Tacoma4G Editorial Staff
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Coil Springs or Leaf Springs: A Guide to Choosing the 2024 Tacoma Suspension
By: Tacoma4G Editorial Staff
Among the many all-new features found on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, the introduction of rear coil spring suspension might be one of the most underhyped. That’s somewhat surprising since the introduction of the same feature on the larger Tundra made waves in the media. Regardless of why the Taco isn’t getting the same hype, we think it’s worth a deeper dive because, for the first time, Tacoma customers can get leaf springs or coil springs depending on the trim level. Choosing between these two suspension types can be difficult and often comes down to the way one plans on using their truck. To that end, here’s an explainer on how each suspension type works along with the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Coils For The First Time
The new fourth-generation Tacoma continues to use a solid rear axle but for the first time comes standard in some trims with a coil-sprung rear axle. That offers a few big benefits over the old-school leaf spring suspension found across the entire third-gen Tacoma. Most notably, coil springs typically offer better on-road manners because they increase articulation. Leaf springs are much stiffer and so they tend to be more jarring, especially when there’s nothing in the bed.
In addition, leaves serve dual purposes both suspending the truck and physically locating the rear axle. That combination of duties further limits the ride quality and composure potential since what’s happening on one side of the suspension can more easily affect the other side in a negative way. Coil springs reduce that issue too since they’re not responsible for locating the axle. In turn, the axle can move more freely while the suspension works around it. This phenomenon is precisely why aftermarket kits exist that allow the axle to “float” in leaf-sprung applications.
As we’ve already mentioned, adding coil springs to the rear of the Tundra was big news, in part, because doing so often improves ride quality. Recent reports suggest that Toyota still has some work to do though. We’ve heard a number of complaints surrounding the Tundra’s towing behavior and those complaints rest squarely on the coil-sprung rear suspension. Reports say that it’s overwhelmed and feels uneasy during heavy towing. Could the Tacoma’s rear axle suffer from the same issue? That’s certainly possible considering that it sits on the same general platform and weighs considerably less than the Tundra.
Considering these factors, those who plan to drive their Tundra almost exclusively on the road and without towing a large load would almost certainly benefit from a coil-sprung setup. That might be why Toyota includes them on the SR5 Double Cab, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, Trailhunter, and TRO Pro trim levels. Those of you planning off-road adventures could benefit too so long as you’re not worried about towing heavier loads.
The Leaves Aren’t Leaving
On the other end of the spectrum, the SR, SR5 Xtra Cab, and TRD PreRunner all continue to use the old-school leaf-spring design. Toyota hasn’t said why it’s splitting the field in this way but we have some educated guesses. Leaf springs are typically superior to coil-sprung setups in terms of how they manage payload and towing. For a truck like the Tacoma, which will surely sell the above-mentioned lower-end trims like hotcakes, long-term durability is key. After all, that’s what many of us came to know the Tacoma for first, its dependability. These leaf-sprung trucks will likely be those put to the most intensive and consistent workloads.
Notably, there are still questions swirling around about the final payload capacity across the lineup. Toyota hasn’t told us yet. We know that the iForce Max has a 1,709-pound payload rating. Could that figure increase on leaf spring? We think so. Of course, we can’t overlook the fact that leaf springs likely cost the brand less cash both initially and in the long run. That allows Toyota to offer these lower-end trims at a lower cost which makes them even more competitive in the global market when compared to rivals.
To us, that makes the leaf-sprung version of the Tacoma the obvious choice for anyone using this as a hardcore work truck. Not only are leaf springs very resilient but they’re less expensive to maintain. On top of that, they’re great for towing and payload capacity.
Final Thoughts
There’s no getting around the fact that in many cases, customers will end up with the suspension they prefer less because the trim they prefer doesn’t offer it. Don’t let that dissuade you from one trim or another though. The aftermarket for the Taco is vast and we expect various components to come online in the near future that can improve performance for each suspension type. It’s worth noting too that the aforementioned concerns about towing with coil springs might not end up being an issue with the Tacoma once we drive it.
Didn’t find the specific advice you might be looking for? Visit the forum and ask your question. The Tacoma4G community is here to help.
By: Tacoma4G Editorial Staff
Among the many all-new features found on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, the introduction of rear coil spring suspension might be one of the most underhyped. That’s somewhat surprising since the introduction of the same feature on the larger Tundra made waves in the media. Regardless of why the Taco isn’t getting the same hype, we think it’s worth a deeper dive because, for the first time, Tacoma customers can get leaf springs or coil springs depending on the trim level. Choosing between these two suspension types can be difficult and often comes down to the way one plans on using their truck. To that end, here’s an explainer on how each suspension type works along with the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Coils For The First Time
The new fourth-generation Tacoma continues to use a solid rear axle but for the first time comes standard in some trims with a coil-sprung rear axle. That offers a few big benefits over the old-school leaf spring suspension found across the entire third-gen Tacoma. Most notably, coil springs typically offer better on-road manners because they increase articulation. Leaf springs are much stiffer and so they tend to be more jarring, especially when there’s nothing in the bed.
In addition, leaves serve dual purposes both suspending the truck and physically locating the rear axle. That combination of duties further limits the ride quality and composure potential since what’s happening on one side of the suspension can more easily affect the other side in a negative way. Coil springs reduce that issue too since they’re not responsible for locating the axle. In turn, the axle can move more freely while the suspension works around it. This phenomenon is precisely why aftermarket kits exist that allow the axle to “float” in leaf-sprung applications.
As we’ve already mentioned, adding coil springs to the rear of the Tundra was big news, in part, because doing so often improves ride quality. Recent reports suggest that Toyota still has some work to do though. We’ve heard a number of complaints surrounding the Tundra’s towing behavior and those complaints rest squarely on the coil-sprung rear suspension. Reports say that it’s overwhelmed and feels uneasy during heavy towing. Could the Tacoma’s rear axle suffer from the same issue? That’s certainly possible considering that it sits on the same general platform and weighs considerably less than the Tundra.
Considering these factors, those who plan to drive their Tundra almost exclusively on the road and without towing a large load would almost certainly benefit from a coil-sprung setup. That might be why Toyota includes them on the SR5 Double Cab, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, Trailhunter, and TRO Pro trim levels. Those of you planning off-road adventures could benefit too so long as you’re not worried about towing heavier loads.
The Leaves Aren’t Leaving
On the other end of the spectrum, the SR, SR5 Xtra Cab, and TRD PreRunner all continue to use the old-school leaf-spring design. Toyota hasn’t said why it’s splitting the field in this way but we have some educated guesses. Leaf springs are typically superior to coil-sprung setups in terms of how they manage payload and towing. For a truck like the Tacoma, which will surely sell the above-mentioned lower-end trims like hotcakes, long-term durability is key. After all, that’s what many of us came to know the Tacoma for first, its dependability. These leaf-sprung trucks will likely be those put to the most intensive and consistent workloads.
Notably, there are still questions swirling around about the final payload capacity across the lineup. Toyota hasn’t told us yet. We know that the iForce Max has a 1,709-pound payload rating. Could that figure increase on leaf spring? We think so. Of course, we can’t overlook the fact that leaf springs likely cost the brand less cash both initially and in the long run. That allows Toyota to offer these lower-end trims at a lower cost which makes them even more competitive in the global market when compared to rivals.
To us, that makes the leaf-sprung version of the Tacoma the obvious choice for anyone using this as a hardcore work truck. Not only are leaf springs very resilient but they’re less expensive to maintain. On top of that, they’re great for towing and payload capacity.
Final Thoughts
There’s no getting around the fact that in many cases, customers will end up with the suspension they prefer less because the trim they prefer doesn’t offer it. Don’t let that dissuade you from one trim or another though. The aftermarket for the Taco is vast and we expect various components to come online in the near future that can improve performance for each suspension type. It’s worth noting too that the aforementioned concerns about towing with coil springs might not end up being an issue with the Tacoma once we drive it.
Didn’t find the specific advice you might be looking for? Visit the forum and ask your question. The Tacoma4G community is here to help.
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