Recommended Air Bag Suspension for 2000 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4

Question:

i have a stock 2000 toyota tacoma TRD SR5 4whl drive with bilstein 5100 shocks the truck sets level now... i would like to be able to carry extra weight i the bed... currently the rear end s a lot and the headlights point up into the sky when i have a medium load in it... my main concern is ride quality... i live on a 3 mile dirt road that is very bumpy... washboards etc... and i dont want to sacrifice my ride quality.... how much different is the ride when the airbags are empty? and what part numbers would i need if i want to get the air bags? lift kit etc? Thanks

asked by: Josh

Expert Reply:

For rear air helper springs for your 2000 Tacoma TRD 4WD, I'd recommend the Firestone # F2304 that you referenced. Because your truck is a 4x4 with the TRD package, you'll also need the # F2366 spacer kit.

According to Firestone, you should NOT run the bags while they're completely empty. They recommend keeping at least 5 psi of pressure in the air bags. Running them empty can damage the air bags.

The more air you add to the springs, the stiffer they will get. The larger the load in the bed, the more air you'll need to add in order to combat the rear end squat caused by the larger load. The heavier the load, the stiffer the springs, the poorer the ride quality, which is unavoidable.

Keep in mind that the air bag suspension will not change the load bearing capacity of your vehicle. The springs will do an excellent job of overcoming the rear end squat with the bed loaded and preventing you from bottoming out under load, but you'll need to slow down on your dirt road when you're under a full load.

In addition to the basic kit that would fill up using an air compressor, Firestone also offer an on-board compressor system, part # F2158 that would allow you to raise or lower your air pressure on the fly from the truck cab, instead of having to find a gas station whose compressor works.

To see an install video for the compressor system, click the link I've provided for you.