Tacoma Upgrades

[Idaho_Potato]

For those that have run Tacoma's a while, how are you dealing with the Tacoma rear spring sag? I recently picked up a used 3rd generation Tacoma and find the suspension pretty stiff, yet it can't handle much weight. I don't load it tight but prob run about 300-400lbs of stuff in the bed once fall rolls in.

Seems like every Tacoma I see has the a$$ dragging even when empty.

I put on the Firestone air bags. Not overly expensive and they go on in a couple hours. I run them at 5 lbs when the bed is empty and put about 40 lbs in when I am loaded with hunting gear, fuel, water, etc. Rides level and with my shell you can't even tell I have gear in the back. Highly recommend. If you end up getting a lift they will still work with spacers and Daystar cradles.

 

[ChrisAU]

My absolute biggest complaint with my Tacoma is the rear suspension. Well, other than the horrendous fuel mileage I’ve gotten - I’ve never averaged over 12.5 MPG for a tank in over 39k miles, with MANY long road highway trips. But back to the rear suspension. It totally collapsed with any weight, would break your back hitting the bump stops on pot holes traveling out west. I tried air bags, couldn’t get them to hold air consistently to save my life. Tried replacing lines, fittings, everything, no bueno. Added add-a-leafs after I got my camper shell and the ride quality increased tremendously, but they were noisy AF. Like embarrassing riding around town. They’ve quieted down now, but too little too late…ordered a GMC Canyon (I wanted a long bed when I got my Tacoma) 11/9/21….built 5/12/22, still waiting on a train ride from MO to AL. But I’ll never forget my Tacoma!

 

[Thunder Chicken]

My absolute biggest complaint with my Tacoma is the rear suspension. Well, other than the horrendous fuel mileage I’ve gotten - I’ve never averaged over 12.5 MPG for a tank in over 39k miles, with MANY long road highway trips. But back to the rear suspension. It totally collapsed with any weight, would break your back hitting the bump stops on pot holes traveling out west. I tried air bags, couldn’t get them to hold air consistently to save my life. Tried replacing lines, fittings, everything, no bueno. Added add-a-leafs after I got my camper shell and the ride quality increased tremendously, but they were noisy AF. Like embarrassing riding around town. They’ve quieted down now, but too little too late…ordered a GMC Canyon (I wanted a long bed when I got my Tacoma) 11/9/21….built 5/12/22, still waiting on a train ride from MO to AL. But I’ll never forget my Tacoma!

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I don’t want to hijack this post but is 12.5mpg typical?? I’ve wanted a Tacoma for a really long time but 12.5mpg is rough. I almost got one when I bought my last truck 6 years ago but my kids were in car seats at the time and I needed more room in the back seat so I went with an F150. I’m starting to think about a new truck and a Tacoma has been top of my list, I actually saw a pic of your truck in another post and showed my wife saying that is exactly what I want in my next truck…but my f150 even with a leveling kit, bigger tires and pulling my boat I’ll get better mileage than that.

 

[Titan_Bow]

12.5 mpg average seems awfully low, especially with reasonable looking tires (ie. Not a giant lift and big wide mud tires)
I’ve got a 21 4Runner with the 4 liter v6 and 5 speed auto, and with BFG All Terrains, I’m averaging 16.8mpg around town, and can get upwards of 20mpg on long road trips if I’m not battling a head or significant side wind. That still sucks, but 12.5 seems worse than what you should be averaging


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[zion zig zag]

I’m averaging between 18.5 and 21 mpg per tank in my 21 Tacoma. My 15,000 miles are probably 80% freeway, but freeway speeds around here are 80-90mph. 12.5 seems really low.

 

[justin davis]

12.5 is awfully low. I owned a 2011 and consistently got 20-22 mpg driving around the mtns. I now have a 2018 Tacoma and get 24 driving around the same mtns. I used to have a tundra and it got 16 mpg. Part of the reason I went back to a Tacoma was the gas mileage

 

[Dos Perros]

Anybody buy these and just use in factory form? Maybe just a set of all terrains

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I kept my 06 pretty much stock for 360k or so. For some weird reason decided I could never kill it and decided to do a suspension and bigger tires, big investment for an old truck.

 

[mtwarden]

I never paid much attention to mpg, but with gas prices as they are- I started keeping track. Last four tanks were right at 16 mpg- mix of city, gravel and highway.

Not great, but fair.

 

[Dos Perros]

I put on the Firestone air bags. Not overly expensive and they go on in a couple hours. I run them at 5 lbs when the bed is empty and put about 40 lbs in when I am loaded with hunting gear, fuel, water, etc. Rides level and with my shell you can't even tell I have gear in the back. Highly recommend. If you end up getting a lift they will still work with spacers and Daystar cradles.

I'm on about a year with bags. Not sure of the brand. The difference between empty (just a topper) and fully loaded (topper, hunting gear, dead elk, and a dirt bike on rear hitch) is crazy. I've been pretty happy so far.

 

[rtkbowhunter]

I have a 2011 SR5 with 265/75-16 Cooper Dscoverer AT3's and Billes in all corners. Gas mileage has been a steady 18-20mpg. Rear springs are kinda soft. Add a-leaf or new leaf spring pack will take care of that. Headstrong, Down South and some others all have leaf packs. Pretty easy swap. If you want to lift the front Bilstein 5100's have an adjustable "stop" that can be set from 0" to 2"(?). Or just get all new coli-over assemblies with stiffer springs for lift. Stay at 2" or under shouldn't need new UCA's.

 

[southLA]

I average 17 city 20 highway in my 2011 4.0L 4x4.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Less than 20mpg on a truck that size? Dang…must really be something special about them that I’m missing. I was annoyed my 3.0 duramax only got 24.8 because of a headwind to moab last month. And that was through the mountains.

 

[Coldtrail]

2019 TRD with factory tires & 3.5L auto and I can get 23mpg babying it and just towed a 17' duck boat yesterday with gear in the bed at 17mpg....I'm not complaining. I can run 75mph empty and stay in the 17/18 range. But I don't have stuff hanging all over it either.

 

[BLJ]

Thank you @Marbles

 

[willd]

I'll second that 12.5 MPG is awful - can't imagine why it would be that bad though. You're not on 35's with heavy armor and what not so that is pretty weird...

 

[ChrisAU]

Those tires are about 33.5”, but they are narrow and light. I kept thinking it would get better and it just never did. Front bumper deal added some weight as did the shell. I don’t drive much though, so it hasn’t bothered me much. Truck is over 4 years old and just turned 39,000 miles, and about 16k of that is western hunting.

 

[hodgeman]

Those tires are about 33.5”, but they are narrow and light. I kept thinking it would get better and it just never did. Front bumper deal added some weight as did the shell. I don’t drive much though, so it hasn’t bothered me much. Truck is over 4 years old and just turned 39,000 miles, and about 16k of that is western hunting.

12.5mpg seems unusually low... heck, my 5.7L Tundra average 16 and it stayed in 4wd for months at a stretch!

 

[stealthycat]

I have a 2006 4Runner - in an ideal world, I'd have a 4 door Tacoma, a tent on top, front/rear receiver hitch wired for a tray winch ....

 

[tony]

I'm afraid to say what I get in my 21 Ranger, you all think I'm lying

Had a 09 tacoma 6sp, never got better than 18 mpg

 

[sneaky]

My oe Bilstein shocks are about done, so I decided I’d upgrade to Bilstein 5100’s, slightly taller front coil springs (instead of raising the front perches) and add a leafs for the rear. Not installed yet, but should yield roughly 1-1.5” lift f/r.

I don’t know if my truck is an oddity, but I don’t have any disparity in ride heights driver and passenger sides- evidently a lot of guys do.

I've been running 5100s on mine for a while with an add a leaf in the rear. OME 885s on the fronts.