Coil ove sizes? Rates?

[yoder man]

So I've been searching for a few weeks now and haven't seen a whole lot of confirmed sizes. Mostly I've seen are 14"x2" coil overs. My project is a 95' Tacoma extra cab with a 3.4 and 5 speed. I'm installing a TG 5" tacoma rear lift and plan to sas and 3 link the front to match the lift. This is with the Toyota strait axle. But my question is about shock length and spring rate for a coil over. I have a chance to use a set of 16"x2" coilovers, but I think they'd be too long. This is a daily driver so I don't want to cut inner fenders out or hood for the shocks to fit. I'll be running a set of procomps 35" mud terrains and future elockers when money for gears is available. Thanks for any help in this matter.

['00Tacosinger]

Originally Posted by yoder man

So I've been searching for a few weeks now and haven't seen a whole lot of confirmed sizes. Mostly I've seen are 14"x2" coil overs. My project is a 95' Tacoma extra cab with a 3.4 and 5 speed. I'm installing a TG 5" tacoma rear lift and plan to sas and 3 link the front to match the lift. This is with the Toyota strait axle. But my question is about shock length and spring rate for a coil over. I have a chance to use a set of 16"x2" coilovers, but I think they'd be too long. This is a daily driver so I don't want to cut inner fenders out or hood for the shocks to fit. I'll be running a set of procomps 35" mud terrains and future elockers when money for gears is available. Thanks for any help in this matter.

you really need to do more research on this. First off...forget that early yota front axle as they are way too narrow for a Tacoma. I know, some have done it but the fact remains it is still a bad idea.
you'll need to regear when you slap on the 35s so you might as well start saving now and do this project when you have everything together.
16s are too long for 35s, realistically. I run 12s and it works very well. you 'can' run 14s but you will have to go through the inner fenders and relocate the fuse box and a bunch of other stuff to get them to fit. For springs you'll have to guestimate how much extra weight you are going to add to the cab like winch/bumper/armor, etc. My truck is just over 5000# and I'm running 200/250 on the driver side and 150/250-pass. I may wind up dropping the driver side down to the same 150...we'll see. I'm also running 2.5" x 12" Racerunner COs on my 3-link.
again...more research and you would have found this stuff out

[Taco-Runner]

Taco frames are wider in front then the Mini trucks are by about 4+ inches. So fitting a coilover on a Taco with a stock width axle is very very hard. You'd have better luck using a 62" Diamond. As for your 35"s, 16" or 14" take your pic, with 16"s I use a helper coil to reduce ride height, not the spring rate. Go with 150/250 it will sit nice and low then take your pic of length.

[mobil1syn]

2.5 and a 14"

250x16 for the lower spring and 150x14 for the upper spring. SHOULD give you around 6" of shaft showing.

16" are too long for anything useful, been there done that.

[Taco-Runner]

Why did you say a 150 lower and a 250 upper? What that a type-o.

[yoder man]

It looks as if I'll be able to get a pair of 14's (Kings) for some ford parts I have and will try to make it work. The front axle might end up being a Tg or diamond housing. Is anyone else making new balls for their housings other than TG? I mean I have a dana 60 ford if I had to use it. But the fact remains that I have an elocker for the yota axle and that Longs rock! They're a tough lil axle no matter how you slice it. I may just see about making my housing wider since I'll be buying axles for it anyways. As always thanks for the input, and I'll try to research this matter better.

[Taco-Runner]

Are new knuckle balls, necessary. Whats wrong with the stock ones?

[ryan_ackerman]

why dont you use that 60? longs are all good but your little weenie toyota gears will never be as strong as a 60

[mrkarl]

toyota axles are great for the older smaller trucks, but the extra weight and power of the tacoma is gonna be pushing it.....

[mobil1syn]

Originally Posted by Taco-Runner

Why did you say a 150 lower and a 250 upper? What that a type-o.

yes typo

Originally Posted by yoder man

It looks as if I'll be able to get a pair of 14's (Kings) for some ford parts I have and will try to make it work. The front axle might end up being a Tg or diamond housing. Is anyone else making new balls for their housings other than TG? I mean I have a dana 60 ford if I had to use it. But the fact remains that I have an elocker for the yota axle and that Longs rock! They're a tough lil axle no matter how you slice it. I may just see about making my housing wider since I'll be buying axles for it anyways. As always thanks for the input, and I'll try to research this matter better.

how much money you got? i got diamond all setup for links and a matching rear full float that is looking for a new home. 8.4 centers, not that sissy 8" stuff, longs, detroit and an arb, 5.29s. just saying. unless you plan on more than a 37 stick with toyota stuff.

[yoder man]

What's the diff in the front? I have an e locker waiting for this. How about a call or text 5four1 six8o five seven19. As for the 60, I don't want to pack the weight around. I play on sand and snow, weight to hp ratio is the reason to stay lighter. And then there's fuel milage, lol.

[alove0750]

I'm starting the SAS/3link on mine thursday. I'm only running 33's (maybe 35's) and keeping it as low as possible. Maybe 4-5in over stock ride height is what I'm shooting for. I am going to be running toyota axle, with 12in Fox with 10in upper coils @ 250lbs and 14in lower coils @ 350lbs, but I have a lot of extra weight to compensate for (bumpers, winch, etc...)

It will be 2-3 weeks before I know how the setup works out, but I have talked to several guys with almost identical trucks as mine (engine/added weight) running this setup for on and off road uses and they have all loved the setup. Good luck with your build

[NorCalPR]

Good luck getting the coilovers on that axle. I have a Toyota axle on mine and I don't see how you would have any room for a 3link. The axle is just too narrow.

[yoder man]

So what would be it ideal width for a sas with 3link and coilovers? I'm going to buy a ruff stuff housing and put my elocker in it. Or I could get a ford hi pinion 44 and put chevy outters on it. Either way the ideal width is what I need to figure out. Thanks for the help.

['00Tacosinger]

Originally Posted by yoder man

So what would be it ideal width for a sas with 3link and coilovers? I'm going to buy a ruff stuff housing and put my elocker in it. Or I could get a ford hi pinion 44 and put chevy outters on it. Either way the ideal width is what I need to figure out. Thanks for the help.

62-64". I have a 64" diamond and probably should have gone with a 63" for the 35s I have. If you are going 37s...go with a 64" width.
@ 64" my front is 3" wider than the rear.

[yoder man]

My rear is about 60", why 64" if running a 37"? Obviously turning radius? But are you running leaves or links? Or is it hitting the frame? I just want to keep tires inside wheel wells as much as possible, for legal reasons. I plan to run 35's for daily driving, and run 38's when I play. Thanks for the input.

[Taco-Runner]

For stability and flex.

['00Tacosinger]

Originally Posted by yoder man

My rear is about 60", why 64" if running a 37"? Obviously turning radius? But are you running leaves or links? Or is it hitting the frame? I just want to keep tires inside wheel wells as much as possible, for legal reasons. I plan to run 35's for daily driving, and run 38's when I play. Thanks for the input.

yup, turning radius. I have links. keeping tires inside ain't gonna happen on a Taco...and retain turning radius with 35x 12.50s s on up. i have Xeon 3" flairs and tires still stick out some...even in the rear with the stock width axle.

[ObEy4Runner]

for daily driving you really should not run the rates mentioned above. i have 95 4runner thats driven daily with a 250 upper and 450 lower in the front and a 250 upper and 500 rear. running a 150/250 is virtually pointless. "dual rate" has a purpose. "dual rates" are meant to be drastically different not two rates the are virtually the same throughout the shocks cycle.

realistically you should run a 12" shock. you will still need to cut some inner fenders with the 12 but even more will be required to run a 14 unless you make the truck stupid tall.

[Taco-Runner]

Originally Posted by ObEy4Runner

for daily driving you really should not run the rates mentioned above. i have 95 4runner thats driven daily with a 250 upper and 450 lower in the front and a 250 upper and 500 rear. running a 150/250 is virtually pointless. "dual rate" has a purpose. "dual rates" are meant to be drastically different not two rates the are virtually the same throughout the shocks cycle.

realistically you should run a 12" shock. you will still need to cut some inner fenders with the 12 but even more will be required to run a 14 unless you make the truck stupid tall.

Not a knock on you, but there is something wrong with your link geometry and shock tuning if you need those kinds of rates. I've had 5 different version of a 3link front in my own vehicle since 06' and I've owned every spring in 50lb increments from 100lb - 550lb and have tried every combination you can put together. All that to say I've got over 1000 hours screwing around with shit. All those high spring rate were not the answer. The rates you are suggesting will work if the shocks are angled in and/or back at a SEVERE angle or your shocks are mounted on your link arms or if you have rig that weighs in around 9000lbs. I urge you to look at things a "LOT" closer and not try to fix handling quirks with spring rate. (IMO) Coilovers and Airbumps combined are the most powerfull tuning tool you'll ever have on a vehicle, I urge you to take advantage of it and learn more about your own situation.

[ObEy4Runner]

not saying that your configurations you have tested and products dont work with lighter spring rates. your link kits are bad ass and seem to have it all figured out. i really like them and will probably pick one up if i link another rig. if you havent already take a look at phil's 4th gen 4runner build and thelawman's 2nd gen build. mine is pretty close to their setups and all three of our rigs are running close to the same rates. idk if thelawman drove his daily when he had it but i know phil and i do and we have both messed around with rates to find suitable ones for DD. my coilovers have a tiny bit of angle in them but nothing drastic. and my rears are inboard of the frames which isnt ideal but my setup is not drastic enough to where im am using springs rates compensate for lack of geometry. my rig does weigh a touch over 5k and i started with a 250lb main spring which flexed fantastic but handled like shit on the road. with the stiffer springs rates the truck still flexes like crazy but is much more stable and safer on the road.

[Taco-Runner]

As I said above, I did the same thing you've done too. And on road it started handling better with the stiff spring, but once I started getting around the 250/350 (my rig is lighter than 5000lb) thats when it started flexing crapy. It made the off road performance really crappy. But because at the time I had no idea what a shock could do, I spent another few years playing with rates. I was never able to find a spring rate that got both on and offroad performance to MY liking. It was always a comprimise somewhere along the line. But as soon as I started down the path of shocks there was no looking back. I swear to you, you can run those softer rates, so long as the shocks are tunned.

[ObEy4Runner]

yea i believe. lol i started with some foa's that leaked like crazy. med compression med rebound. rode like shit on road flexed like crazy. now im on stock valved fox's ride like a caddy but i did notice a change in the flexibility.

[yoder man]

I know one of you guys said run the 60 and I was not wanting to, but.... So I searched around and found that the 60 weighs around 520ish, that's a chevy 60 front end. And I have a 95' ford hi pinion, so it may be a little different. But so far I haven't found what a toy axle weighs in at. I'm thinking if it's the difference in a fat girl I may run it and kick the fat girl out. Lol, jk. But it's realitive easy to narrow and I think sky sells 6 lug conversion. I'd just need hi steer and a locker. So does any one know the weight of a toy front axle?

[ObEy4Runner]

not sure if i had to guess id say somewhere between 200-300lbs.