Deaver Springs

[Cort]

Well after much deliberation and research I see a set of Deaver springs in my future. I have been reading every thread I can find and have talked to several folks including Alcan and General Spring as well and the folks at Wheelers Offroad.

I was very impressed with some of the work and creative problem solving that Deaver has done in the past so I decided to give them a call. Jeff at Deaver took the time to ask exactly how I use the truck and what I expected to get from a set of custom springs before he put some suggestions together for me. When all was said and done, he suggested a "two" stage pack consisting of the following: 6-7 ride springs on top of 4 or 3 thicker "overload" springs that would be semi inverted. There are some details to work out but essentially what this should give me is a "reasonable" ride when I am empty (though I am sure a few sand bags will make it more reasonable), when the camper is loaded for a short outing (1-week)the entire weight will be handled by the springpack, when the camper is loaded for me and my wife and kid for a week I will probably need to level with the air bags, and when I am loaded for expedition type travel I will need a little more help from the bags. The airbags will solely be used for leveling and will not be integral in the suspension in case of failure. I feel that is is a fairly good compromise and allows me to continue to use my truck as a daily driver.

Once I pull the trigger on this it will take them about 3-weeks to make the springs and then I will drive down to Santa Ana (camper loaded) to have them put on and have them "Tweak" anything.

Does anyone out there have any feedback on Deaver other than what is on the Taco forums and on Expedition Portal?

Cort

01 Toyota Tacoma V6 (177,000 mi and counting)
ATC Bobcat
OME 882 coils in the front
Bilstein 5100's all around
Ride Rite Air Bags (Mounting brackets boxed out as well as frame)
ARB Front Bumper
Rear Swing out Bumper (still working on this one)

 

[the fisherman]

Well after much deliberation and research I see a set of Deaver springs in my future. I have been reading every thread I can find and have talked to several folks including Alcan and General Spring as well and the folks at Wheelers Offroad.

I was very impressed with some of the work and creative problem solving that Deaver has done in the past so I decided to give them a call. Jeff at Deaver took the time to ask exactly how I use the truck and what I expected to get from a set of custom springs before he put some suggestions together for me. When all was said and done, he suggested a "two" stage pack consisting of the following: 6-7 ride springs on top of 4 or 3 thicker "overload" springs that would be semi inverted. There are some details to work out but essentially what this should give me is a "reasonable" ride when I am empty (though I am sure a few sand bags will make it more reasonable), when the camper is loaded for a short outing (1-week)the entire weight will be handled by the springpack, when the camper is loaded for me and my wife and kid for a week I will probably need to level with the air bags, and when I am loaded for expedition type travel I will need a little more help from the bags. The airbags will solely be used for leveling and will not be integral in the suspension in case of failure. I feel that is is a fairly good compromise and allows me to continue to use my truck as a daily driver.

Once I pull the trigger on this it will take them about 3-weeks to make the springs and then I will drive down to Santa Ana (camper loaded) to have them put on and have them "Tweak" anything.

Does anyone out there have any feedback on Deaver other than what is on the Taco forums and on Expedition Portal?

Cort

01 Toyota Tacoma V6 (177,000 mi and counting)
ATC Bobcat
OME 882 coils in the front
Bilstein 5100's all around
Ride Rite Air Bags (Mounting brackets boxed out as well as frame)
ARB Front Bumper
Rear Swing out Bumper (still working on this one)


Cort, I have two trucks, an 03 F250, and an 08 Tacoma, Deaver springs are on both. There is no better so you can stop looking and start getting.

 

[Cort]

Thanks fisherman....glad to hear you have had good luck with these guys. I have not heard a bad thing yet but thought I would put it out there.

you are down in Shelter Cove right? hows your summer been down there....pretty mild up here on the 299.

Thanks for the input and fish on

Cort

 

[Missing Link]

Well after much deliberation and research I see a set of Deaver springs in my future. I have been reading every thread I can find and have talked to several folks including Alcan and General Spring as well and the folks at Wheelers Offroad.

Hey Cort,

As usual, we are a step or two behind you. If you recall, we picked up our Bobcat a few weeks after you and mounted it on our 06 Tacoma. Using a set of airbags and load range E tires only, we just returned from a month long, 9,000 mile trip to Canada and Alaska. All went extremely well, however, the whole time the air bags were in the back of my mind. I have decided to beef up the rear springs and take some of the stress off of the bags. The system that you are describing from Deaver sounds perfect. I will be following your progress closely. Good luck with it.

Richard

 

[Kilroy]

Get those springs on yet?

Well after much deliberation and research I see a set of Deaver springs in my future. I have been reading every thread I can find and have talked to several folks including Alcan and General Spring as well and the folks at Wheelers Offroad.

Once I pull the trigger on this it will take them about 3-weeks to make the springs and then I will drive down to Santa Ana (camper loaded) to have them put on and have them "Tweak" anything.

 

[Cort]

Nope...getting them installed early October....that is the earliest I can make it down there

Cort

 

[dorocks]

I talked to my friend Junior, now at 4 Wheel Parts in San Diego, about springs. I never knew ‎much about them. He suggested Deaver (http://www.deaverspring.com/). Deaver makes ‎a lot of springs for high-speed go-fast empty Tundra trucks. But they also make springs ‎for any application. While I was there they were making customs for a new Ford Raptor ‎pickup. Ford uses plain old F-150 springs on their Raptor with spacers.‎

After talking to Jeff at Deaver:

If I understand it right “progressive rate” springs are better for several reasons. They are ‎thinner and flex better. Thus while a Tundra comes with three thick springs plus a bottom ‎overload spring (4 total) – the replacement set I got is eight springs plus two overloads on ‎the bottom (10 total).‎

Secondly thinner springs and more of them can be less prone to being flattened out while ‎under load and the bouncing of offroading. This makes them less prone to breaking. ‎Junior at ORW has seen broken OEM springs that off-roaded with weight in bed.

Let it be said that the best way to get them right is to take it to Deaver’s shop. If he sees ‎your vehicle he will do the best job. There have been times when customers have called ‎up thinking they know how many leaves and such they need but were wrong. Deaver ‎made good on them, but had he seen the vehicle in person, he would have gotten it right. ‎Springs are a very application specific.‎

I went to his shop and in two hours he had ‎pulled the springs off, installed the new pack, and off to In-and ‎Out I went to get a burger.‎

When I put the camper on truck originally it sank about 4 inches and was low in the ‎back. It hit the bumpstops easily. Now it rides right again and is not hitting the bump ‎stops. Did well on my last couple of trips.

 

[Cort]

I agree!

I have talked to Jeff a few times so he could get an idea of what kind of driving I do and what my weight requirements are. I will be traveling down to Deaver's with my rig set up for a typical week long trip so that we can get the setup just right.

I would much rather have them install them so that they can do the fine tuning right there at the shop.

Everyone that I have come across that has dealt with Deaver had great things to say about them.

I am getting them installed on October 11 and then it is off to the WTW Pork Rally

Cheers,

Cort

I talked to my friend Junior, now at 4 Wheel Parts in San Diego, about springs. I never knew ‎much about them. He suggested Deaver (http://www.deaverspring.com/). Deaver makes ‎a lot of springs for high-speed go-fast empty Tundra trucks. But they also make springs ‎for any application. While I was there they were making customs for a new Ford Raptor ‎pickup. Ford uses plain old F-150 springs on their Raptor with spacers.‎

After talking to Jeff at Deaver:

If I understand it right “progressive rate” springs are better for several reasons. They are ‎thinner and flex better. Thus while a Tundra comes with three thick springs plus a bottom ‎overload spring (4 total) – the replacement set I got is eight springs plus two overloads on ‎the bottom (10 total).‎

Secondly thinner springs and more of them can be less prone to being flattened out while ‎under load and the bouncing of offroading. This makes them less prone to breaking. ‎Junior at ORW has seen broken OEM springs that off-roaded with weight in bed.

Let it be said that the best way to get them right is to take it to Deaver’s shop. If he sees ‎your vehicle he will do the best job. There have been times when customers have called ‎up thinking they know how many leaves and such they need but were wrong. Deaver ‎made good on them, but had he seen the vehicle in person, he would have gotten it right. ‎Springs are a very application specific.‎

I went to his shop and in two hours he had ‎pulled the springs off, installed the new pack, and off to In-and ‎Out I went to get a burger.‎

When I put the camper on truck originally it sank about 4 inches and was low in the ‎back. It hit the bumpstops easily. Now it rides right again and is not hitting the bump ‎stops. Did well on my last couple of trips.

 

[RobNE]

Hey All,
This is an interesting discussion and i've been thinking of upgrading my springs. Currently I have the TSB (4 leaf) springs on my 08 Tacoma along with Ride-Rite air bags.

I like the sound of better springs to work with or supplement the air bags, but they (Deaver) remove the overload springs and, at least on Wheeler's website, they specifically note that weight handling capacity will be decreased.

Thoughts,
Rob

 

[leadsled9]

I installed the 10-leaf Deaver custom springs on my 2000 Tundra prior to mounting the Hawk camper. The springs helped out a great deal....but I found that I still needed to install air springs to level things out.

Don't forget to extend your brake bracket to compensate for the stiffer springs so your brake proprtioning valve functions correctly.

Here's a good link to read about the issue:
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3518/page__fromsearch__1

 

[ski3pin]

Hey Cort, do you have an update and photos for us? We are interested in how the installation went and how you like the finished job and performance. Thanks!

 

[Cort]

The idea was to install a custom pack of springs that would eliminate the "need" for air bags. The springs that Deaver built for me are capable of carrying my camper fully loaded. They are not production Deaver Springs we are talking about. You are correct if you buy them from an offroad shop you lose your overloads....those springs are designed for high speed off road travel and have a lot more flex and range of motion. I worked with Jeff Deaver to build a custom pack. I have six ride springs, 2 medium duty springs, and 2 overload springs. So far I love them. With the air bags completely deflated the trucks rides a little low in the back but there is still plenty of spring travel left.....this is exactly what I wanted. So basically the springs are carrying all of the weight and the bags are just being used for leveling. After I got the springs installed I traveled up the East side (left bag at 25 right bag at 15) and headed up into Coyote Valley (air all tires down and deflated right bag to 8 and left bag to 18) . I was extremely impressed with how the truck drove....It was like a totally different truck. I then drove easier routes after I met up with SimiMike in Bishop.

The install at Deaver was fairly straight forward...well at least for me. The truck is fairly old, 2001 model, so the guys at Deaver had to cut off some of the old mounting hardware with a cutting torch as they could not break the bolts loose...They also re-worked my shackles as they were almost completely frozen. Out the door I spent a little more than $1,000, which I think is a totally fair price considering the extra labor that was involved with getting the old equipment off.

I would recommend that anyone going this route take the time to go down to Deaver or wherever and have them installed onsite. If I would have had the springs shipped I think it would have been a bit of a nightmare getting the work done right and in a timely manner. The guys at Deaver are awesome and a very friendly bunch.

Cort

Hey All,
This is an interesting discussion and i've been thinking of upgrading my springs. Currently I have the TSB (4 leaf) springs on my 08 Tacoma along with Ride-Rite air bags.

I like the sound of better springs to work with or supplement the air bags, but they (Deaver) remove the overload springs and, at least on Wheeler's website, they specifically note that weight handling capacity will be decreased.

Thoughts,
Rob

 

[ski3pin]

Cort, thanks much for the great photos and critique of the springs. This will really help in our, and I bet others, decision making.

 

[Cort]

No problem....let me know if you have any other questions. I have been driving the truck for a week now without the camper on and while it is a bit rough, especially when compared to a wimpy stock Taco Suspension, it is not horrible.

Still no complaints,

Cort

Cort, thanks much for the great photos and critique of the springs. This will really help in our, and I bet others, decision making.

 

[RJones]

Cort,

Did you do any mods to the front suspension?

RJ

 

[RobNE]

good review Cort!

How does the truck feel when empty? In my case, which might be similar to yours, my truck has a cap on it for 90% of the time. During the summer i might leave the camper on for a few months at a time. Its always a delicate balance trying to find the sweet spot between the two extremes of loaded and unloaded.

Thanks!
Rob

The idea was to install a custom pack of springs that would eliminate the "need" for air bags. The springs that Deaver built for me are capable of carrying my camper fully loaded. They are not production Deaver Springs we are talking about. You are correct if you buy them from an offroad shop you lose your overloads....those springs are designed for high speed off road travel and have a lot more flex and range of motion. I worked with Jeff Deaver to build a custom pack. I have six ride springs, 2 medium duty springs, and 2 overload springs. So far I love them. With the air bags completely deflated the trucks rides a little low in the back but there is still plenty of spring travel left.....this is exactly what I wanted. So basically the springs are carrying all of the weight and the bags are just being used for leveling. After I got the springs installed I traveled up the East side (left bag at 25 right bag at 15) and headed up into Coyote Valley (air all tires down and deflated right bag to 8 and left bag to 18) . I was extremely impressed with how the truck drove....It was like a totally different truck. I then drove easier routes after I met up with SimiMike in Bishop.

The install at Deaver was fairly straight forward...well at least for me. The truck is fairly old, 2001 model, so the guys at Deaver had to cut off some of the old mounting hardware with a cutting torch as they could not break the bolts loose...They also re-worked my shackles as they were almost completely frozen. Out the door I spent a little more than $1,000, which I think is a totally fair price considering the extra labor that was involved with getting the old equipment off.

I would recommend that anyone going this route take the time to go down to Deaver or wherever and have them installed onsite. If I would have had the springs shipped I think it would have been a bit of a nightmare getting the work done right and in a timely manner. The guys at Deaver are awesome and a very friendly bunch.

Cort

 

[Cort]

Cort,

Did you do any mods to the front suspension?

RJ


Yes I did. I installed the Medium Duty OME coils and the Adjustable Bilstein 5100's. Made a huge difference. The combo completely eliminated the brake dive that is common in Tacoma's. I think people ignore the front end to often

Cort

 

[Cort]

good review Cort!

How does the truck feel when empty? In my case, which might be similar to yours, my truck has a cap on it for 90% of the time. During the summer i might leave the camper on for a few months at a time. Its always a delicate balance trying to find the sweet spot between the two extremes of loaded and unloaded.

Thanks!
Rob


Rob,

Well this summer I pretty much left the camper on. I just recently took it off....I have not put my shell back on. The truck rides rough but nothing out of control. To be honest with you it just feels like a truck with a real suspension.....the kind of ride I remember from when I was a kid driving down the road in my Dad's Chevy C-30. The ride does not bother me at all......though I don't think I would want to drive it on a freeway with concrete expansion joints for and extended period of time. I live in a rural part of Northern California so most of my driving is 2-lane mountain highway, 2-lane roads, and dirt. I did significantly air my tires (Load Range E) down....25 front and 20 rear. I used the chalk test to make sure that the tires weren't to low. I think once I put my shell back on and put a few sand bags in the back, which I do normally in the winter, the ride will be just fine.

The compromise was totally worth it for me,

Cort

 

[Tradmonkey]

Rob,

Well this summer I pretty much left the camper on. I just recently took it off....I have not put my shell back on. The truck rides rough but nothing out of control. To be honest with you it just feels like a truck with a real suspension.....the kind of ride I remember from when I was a kid driving down the road in my Dad's Chevy C-30. The ride does not bother me at all......though I don't think I would want to drive it on a freeway with concrete expansion joints for and extended period of time. I live in a rural part of Northern California so most of my driving is 2-lane mountain highway, 2-lane roads, and dirt. I did significantly air my tires (Load Range E) down....25 front and 20 rear. I used the chalk test to make sure that the tires weren't to low. I think once I put my shell back on and put a few sand bags in the back, which I do normally in the winter, the ride will be just fine.

The compromise was totally worth it for me,

Cort


Very nice! I just ordered a custom pack from National Spring Company (they're just down the street from me) and should have it installed in my "new" 2001 Tacoma in a couple of weeks. Since my camper essentially lives on my truck, I decided to have them build the pack specifically for my needs as well. When I have them installed, I plan on upgrading the shocks as well, probably to the adjustable Rancho 9000 recommended by the guys at the spring shop. I'll be sure to report back the results.

 

[ski3pin]

Cort, now that you had these for about 6 months or so, how about an update on your review? We would appreciate it, thanks!