Leaf pack and rear shocks

So I added the RAS system and noticed sag was still to much even with a WDH and Timbrens. My stock leaf springs and rear shocks have 82k miles on them so it’s time for new ones. What’s some good ones to add to my tundra that will help with hitching up tongue weight of anywhere from 720lbs to 920lbs? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

If you have rear sag with RAS and a WDH your WDH hitch is not set up correctly or the load/tow is too much for the truck. What is your measurement, center hub to top of rear fender, unloaded? And what year truck, engine and configuration?

 

I’m using a Anderson no sway hitch and maybe that’s why I’m getting sag vs say a equalizer 4 point WDH. My leaf springs also look flat already so I’m sure that doesn’t help. I have a 2014 Toyota Tundra crew cab 4x4 with the 5.7l. I’ve done all those measurements loaded and unloaded and when loaded it goes down 1.5” and my Timbrens save it from going down any further

 

to determine if your leafs are sagging, what is the center hub to top of fender measurement in the rear? For a stock truck with good leafs, the measurement is 24 inches. RAS would have given you about an inch of lift, so your measurement should be around 25 inches. Check that and you will know if your leafs are good or not.
What did you set RAS at, white disk or the black disk?

 

black disk and my measurements is from ground to wheel fender at 40”

 

I have about 1” lift in the rear with the RAS

 

I am at 41 inches ground to bottom ofback fender. Known good leafs on my truck, 1 inch lift from RAS and 275/70-18 tires. If I ran stock 32 inch tires, I would be at 40.5 inches, so you are not far off, about a half inch.

If you are keeping RAS, you can probably find good take off leafs for cheap, stock replacements to get back that half inch. Even with an adjusted WDH, the truck will drop about an inch with a heavy load/tow, so you are not far off. You may be able to adjust the WDH some and come up a half inch, transferring a little more to the front.

 

These are the leaf springs I want to get and put them with a bilstein 5160 just not sure if I should get extended bilsteins because that leaf pack raises the rear 2.1”

https://www.dobinsonsdirect.com/col...pair-for-toyota-tundra-2007-to-2019-l59-120-r

 

Or these

$242 ARB Old Man Emu Leaf Spring - CS005RA

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/arb-old-man-emu-leaf-spring-cs005ra/_/R-BHWQ-CS005RA

 

yep, OME is good stuff, expect it to lift the rear of the truck about 2.5 inches from stock ride height with just the leaf swap. OME runs a little high compared to ride heights listed.

 

Dobinson are 2.1” in rear height but now I’m thinking if I switch out the leaf pack for say Dobinson or OME will I need the RAS because that already gives me a 1” lift from stock

 

You are correct, both of those springs lift the truck from factory ride height in the rear and so does RAS. Those leafs are heavier duty than stock, may not need RAS, but you could also still use ras and just back down the tension on RAS so it helps support but not lift as high. Use the white disk, or something a hair smaller for the RAS adjustment.

 

I'm wondering if the RAS will fit with new leaf pack

 

Search RAS upper right, there are few specific threads for RAS with lots of posts and good info. I know some run it with lift shackles, but I dont remember if there were people running it with lifted springs. It should work fine as long as the new springs are the same with as the stockers.

 

what do measure when your loaded in the rear with the trailer hitches up? I’m at 38.5” from 40.25”

 

We have already privately discussed this, but the RAS will work with Dobinson's leaf pack and it is sort of adjustable to set lift as desired. It would be foolish to not use it, especially if you don't buy HD leaf packs. OME leafpacks will likely squeak, don't rush, do homework!

 

If your springs are flat you need new springs, the other stuff is just supposed to supplement those. From everything I’ve read the Anderson is great at sway but not so good at redistributing weight, by their own admission it doesn’t transfer weight like spring bars do. One reviewer said something like “if sag is your issue you have the wrong hitch.” I’ve never used one, just hearsay.

I went with Dobinsons springs and RAS HD and wish the truck came this way in the first place. I could do without the 2” lift from the Dobinsons and the small added lift from the RAS HD setup, but it’s worth it for the ride quality and towing performance. I set my RAS HD at the minimum, with the white disk sliding in and out with some friction, and still had to take a link out of my WDH chains as they didn’t have to work as hard.

 

You may need to use your trailer jack to jack the trailer higher, then move your A hitch chain brackets back a bit, you would obviously need to completely loosen the chain tensioner nuts to do this. The end result, you get more tension before running out of threads for adjustment which gives less sag on the truck.

 

I saw your post in the other thread, but trying to keep this together: Don’t worry about 1.5” sag too much, it’s ok for the rear to sag as long as the front doesn’t lift. Although mine now sags about that much with zero WDH attached.
I was laughing and having a blast tuning it for the first time after the suspension upgrades. I dropped the weight on the ball and couldn’t tell if the front lifted at all, so had to lift it back off again and measure. The front lifted less than the recommended max of 1”(if it had WDH attached) with no WDH and probably 750lbs or so tongue weight. As said elsewhere I ended up with one less chain link of tension and all is well. Front now lifts less than 1/2” and tows better than ever. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the behavior in crosswinds, I get much less sway now than with stock leafs.

 

All that was done to the T and I moved the ball to every hole height setting and measured and still sagged 1.5” I’ve watched plenty of videos on that Anderson hitch so it was dialed in 100%. The Anderson and RAS are both a disappointment and thus will buy the equalizer 4 point hitch

 

The funny part about my setup when installing the WDH is front doesn’t move much it goes from 40”-40.25” legends loaded

 

No! The RAS isn’t a disappointment it’s just not magic, lol. You need new leafs. Don’t despair, you know what to look at now.

 

I would think that is because your rear is squatting so much and resting on bump stops(Timbrens)...

 

yeah and without the Timbrens I would probably go 2” of sag lol

 

not going to give up on them yet! I will buy the leaf springs, shocks and the WDH

 

So many people recommended the fire stone airbags and get rid of the Timbrens to help with the squats

 

I have no direct experience, but I do my best to learn from others. Better bumpstops isn’t the answer in my opinion, which is worth what you paid for it of course. I am firmly in the “do it right the first time” camp and try to do it whenever I can.

 

I started with Trd sway bar, Timbrens than RAS and always a WDH but now I need to add more

 

This is the system I want to use

 

Whatever you do, you want to try and have some spring or air space between your timbrens and the frame in order to get some benefits from shocks. If your always on bump stops, the shocks simply cannot absorb anything! No point in having $$ decorations! At that point your axles and bearings are taking a real beating, how much depends on the tire sidewalls and terrain.