I have another question for the Campfire Automobile Braintrust:

I recently purchased an 02 Tundra. It had the Fabtech "leveling" lift kit installed with Rancho 5000 shocks in the back.



When I put a topper on it and a hundred pounds of deer in the back, it isn't quite level anymore.





Am I right in suspecting the shocks are worn out?

What's the best (most cost effective) way to get the rear end back level again?

Thanks....

That is more than a shock problem. That looks like a spring problem. 100-200 pounds shouldn't make it squat like that.

Mine had a topper and pulled a Ranger 619 around (4500#) and it didn't squat like that. Something is goofy there.

Shocks don't carry any weight unless they're the air lift type. Their function is to damper the bouncing. That looks like a spring problem. I'm guessing that the previous owner routinely overloaded it and wore them out. They likely need to be re-arched or replaced.

Probably 200 lbs plus the topper in the back.

I didn't think you could wear out leaf springs.....

Hmmm....I guess I know what my Christmas present to my truck is going to be.

Thanks guys.

Continually overloaded springs will lose their spring & have to be re-arched. I'm not sure of the process but I think they heat them to regain the springing action.

Other options are air bags and booster springs (both would be cheaper than re-arching the springs I would think).

Here's a little info on re-arching springs. I think air bags would be considerably cheaper but I can't say how they perform in comparison.
SPRINGS

I'll have to look into the air bag thing. I'd never heard of those....Booster springs are just add-a- leafs, right?

Thanks RC

One of the few shortcomings of toyota trucks is wimpy springs in the rear.

On the upsdide it's an easy relatively inexspensive fix.

Level kit gives you a nose up stance with any load in the back. Generally, any changes to the suspension form stock come at the expense of something else. It does look like weak springs too, but dumping the level kit should help.

Are there any advantages/disadvantages to the air bag option over the add a leaf option?

Air bags can be adjusted to match the load. Booster springs can't.

If the truck is sagging with just a shell on the back, it's time to address the springs.

Air bags are great for leveling out a vehicle when it's carrying a load, but using them to fix sagging springs in an unloaded truck IMHO is not the right way to use them.

A pals truck does the same with a leveling kit up front & load in back now.
Trucks are designed to have a low nose due to the fact when you put a load in the bed it rises & levels out.

With just the shell and an empty bed it sits within an inch or so of level.

But with the addition of maybe 300 lbs (stall mat "bedliner", extraction gear, hunting gear, and a cooler or two of deer meat)and it's sitting well back on the rear springs.

It handles fine as is, so if I can level it out with a typical load (using either option) would I be ok mechanically?

I know I could take off the leveling kit, but if the rear springs are shot (like RC says) it would still sag with a load. And I like the option of going with slightly taller tires when these wear out.

Load capacity varies by model but it will be a minimum of about 1600lb on any model. If it sags with just a shell and 200lb, you have a problem that needs fixing. Sagging like that will affect steering among other things.

Well, I decided to go with a Hellwig helper spring kit. Less than a hundred bucks, and relatively easy to install.

If that doesn't fix it, I'll add airbags.

Thanks for all the help and advice!

Why not just fix the springs?

Take that goofy leveling kit off the front end before you do anything else. Trucks sit slightly nose low for a reason. All the boy racer types want to jack up the front end with these leveling kits and they ruin the utility of the truck. I think they look stupid also, the truck ends up looking like a dog running with it's tail between it's legs.

Had Airlift bags in my Silverado..................never the [bleep] again

What did you not like about them?

This.

There's a reason that trucks have a raked stance. When you set them up to be level, unloaded, you're going to get a bit of squat with a load. Part of this squat is the result of people expecting a car-like ride in a truck, resulting in springs that are a bit soft for the for the first couple inches of flex.