Tacoma shock upgrade?

[Shadyapex]

Hi all, I'm looking to upgrade the rear shocks on my '14 Tacoma as I have a FWC Eagle and am looking for a little more rebound damping. I'm not looking for advice on the springs. I have Firestone airbags and they handle the extra load without a problem, the annoyance for me is the rebound damping as the back end bounces a bit like a pogo stick when I hit a bump (or repeated bumps) a little too fast.
This isn't a big issue but I'd like to find a better shock, maybe with adjustable damping, that might help.
The truck is the TRD Sport package with Bilsteins front and rear. Love to hear from any with positive experience in this regard. Cheers,,,,,,

 

[JHanson]

Shadyapex,

Moving up the Bilstein ladder to the 5100 would make a big difference. The prosaic but reliable Old Man Emu low-pressure nitrogen shock is also well-proven. Right now we're running all-oil Australian Boss shocks, which are adjustable to suit varying loads and/or driving situations. Like the OMEs they are double-walled so minor stone dents won't damage the internal mechanism.

If I can offer general advice, stay away from shocks with all-metal heim joints, in favor of standard rubber or polyurethane bushings. Heim joints are great for precise response, but don't attenuate minor vibration as well, and they wear quickly and subsequently rattle annoyingly. I also avoid shocks with exposed shafts, which are subject to road rash and will then degrade the seals.

 

[ntsqd]

In the Bilstein 7100's, which come with spherical bearings, you can remove the bearings and snap-rings and then replace them with universal fit urethane shock bushings. They're a pain to install (use silicone grease and a vise at least), but it fixes that issue. I've had a pair of 7100's outfitted like this for many miles of pavement & dirt both.

Assuming that Toyota hasn't lately changed their spring design you have a main set of leaves and a thicker overload leaf under them right on the spring perch. That o/l leaf is quite stiff and is very likely the source of your pogo-ing. Suggest that you temporarily try lowering the air spring pressure to the point where they are fully engaged with the camper in place. I suspect that your pogo-effect will be reduced. Due to the stiffness of those springs this won't make it go away. What is happening is that the damper can not successfully damp the large change in spring rate that cycling in and out of the o/l leaves in play is causing.

If the results of this test are favorable then I see that you have two options. Can drill the tips of the o/l leaves and install a spacer of some sort that brings them fully into play with the camper in place. Or flip the o/l leaves upside down and rely more on the air spring to keep things level.

 

[Shadyapex]

Well, I knew that if I asked the right people I'd get some good answers. Both of your thoughts make complete sense so thank you. I will explore both ideas.
I think I'm going to attack this from both sides, as recommended. I.E. get a shock with a better/adjustable damping rate and maybe play with the springs as well.
I was thinking more of damping but ntsqd's comments make sense as that's pretty much what it feels like.
Thanks guys, Steve,,,,,

 

[brianjwilson]

How much pressure are you using, and how does your loaded ride height compare to unloaded?

Some people love air bags, but what you're experiencing I think is fairly common. Those air bags are small and have very little air volume. If they are inflated to high pressure and hit a large bump, there simple isn't much room to expand and the "spring rate" increases significantly. They will push the axle back down with a significant force. Imagine bouncing an over inflated four-square ball and a slightly under inflated ball. Too much air in the bags and they literally are bouncing back, your shocks aren't design/valved for that kind of force. It isn't that air bags CANT work well, but I think in many circumstances they may need to be matched to custom shocks that have stiffer rebound valving (particularly if you're running high pressures).

As mentioned above, one thing I would suggest trying is reducing the air pressure and allowing the springs to sit on the overload, if you haven't already. On my f150 I had bilstein 5100s and Firestone air bags carrying a camper, and actually found that the combination worked pretty well when I dropped down to about 30psi and allowed the overload spring to be engaged. If you're inflating the bags so much that you are maintaining unloaded ride height it is going to be harsh. Try it out. It's free and only takes a minute. If you notice improvement, you can always upgrade the spring pack with an extra leaf, or with a heavy duty spring which will reduce the amount of air in the bags and likely improve your ride. I'm always a fan of keeping most of the weight on the leaf springs and mounts as designed. Use air bags to supplement as needed, but I don't like to rely on them. If you're driving around with 80psi in the bags on weak springs and one of the bags gets destroyed, it's going to make an interesting drive home.

 

[Shadyapex]

Thanks Brian, as it is I'm only running 25 psi in the air bags. And I agree that they're an imperfect solution and I rely on them as little as possible. I'm hoping that some more damping will at least help. The 2014 Taco that I got last year handles the camper so much better than my previous truck, a '97 Taco, but it can still bounce pretty hard on really bad "roads." I actually broke a camper mounting bolt last week, (the ring and bolt arrangement on the camper itself). Drove back out to pavement pretty slowly as the camper was squirming around a fair amount.

 

[Flyer]

We have had good experience with KYB and also use airbags.

Good luck.

Rick

 

[Bosque Bill]

I put the 5100's on the rear and that helped, but the front was still a bit bouncy. Once they got the front 5100's in stock I had those put on and have been very happy with the feel and handling since.

I also got better results increasing the air bag pressure to 45# on one side and 55# on the other, to level the camper.

 

[Shadyapex]

Thanks again all, just a heads up. I just ordered the Boss Shocks, on JHanson's advice, and they're having a close out on the current model. $100/pair! http://www.airsuspension.ca/
The new models will have the ability to set up in cab damping adjustments but they're more than double the close out price of the old model. I went for the deal. They sound like great shocks.

 

[JHanson]

I think you'll like them. The one upgrade I'd suggest to the first generation Boss shocks is polyurethane Energy Suspension bushings, which will far outlast the stock rubber units.

 

[Shadyapex]

Finally got the Boss shocks installed and they're fantastic. I could tell the difference as soon as I hit the little bump at the end of the driveway. No more pogo stick. I set them to "6" on the damping adjustment thinking that I'd start in the middle of the settings and haven't bothered to change it yet. I'm sure I'll experiment though. Thanks again, Steve,,,,,,

 

[buckland]

I am very interested in your experience. I had a 2001 Tacoma and the Eagle 2011. Though the 4 cylinder struggled the suspension did fine. (I had air bags as well). I bought a diesel Colorado which is great except with the camper on. pogo as well. even can bottom out.
I just put on air lifts but have to change shocks all around.
Have heard good things about the Boss adjustable shocks. Where did you get them and did you install yourself? How heavy is your camper? I sure hope this is the answer to my problemm.

 

[ETAV8R]

I had OME shocks/struts and recently replaced them with 5100's. The difference is night and day. I'm running Wheelers bumps front and rear but think I should have gone with Timbrens in the rear.

 

[Shadyapex]

Based on what I've heard, including the post from ETAV8R above, it's my feeling that better shocks might be more important than whatever extra springs, lift, etc. you install on a mid size truck such as the Taco or Colorado. When the back is jumping up and down extra springs don't help, extra damping is what you want. I got the Boss shocks from this site. http://www.airsuspension.ca/index.php

They were a pleasure to deal with and made a world of difference in the handling of my 2014 Taco. FWC claims my Eagle weighs about 700 lbs. (dry) but with all the extra crap I have on board (CO2 tank, better jack, jumper battery, some tools, water and wine, basically all the stuff you'd want in a remote situation, the GVWR comes in about 300 lbs over. I also have air bags but often I have found that they're empty and I didn't notice. On the other hand when I installed the Boss shocks I noticed the difference when I hit the bottom of my driveway on the first test drive. I set the rebound damping to "0" when unloaded and "6" out of "12" when loaded with the camper. Install was done by myself and some modifications to the bushings was necessary. An angle grinder and some personal protection from flying hot rubber were the only requirements. I'm very satisfied. I'd give them a call.
Note: I only replaced the rear shocks as that's where the pogo action was. Haven't felt the need to replace the fronts.
Another note: as happy as I am with my Taco/Eagle combo, if I were doing it again I'd think long and hard about a 3/4 ton rig, with braking distance front and center in my mind. In the meantime I drive fairly conservatively and leave plenty of space ahead as I've had a couple of "moments."

 

[ntsqd]

Two thoughts:
A) Each axle influences the other. Having a mix of damper "skill" levels may or may not be dangerous, but you're not getting the most from the suspension. It is a diminishing returns deal though. Matching dampers for the second axle never make as much of an improvement as the first set did.

If your Ranger is an A-Arm front suspension (as opposed tot he previous TIB/TTB's) then the V8 Explorer's front brakes may be a bolt-on, OEM parts upgrade. Worth comparing rotor thickness (fade resistance), diameter (braking torque), and the caliper piston area to see what if any difference there might be. Should be able to pull all of that up on Rock Auto.

 

[FreezingMan]

Like others I upgraded my 2014 Taco to the Bilstein 5100 shocks all the way around. Nice improvement in reducing the pogo sticking. I to run my air bags 25-30 psi and tire pressure is 35 psi.


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[MidAtlantic]

Like others I upgraded my 2014 Taco to the Bilstein 5100 shocks all the way around. Nice improvement in reducing the pogo sticking. I to run my air bags 25-30 psi and tire pressure is 35 psi.


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Exactly what I did, except only put new shocks on the rear, but Firestone airbags and stock tires run at the same pressures. Same year Taco - TRD Offroad with tow package - and ATC Bobcat (with lots of the heavy options, including furnace, solar panel, awning, 2-way fridge). Same result - much reduced 'bouncy, bouncy'. Was very happy with the fully-loaded rig on the White Rim Trail, but did go very slowly.

 

[Redfish]

Were any of you experiencing porpoising/bucking on segmented concrete roads prior to upgrading rear shocks and did adding adjustable shocks (OME or Boss) fix that problem? For background, see the current discussion about this problem on the Four Wheel Camper forum http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/13739-fleet-tacoma-buckingshudderingbouncing/. See my post there.

I have a 2016 Tacoma 4x4 SR5 access cab V6 carrying a 2016 Fleet with the typical options (1300 lbs delivered). I carry minimal camping gear, tools, water and food. Prior to picking up the camper, I installed rear Bilstein 5100 shocks, Firestone air bags, and Cooper Discover AT3 e-rated tires. The camper is on my truck part time (although I traveled 12K miles with it last spring/summer). I'm a newly retired, displaced Westerner living for the past 28 years in Florida, so the truck/camper combo will be seeing lots of east-west highway miles, in addition to FS and BLM roads once out West.

I definitely have the dangerous porpoising/bucking highway problem, and this bouncing issue as well. I've tried various combinations of air bag and tire pressures that have significantly reduced bucking, but the lower airbag/tire pressures seem to increase bouncing (and wallowing).

Per what I've read on these forums, I'm planning on upgrading to either OME or Boss adjustable rear shocks and bushings (but not springs or front end work) to see if I can find a sweet spot or some different combinations that resolve both kinds of problems.

Any further advice, experience or thoughts? Thanks.

 

[GrayJ]

Redfish, I'm in "sort of" a similar situation. I have a 2010 SR5 Tacoma that I will be mounting a 2016 Eagle shell on later this week. I had planned to order Boss airbags and Boss adjustable shocks for the front and rear. When I placed my order about a week ago, CSI stated that the shocks are no longer available in the US, only the air bags. I sent a message to Boss in Australia to see about a direct order if they actually have any Tacoma shocks left, but that's probably a long shot. Haven't heard back yet. Since then I've been looking at the 5100 and OME options. I was just about to go ahead with the 5100's, but after reading your post, I'm researching again. I'll probably wait on the shocks until after I get the camper and bags on, so I know exactly what issues I need to fix. I also might go the custom leaf pack route, spec'd for the empty camper weight, so that may change my needs as well.

 

[Redfish]

GrayJ, I think waiting is smart. And to be clear, for the most part I've been happy with the way my truck/camper combo handles, including on typical paved roads big and small, jointed cement highways in good condition, and BLM and FS roads in decent condition. It's the relatively rare and unpredictable bad sections of asphalt and cement roads that are the major problem (in my case, "rare" adds up to 100's of bare knuckle miles when driving back and forth across the US, and by design, never on the same roads).

I'm considering the OME BP-51 (rear shock only) but will talk to Martin at Adventure Trailer (AT), the FWC dealer I purchased my camper from, to get his advice when I'm in Prescott AZ next month. I don't want or particularly need a lift, and from the excellent advice here and in the porpoising discussion, I'm thinking that adjustable rear shocks and playing around some more with air bag pressures my go a long way toward solving my issues. And it would presumable give me a better unloaded ride.

Bummer about Boss shocks.