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Halboo
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 2-19-2006
Location: 33°26\'00.15\"N 117°37\'09.84W
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Mood: Bohemian
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Suspension Upgrades?
This is related to the "best rig for getting around off the pavement" thread.
We are having a custom pop up camper built for our 2005 Tundra Axcess 4WD.
https://www.allterraincampers.com
The truck is my daily driver but luckily I do not commute.
The camper weighs in around 700+lbs. add the portabote, outboard, full coolers, tackle, grub, two people and their junk,
the dogs..........
What suspension upgrades should I be doing?
We will be mostly driving on lots of Baja's "bad roads" but not doing any real heavy duty "off roading".
I'd like the truck to maintain it's street friendly aspect but still be able to confidently head off down the back roads.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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Check these out. http/supersprings.com
I am installing them on a Nissan Xterra. The vehicle rides just find with minimal loads, both on and off road. With a heavy load offroad however, it
will bottom out. 
These springs address that condition. I will be give a report mid March after a trip south with these installed.
Ken
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Axel
Junior Nomad
Posts: 70
Registered: 2-9-2006
Location: oceanside
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Mood: In a hurry to get nowhere
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I would look into air bags. A few of my buddies have them and the work great. Fill em up when you need them. Most muffler shops that install trailer
hitches also install air bags.
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Those "supersprings" look like they would work ok, but I cannot find any prices. (???)
Another option, tho similar, is to go to a local "spring shop"/"suspension shop" and have them install "add-a-leafs", which might be cheaper and yet
they work very well, and stand up to the constant pounding of washboard roads.
I have some under my F-250 with a 1000 lb steel camper and I have been really satisfied with them. I leave my camper on my vehicle all the time, and
it rides like a dream. I have "add-a-leafs" both fore and aft. These are NOT the bolt-on kind, but rather new additional leafs added to the existing
spring packs. Avoid the bolt-on kinds as they do not stand up to the pounding of dirt roads, in my experience.
Also add some really good gas shocks, unless your rig already has them----(Bilstein, or comprable).
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Barry A.
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Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Axle-----
-----just my experience------I went thru 2 sets of "air-bags" very quickly before going to the "add-a-leafs". The "air bags" just did not stand up to
the pounding of the Baja dirt Roads. They are fine for pavement, but not rough country, or at least that is what my experience was.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
Those "supersprings" look like they would work ok, but I cannot find any prices. (???)
Another option, tho similar, is to go to a local "spring shop"/"suspension shop" and have them install "add-a-leafs", which might be cheaper and yet
they work very well, and stand up to the constant pounding of washboard roads.
I have some under my F-250 with a 1000 lb steel camper and I have been really satisfied with them. I leave my camper on my vehicle all the time, and
it rides like a dream. I have "add-a-leafs" both fore and aft. These are NOT the bolt-on kind, but rather new additional leafs added to the existing
spring packs. Avoid the bolt-on kinds as they do not stand up to the pounding of dirt roads, in my experience.
Also add some really good gas shocks, unless your rig already has them----(Bilstein, or comprable). |
Barry,
A pair for my Xterra are $245. I too have been happy with Bilsteins, on both the Xterra and my F250 4X4.
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Axel
Junior Nomad
Posts: 70
Registered: 2-9-2006
Location: oceanside
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Mood: In a hurry to get nowhere
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
-----just my experience------I went thru 2 sets of "air-bags" very quickly before going to the "add-a-leafs". The "air bags" just did not stand up to
the pounding of the Baja dirt Roads. They are fine for pavement, but not rough country, or at least that is what my experience was.
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Barry, Do you recall the brand? One of my buddies has had them on for quite awhile with alot of use. The other has had them for awhile with moderate
use. Both with rough roads though.
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Axel-------
----You know, I don't recall the brand. I had a pair on the used 1969 F-100 truck when I got it (1971)----they went bad (would not hold air) after 1
trip to Baja, so I thought that maybe they were just old, so bought replacements. After 2 trips down the San Felipe to Gonzaga road they went bad
too. Then I went to bolt-on helper springs (with grade 8 bolts)-------busted both of them (the leafs broke at the clamp) on the next rugged Baja
Trip. Next I went to the add-a-leafs and never had any more problems. This was all about 20 years ago when I had those problems. My son still owns
the old F-100 (1969) and has never had any more problems (it still runs great) and he drives it rough off-road.
Then I bought a used (1994) F-250 (which I still have) and after one Mexico trip found that it bottomed out. I then installed the add-a-leafs (fore
and aft) and the Bilstein's all around, and it has been great ever since.
Maybe the new air-bags are more rugged now, tho friends of mine have also reported problems with them. Again, they are wonderful on the highway, but
just do not seem to hold up to abuse. Add-a-leafs (beefed up spring packs) have so far been fool-proof for me, so of course I am bullish on them.
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bajabass
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Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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I own a suspension and alignment shop. I have found airbags or air shocks are a crutch at best for on road, a joke off road. find a good spring shop
and they will custom build a spring pack or add a leaf or two. shock wise, either Bilstein or KYB.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Yep-----
----I have KYB's on my Isuzu Trooper and they are outstanding, too, I believe. Both brands of shocks are worth every penny, and then some.
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Neal Johns
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I have a Tacoma with an 850 lb (dry) camper on it and use it quite a bit off-road.
Get three leaves added to the spring pack in the rear by a spring shop. Add-a-leave type helpers will leave you rocking and rolling (literally) with
the higher center of gravity and weight of the camper. As mentioned above, get better shocks in the rear which will help this. The TRD Bilsteins that
came stock on mine were too soft for the camper load. Rancho and others make adjustable shocks that will help.
Get a two inch lift (adjustable) on the front with stronger springs (higher spring rate). Some of the camper weight will transfer to the front. Downey
Off-Road and several others sell them.
You did not say if you will leave it on all the time??? I do.
Neal and Marian Johns -His and Her Tacomas
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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dean miller
Nomad
Posts: 456
Registered: 1-28-2004
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I have used Air bags and add a leaf both were total absolute failures! Never again!
Broke a spring on my trailer in Baja. Took it to a Mexican Taller in Baja. He replaced the springs on both sides with 6 leaf springs for a total of
$50.00 US. That was 8-10 years ago.
SDM
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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OK Neal, now I am confused---------
When you say "add-a-leafs" will leave you "rocking and rolling", but then say they are "helper" springs, I am confused. My "add-a-leafs" are leafs
incorporated into the spring pack-----in other words the spring shop rebuilt my stock springs adding leafs to that pack. They called the leafs they
added "add-a-leaf" springs. I ended up with 6 leafs per rear spring pack, 3 leafs per front spring packs, with no overload springs. They work great
even in the rocks------very little rocking and rolling----but I do have anti-sway bars fore and aft, in addition to the big motorhome type Bilstein
shocks. My camper is very close to yours in weight, but only 44 inches tall. The new spring packs raised the backend about 2 inches from what they
were stock, and the front end about 1 inch. Many Baja back roads on this set-up, but nothing quite as bad as what your pic shows.
Am I mis-interpreting something here?
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Barry A.
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Dean-----
----I think the confusion is in what each of us is calling "add-a-leaf" springs. What you ended up with on your trailer is exactly what I ended up
with when the shop rebuilt my spring packs, but they called the leafs that they incorporated into the springs packs, "add-a-leaf" springs.
Perhaps you are referring to the bolt-on leafs, which several of us think are "junk"?
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
Posts: 1687
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Location: Lytle Creek, CA
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There is some confusion as to "Add-a-Leaf".
I am/was referring to the original definition of a single leaf added to the pack.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Neal-----
In my case, the spring shop decided that I only needed 1 extra leaf per spring pack, both front and rear. That did the job.
My stock spring packs: rear was 5 leafs, front 2 leafs-------when they finished I had 6 leafs per rear spring pack, and 3 leafs per front spring pack.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
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By the way---------
----the leafs that they added to my spring-packs were branded "Rancho Suspension".
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Skipjack Joe
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I'm going to be going through this sort of thing in the following two months and have a couple of questions.
1. Could you recommend a shop in the san diego area that would know how many springs to add and the quality needed for baja offroads.
2. I noticed that my 4Wheel camper has most of it's appliances on one side of the truck. And that includes the water tank. I was wondering if the
suspension on one side of the truck needs to be beefed up more than the other. I say this because my old camper had a lean to the left due to the same
poor weight distribution.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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SkipJack-----
I had the same problem as you do in that my camper leaned to the right. The Spring/Suspension shop compensated when they built the spring packs to
accomodate and correct this problem. This is assuming that the camper will be on the truck permanently.
Another thing that I forgot to mention on my rear springs is that the spring shop not only added an extra leaf, but they re-arched both the rear
springs, and this is how they compensated for the "lean", plus giving me slightly more "lift".
Not familiar with the San Diego market-------I am in far north CA.
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Halboo
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 2-19-2006
Location: 33°26\'00.15\"N 117°37\'09.84W
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I guess I'm not the only one interested in this subject.
The camper will be on the truck 95% of the time.
I'm no mechanic and am also interested in finding an honest shop in South Orange County or North County SD that knows the ins and outs of this stuff.
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