A new truck means new projects.

That yellow jounce block was removed from above the rear axle, and replaced with an air spring.

My new Tacoma is rated for a 6500 lb trailer, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. 

Any pickup truck that sits level, is not going to be level when 600 lbs is resting on the hitch.  Stiffer springs mean the back of the truck won’t sink as much, but the ride will be harsh when it’s not towing.  Air springs are the answer.  Adding air to the rubber balloons will stiffen the springs and raise the back end. 

Installing air springs is pretty simple.  Working on a new vehicle is nice.  Everything isn’t rusted and stuck.

This yellow thing is a jounce block. 

If you drive like Bo and Luke Duke, the jounce block keeps the axle from smashing into the car frame.

The jounce block is removed, and the air spring is put in it’s place.  It looks like this before installation.

A Tacoma is a popular truck, so the kit is designed specifically for that model.  No holes have to be drilled.  Detailed instructions are provided, but that makes it a little harder because it’s so specific.  The only tricky part is putting all the little pieces together, and not leaving anything out.  A thin air hose plugs into that shiny fitting on top.

Here’s an air spring with lines that haven’t been zip-tied down yet. 

My last truck only had air springs installed.  Prior to towing, I’d use a compressor to add about 60 psi to the air springs.  The top of the air bag is something like 10 square inches.  At 60 psi, that’s like taking 1200 lbs off of the springs.

Since this truck is new and I will have it for a while, I added a compressor.  The technology has advanced.  The compressor pressure is set using bluetooth via a remote or phone app.  That part was new to me, but it went together pretty easily.  Drilling mounting holes in the frame was tedious, but not difficult.

The compressor is on the left and bluetooth controller is on the right.

It’s not a hard project, but it took a few days because I run out of juice faster in my dotage.