95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners 4th gen pickups and 3rd gen 4Runners

My TOYOTA is retarded.

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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 10:04 AM
  #1  
KING's Avatar
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From: PEORIA, AZ
My TOYOTA is retarded.

Yes, you read correctly.

The entire left-side of my TOYOTA is higher than the right-side.

In other words - it's lop-sided.

WHY??

I can't explain to myself why this would happen.

The more I look at it, the more it pisses me off.



EDIT:

I just measured from the top of my BAD-ASS steel alloy rim to the top of the wheel well.

Left-side reads: 13" 1/2

Right-side reads: 12" 3/4

Last edited by KING; Aug 31, 2003 at 10:14 AM.
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 10:45 AM
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Have you done anything to the suspension lately? It sounds like something gave out.

Last edited by Paul H.; Aug 31, 2003 at 10:47 AM.
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 11:06 AM
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Say you weigh 200lbs, throw 200lbs in the front seat or ask a friend to sit in it, the truck should level out, their all made that way cause of the added weight of the driver and gas tank on the left side
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 01:39 PM
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Originally posted by Paul H.
Have you done anything to the suspension lately? It sounds like something gave out.
No, I have not done nothing to the suspension.

I noticed this after I hit some trials up by my cabin a few months ago, in which I did some light flexing. Normal flexing, just as you would do in a normal trial. Nothing out of the ordinary in other words.


Originally posted by EDGE
Say you weigh 200lbs, throw 200lbs in the front seat or ask a friend to sit in it, the truck should level out, their all made that way cause of the added weight of the driver and gas tank on the left side
I highly doubt it these trucks are made like this intentionally. Leaning to one side more than the other should not be normal.

This was not the way the truck was looking when I purchased it. Atleast I was not able to observe it until just a few months ago (see above).

If it so happens that your theory is correct; pardon my obnoxiousness, until then, I think that is totally false.


To give you folks a slightly better idea of what I am talking about. I took a few still images of the rear tires. The images aren't very clear or descriptive, but it should give you a visual idea of what I am talking about:

Click here.
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 02:31 PM
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Not saying that everything is fine, but I do know that the BMW M3 is designed for an 180lb driver, and the left side is slightly stiffer/taller than the right...
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 08:54 PM
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First off what year is the vehicle? I have a 92 4Runner and the ass sages about an inch compared to the front end. According to my mechanic it is common the problem can be solved by replacing the rear springs with non-factory springs that are about an inch taller. So in short by simply doing a one inch suspension lift in the rear the problem should be solved.
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Old Aug 31, 2003 | 10:21 PM
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When you say Left/Right side are you looking at it from the front or rear? May want to use "driver side"/"passenger side" for clarification.

About the question though...I've read many posts on other forums about the issue. Usually people say the drivers side is lower than the passenger side. I've always heard that it's completely normal for Tacomas. The battery and gas tank are both on the driver side.

Most people don't seem to notice it until they really look at, then they try to think what caused it...when it may have been there all along.

I have an '03 tacoma and haven't noticed any leaning...but I honestly haven't really checked either.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 07:50 AM
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How much gas do you have in your tank? I know mine sits wierd as I start getting low, and I have read elsewhere on here that the torsion bars are set to make it sit level with a full tank. Is it only in the rear that it is sagging, or the entire "right" side? And what does the "right side" mean, driver's side or passenger?
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 06:48 PM
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OK........... Let me reiterate again:


The entire left-side of my TOYOTA is higher than the right-side.
It's the ENTIRE LEFT-SIDE of my truck. NO, it's not the REAR, it's not the FRONT, it's the ENTIRE LEFT-SIDE of my truck--THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE.

It's always like this, regardless if the tank is full or not.

As said above, I noticed the significant change after I hit a trail up by my cabin. Even so, I felt it when I was driving on the highway. I felt as I was leaning towards the right too much.

That's when I got off and took a close look and noticed how there was a diffrence from one side to another.

In addition, if you take a look at both of the rear shocks, you can see the markings where the left shock is suppose to be, as oppossed to where it's sitting at. Then take a look at the right shock, and it's sitting where it's suppose to be at. In other words, one shock never came down completely.

Also, the left shackle is more of an upward standing position, as oppossed to the right shackle. The right schackle is almost laying down, as it is suppose to be.

By the way, I own a '94 TOYOTA PICK-UP TRUCK.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 07:32 PM
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well have you crawled under there and visually inspected the leaf pack and shocks and shackles and torsion bars and body mounts and anything else?
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 07:34 PM
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My old 82 sagged about an inch one day after wheeling. What was wrong with it was a broken leaf spring. The whole one side of the truck was sagged because of a broken leaf spring on the rear of the truck.
Hope this helps you out.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 07:51 PM
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From: PEORIA, AZ
Originally posted by RTdawgs
well have you crawled under there and visually inspected the leaf pack and shocks and shackles and torsion bars and body mounts and anything else?
Yes, I did. No, I did not search everything inch by inch, but I did take careful observations.

Originally posted by Rustyrunner
My old 82 sagged about an inch one day after wheeling. What was wrong with it was a broken leaf spring. The whole one side of the truck was sagged because of a broken leaf spring on the rear of the truck.
Hope this helps you out.
The problem with mine is that it seems as the ENTIRE LEFT-SIDE never came down to it's normal position.

For some odd reason, it stayed higher than it should normally be.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 07:54 PM
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Originally posted by KING
The problem with mine is that it seems as the ENTIRE LEFT-SIDE never came down to it's normal position.
he said:

Originally posted by Rustyrunner
The whole one side of the truck was sagged because of a broken leaf spring on the rear of the truck.
Hope this helps you out.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 08:38 PM
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From: PEORIA, AZ
LOL.......

Mine is not SAGGING; in contrary, it is HIGHER.

How hard is it to understand that??
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 08:50 PM
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How do you know that the right side is not lower instead of the left side being higher? Do you have a before measurement?

Have you tried flexing it again to see if everything returns back to normal?

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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 09:35 PM
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Originally posted by KING
LOL.......

Mine is not SAGGING; in contrary, it is HIGHER.

How hard is it to understand that??
i say through an AAL on your passenger side and some bigger tires and be done.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 09:37 PM
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Please settle down King. We are just trying to help.

I think the most likely causes are a stuck leaf spring to shackle bushing or shackle to frame bushing. The bushings are made of cheap rubber. They wear and crack with time and use. Add dirt or rust to the equation and they WILL stick... sometimes in the wrong position causing your whole truck to lean to one side.
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Old Sep 1, 2003 | 10:18 PM
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hey.... as to whether or not the truck was manufactured with a slight lean--that is absolutely correct. It is referred to as the "Thrust angle"-- in the new tacomas, the truck is designed to elevate the driver when accelerating, thus transferring the weight to the opposite side. The thrust angle of the older generation trucks may be the other direction depending on the rotation of the driveline. If you look at my truck when its on the dyno, the entire thing flexes upward on the drivers side about 4 inches.

Never underestimate Toyota engineers! half the time, they already thought of all the "bright ideas" that people come up with.

Now another possibility is that your truck was in an accident and you dont know about it and never will. Car dealers will try to get away with anything that they can as long as nobody can catch them.,

Tim
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Old Sep 2, 2003 | 03:00 PM
  #19  
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From: PEORIA, AZ
Originally posted by AgRunner06
How do you know that the right side is not lower instead of the left side being higher? Do you have a before measurement?
You can see the markings on the left shock that it is not resting where it's suppose to be.


Have you tried flexing it again to see if everything returns back to normal?
Yes, I have tried to no avail.

Originally posted by jx94148
Please settle down King. We are just trying to help.

I think the most likely causes are a stuck leaf spring to shackle bushing or shackle to frame bushing. The bushings are made of cheap rubber. They wear and crack with time and use. Add dirt or rust to the equation and they WILL stick... sometimes in the wrong position causing your whole truck to lean to one side.
I say, that is the most probable cause.

This was the answer I was looking for.

hey.... as to whether or not the truck was manufactured with a slight lean--that is absolutely correct. It is referred to as the "Thrust angle"-- in the new tacomas, the truck is designed to elevate the driver when accelerating, thus transferring the weight to the opposite side. The thrust angle of the older generation trucks may be the other direction depending on the rotation of the driveline. If you look at my truck when its on the dyno, the entire thing flexes upward on the drivers side about 4 inches.
So you're saying that my truck flexes up even more when I am driving??

GEEZ.... I thought it was flexed up already when I am not driving..........

Never underestimate Toyota engineers! half the time, they already thought of all the "bright ideas" that people come up with.
LOL.... I'll pretend you didn't say this.

My truck doesn't even come with a TACHOMETER--let's just say, it's not even equipped with a complete set of gauges.

TOYOTA egineers were sleeping when they built my truck or something.......................

Now another possibility is that your truck was in an accident and you dont know about it and never will. Car dealers will try to get away with anything that they can as long as nobody can catch them.,
Well, I won't argue here.

I did not buy my truck off a dealer; I bought it off a private owner.

I'm going to go under and take a look at everything closely and even take some still shots of the schocks, that way, you can visualy see what I am talking about when I say that the marking on the shock is there..

KING
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Old Sep 2, 2003 | 03:15 PM
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Just curious...what's with typing "TOYOTA" instead of just "Toyota"?

Jim
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