jpmountainboy

Im supposed to a be driving me and the lady 5 hours north to ashland early in the morning for this famous play...ya, I know...needless to say shes really wanted to go and has been planning it for like two months.

heres the problem:

I bought this 96 tacoma lx ext cab v6 a while back from some guy who didnt know anything about vehicles. the weird thing was the rear end was all jacked up like 5-6 inches stinkbug style, with the shackles maxed out against the frame. i figured he tried to be cool and lift his rig and put the wrong springs in. front is stock. the rig had never been offroad, was cherry and only had 99K on it, and he let it go for $6700 with a shell and a spare set of new 33's on some MT's that he couldnt fit under there (its on 31's)...i thought it was a screaming deal so didnt mind throwing some new springs in the back.

the shocks were shot (too short) so I took em off and was waiting to get new springs under there before I got new shocks, so its super sketchy to drive, any kind of freeway speed and a sneeze & your losing it bigtime

got new springs from all toyota parts in sacramento the other day, and was finally getting around to putting em in today before work so we could take off in the morning (slacking)...put em up there, and low & behold they fit exactly the same as the last pair, all stinkbug with the shackles maxed out against the frame, its maybe even higher, also, I can see the splines exposed on the driveshaft now where as before I couldnt.

so im pretty much screwed, but I need to find out what the deal is. the only thing I can think of is that maybe the guys at the toyota place gave me and the last owner both the same wrong springs. they have the overload leaf.

im wondering if anyone knows if there are differences in tacoma springs. Mines the LX version so maybe they were a little different than the true tacomas with all the bells and whistles.

anyone have some knowledge on different springs on tacomas???

all I know is the springs are too big and the ol lady is going to be STOKED

Im totally screwed because we have to leave by 7:30am to get there on time, and Im now at work until 10:30 tonight.

The only idea I can think of is maybe switch out the beat up old springs & shocks off my 94 pickup on to the 96 after work tonight...but would they fit???

gary96360

lol i wonder how bad the caster is up front. i have no clue but our fellow yotatechers will probabaly help you out. theyll probably ask for a pic to see whats going on

jpmountainboy

Id post a pic, but i had to blast off to work with no time for pics or measurements.

it seems like the springs off my 94 (3.0 ext cab) would fit...but its parked across town at a buddies after an overheat from the water bypass hose clamp blowing & only 600miles on my new engine...sweet. Oh ya, and I was making a pickup for work parked in a tow away zone when it happened.

id have to go get it after work, bring it home, switch the springs and shocks, pack, & leave in the morning by 7:30 and pretend to be stoked on doing this all to go to a play 5 hours away.
my girlfriend is pretty cool, and I never take her out except for camping and she never complains so I really want to try an make this happen.

SpecialScottie

I dont know much about tacomas but were they spring under?
Maybe someone converted it to spring over?
Sorry I cant help much

jpmountainboy

i dont know, as ive only had this one...maybe some 2wd have a spring under, but I would think it strange on the 4x4's, but this is a good question...anybody?

gary96360

the tacos are spring over and have an upside down U overload

SoCalPaul

For temporary use you could try putting a load in the bed, I'd put some shocks on it.

AverysDad

Sounds to me like you got the wrong springs. I believe the 98 and up leaf springs are longer and may have been what you got by accident.

And as for your last question, I replaced the stock leafs on my old 95.5 Tacoma with a pair of junkyard leafs from a 94 pickup and they bolted right on. I got maybe an inch of lift, but nothing that maxed the shackles or what is happening to you.

jpmountainboy

thanks for all your help, my buddy loaned me his civic for the trip...I forgot what it was like to drive a car/and get 30mpg.

anyways, I got it worked out and thought id post to let anyone else wondering if 94 pickup springs fit in a 96, they DO! however I took the third spring out of a 98 and packed it in there with the 94s to give it some extra strength and it seems to be the way to go. its a tiny bit higher in the back, but with a load it sits real nice.

it sucks cause the all toyota truck & suv wouldnt give me a refund on the wrong part they gave me (and 3 hour drive), only store credit but they didnt have the springs i needed so that was pretty worthless.

ive noticed that a lot of wrecking yards dont have the best...what do you call that...CUSTOMER SERVICE!