wow talk about frustrating!!! Nobody wanted to listen to my numbers. I finally just got my wife to send a picture of the axle/spring weight rating on the truck. 1000lbs over stock capacity is actually a little OVER the number I've been asking for. No matter how many times I said "everything adds this much weight over the empty truck", they hear "he needs to add this much weight over stock carrying capacity."

Oh well, enough venting. We'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.

 

[Scott B.]

Did you talk with Jeff at Deaver Springs? If not, you might want to speak with him directly.

I talked with him to order my first spring pack (as well as a custom pack for my Ranger several years ago.) He ended up sending me a U402 pack. Unfortunately, it did not carry my weight or meet my height requirements.

After my long trip out west, I called him again, and explained the problem. This time, I weighted my truck - he was surprised at my nominal weight. Anyway, he built me another spring pack to replace the original one. The new pack is a 10-leaf and sits a little higher than the original one. I have not loaded up the truck and trailer, but I think this spring will carry more weight. (I need to detail all this in my build thread.)

All that being said, I am running 1" blocks under the leaf springs to get the all the lift I want. It almost seems like there is a limit to the amount of curve that can be built into a spring and fit on our trucks.

 

[Wasatch]

Sounds like Chevy 63's may fit your bill (if you can't find an aftermarket leaf pack option).

I have a neighbor who owns an older tundra with a camper and he did just that. Works great for him.

 

[brianjwilson]

Did you talk with Jeff at Deaver Springs? If not, you might want to speak with him directly.

I talked with him to order my first spring pack (as well as a custom pack for my Ranger several years ago.) He ended up sending me a U402 pack. Unfortunately, it did not carry my weight or meet my height requirements.

After my long trip out west, I called him again, and explained the problem. This time, I weighted my truck - he was surprised at my nominal weight. Anyway, he built me another spring pack to replace the original one. The new pack is a 10-leaf and sits a little higher than the original one. I have not loaded up the truck and trailer, but I think this spring will carry more weight. (I need to detail all this in my build thread.)

All that being said, I am running 1" blocks under the leaf springs to get the all the lift I want. It almost seems like there is a limit to the amount of curve that can be built into a spring and fit on our trucks.

Yes I talked with Jeff. He is the one I talked to weeks ago and he told me to email him. I did, several times. Called several times. Then I talked to him on the phone yesterday, finally. I won't call deaver with any future business either, with the lack of return emails and the way I was treated on the phone. The person responding from sales was quick to respond, Jeff specifically was the problem. Alcan was very responsive and friendly on the other hand.

Today I talked to Ron at Oregon Spring company, very friendly and helpful. He said to bring the truck by and he'll take a look and put something together. Either using some of the old man emu steel to start as a base (and save some money) or build something entirely different. He builds springs for deaver and alcan to their specs often. For now that is the plan. I'll bring my truck to him and see what he thinks is best. Otherwise I would for sure use Alcan.

 

[brianjwilson]

Sounds like Chevy 63's may fit your bill (if you can't find an aftermarket leaf pack option).

I have a neighbor who owns an older tundra with a camper and he did just that. Works great for him.

Thanks. If I remember right the Chevy 63" springs are just a couple longer thinner leafs with a big overload, and the overload carries the heavier weight.

Technically I could re-install the OME overload in my leaf spring upside down (it's normally negatively arched) and it would easily hold up the height. But the ride would suck and it would be even more noisy. My goal is to not be sitting on an overload like that. I really want a decent progressive setup that will ride smoothly, let me use more of my shock travel and not be so ridiculous noisy. No need for big overloads as it will be at full weight, and I will use either my superbump stops from wheelers off road, or the short soft timbren from allpro as a bump stop.

Like I said I'm being picky. I'm sure 95% of people would be very satisfied with the way my truck drives and handles now. Hell most people are fine with air bags and stock shocks or bilsteins. But I have a certain idea in my head of what I want, and I'm stubborn.

 

[mk216v]

Glad to hear Oregon Spring was helpful.
This doesn't mean any more people should move to Oregon though. Ron at Oregon Spring is the only nice guy in Oregon. Everyone else is mean and grouchy....so don't move here to Oregon anyone.

 

[cam-shaft]

Glad to hear Oregon Spring was helpful.
This doesn't mean any more people should move to Oregon though. Ron at Oregon Spring is the only nice guy in Oregon. Everyone else is mean and grouchy....so don't move here to Oregon anyone.

Exactly, our Mts suck and snow is no good ^ We have ranchers taking over government buildings so moving to oregon is not a wise decision.

Cameron.

 

[el_topu]

^forgot to mention your rain forest, water falls and hiking trials really suck


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[brianjwilson]

^forgot to mention your rain forest, water falls and hiking trials really suck


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Yep, terrible. Stay away. Or visit and leave.



I guess I did take a picture of the truck up at timberline. Not exactly exciting. The skinny tires with all that weight really worked great though.

 

[mk216v]

^forgot to mention your rain forest, water falls and hiking trials really suck

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See, everyone knows it--Oregon is just an abomination of a place. You all would be smart to just keep driving thru our state on to Washington or California. Fill up your tank in Vancouver or Weed and just keep the pedal to the metal.

Now back to the Toyota programming.

 

[washington taco]

The past few pages of this thread have been the dilemma for me and replacing my current Taco. They simply are not built to haul a heavy load constantly! My current build rolls 900lbs over GVW when fully set up in camp mode and if you look at the gap between my bed and cab you can see a V gap. I'm pretty sure the frame is bent but the body shop wanted 300 bucks just to tell me that. I roll with the OME heavy pack and overload spring installed with Timbren bumps and Bilstein 5160 remote resi shocks with the highest rebound available. It rides awesome but as someone said earlier something is going to bend! For me I think it was the frame.

BTW it's been great fun reading/watching the build! I would like to do something similar but can't get over the fact of a possible bent frame on the next Taco.

 

[Expedition]

Brian,

I am not trying to steal your thread, but wanted to download the info I have researched as I am in the same spot as you are. I want a firmer rear suspension on my 15 taco with an FWC fleet camper and I think custom springs are the way to go.

I found this article to be the best starting point. Below is a comparison of the Taco vs the Hilux.

http://www.exploringoverland.com/ov...2/11/16/forbidden-fruit-the-toyota-hilux.html

What is the true weight of your FWC? I am going to say it is well over 1,000 lbs with the options. I am pretty sure my loaded fleet is about 1,400 without passengers, front bumper/winch, recovery gear, camping gear, etc. I am pretty sure the weight stamped on the VIN (or whatever they call it on a camper) is the dry weight without any of the accessories. Tom at FWC built his taco with ICON shocks and Devon springs. He added the Aluminess rear bumper and loaded his camper to the gills with options. Jonathan with his JATAC build built his with airbags and beefed up shocks on the front and back. Neither of them have had any issues (at least that I have read about with their trucks although I did notice Jonathan sold his Icons in the classified section). I would love to know what weight Tom had his shocks built to hold.

If the Hilux can hold up to 2,500 to 3,500 lbs with the stiff Australian suspension version I don't think 2k or even 2,500 lbs is going to affect a Tacoma with the same axles, springs, and beefed up shocks. The payload is already 1,400 lbs for a DCLB. Add on a tough suspension with custom rear springs and you have to be able to carry 2,500 lbs - no problem I would think. The only real difference between a beefed up suspension tacoma and hilux that I can tell is the boxed frame. The Tacoma frame is still pretty darn stout with the 8 cross members and Tacoma's don't have to worry about long term rust.

Washington Taco - you could have bent the frame, but I am guessing you really had it loaded down and were doing some pretty wicked rock climbing. I am curious to see what the results are from your potential frame bend as I am sure everyone reading this thread is as well. I hope it isn't the frame, but like they say anything can be fixed. If you end up straightening your frame, let us know where it is bent and we can weld extra bracing on in that area as it is obviously the week link.

I have spent the last couple of days reading up on the best way to go for a rear suspension and I think beefed up shocks are the way to go. I would hesitate with only going with 1,000 lb load capacity on the shocks. Maybe 1k for each spring, but I was thinking 1,800 to 2,000 total. Combine that with a 1,400 lb payload for the tacoma and you should be able to load up everything in the house in the camper. I believe the OME springs are 700 lbs with the overleaf. I could be way off here, but this is what I have come up with. I am also considering leaving on my airbags with the custom springs to help with leveling with the camper gets loaded/unloaded.

If anyone has any experience/recommendations based upon an actual build I would love to hear it. Brian, thank you for sharing your build thread. I have learned a ton from it and wish I could still get a supercharger!

Thank you,

South West Explorer (SWE).

 

[brianjwilson]

The past few pages of this thread have been the dilemma for me and replacing my current Taco. They simply are not built to haul a heavy load constantly! My current build rolls 900lbs over GVW when fully set up in camp mode and if you look at the gap between my bed and cab you can see a V gap. I'm pretty sure the frame is bent but the body shop wanted 300 bucks just to tell me that. I roll with the OME heavy pack and overload spring installed with Timbren bumps and Bilstein 5160 remote resi shocks with the highest rebound available. It rides awesome but as someone said earlier something is going to bend! For me I think it was the frame.

BTW it's been great fun reading/watching the build! I would like to do something similar but can't get over the fact of a possible bent frame on the next Taco.

Well a bent frame is no good!

I know there are several weld on kits for reinforcing the 1st frames. Usually for high speed off road stuff. I have seen a few 2nd gens box the rear of the frame for high speed stuff as well. Otherwise I haven't seen issues, and there are a lot that are way heavier than mine. Lots of tacomas carrying campers with rear steel bumpers and swing outs and bikes etc.

I could notice a big difference in the way the truck felt (in a good way) after installing my all pro rock sliders. It feels much more rigid, although it obviously does nothing for the back of the frame.

 

[brianjwilson]

SWE, I don't have a real good guess for weight of the camper to be honest. I added a bunch of stuff between the different times I put it on the scale. And I didn't note whether I had full water and stuff like that most of the time. As far I can tell, the weight on the camper is empty with no options as you said. But it all adds up quick with options, tie down brackets, batteries, water etc.

I really can't complain about how it handles the weight though, after the mods I've done. Brakes could be improved but aren't bad. I've had at least one panic stop from 70mph (standing on the brake pedal), going downhill fully loaded with the family in the truck. It's no sports car but it did just fine. I am glad I got adjustable icon shocks. My rear shocks are valves 25% firmer than a normal Tacoma shock. Without the camper they are set on 1, all the way soft. With the camper I usually set them between 6 and 8 to prevent any secondary bounce.

Jonathan Hansen didn't like his icons. But he had the standard rear icons and air bags. With a lot of air in the bags they can be very bouncy. Most air bags that fit these trucks have a very small volume and require a lot of pressure. He said the shocks couldn't dampen it properly (duh) and strongly advised I not use them. They work GREAT for me and my setup however. The front icons stay at 3 unloaded. With the camper I set them at 4 and again, it's just enough to stop any secondary bounce after a hard stop or big bump etc.


Anyway the shocks aren't carrying any weight, they are just dampening movement. The springs (and airbags or timbrens) are carrying the weight. User cobblecrazy on here is carrying a FWC swift (I think that's the right one) with just old man emu springs with their add a leaf. But last I heard he was looking for more springs as it sagged after a while.

So yeah, anyway, I don't know of anything good off the shelf. I have lots of ideas for combining different springs with airbags as well, but a full custom spring pack is probably the simplest and most reliable way to do it.

 

[washington taco]

Just to follow up I have bolt on CBI rock sliders and CBI frame doublers welded on when I installed my rear CBI bumper/swing out. My trucks so old now I will run it as it is until I find the right replacement. For sure on the next truck its going to be scrutinized for each mod and item bolted on.