[sagexp]

Well, it appears I've spent $700 on a suspension that is for crap on my truck.

DC 4X4, ARB, Winch. Downey Coil Overs. After putting everything on, the front seemed a bit less responsive than I thought it should be. Not bad, but coupled with some stiff rear shocks, the ride felt odd.

Took out cable, weighed at 30 lbs with fairlead, and thought I'd run without it for a few days to see how it went.

Went okay. Felt better. And I was on the verge of just ordering synthetic line and aluminum fairlead. Tonight though, I went across a dip in the road. Bang on the left front. WTF. Went back. Slower, but same thing, not as loud. CRAP. Coil slap.

I've got it set to 1.5" of lift. I'm a little peturbed that with even moderate lift I'm getting coil slap. Seems to me like this is a design flaw, period. I've got the collar cranked up about 2" from the bottom, so about half way through the full adjustment. At this setting, I don't see how Downey would release something that would go metal to metal before it hit the snubber or bump stop. I mean, come on.........I don't care how well the springs are handling the weight, sooner or later everyone is going to "bottom out" and when that happens, it should NOT BE metal to metal on a non-modified suspension kit, correct?!

What about the guy with the pre-runner with little weight up front, and his collar cranked all the way up for 3" of lift? The first real good dip or ditch he hits and bottoms out, he will be going metal to metal with coil slap as well. That is not acceptable to me.

Do I have grounds to be ticked off here? Or am I going to have to add height to the bump stops or get different coils so I don't go metal to metal every time I hit a freakin dip in the road?

At a minimum, I'm out $180 to put Tundra coils on now it seems, and live with the too stiff ride and reduced flex that set up will bring.

Not pleased.

 

[rojodiablo]

Are you sure it is coil slap?? I used their spacer, and it hit like a sonovabnitch. No give, felt like hitting steel. I put the stocker spacer back in, and the hits are lots better... I run it lifted 2-1/2" , if it makes a difference.To see how much room there was in the coilovers, we put the truck on a rack at my friends' body shop. Pulled the truck down onto the tire 'till we hit the stops. The coils did not make contact on themselves. The hit from the downey spacer is pretty harsh; enough to make me think about airstops.... are you sure the coils are slapping??

 

[mudferret]

I seriously doubt it's coil slap. Despite the weight of your bumper, you're still riding on much, much stiffer suspension than stock. Takes some getting used to.

 

[sagexp]

I am assuming (there's that assume word) that it is coil slap, as it felt / sounded about like I'd expect that would. It could possibly be the "snubber" as downey calls it, or bump stop I suppose, but both snubbers on both sides showed signs of being hit, but I was only getting this noise and sensation on the driver side.

I have replaced the snubber with the factory stop and will try again tomorrow. Worth a try.

 

[mudferret]

With the specs of the coils, the weight of your bumper, and the speed you say you're experiencing it at, it just doesn't add up to coil slap. If you want to disconfirm/confirm coil slap, put some wax (a thin layer) on the bottom of each wind, then look for any contact deposits on the top of the next wind down.

 

[drabnor]

With the specs of the coils, the weight of your bumper, and the speed you say you're experiencing it at, it just doesn't add up to coil slap. If you want to disconfirm/confirm coil slap, put some wax (a thin layer) on the bottom of each wind, then look for any contact deposits on the top of the next wind down.

you can allways put a zip tie on one of the coils, if its gone then its coil slap

 

[wisctaco04]

That is what i tried to tell you in the PM I sent before you bought the setup. I have a solutiuon. PM sent again. Matt

 

[sagexp]

That is what i tried to tell you in the PM I sent before you bought the setup. I have a solutiuon. PM sent again. Matt

I got that PM about 4 days after I ordered the set up, or I probably would not have ordered them. But, it sounded like from your PM I'd be safe with 1.5 inches, which is where I'm at, so I didn't cancel the order or send them back when they arrived. Your PM coincidentally was the first I heard of this possible coil slap problem with the Downeys, but again, I already had them ordered a few days prior to that unfortunately.

I'm going to first positively identify coil slap as the problem, and go from there. Not that it will do any good, but if it is coil slap, Downey will be getting an ear full. Coil slap on a coil over just a little over half adjustment is ridiculous, I don't care if I've got a hippo on the front bumper, at full compresssion I can't see any properly designed and installed suspension allowing for metal to metal contact, regardless of load, and I'd expect that Downey will remedy the situation somehow, if it is in fact coil slap. Don't want to get off on too much of a tangent on Downey to find out it's something else.

I've got to find a decent dip where I can duplicate the problem and go from there. I haven't had time yet as I was replacing a starter on my buddy's Tacoma til late last night.

I will be interested in hearing from anyone else that's running Downey Tundra coils on their Downey Coil Overs. I've heard from two people so far who don't think it's a terrible ride, so I may go that direction since I'd particularly like to stick with cable on my winch if I can, and at the moment losing the cable does not seem to be helping.

 

[wisctaco04]

I got that PM about 4 days after I ordered the set up, or I probably would not have ordered them. But, it sounded like from your PM I'd be safe with 1.5 inches, which is where I'm at, so I didn't cancel the order or send them back when they arrived. Your PM coincidentally was the first I heard of this possible coil slap problem with the Downeys, but again, I already had them ordered a few days prior to that unfortunately.

I'm going to first positively identify coil slap as the problem, and go from there. Not that it will do any good, but if it is coil slap, Downey will be getting an ear full. Coil slap on a coil over just a little over half adjustment is ridiculous, I don't care if I've got a hippo on the front bumper, at full compresssion I can't see any properly designed and installed suspension allowing for metal to metal contact, regardless of load, and I'd expect that Downey will remedy the situation somehow, if it is in fact coil slap. Don't want to get off on too much of a tangent on Downey to find out it's something else.

I've got to find a decent dip where I can duplicate the problem and go from there. I haven't had time yet as I was replacing a starter on my buddy's Tacoma til late last night.

I will be interested in hearing from anyone else that's running Downey Tundra coils on their Downey Coil Overs. I've heard from two people so far who don't think it's a terrible ride, so I may go that direction since I'd particularly like to stick with cable on my winch if I can, and at the moment losing the cable does not seem to be helping.

Read your PM from me that I just sent.....

 

[Pathtaco]

I will be interested in hearing from anyone else that's running Downey Tundra coils on their Downey Coil Overs. I've heard from two people so far who don't think it's a terrible ride, so I may go that direction since I'd particularly like to stick with cable on my winch if I can, and at the moment losing the cable does not seem to be helping.[/QUOTE]

I really couldn't tell you if what you experienced was a coil slap? I did have exactly the same set up you are runing right now and like I said before the Tacoma coils felt too soft and boncy I also felt that the coils were not taking even small bumps on "city streets" I had the coil over crank to 21/4" with out the ARB bumper, after I installed the bumper and the wich with cable I had to crank them 1/2 to 2/4" more. That to me was bad enough.

So, then I decided to go back to downey and get the Tundra coils which I am much happier with. The Tundra coils take small bumps like nothing and too the ride is very aceptable. I was also recomended to take my Tacoma Bilstein shocks and get them re-valved to Tundra specs (which I have not done yet) I am sure once I do that the ride will even be better.

Let me know or e-mail me if you have more questions.

FS.

 

[Pathtaco]

With the Tundra coils I did not have to crank up them as much.

I hope the pictures I am attaching work so that you can see the difference between the Tacoma and Tundra coils.

FS.

 

[sagexp]

Are you sure it is coil slap?? I used their spacer, and it hit like a sonovabnitch. No give, felt like hitting steel. I put the stocker spacer back in, and the hits are lots better...

I think you got it! I'd have never thought rubber (or whatever Downey's bump stop is made of) would have given me such a hard hit and noise.

Spent the morning on it. Put some anti-seize on top of all the coil wraps. Found a good drive entrance and hit it at a fair speed. Got the bang, but no transfer of anti-seize to the underside of any coils.

Went back home, and changed the bump stops back to the factory stops. Hit the drive again. Damn near launched the truck, but no more bang.

I may put the Downeys back on, as the hits the front had to take to produce the bang were pretty severe, more than I'd intentionally give it.

Problem solved, thanks for showing me where to look! I'd have never guessed it would be the bump stops. I guess I can keep the Tacoma springs.......for now.

 

[rojodiablo]

SWEET!! Happy to be of help. I am gonna use those things for something....brutal. I don't know what, but I paid for them, so I'm going to find a spot for them. Maybe they are black concrete. Sure feel like it! The stockers are better. They do the job, and, because they flex/ compress, they are staying under my truck. And cheap, too.

 

[sagexp]

I'm going to save mine for self defense purposes. Hard as a rock.

So, thanks again, good info. Suspension may work as is now. Took the cable and rollers off the winch permanently, and ordered synthetic and aluminum yesterday. Driving around the ride feels like it will work. Took some hard bumps at speed, and looks to be holding up okay. I'd like it just a smidge firmer, but I'll see how it performs in the dirt for real here in a couple weeks. Can't break away until then.

As long as the ride quality doesn't diminish from here, or I get a bunch of coil sag I haven't already adjusted for, I think it will work just fine now.

 

[mudferret]

That's a much better/cleaner idea than mine. Zip ties are the duct tape of the non-adhesive World.

I suck, and I don't even own a Tacoma...

 

[rojodiablo]

So far, no coil sag. Going to Abreojos on the 17th.... WILL surely test the spring sag again there!!! So far, no problems with the spring. So, hopefully you will be good to go!!