Sorry for the length, there is a TL DR at the bottom of the thread. But it's also quite long as i'm asking for a lot of info at once.

I'm a longtime reader, recently registered and i've done a few posts where I think my experience has come in handy. There will be picks of my truck at one point, but i need to find the right setting and I'm looking to customize it more then just changing the tires before posting too many pics.

I'm looking to do a few upgrades to my truck. Specifically in the suspension for now. I'm looking for a levelling kit, shocks and struts. I'll install the shocks myself, but i was going to get a shop install the struts and levelling kit for me as i don't have a spring compressor and the shop will also do my alignment for me at the same time.

I have a 2011 Dakota QC 4x4 3.7. Specifically, I'm looking for a 1.5 inch levelling kit, ranchos up front and the Monroe load adjusting in the rear to help with sagging and to give the approx. 1" lift in the rear others are mentioning.

I have the LT245/75R16 General Grabber AT2's which have a pretty stiff sidewall for the weight of the truck. I find that I'm bouncing around quite a lot on washboard roads. Will the Monroe Load adjusting shocks make this worse? There are a lot of washboard gravel roads up in my end of Northern Ontario to get to some scenic areas which make me slow down. Should I instead put the ranchos, Monroe Reflex Truck shocks or keep the stockers out back with a 1 inch block?

I liked the Monroe Reflex Truck shocks years ago. They did wonders on my 79-81-95 Chevy Blazer Pick Up (Long story. Short version, 79 K5 Blazer 350 4BL, 81 reg cab body, built in 95 with custom box). I just don't know if the Monroe Reflex Truck shocks along with 1 inch blocks will give me the ride i'm looking for.

I don't want my truck to be lower out back then the front when towing or hauling. I don't tow often, and when i do it's normally a 16' boat and the springs seem to sag enough that with the 1.5 inch level kit the front would sit higher then the rear. And most of my hauling is done in winter due to the amount of snow. It sits pretty level right now with the snow that has already fallen. I like the levelled look, but the front end is too low for me anyways both for ground clearance and for future tire size. I'm looking to do 265/75R16 tires in the future and i'm looking for minimal trimming. Not sure what tire specifically, but i'm thinking of a more MT then AT tire.

I'm also looking to do my sway bar bushing and links with poly, and replacing my tie rods and ball joints with greaseable parts at the same time as my strut replacement since the shop will already be in there and doing my alignment anyways.

TL RD
I have a 2011 Dakota QC 4x4 3.7.
Will the Monroe load adjusting shocks make my rear end bounce more on washboard roads or will it help me? Should i instead look at adding a block to keep the rear end up to keep closer to level when towing or hauling.
What should I look for part number wise for the fronts? Ranch RS5757 or the more recently released RS5829.
Is there a preferred 1.5" lift for our trucks? I would like to keep it at 1.5" to lessen the amount of binding, but 2" would be ok. I'm looking at this lift http://www.ebay.ca/itm/141095754741?...84.m1423.l2649.
I was looking at the daystar 2" lift a while back, but they say not to use it on trucks built after 03/09. What changed on our trucks after 03/09 that made companies change the shocks, struts and lift kits for our trucks?

 

I'm not sure about that Ebay kit, fits Ram 1500 & Dakota? No way.

Trailmaster #DL223 is the 1.5" leveling kit that fits our trucks, and you'll fit those 265/75/16 tires that you want with minor trimming. No experience with the Monroes, so I can't help you with that, Ranchos all around in my truck. It looks like the RS5757 strut is for 2005-2009 Dakotas, and the RS5829 strut is for 2010-2011 Dakotas.

 

These trucks are very light on the rear axle and the heavier the wheels, the more bounce you'll get. I have some pretty large wheels on my truck and the only solutions I've found to work in keeping the axle relatively stable is added weight, longer and stronger shocks (the load adjusting shocks may help), stiffer springs. You can get the springs re-arched to give you the added height you want without any blocks and add an additional leaf for the stiffness. This along with new shocks that fit the new height will really help in keeping the axle steady at 90 degrees to the frame. Added weight will keep the back of the truck steadier over rough roads and smooth out your ride (I keep 4 bags of sand over the axle) - anyway, that's been my experience

 

The only part of your post I have experience with is that the wheels drastically make a difference in how your truck will handle so the larger the tire the more it weighs and the harder it will be to keep them on the ground. Guys that I know who race street stuff deal with studder bumps and counteract the hopping by going as light with rims (aluminum vs steel) or magnesium if they have the money. With that being said no idea on how to keep our trucks from doing this as I switched from a TK rated tire to a P rated tire to save weight and cost and only got minor rewards. So saying that keep in mind that an air bag system in back might also help with height and bounce!

 

I found that shocks alone won't stop the rear axle from shifting from it's perpendicular alignment when you're going over bumps at even street speeds. I really needed to stiffen the springs to hold it in this alignment and then add some weight so it didn't feel like a buckboard. There are other ways of doing this to keep a softer ride, but they entail a lot more work. I chose the brute force approach vs. finesse.

 

everywhere i look, the TM kit only goes to 2009. the part number i can find is DL223. is there a different part number for the 2010-2011 much like there is a different strut? What changed in 2010 on the front end to require different struts? I've now went through posts all the way back to 2009 and cannot find any info as to what changed. i'm actually currently looking at page 284 on the forum, looking at posts i find interesting, or that might have suspension info that i'm looking for and can't find it.

And regarding the rear, I'm still not sure if I should do the Monroe Load Levelling or the Ranchos with a 1" block. Anyone have experience on washboard roads with either of these combos who can help me out here. I understand the concept of unsprung weight and how larger/heavier tires have more momentum going over bumps, but shouldn't a stiffer shock/spring package help control it. Or will a stiffer shock/spring package make it bounce more on washboard roads?

I don't really want to haul 200+ lbs of weight in the box when offroading as there are some big bumps that I hit at times and what i put in the back might be hard to secure, even with the tie downs. I find the front tie downs to be too high for my liking for smaller loads.

 

I don't know exactly what changed, but I do know in 2010 (and consequentially in 2011 as well) they supposedly "beefed up" the front struts a bit more to give a little better (less stiff) ride compared with 2005-2009. I am guessing they changed the bolt pattern slightly or something similar just enough so that the TM kit doesn't fit.

 

The shocks will dampen the bounce, but they won't stop the axle from actually moving back & forth on each side (the side that hits the bump will usually move back a bit). Going over a large bump at street speed with heavy wheels will cause the axle to move off it's perpendicular axis momentarily giving you a symptom similar to axle tramp. This will cause the back end to swing one way or the other.

I chose the stiffer spring approach and with longer and tougher shocks, I was able to get the axle to respond properly but it gave a rough ride at speed - off road, you most likely wouldn't feel the roughness unless you're really belting down the trail. I added the weight to "soften" the ride and this combination of things gave me back the control I lost with the heavy wheels & OEM springs. The spring mods I made also gave me the lift I wanted without blocks - I still needed the body lift for overall clearance.

I mentioned earlier that there are other ways to keep the axle in line but you need to add some custom brackets for a couple of control arms that would keep the axle from shifting - with this, you can go with softer springs, longer shocks, and lift blocks. Some of the lift blocks you get won't fit flush to the spring & axle - these, you'll need to grind to shape otherwise they'll crack relatively quickly. Once you've figured out the lift you want on the back, then you can see what shocks will be available - you can no longer go with the OEM length shock and the weight of the wheel will dictate how soft/hard you'll need them. Defining good shocks & springs can be very subjective - what's good for one person probably won't work for others, so if you can determine what your truck really needs for a stable suspension, then you'll need some time, patience, and cash to find what works for you perfectly.

 

I wish there was a LIKE button as Alfons hit the nail on the head! My suggestion would be to "lurk" at some of the Toyota 2X4 forums and see the lengths those guys go through to try and "balance" the rear and front suspension particularly the long travel sections to try and save you some aggravation.

 

Thanks Alfons

So it looks like my rear shocks will be the Monroe Load Adjust shocks which will stiffen up the rear end. I'll look to figure something out to secure weight in the box for when i head on the washboard roads. I'll also go through some of the Toyota forums as Sparks said to see if i find anything else there to help me out.

It's my project this winter to figure out exactly what i'll do with the truck and do a bunch of upgrades in the spring. I'll order as many parts as i can before hand such as my lift, struts, shocks, e-fan, controller, t-stat, air intake tube, etc. I might change my mind of the shocks and go with the ranchos with lift blocks but that depends what else i find before then. Once the snow is melted, which is April or May, I'll finally get to my painting, which i'm trying to decide on going flat black or a flat dark grey, then finally get real pics of my truck up here, not just mud covered wheels and fenders.