Mastering Your 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel Kit Setup

Finding detailed discussions on installing a 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel Kit can indeed be scarce in some online spaces these days. Yet, the passion for turning these durable pickups into capable desert runners or off-road machines remains strong among enthusiasts. This guide aims to contribute to that conversation by outlining a tested approach to setting up a long travel suspension, specifically focusing on the rear leaf spring configuration based on prior experience.

Adding a long travel kit significantly enhances off-road performance by increasing wheel travel, articulation, and stability over rough terrain. While comprehensive setups often involve both front and rear modifications, this guide details the process for optimizing the rear leaf spring suspension, a crucial component for many 1st gen Tacoma owners seeking improved performance without a full suspension overhaul.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of a successful rear long travel leaf spring installation:

Rear Long Travel Leaf Spring Setup Guide

This section outlines the critical steps involved in modifying the rear suspension to achieve long travel with leaf springs. Accuracy and careful measurement are paramount throughout this process.

1. Prepare and Position Spring Perches: Begin by welding your new spring perches to the bottom of the axle tube. If you are retaining the stock axle, a straightforward method is to place the axle on jack stands with the factory perches facing downwards. Use a digital level to ensure the factory perches are at 0° (parallel to the ground). Position your new perches on top of the axle at the same distance from the axle flange as the original perches, setting them also to 0° (parallel with the factory perch). Lightly tack the new perches in place at all four corners, verifying they are secure and won’t shift. Reinstall the axle under the truck and reconnect the driveshaft.

Toyota Tacoma rear axle with new spring perch tacked on

2. Install Leaf Springs and Front Hanger Placement: Break down your new leaf spring pack to include only the main leaf and the military wrap leaf. Reinstall the center bolt. U-bolt this core spring assembly to the newly tacked perches on the axle. You can use a block of wood in place of the removed leaves to maintain the correct height and use the same U-bolts for cycling the suspension later. Bolt the front spring hanger to the leaf spring. With the axle centered under the truck, compress the axle upwards to full bump, resting against the frame where the factory bump stops are located. Swing the leaf spring forward so that the new hanger makes contact with the bottom of the frame rail. Based on common practice, the center of the front hanger’s bolt hole should typically be positioned about 1 inch forward of the rearmost vertical edge of the rear cab mount. Once in position, tack the front hanger to the frame.

3. Mount Shackles and Upper Bushing Assembly: Bolt the shackle to the rear eye of the leaf spring, ensuring the upper bushing assembly is installed. Rest the bushing sleeve on top of the frame rail. To guarantee clearance at full compression, it’s advisable to place a small spacer (e.g., 1/4 inch thick) between the bottom of the frame and the eye of the leaf spring before tacking the bushing sleeve in place. This helps prevent the spring eye from hitting the frame at full bump. Assuming you are using 12-inch shackles, measure the distance between the front spring hanger bolt and the bolt on the upper shackle bushing assembly. An ideal measurement, based on collective experience, is around 53 inches from the front spring hanger bolt center to the center of the upper shackle pivot. Tack the upper bushing sleeve to the top of the frame.

Tacoma rear suspension with shackle and leaf spring components visible

4. Cycle Suspension and Plan Shock Mounts: With everything tacked, cycle the suspension through its full range of motion. Check that the pinion angle appears correct throughout the travel. Verify that no components are interfering with each other and that the axle remains centered. Once these checks are confirmed, you can proceed to cycle the shocks. To plan the upper shock mount location, clamp a piece of plywood or similar material to the frame rail in the general area where the shocks will be mounted.

   A critical consideration, especially if retaining the stock fuel tank, is the angle of the shocks. While many lean them forward, leaning them slightly towards the rear can work well, particularly before adding a fuel cell. The key is ensuring the shock is primarily in compression as the axle rotates under load. If you lean the shocks forward, installing the lower tabs on the back of the axle can cause the shock’s rebound valving to assist the axle’s upward rotation, potentially causing the rear of the truck to lift under load instead of squatting or staying level.

   When viewed from the driver’s side: if leaning shocks backward, the lower axle tabs should be between 9 o’clock and noon. If leaning them forward, the lower tabs should be between 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock. Tack the lower shock tabs to the axle as close to the frame (or tire if running a wider axle and mounting shocks outside the frame rails) as possible, ensuring they will clear everything at full articulation.

   Compress the axle to full bump and compress the shock almost completely, leaving about 1/2 inch of visible shock shaft. Secure two zip ties around the shaft to easily indicate if the shock bottoms out during testing. With the lower shock bolt attached to the axle tab, insert a sharpie through the upper shock mount hole and draw an arc along the clamped plywood as you swing the shock from the front to the rear of the truck. Then, drop the axle to full droop, extending the shock completely, and draw a second arc on the plywood. The intersection point of these two arcs indicates the ideal location for your upper shock mount, providing maximum usable travel from the shock.

Long travel rear shocks mounted on a Toyota Tacoma

5. Fabricate and Weld Shock Hoops/Bedcage: Once the ideal shock locations are determined, you can begin fabricating your shock hoops or bedcage structure. Tack the upper shock mounts into place on your new structure. Before fully welding the entire structure, cycle the suspension again with the leaf springs still partially disassembled (using the wood block) to confirm that the shocks and the new structure clear all other components throughout the suspension travel. Once everything is verified, complete all welding.

Custom bedcage and long travel shock mount

6. Final Assembly and Limit Straps: Reassemble the complete leaf spring packs and bolt everything together. Fully droop the suspension. Compress the suspension upwards by approximately 2 inches and mount your limit straps. The goal is for the limit strap to become taut just before the shock reaches its full extension, preventing the shock from acting as the limiting factor for down travel.

Rear suspension detail showing leaf spring and potential limit strap points

Successfully installing a 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel Kit requires careful planning, precise measurements, and attention to detail, particularly with welding and suspension cycling. While this outline focuses on the rear setup, achieving optimal long travel performance involves integrating these rear modifications with appropriate front suspension components. Understanding the interaction between shocks, springs, perches, shackles, and mounting points is crucial for maximizing performance and ensuring durability.

Here are some resources that may provide additional context or component information:

References:

• http://www.off-road.com/trucks-4×4/project579.html
• https://giantmotorsports.com/index.php/product-category/long-travel-kits/64-long-travel-leaf-spring-kit/
• https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rear-setup-first-gen.543193/
• https://www.dezertrangers.com/threads/toyota-tacoma-f67-deaver-set-up.239013/