Spensane

Before any says it yes I searched.

My wife's truck is in need of new shocks. I was wondering what other years of Tacoma I would be able to swap parts with, front shocks and springs and rear shocks. I have seen a lot of new Tacoma owners selling their TRD setup for a good price on eBay. This is her daily, garage kept, driver so, no major lift for now. What about a setup from a FJ Cruiser or Tundra? Would I be able to use the front and rear?

Also I have been looking at Bilstein 5100 Series Pre Load Adjustable front shocks and the rear Bilstein 5100 Series Shocks. What do y'all think of these.

I would love to go the OME route like I did on my '04 4Runner but she won't approve the purchase.

Looking for answers......thanks to all.

Spensane

Bump for help.

seaofnames

The HD bils are quite stiff, so if your wife is ok with a stiffer ride, go for it. I've had good luck with monroe struts in my corolla, so i'd consider it an option for my 4runner if I was looking.

Stock is a good way to go too.

Spensane

Which year Tacoma can I use?

seaofnames

I'm sure the length/part number is somewhere on this site. If not, I believe stock is a 12" shock or something like that.

You can use any year tacoma shocks as far as I know. As long its 4wd and such.

etan

what's wrong with stock??? if its just a DD, and it doesn't matter all that much to her nothing's wrong with replacing it with another stock setup.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

95.5-2004 Tacoma, Tacomas changed in '05..just traded in my '05 Tacoma

Spensane

There is nothing wrong with stock, except hers are shot. That's what I am try to find out can I install a completely stock setup from a current model Tacoma. Also wanted to know what other Toyota's could I use parts from. But I also wanted some input on the Bilstein setup because the price was not bad.

Spensane

So you are saying I couldn't use suspension parts from a current model Tacoma?

TexanTaco

Anything from a 95.5-2004 Tacoma should fit on your wife's truck, because everything stayed pretty much the same except for some exterior styling. I would recommend staying away from the TRD Offroad setup if you want a smoother ride because the TRD setup is harsh. Your best bet will probably be to get new struts that are relatively inexpensive, and keep the stock coils up front. It doesn't sound like you take this truck offroad so I would think anything from Monroe, Tokico, etc. should work.

Spensane

It does see a little of road...we do live in the U.P. of Michigan. Not as much as my 4Runner though. Thanks for the advice it should help a lot.

cackalak han

You can use 05+ Tacoma parts, but only the front suspension. The rear suspension is completely different. But the front suspension from an 05+ will give you a lift, so if this won't see any off-road, then just stick with stock shocks or I've heard real good things about the 5100.

TexanTaco

Maybe the TRD setup would work for you then? I have no idea how much that setup costs though, or if it's even worth it compared to a OME kit. I'm guessing the roads up there are pretty bad from the really nasty winters, so I know for sure the TRD spec Bilsteins will feel very rough. Without anything in the bed of my truck it feels very unsettled over bumps in the road. I do have the x-tra cab, the double cab may feel more settled due to the smaller bed. I love the TRD setup, but when it comes time to swap out everything I will probably go with a softer riding suspension from OME.

Spensane

I have the OME setup on my 04 4Runner and love it. I would love to put a similar setup on the wife's truck, just don't have the funds at the moment. I have seen used TRD setups go for fairly cheap on ebay compared to what I paid for my OME setup.

TexanTaco

Go for the TRD setup then, especially if you can find the struts with low mileage on them. That same setup on my truck is holding up really well with over 60k miles.