Soft Leaf Springs / Sag Question

Hey all,

So I actually used my truck this weekend to help a friend move. I had about 150-200 lbs in the bed and even at that point, I could see a slight sag. Yes... very slight, maybe sagging a half inch to an inch... no bro lean or anything. With that said, is this a consequence of the softer leaf springs and is normal? I would have thought you wouldn't notice anything until you put a decent amount of weight in the bed but I'm a noob when it comes to trucks. Also related, what do people do if they add a few hundred pounds of accessories like camper racks/campers, etc to reduce a saggy butt?

 

Sumo springs is one option. I laugh everytime I see your profile. What hell made you put Fabio up on here? Lose a bet? No disrespect, just curious.

 

How big was the load (long table vs a box of rocks)? If it was a small/heavy load was it against the cab or the tailgate? Weight distribution is important; if you had a 200lb load against the cab and saw that much sag that is an issue. If you had that load against the tailgate it is probably pretty normal. The reason the Tacomas come with a rake (rear is higher than the front) is to compensate for this.

 

What would the problem be? It sits at correct height with no load other than the bed mat ( I measured center of hub to fender at about 22-22.5") And, load was distributed across entire bed, not just at the front near the cab...

I'm assuming there will be SOME sag even if hardly noticeable. If Someone gets into your truck bed, pretty sure you'll see slight sag.

 

haha, just wanted to use the most random profile pic. Guess I chose wisely...

 

Found this... post 18... @T4RFTMFW said what I was expecting. Seems even with some shells, people can see a little sag.

"I wouldn't believe someone got no sag with a shell on OEM suspension. Put 200 lbs in the back of your truck, and your suspension will compress.. no way around that reality except to ignore it."

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bed-shell-on-2016-tacoma-should-i-upgrade-the-suspension.469545/

 

Single Deaver AAL solved mine, now the springs are stiffer but the ride is good, too. This also raised the rear 1.5” so I also added a 5100 shock - longer shocks are needed if you lift it any.

Call @HeadStrong Off-Road for help and good answers for your particular needs.

 

Gotcha. Sounds like what I'm experiencing is normal when only putting 150-200lbs in back. I'm assuming the leafs are progressive, so its noticeable when you put some stuff in it, but when you really start throwing the weight in... it gets stiffer.

 

it's normal for leaf springs to squat, although in my experience Toyotas have pretty much always been on the soft side, even back to my 1991. If you look there's a great big leaf at the bottom, which is the overload. When your springs compress to that point they pretty much won't compress anymore. If they do then you really are overloaded. What Toyota seems to do is size springs to be comfortable with minimal load because the alternative is higher rate springs that would ride rough with no load. So what add-a-leafs or replacement packs do is increase spring rate, ride height and progressiveness to meet your need. If you're happy with the height and ride normally then it sounds like your pack did what they're supposed to, compress to the overload.

 

I wouldn’t say weak, per se.. though that is true as well. They’re designed to be soft and cushy, not utilitarian. That’s why new leafs are pretty much flat. No arch, less strength, more cushion.