How to stop side to side rocking?

[brandonhedberg]

I have a Gen 1 DoubleCab Tundra with 2" lift (5100's and custom leafs 2" + 500lbs). I have a flip-pac and therefore about 450 lbs extra load (including other gear).

When off road with staggered rocks or pot holes the truck starts rocking side to side. Sometimes I need to stop moving forward to make it stop. This is evident by the gear sliding around in the truck and passengers heads. :bike_rider:

I've racked my brain and searched to the end of the internet (nearly). Do I need a rear anti-sway bar or firmer shocks? I'm ok with current rear travel (apx 8.5 inches of 5100 shock travel).

Rancho 9000's? Hellwig Anti-Sway bar? Icon's? Tires (currently Load C BFG AT's)? Lower the lift height?

The truck rides great in all other cases.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[CYi5]

Airbags?

 

[xpdishn]

I can't help you, but I did have a 98 Tacoma 4 x 4 with just a canopy that did the same thing. Sometimes it was extremely unsafe at highway speeds on pavement. Seems like just uneven pavement started the rocking. It's one reason I got rid of it. I tried much stiffer springs in the rear and did no good. I'll be interested on what other people say.

 

[brandonhedberg]

Wow. I too had a Tacoma (1997) and it did the same thing. That's what worries me. I didn't figure the Tundra would carry the same trait.

I remember a trail near Colorado Springs that rocked the Tacoma so bad I turned around and left.

xpdishn, what did you upgrade too after rid'n yourself of the Tacoma?

CYi5, I'll look into airbags. I went the custom leaf pack route to avoid bags, maybe I overlooked something.

Anyone with a solution to this problem?

Thanks.

 

[nely]

Thats weird. My 97 tacoma regular cab did this. But it was my own fault. I took off my front sway bar to make the offroad manners better. It helped off road. But one day comming back from dirtbiking with a 450 & 125 & gear in the bed it was swaying BAADDD back and forth commin down the 15 from lucerne valley. Scared the living $*** outa me. I promtly put the bar back on and no problems after.

So either a sway bar or air bags. But be sure your air bags arent hooked up to one fill port. Otherwise when you turn and the weight tranafers the air will also transfer and defeat the purpose of the air bags.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[RR1]

I have Old Man Emu Dakar Heavies, Fox Emulsions, and Fox Coil Overs up front...Energy Suspension Poly bushings all the way around and on the sway bar, no sway...

Is your 2" lift an add-a-leaf? Your spring rate might be wrong.

When I had on stock the TRD suspension, it swayed quite a bit, it is known that the stock Tacoma suspension (even the TRD Bilstein) is lack luster.

 

[brandonhedberg]

My rear leafs are Alcan's full pack. 2" plus 500lbs (so 2" taller than stock with 500 lbs in the truck).

Do you have Dakar HD for the Tundra Gen1? What lift height are you running front and rear?

Front is stock spring with 5100 at ~2" lift (preloaded).

I'm beginning to think spring rate.

Thanks.

 

[NothingClever]

E-rated tires will stiffen up your ride quality quite a bit. Air bags will help significantly, too. I have a FWC camper in the back of my '02 Tacoma and I get the side to side rocking on blue FS roads but it's never unusual or distracting for me.

 

[98roamer]

http://www.activesuspension.com/

They claim to dramatically reduce sway but I would think at the cost of offroad handling.

 

[Deleted member 13060]

1. If the rear is not sagging then the spring rate is fine....
2. A sway bar will limit articulation and probably make the sway worse....
3. Air bags won't help the problem unless you want to haul more weight in the future....
4. The correct shocks WILL help or eliminate the problem. The reason the trucks sways and then keeps swaying is because the shocks aren't doing or can't do their job. 5100s are an aftermarket shock designed for stock weight trucks. You need a shock that will handle/control the extra weight....
5. Suspension 101. Springs hold stuff up and let said stuff move up and down. Shocks control the movement. I think FOX has some adjustable shocks where you can vary the control/dampening by simply turning a knob....

YMMV RON

 

[tanglefoot]

A swaybar helped me the most. I had the front (and only) swaybar removed on the '85 4Runner for trails and once I put a pop-up camper on the back, it rocked side-to-side pretty badly on every gully and pothole.

I found another stock front swaybar and put it on--it has really improved the situation dramatically! You could try adding a rear sway bar or a heavier front one.

I have OME shocks and front springs that really helped the bump absorption but they didn't do anything for the rocking.

 

[RR1]

My rear leafs are Alcan's full pack. 2" plus 500lbs (so 2" taller than stock with 500 lbs in the truck).

Do you have Dakar HD for the Tundra Gen1? What lift height are you running front and rear?

Front is stock spring with 5100 at ~2" lift (preloaded).

I'm beginning to think spring rate.

Thanks.

Whoops sorry..me doing too many things at once, I have a Tacoma, but more or less the same thing.

Nevermind on the spring rate since you have Alcans not add-a-leafs, someone else stated it is your shocks, they aren't dampening well enough.

You may want to try Bilstein 5125's, or Old Man Emu that are spec'd for your weight/ride height. Fox Emulsions are probably overkill, I run them because I break stuff...

 

[xpdishn]

Wow. I too had a Tacoma (1997) and it did the same thing. That's what worries me. I didn't figure the Tundra would carry the same trait.

I remember a trail near Colorado Springs that rocked the Tacoma so bad I turned around and left.

xpdishn, what did you upgrade too after rid'n yourself of the Tacoma?


Thanks.

Went to the FJ Cruiser. It has a VERY civilized ride both on and off pavement.

 

[austintaco]

My 84 was built for Rock Crawling by the previous owner, but at the cost of some highway manners. The Downey springs were the first to go. They gave up first and the ride really started to suck.
I have replaced them, but since most aftermarket springs are meant for flex, I still get a lot of sway.
The shocks in the rear are angled like this / \ when you look at it from the rear, instead of mounting from the rear to the spring and from the front to the spring like it is in stock form.

I am thinking that the shock mounting in the rear will help out greatly in my case.

BTW, how many miles should Rancho 9000's last? what about Doetch Tech?

 

[brandonhedberg]

Thanks to all who have replied. Very helpful.

Has anyone tried the Rancho 9000xl lately? Durable? Adjustable so might dampen out the rocking?

I'll give Bilstein a call and ask what they recommend given my additional load. Not like I'm carrying any crazy load... but it's an extra 500 lbs and higher COG.

The rear sway bar is an option, but I'd like to hear from someone who has such a thing installed on a Tundra. How much articulation will the sway bar allow? Full stock travel of ~8.5 inches?

Thanks again everyone.