Poco444

My prerunner has allpro-offroad 8leaf pack. When I go camping with all my gear in the back my truck sags and bottoms out sometimes. I do go off road alot with the prerunner.

I was wondering if I could install something to help with heavy loads in the beds of the truck and still perform off road. Obviously I don.t do any rock crawling but it does go thought it's paces.

I was looking at The Hellwig EZ-1000 Medium Duty Helper Spring kit, or perhaps a air bags setup. While my leaf packs work well off road they don't offer me any comfort in load bearing

I need to find an answer soon, my steering rack has started to leak and that's another project to have done before my camping trip next month.

SoCalPaul

I had air bags on my Tundra & liked them a lot. You can adjust them as needed & they do not give a harsh ride.

Poco444

Hey Paul, thanks for your reply. Do you have any issues offroading with your air bags, i.e compression or overextention?

SoCalPaul

Unfortunately the Tundra never saw any serious offroading. Compression shouldn't be a problem, not sure about extension.

BajaRunner

We have airbags on my dad's Tundra. We load it up with camping gear and do Baja trips, no problems! 75 miles each way dirt road with ruts, soft sand, etc.

eddieleephd

Early model tacomas have frame issues and air bags are no good for them!

Helper springs are probably the best way to go or you can call alcan and see if they can make some thing specific for your Needs!

Poco444

'v


I've been hearing that to from time to time on different forums. Not sure if it was an issue of towing or hauling too much as a result of the air bags giving the impression that it can increase the payload. I also have not heard of a single soul that damaged the air bags off roading. There is some concern but I've never heard anything bad.

I want my cake and eat it too. I would like to stiff up the chassis when I have a load in the bed and I also would like to take some dirt trails with some articulation.

Helper springs sound good, the issue is that the helper springs are not adjustable. Albeit too much or too little. The helper springs would have to be removed when not in use or you'll bounce yourself straigh to the "cracker-practor".

A brand new leaf pack? I have allpro offroad 8 pack leaf packs now without an overload spring. It was not fun putting in those springs myself.

I've done some research and most were positive comments about the air bags, with other trucks other that Tacomas, and have no issue with some mild off roading.

That frame issue does bother me though. I wonder how much it would be to box the frame.

eddieleephd

I did an extensive amount of research on this exact subject before I did my suspension!
the things I posted were due to some experience and to mostly searching!
The biggest concern with air bags in the 95.5 - 2004 tacos was the notoriously weak frame!

So the only viable alternative were Either "reinforcing the frame! and running air bags" or "installing good helpers or new leafs custom built!"

The two that I got tied between choosing from are the helpers and complete new!
Beings the stock leafs I had are notoriously weak out went helpers!
and so I called Alcan told the make and model and what I needed!!
they added some thing like 120lbs or 200lbs spring capability and two inches lift
for like $560.00 !!
I love these by the way!! she sits the way I like and with a 300lbs tongue weight she sits level front to back!!


The advantage that I saw to helwig helpers were a set that bolted above the leafs spanned the middle and were mounted two ubolts near the middle and there were two Ubolts one at each end, the ubolts at the ends were only making contact during increased flex, such as when weight is bearing on them or when wheeling and traversing! This is what you are going to dis connect when not in use! the Ubolts at the end at least wheeling but that will take five minutes since the springs are still attached in the middle by two!! Another bonus to this method is that you can also tighten these Ubolts to add compression to the helpers and lift the truck more under heavy loads!

In Other Words I have scientifically deduced that since you can disconnect the ends of the helpers much easier than air bags there is less to tear up during the articulation of the rear end!

HazMat

Ive had Hellwig helpers on my 95.5 tacoma (2.7l ex cab) They are probably the best money ive ever spent on my truck. If you set them up right there is no need to loosen them when not in use. the ride wasnt bad at all. I just picked up a pair of helpers for my 04 xcab v6 and plan on putting them on this weekend. Get the helpers. they are money well spent. Also, you CAN adjust them to "help" as little or as much as needed. BUt i see no need to ever undo them completely once they are on. Hope this helps

j-man

i too had probs with my old 03 dub cab, so i made my own leafs. I added a long add a leaf, and then took apart someones old set of leaf packs, and added those 3 leafs to my leafs on each side. I did cut them down to stagger their lengths - longest on top and shortest on the bottom and it worked like a dream for me. So in the end i ended up with 3" of lift, and i could load all my crap including my roof tent and it would sit level and the ride was great. No bump stop bumping at all.
Seeing as you already have deavers, id say see if you can add a couple long leafs, and maybe a short one and see how it does. Its really easy to take em apart.