How does your 100 series ride in town?

[firefightermtn]

It's my understanding that the front end is happy around 21.5" and the rear about in inch higher. Someone may chime in an tell me otherwise but given that logic, if your rear is sitting at 20" it could be considered a bit lower than it should be. If your ride quality is suffering swapping with new coils may be a good place to start.

Oh, it sucks! I have new OEM shocks and every damn crack in the road feels like a pothole. Actually, it takes potholes better!!
Problem is, I got new tires the same time I got the shocks. I was ready for a smooth ride, but didn't realize putting that stiff of a tire would make it suck so bad!!

 

[ramangain]

I occasionally de-pressurize my AHC and crank up the subwoofer to bring back memories of the 90s in Civic DXs with fart cans, cut springs, and blown struts.

 

[Mike NXP]

Oh, it sucks! I have new OEM shocks and every damn crack in the road feels like a pothole. Actually, it takes potholes better!!
Problem is, I got new tires the same time I got the shocks. I was ready for a smooth ride, but didn't realize putting that stiff of a tire would make it suck so bad!!

If you are just crawling along and kind of flexing / off roading the truck I bet it's pretty smooth eh? but then normal driving makes it feel like really rough.

Don't hold me to it, but I would put new oem coils in if your not carrying extra weight, that paired with your new tires and shocks will make for a nice ride. The obvious disclaimer here is there could be a number of other things causing a rough ride, like worn steering components.

 

[Mike NXP]

I occasionally de-pressurize my AHC and crank up the subwoofer to bring back memories of the 90s in Civic DXs with fart cans, cut springs, and blown struts.

I kinda miss those days =\

 

[skyblue]

interesting conversation. lots of good insights.

my 04 rides like a log wagon.

178k on the odometer
about 16k ago (2-1/2 years) I installed the following

OME 2.5" kit (T-bars, shocks)
Slee Heavy rear coils
Slee diff drop
TT links
SPC UCAs
replaced rear lower control arm bushings
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 295/70/r18 (not sure of rating but I will check)
Bora 1.5" spacers

later, approx 9k ago (1-1/2 yrs)
swapped rear coils to OME (863s iirc)
added Airlift system
new rack bushings

I've got the T-bars turned up to 22" hub-fender
ARB front bumper with winch
Slee rear bumper with tire carrier
full roof rack but not usually loaded
no drawers

Symptoms:
-harsh and punishing ride at pretty much any speed on anything besides smooth pavement (it seems to me like this has gotten worse over the last +/-5000 miles)
-slight left-right wandering on the highway
-severe pull/chirp when driving and turned full lock... truck will actually pull itself into a full lock at a certain point and it takes a little effort to steer it back.. this is actually the most concerning symptom (I haven't ever had the opportunity to drive anyone else's modified 100 so I don't have a reference/comparison) On pavement it will chirp, on dirt/gravel it will actually leave a little ridge of dirt at the outside arc of the turn. Either way it feels like something isn't right..
-extreme torque pull when accelerating

Attempts:
-a gazillion alignments trying different adjustments... mainly to help the wandering and/or the full-lock binding.. no significant progress so far
-tire pressure adjustments
-bushing and joints inspections (multiple)

Does anyone else recognize any of this? Anyone have any remedies?

After reading this thread, I am thinking the following possibilities
-T-bars too high (but post#39 above seems to indicate this isn't the issue...?)
-shocks too stiff (seems possibly a little better when loaded)
-tires too stiff

at least it's oddly comforting to know there are other 100 Series Log Wagons out there... but I'd love to get into the butter smooth crowd..!

thanks in advance

 

[Kabanstva]

interesting conversation. lots of good insights.

my 04 rides like a log wagon.

178k on the odometer
about 16k ago (2-1/2 years) I installed the following

OME 2.5" kit (T-bars, shocks)
Slee Heavy rear coils
Slee diff drop
TT links
SPC UCAs
replaced rear lower control arm bushings
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 295/70/r18 (not sure of rating but I will check)
Bora 1.5" spacers

later, approx 9k ago (1-1/2 yrs)
swapped rear coils to OME (863s iirc)
added Airlift system
new rack bushings

I've got the T-bars turned up to 22" hub-fender
ARB front bumper with winch
Slee rear bumper with tire carrier
full roof rack but not usually loaded
no drawers

Symptoms:
-harsh and punishing ride at pretty much any speed on anything besides smooth pavement (it seems to me like this has gotten worse over the last +/-5000 miles)
-slight left-right wandering on the highway
-severe pull/chirp when driving and turned full lock... truck will actually pull itself into a full lock at a certain point and it takes a little effort to steer it back.. this is actually the most concerning symptom (I haven't ever had the opportunity to drive anyone else's modified 100 so I don't have a reference/comparison) On pavement it will chirp, on dirt/gravel it will actually leave a little ridge of dirt at the outside arc of the turn. Either way it feels like something isn't right..
-extreme torque pull when accelerating

Attempts:
-a gazillion alignments trying different adjustments... mainly to help the wandering and/or the full-lock binding.. no significant progress so far
-tire pressure adjustments
-bushing and joints inspections (multiple)

Does anyone else recognize any of this? Anyone have any remedies?

After reading this thread, I am thinking the following possibilities
-T-bars too high (but post#39 above seems to indicate this isn't the issue...?)
-shocks too stiff (seems possibly a little better when loaded)
-tires too stiff

at least it's oddly comforting to know there are other 100 Series Log Wagons out there... but I'd love to get into the butter smooth crowd..!

thanks in advance

I think mine drives better now that it did on stock AHC. AT tires make the ride harsher regardless what setup you have. It’s slightly stiffer and more “tight” because every bushing is poly besides the front lower control arms which are new OEM.

Icon 2.5” shocks with reservoirs set to setting 4
Rear upper and lower adjustable Trail Tailor arms
Front Blackhawk upper arms
New sway bar bushings all around
Delta VS rear panhard drop bracket
Slinky rear heavy springs and Slinky torsion bars
Slinky diff drop
Timbren front and rear bump stops (Nitro gear)
KO2 285/75/R16
I have two spares and full armor so there’s a decent amount of extra weight)

Absolutely zero rubbing in any position. It drives way smoother than my brother’s new bone stock GX460 on factory tires. That truck feels like a toy, you can feel the body shifting on every imperfection whereas the LX feels a good amount more planted and not really affected by stuff on the road. My AHC had 120k miles when removed and ive been in several other AHC vehicles and regularly go in my coworkers 04 Toyota 100 which drives significantly rougher than my car.

It’s still got that truck feel, wont ever drive like a Lexus LS but it’s far from harsh.

 

[skyblue]

Well... It's good to know that it's possible.

Could someone post a comprehensive list of replaceable bushings?
And what is a good front hub-to-fender measurement for a lifted 100? I originally calculated it based on Slee's recommended minimum down-travel which resulted in a measurement of 22"
Also, is there any possibility that the adjustable UCAs (SPC with the spring-loaded ball joint) have anything to do with the binding/chirping feel I get at full lock?

 

[jLB]

interesting conversation. lots of good insights.

my 04 rides like a log wagon.

178k on the odometer
about 16k ago (2-1/2 years) I installed the following

OME 2.5" kit (T-bars, shocks)
Slee Heavy rear coils
Slee diff drop
TT links
SPC UCAs
replaced rear lower control arm bushings
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 295/70/r18 (not sure of rating but I will check)
Bora 1.5" spacers

later, approx 9k ago (1-1/2 yrs)
swapped rear coils to OME (863s iirc)
added Airlift system
new rack bushings

I've got the T-bars turned up to 22" hub-fender
ARB front bumper with winch
Slee rear bumper with tire carrier
full roof rack but not usually loaded
no drawers

Symptoms:
-harsh and punishing ride at pretty much any speed on anything besides smooth pavement (it seems to me like this has gotten worse over the last +/-5000 miles)
-slight left-right wandering on the highway
-severe pull/chirp when driving and turned full lock... truck will actually pull itself into a full lock at a certain point and it takes a little effort to steer it back.. this is actually the most concerning symptom (I haven't ever had the opportunity to drive anyone else's modified 100 so I don't have a reference/comparison) On pavement it will chirp, on dirt/gravel it will actually leave a little ridge of dirt at the outside arc of the turn. Either way it feels like something isn't right..
-extreme torque pull when accelerating

Attempts:
-a gazillion alignments trying different adjustments... mainly to help the wandering and/or the full-lock binding.. no significant progress so far
-tire pressure adjustments
-bushing and joints inspections (multiple)

Does anyone else recognize any of this? Anyone have any remedies?

After reading this thread, I am thinking the following possibilities
-T-bars too high (but post#39 above seems to indicate this isn't the issue...?)
-shocks too stiff (seems possibly a little better when loaded)
-tires too stiff

at least it's oddly comforting to know there are other 100 Series Log Wagons out there... but I'd love to get into the butter smooth crowd..!

thanks in advance

That sounds an awful lot like my son’s 2000 TLC when we bought it. Basic OME kit, over-cranked torsion bars, loads of bad rubber bushings, out of spec alignment.

From my experience, I’d suspect a combination of too much lift in front, and the OME shocks are the bulk of your issue.

My son’s vehicle was more tolerable (with less bad behaviors) at ~21” center of hub to fender (in front), which was ~70mm (2.75”) of droop, but still had a harsh “filling rattling ride” over broken pavement. It has been a much more pleasant ride after swapping out the OME shocks for Dobinsons IMS. I wouldn’t call it a “floating on a cloud, Lexus LS experience”, but it is a reasonable, controlled, and pleasant ride.

 

[dividedan]

interesting conversation. lots of good insights.

my 04 rides like a log wagon.

178k on the odometer
about 16k ago (2-1/2 years) I installed the following

OME 2.5" kit (T-bars, shocks)
Slee Heavy rear coils
Slee diff drop
TT links
SPC UCAs
replaced rear lower control arm bushings
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 295/70/r18 (not sure of rating but I will check)
Bora 1.5" spacers

later, approx 9k ago (1-1/2 yrs)
swapped rear coils to OME (863s iirc)
added Airlift system
new rack bushings

I've got the T-bars turned up to 22" hub-fender
ARB front bumper with winch
Slee rear bumper with tire carrier
full roof rack but not usually loaded
no drawers

Symptoms:
-harsh and punishing ride at pretty much any speed on anything besides smooth pavement (it seems to me like this has gotten worse over the last +/-5000 miles)
-slight left-right wandering on the highway
-severe pull/chirp when driving and turned full lock... truck will actually pull itself into a full lock at a certain point and it takes a little effort to steer it back.. this is actually the most concerning symptom (I haven't ever had the opportunity to drive anyone else's modified 100 so I don't have a reference/comparison) On pavement it will chirp, on dirt/gravel it will actually leave a little ridge of dirt at the outside arc of the turn. Either way it feels like something isn't right..
-extreme torque pull when accelerating

Attempts:
-a gazillion alignments trying different adjustments... mainly to help the wandering and/or the full-lock binding.. no significant progress so far
-tire pressure adjustments
-bushing and joints inspections (multiple)

Does anyone else recognize any of this? Anyone have any remedies?

After reading this thread, I am thinking the following possibilities
-T-bars too high (but post#39 above seems to indicate this isn't the issue...?)
-shocks too stiff (seems possibly a little better when loaded)
-tires too stiff

at least it's oddly comforting to know there are other 100 Series Log Wagons out there... but I'd love to get into the butter smooth crowd..!

thanks in advance

Can’t comment on most of this, but I had the same experience with the steering and pushing itself towards full lock at a certain point. That started when I put on the spacers, did not happen before. Seems like an issue with changing the scrub radius.

 

[jcrun]

interesting conversation. lots of good insights.

my 04 rides like a log wagon.

178k on the odometer
about 16k ago (2-1/2 years) I installed the following

OME 2.5" kit (T-bars, shocks)
Slee Heavy rear coils
Slee diff drop
TT links
SPC UCAs
replaced rear lower control arm bushings
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 295/70/r18 (not sure of rating but I will check)
Bora 1.5" spacers

later, approx 9k ago (1-1/2 yrs)
swapped rear coils to OME (863s iirc)
added Airlift system
new rack bushings

I've got the T-bars turned up to 22" hub-fender
ARB front bumper with winch
Slee rear bumper with tire carrier
full roof rack but not usually loaded
no drawers

Symptoms:
-harsh and punishing ride at pretty much any speed on anything besides smooth pavement (it seems to me like this has gotten worse over the last +/-5000 miles)
-slight left-right wandering on the highway
-severe pull/chirp when driving and turned full lock... truck will actually pull itself into a full lock at a certain point and it takes a little effort to steer it back.. this is actually the most concerning symptom (I haven't ever had the opportunity to drive anyone else's modified 100 so I don't have a reference/comparison) On pavement it will chirp, on dirt/gravel it will actually leave a little ridge of dirt at the outside arc of the turn. Either way it feels like something isn't right..
-extreme torque pull when accelerating

Attempts:
-a gazillion alignments trying different adjustments... mainly to help the wandering and/or the full-lock binding.. no significant progress so far
-tire pressure adjustments
-bushing and joints inspections (multiple)

Does anyone else recognize any of this? Anyone have any remedies?

After reading this thread, I am thinking the following possibilities
-T-bars too high (but post#39 above seems to indicate this isn't the issue...?)
-shocks too stiff (seems possibly a little better when loaded)
-tires too stiff

at least it's oddly comforting to know there are other 100 Series Log Wagons out there... but I'd love to get into the butter smooth crowd..!

thanks in advance

Re: pulling itself into full lock and staying there-you probably don’t have any caster. Some (many) shops will only check/adjust toe when doing an alignment but won’t touch camber and caster. I got out the FSM and did a DIY alignment to max out caster and it cured my truck’s tendency to hold itself at full lock.

 

[Blindado]

My first LC (2000) came with new Michelin LTX tires and it rode like a dream after I put OEM shocks on it and they broke in (they started out stiff but after about 10k miles they hit their sweet spot). Floated down unpaved roads and everywhere else. Amazingly good. Pure stock but destroyed bushings and ball joints. I think and my wife agrees that it handled and rode far better than our GX460.

Current LC (1999) has the 285 KO2 tires that it came with and the ride I think is pretty awful. New OEM shocks with dry but serviceable bushings. 4Still handles better than the GX460 but the ride is harsh. Shocks aren't yet broken in though. But I feel every pebble in the road which I never did with Michelins.

The GX, by the way, has Michelin Defenders. 95k and all original. The suspension on the GX is pretty stiff but I think the Michelins smooth it out a lot.

I think part of your problem is the rear shocks but the majority is the tires. Although Bushings definitely play a part.

I live in the backwoods and also spend a lot of time in the mountains. My cruisers pretty much go to hell and back. I'm in sand, mud, snow, gravel, trails through woods, towing, etc. I don't have to wheel because that's my life already. I've never felt the need to go anything but stock. OEM shocks are $50 each and the ride is what was intended. The Michelin LTX were fantastic all around and after 60k still had some life left.

My thinking is that the engineers who designed the LC made the best vehicle of this type in the world so why second guess them and reinvent the wheel? It's not like they sold dumbed down versions of the LC or LX. Unless of course you have a very specific purpose or like the look. Otherwise stay as close to stock as you can stand to.

If I were you and the ride was driving me crazy I'd replace all 4 shocks with OEM and get some Michelins. Then I'd slowly work through the bushings.

 

[Blindado]

By the way, I always keep all 4 tires at 32psi, per the label in the door.

 

[jLB]

My first LC (2000) came with new Michelin LTX tires and it rode like a dream after I put OEM shocks on it and they broke in (they started out stiff but after about 10k miles they hit their sweet spot). Floated down unpaved roads and everywhere else. Amazingly good. Pure stock but destroyed bushings and ball joints. I think and my wife agrees that it handled and rode far better than our GX460.

Current LC (1999) has the 285 KO2 tires that it came with and the ride I think is pretty awful. New OEM shocks with dry but serviceable bushings. 4Still handles better than the GX460 but the ride is harsh. Shocks aren't yet broken in though. But I feel every pebble in the road which I never did with Michelins.

The GX, by the way, has Michelin Defenders. 95k and all original. The suspension on the GX is pretty stiff but I think the Michelins smooth it out a lot.

I think part of your problem is the rear shocks but the majority is the tires. Although Bushings definitely play a part.

I live in the backwoods and also spend a lot of time in the mountains. My cruisers pretty much go to hell and back. I'm in sand, mud, snow, gravel, trails through woods, towing, etc. I don't have to wheel because that's my life already. I've never felt the need to go anything but stock. OEM shocks are $50 each and the ride is what was intended. The Michelin LTX were fantastic all around and after 60k still had some life left.

My thinking is that the engineers who designed the LC made the best vehicle of this type in the world so why second guess them and reinvent the wheel? It's not like they sold dumbed down versions of the LC or LX. Unless of course you have a very specific purpose or like the look. Otherwise stay as close to stock as you can stand to.

If I were you and the ride was driving me crazy I'd replace all 4 shocks with OEM and get some Michelins. Then I'd slowly work through the bushings.

While I would agree that the P-metric Michelin tires do ride awful nice, mine got swapped out for LT tires, after the third flat in less than six months.

 

[Blindado]

While I would agree that the P-metric Michelin tires do ride awful nice, mine got swapped out for LT tires, after the third flat in less than six months.

Over the 4 years I had them I never got a flat but I definitely think they're softer and don't have the sidewall strength of my current KO2's. The sidewalls on my Michelins abraided but never became a problem, while the KO2's are thicker and tougher.

The trade-off is in the harsh ride. If my environment were full of sharp rocks I'd keep the KO2's but as it is I'm looking for an excuse to get rid of them. The Michelins each were 15lbs lighter and I never encountered anything that made me anything but glad to have them...

 

[jLB]

Over the 4 years I had them I never got a flat but I definitely think they're softer and don't have the sidewall strength of my current KO2's. The sidewalls on my Michelins abraided but never became a problem, while the KO2's are thicker and tougher.

The trade-off is in the harsh ride. If my environment were full of sharp rocks I'd keep the KO2's but as it is I'm looking for an excuse to get rid of them. The Michelins each were 15lbs lighter and I never encountered anything that made me anything but glad to have them...

I do understand your viewpoint, and do agree somewhat, but after dealing with multiple on-road flats from bolts & bumper brackets on P-metric tires on 100 series, and no flats (knock on wood) on multiple 80 & 100 series on LT tires over ~30 years of on/off-road driving LC/LX vehicles, I do lean towards the LT tires.

 

[Mike NXP]

The concept of a E rated tire causing a noticeably stiffer ride is a myth. Even with a stiff sidewall it doesn't matter. I put e rated KO2's on my highlander and other vehicles and it rides the same if not better in the comfort department. They are for sure noisier but if your blaming a rough ride on your tires then you dreaming. These rigs are just old and heavy with worn out parts and not all of us still have the comfy cloudy ride feeling.

That being said if your not towing or holding extra weight and / or driving into far away remote places you don't need an aggressive tire.

 

[tjb]

Just wanted to contribute my experiences to a thread on harsh rides for the archive/searchers.

Bottom line: Everything I've done underneath has made an incremental difference. New globes (best improvement was handling/stability), replacing sway bar bushings and link arms, new tires, and most recently, upper and lower ball joints. Everything adds to (and when worn, subtracts from) the ride quality, nothing was an absolute magic bullet. I didn't do these all at once, so each change was noticeable but not overly dramatic.

I was somewhat surprised when the ball joint replacement took all the harshness out of riding the mottled asphalt after the freeze/thaw cycles in Maine.

 

[DazzaMc]

We float around, we float on a cushion of white puffy clouds.
All stock with AHC.

Body roll is delt to in the hills with sport mode and comfort mode on the straights at speed is more puffy clouds.

Absolutely love the ride the LC100 delivers.

 

[Hulsty]

Well, better than my Dads 200. Little harsher with LT's at 38psi. At 32psi was a cloud

 

[Kofoed]

Mine is set up for the desert, so it rides roughly empty. The E load tires don't help.