Box Rocket '03 DC Tacoma Build
- Thread starter Box Rocket
- Start date
cletaco
Observer
Box Rocket,
I really like your truck, and thanks for the build thread. I appreciated seeing how the OME went in, and I like the rack a lot.
At the risk of hijacking the thread, I thought I would make a few comments regarding the suspension installation. Anyone thinking of doing this themselves should consider that while this is in fact a fairly easy job in theory, in practice it poses some challenges. I recently purchased the OME 881/Dakar kit from Wheeler's Offroad. I strongly recommend having them assemble the springs/shocks. I did, and it is well worth it. If you don't have the right equipment, compressing springs in quite dangerous. I found that even still, getting the A-arm to flex down far enough to get the shock/spring assembly installed was quite a challenge, even with the sway bar link disconnected. It is a two person job. I did one side by myself with great difficulty, and the other side with my wife's help inserting the lower shock bolt while I stood on the brake assembly!
The rear springs are another matter altogether. Unless you have very substantial and tall jack stands, this is pretty dangerous in my opinion. The truck is in the air, the heavy axle is loose, and each spring weights 70 lbs. Maybe I'm just chicken, but it was pretty precarious looking, so I took it off the jack stands and brought it to a local garage. They popped them in for $220. Money well worth spending.
Sorry for the hijack. Just thought I'd share my recent experience. Love your truck!
I really like your truck, and thanks for the build thread. I appreciated seeing how the OME went in, and I like the rack a lot.
At the risk of hijacking the thread, I thought I would make a few comments regarding the suspension installation. Anyone thinking of doing this themselves should consider that while this is in fact a fairly easy job in theory, in practice it poses some challenges. I recently purchased the OME 881/Dakar kit from Wheeler's Offroad. I strongly recommend having them assemble the springs/shocks. I did, and it is well worth it. If you don't have the right equipment, compressing springs in quite dangerous. I found that even still, getting the A-arm to flex down far enough to get the shock/spring assembly installed was quite a challenge, even with the sway bar link disconnected. It is a two person job. I did one side by myself with great difficulty, and the other side with my wife's help inserting the lower shock bolt while I stood on the brake assembly!
The rear springs are another matter altogether. Unless you have very substantial and tall jack stands, this is pretty dangerous in my opinion. The truck is in the air, the heavy axle is loose, and each spring weights 70 lbs. Maybe I'm just chicken, but it was pretty precarious looking, so I took it off the jack stands and brought it to a local garage. They popped them in for $220. Money well worth spending.
Sorry for the hijack. Just thought I'd share my recent experience. Love your truck!
I am not to mechanically inclined, and I installed a Toytec Ultimate lift myself with help from a friend.
As far as getting the front coilovers on, I used a long pry bar and got the A-arms down fairly easy. As far as the rear goes, throw it up on jack stands, and be careful and there should be no reason you cant do it yourself. I dont see it as to dangerous, if you are careful. Generally when working on things there is always somewhat of a danger of getting hurt.
As a matter of fact, last Thursday I was working on my buddies LC80 and we were reassembling the rear end after installing 5.29 gears. As I was disassembling the Aussie Locker pins, using a chisel/scraper thingy to pry them out it, they busted loose running the chisel into the side of my pointer finger on the other hand requiring me to go get it sewn up in the ER room....but that is part of it. :Mechanic:
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Thanks for the compliments.
It's a good rule of thumb to play it safe and get some help if you don't think you're up to the task of making any modifications to your truck. Or if you don't have the right tools. In this case, a good set of jackstands and a floor jack were helpful. At a minimum you need jackstands. That's it. I have a VERY BASIC set of handtools and that's it. No airtools for me yet.
To me (and I'm probably a 3 banana kind of mechanic at best) swapping leaf springs is really pretty simple. Don't be scared off by that.
As for the front coilovers, if you can have someone assemble them for you, that's great. I had help from a friend with a press to compress the coils. There was still a little "nervousness" as there is a lot of energy in those coil when you compress them but it went pretty slick on the assembly of the coilovers. A trick that I found here on the board to help with the A-arm is to disconnect the sway-bar and use a bottle jack between the upper a-arm and the inner fender to push the a-arm assembly down far enough to install the lower shock bolt. Worked easy as pie for me with little difficulty. Not at all a two person job using this method.
Thanks again for the heads up for the beginners out there that might be wary, but with a little help and some attention to safety, the suspension install should be straight forward for most out there.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Picked this up from Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters this afternoon and got it installed this evening. Just need to finish up my rack and get bumpers figured out and the big stuff is out of the way.
Thanks again Kurt!
Thanks again Kurt!
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Wow, that was fast. Looks great
Box Rocket
Well-known member
So, Friday night was the first time with any kind of real load in the bed of the truck. Wasn't really that much.....
5Gal Water.
40qt Coleman Cooler with ~24 water bottles +ice
5 sleeping bags
5 camp chairs
Dutch Oven
Tool bag
Shovel
HiLift
3 small bundles of firewood.
Honestly seemed like a very reasonable load for a simple overnight camping trip for two adults and 3 teenagers (who were also in the truck). Gotta say I was suprised/disappointed that the rear Dakar springs handled the load so poorly. They were inverted the whole time and riding on the overloads. I expected a little better than that. When the truck is unloaded I wouldn't want the spring rate any stiffer than it already is. I've been trying to decide how to address the truck sitting slightly low in the back anyway and since I didn't want it any stiffer, I already ordered some longer shackles last week. I haven't received them yet, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to need to run an AAL anyway because the load capacity of the Dakars seems to be on the low side.
Even unloaded my springs are now basically flat with no arch in them. Hmm. what to do? Not what I have been anticipating from OME.
5Gal Water.
40qt Coleman Cooler with ~24 water bottles +ice
5 sleeping bags
5 camp chairs
Dutch Oven
Tool bag
Shovel
HiLift
3 small bundles of firewood.
Honestly seemed like a very reasonable load for a simple overnight camping trip for two adults and 3 teenagers (who were also in the truck). Gotta say I was suprised/disappointed that the rear Dakar springs handled the load so poorly. They were inverted the whole time and riding on the overloads. I expected a little better than that. When the truck is unloaded I wouldn't want the spring rate any stiffer than it already is. I've been trying to decide how to address the truck sitting slightly low in the back anyway and since I didn't want it any stiffer, I already ordered some longer shackles last week. I haven't received them yet, but now I'm wondering if I'm going to need to run an AAL anyway because the load capacity of the Dakars seems to be on the low side.
Even unloaded my springs are now basically flat with no arch in them. Hmm. what to do? Not what I have been anticipating from OME.
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
So after unloading them you've now lost height? Very strange. The AAL is an easy install and I have plenty of them here but if they are not netting the 2"+ lift unloaded then we need to start there. Now it is common and expected for the springs to lose a little of their height after the first few big 'break-in' runs, at the end you should still have your 2-3" over stock. My Dakars with AAL's (keep in mind I have the rack and tent always mounted) sit fairly flat but I'm still netting just about 2-3/4" over where I was stock, plus the added height of the tires. When l'm loaded up I'm sitting closer to 2-1/4".
There are two issues we need to figure out, the loaded scenario is far less troublesome then the unloaded situation. Do you have a fender to wheel center measurement you could post, I'll compare it to my install notes as well my truck and another Tacoma I've got here that just received a OME setup (no rear load on an Ex-Cab truck).
I would love to get the rear axle weights between a single cab, ex-cab and double-cab, obviously the double cab is going to be the highest of the three but I really wonder by how much? Several hundred pounds could mean a measurable difference at the spring particularly in the first stage (non-overload).
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Thanks Kurt. I'll try to get some measurements and post them up.
As for potential lost height....... I'm not 100% certain, but I have some measurements (and pics) that I posted in this thread when I first installed them. I'll get new measurements and see how we compare. It should be noted that prior to installing the Dakars it was NOT stock height. I had a small lift block in the rear but it should give a point of reference from where the height was when the springs were fresh and where they are now.
I expect a bit of "settling" once the springs break in, but I've been suprised that there is essentially zero arch in the springs with no weight in the bed at all.
As for potential lost height....... I'm not 100% certain, but I have some measurements (and pics) that I posted in this thread when I first installed them. I'll get new measurements and see how we compare. It should be noted that prior to installing the Dakars it was NOT stock height. I had a small lift block in the rear but it should give a point of reference from where the height was when the springs were fresh and where they are now.
I expect a bit of "settling" once the springs break in, but I've been suprised that there is essentially zero arch in the springs with no weight in the bed at all.
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Sounds like a plan, keep me posted!