Mastering 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel Rear Suspension Setup
The first generation Toyota Tacoma remains a popular and capable platform for off-road enthusiasts looking to tackle challenging terrain. Upgrading to a 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel suspension system significantly enhances its performance, offering increased wheel travel, improved stability, and a smoother ride over bumps and whoops, particularly beneficial for desert running and aggressive trail use. Finding detailed discussions and guides specifically for the first generation (1995.5-2004) can sometimes be challenging as newer generations take the spotlight. This guide outlines a tested process for setting up a long travel rear suspension using leaf springs on a 1st gen Tacoma.
Learn more about the first gen tacoma long travel setup options
Implementing a long travel setup requires careful planning, fabrication, and precise measurements. The following steps detail a method for installing the rear suspension components, focusing on the leaf springs, hangers, shackles, and shock mounting.
The Long Travel Rear Suspension Setup Process
Here is a breakdown of the steps involved in fabricating and installing a long travel leaf spring rear suspension system for your 1st gen Tacoma:
Step 1: Axle Preparation and Perch Welding
Begin by preparing the rear axle. If you are using the stock axle housing, the easiest way to correctly position new spring perches is to place the axle on jack stands with the factory perches facing downwards. Use a digital level on the factory perches to set them at 0°, ensuring they are parallel to the ground. Place your new spring perches on top of the axle tubes, maintaining the same distance from the axle flange on each side. Set these new perches to 0°, parallel with the factory perches. Tack weld them securely in place at all four corners, double-checking that they are fixed and won’t shift. Once tacked, reinstall the axle temporarily under the truck and reconnect the driveshaft to ensure proper alignment before final welding.
Step 2: Leaf Spring Pack Modification and Front Hanger Placement
Disassemble your long travel leaf spring pack down to the main leaf and the military wrap leaf (if applicable). Reinstall the center bolt. Use U-bolts to attach this minimal spring pack to the newly tacked perches on the axle. A block of wood can be used in place of the removed leaves to fill the gap and allow you to use your U-bolts for cycling the suspension. Bolt the new front spring hanger loosely to the leaf spring eye. With the axle centered laterally, compress the axle upwards to its full bump position against the frame where the factory bump stops originally contacted. Swing the leaf spring and front hanger assembly into position so the new hanger makes contact with the bottom of the frame rail. A common starting point is positioning the center of the hanger’s bolt hole approximately 1 inch forward of the rearmost vertical edge of the rear cab mount. Tack the front hanger into its determined position on the frame.
Detail of leaf spring perch welding on a 1st gen Tacoma axle
Step 3: Shackle and Upper Mount Installation
Attach the shackle to the rear eye of the leaf spring, ensuring the upper bushing assembly is correctly installed in the shackle. Place the bushing sleeve of the shackle’s upper pivot on top of the frame rail. To prevent the spring eye from hitting the frame at full compression, it’s advisable to place a 1/4″ spacer between the bottom of the frame and the top of the leaf spring eye. This creates a small clearance gap. With the shackle positioned correctly and the spacer in place (if used), tack the upper shackle bushing sleeve or mount to the top of the frame (this step assumes you are using shackles designed for approximately 12″ of travel). Measure the distance from the front spring hanger bolt to the bolt in the upper shackle bushing assembly. Based on collective experience, a measurement of roughly 53 inches from the front spring hanger bolt to the upper shackle pivot point is often considered ideal for optimizing suspension geometry.
Step 4: Cycling Suspension and Shock Mounting
With the front hangers and upper shackle mounts tacked on both sides, cycle the suspension through its full range of motion (from full compression to full droop). Carefully check that the pinion angle remains acceptable throughout the travel and that no components (like the driveshaft, fuel tank, or brake lines) make contact with anything. Once you confirm clearance and geometry look good, you can begin planning shock placement.
Clamp a piece of plywood or cardboard to the frame in the general area where you intend to mount the shocks. Consider the factory fuel tank location – you may need to lean the shocks towards the rear of the truck to clear it, even though leaning forward is sometimes seen. The critical factor is ensuring the shock is primarily in compression as the axle rotates upwards under load. This means your lower shock tabs should be positioned on the axle relative to the shock angle. If leaning shocks backward, lower tabs between 9 and noon (when viewing the axle end from the side) are typical. If leaning forward, 6 to 9 might be appropriate. Tack the lower shock tabs onto the axle housing, positioning them as close to the frame or tire (if running a wider axle) as possible without causing contact at full articulation.
Compress the axle to full bump. Compress your shock almost entirely, leaving about 1/2 inch of shaft showing to prevent bottoming out (using zip ties on the shaft helps visualize this). With the lower shock eye bolted to the tacked axle tab, place a marker through the upper shock eye and draw an arc on the plywood as you swing the shock mount area fore and aft. Now, drop the axle to full droop, fully extend the shock, and draw a second arc on the plywood. The intersection of these two arcs represents the optimal location for your upper shock mount relative to that lower tab position, maximizing shock travel efficiency within the suspension’s range.
Step 5: Building Shock Hoops/Bedcage
With your ideal upper shock mount locations determined, you can begin fabricating the shock hoops or bedcage structure that will support them. Tack the upper shock mounts securely to your fabricated cage components. Before final welding the cage structure, cycle the suspension again with the leaf springs still broken down (main leaf only) to ensure everything clears the cage and frame throughout the suspension travel. Once clearance is confirmed, you can proceed with fully welding the shock hoops or bedcage into place.
Find long travel kits and components for your 1st gen tacoma long travel project
Custom long travel rear suspension setup on a 1st gen Toyota Tacoma
Step 6: Final Assembly and Limit Strap Setup
Reassemble your leaf spring packs completely. Bolt everything together – springs to perches, front hangers to springs, shackles to springs and upper mounts, and shocks to their mounts. Fully droop the suspension. Compress the suspension slightly (about 2 inches from full droop) and measure for your limit straps. Mount the limit straps so they become taut at this point, ensuring they prevent the shock from fully extending and experiencing harsh stops at the end of its travel, thus protecting the shocks and suspension components.
Conclusion
Building a 1st Gen Tacoma Long Travel suspension is a significant modification that dramatically improves off-road capability. While complex, following a meticulous process involving careful measurement, fabrication, suspension cycling, and component placement is key to achieving a high-performing and reliable setup.
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/
