Possible Tundra Bed Bounce CURE FOUND

[stuball]

[quote=CO Tundra;953592]
Lastly, the concrete roadways that cause these problems are less than 5 years old. They are 30 year structures. That means if I went to the highway designer and said "you designed your highway wrong and I think you should spend 40 million replacing a stretch of road that makes my truck bounce unreasonably", he would just laugh at me and probably comment vehicle choice.
quote]

I suspect that I-25 north of Denver to the Wyoming border is more than 5 years old. The Highways Dept. would know for sure. It was on that section of concrete highway that I encountered severe bed bounce.

Also, I wouldn't hesitate to tell a highway engineer that they designed their highway wrong. And any good civil engineer would pay attention. Engineering has not reached the end of their learning curve. Many structures designed by civil engineers are designed in such a way to eliminate the destructive force of harmonics. Random spacing of highway joints might eliminate harmonics for all size of vehicles at any speeds. I don't see anyone complaining about harmonic bouncing on worn cracks of paved roads. That, IMO, may be because the cracks on paved roads are not equally spaced.

Just my thoughts.

Stuball

[Sanosuke]

Originally Posted by CO Tundra

You had some good points, I'm going to address them in the order that you brought them up:

You're right, this problem also affects '97 Ford F-150 and some F-350's (that's why the F-350's have a passive dampening system). Great, now I'm comparing my tundra to F-350's <sarcasm>.

The problem ISN'T the concrete roadway. When civil engineers design road surfaces they don't start with "what expansion joint distance is going to cause the least amount of constructive interference in 2007 Toyota Tundras?".

Again, you're right the problem isn't new - I just expected more from Toyota.

Adjusting speeds to compensate for the harmonics is possible, however going above 83 mph or below 55mph (my trucks "sweet spot") in a 70mph zone is not acceptable.

Again, it's not the concrete surface. It's the physical configuration of the truck and suspension.

Lastly, the concrete roadways that cause these problems are less than 5 years old. They are 30 year structures. That means if I went to the highway designer and said "you designed your highway wrong and I think you should spend 40 million replacing a stretch of road that makes my truck bounce unreasonably", he would just laugh at me and probably comment vehicle choice.

By the way, the problem clearly isn't a simple one to fix. I work with someone with the EXACT same truck (07, DC, TRD). His truck doesn't bounce.

I would jab the highway maintainence crews with a hay fork and show them what real highway maintainence should be. To be honest, the US infrastructure *HAS NOT* kept up with the times, therefore the issues that were not of the past, are now gnawing at the people who drive the highways daily.

Sanosuke!

[Griffy]

Originally Posted by s3av8r

I'm getting really sick of all the people on here saying the bed bounce does not exist. If you haven't experienced it

I've experienced it, many times... in every truck I've owned or driven regularly (lots of chevy's and Ford's).

Every one of those trucks has done some sort of bed bounce (worse in the 3/4 tons). My last personally owned truck was an '03 F150 SuperCrew, which did the same kind of things.

The big issue here seems to be that many Tundra owners just dont have a lot of (or any) experience with large trucks, particularly 3/4 ton type trucks (which the Tundra resembles a little more than the current 1/2 tons from the US companies).

Its a big truck with a typical large truck frame (unlike the current F150 or Silverado). It IS NOT going to act like a car or even an SUV in most situations. To expect it to, is not reasonable. Load your truck up with cargo/trailer, and it acts exactly the way it should.

[Andrew4j]

I experienced it on a test drive and gave me cold feet. I realize that it's a big truck that is made for towing a hauling, but the segment of truck buyers that are weekend warriors and use it as a daily driver are probably the ones dissapointed the most. I'm in sales and drive alot and just don't want to bounce all over the Oklahoma roads all day. They need to go ahead a keep the current platform and call it the Heavy duty or something and then make a different setup for us city slickers who like our trucks a little more refined.

[FlatironsDreamer]

Originally Posted by Andrew4j

I experienced it on a test drive and gave me cold feet. I realize that it's a big truck that is made for towing a hauling, but the segment of truck buyers that are weekend warriors and use it as a daily driver are probably the ones dissapointed the most. I'm in sales and drive alot and just don't want to bounce all over the Oklahoma roads all day. They need to go ahead a keep the current platform and call it the Heavy duty or something and then make a different setup for us city slickers who like our trucks a little more refined.

It's interesting that the newly designed Dodge 1/2 ton trucks are doing away with leaf springs in the rear and focusing more on ride quality over hauling ridiculous amounts of cargo. My opinion is Toyota over designed the suspension and frame of the Tundra for the best towing/hauling capability at the expense of ride quality. This is a mistake, in my view, as the majority of buyers will not use it as a heavy-duty truck.

[Griffy]

Originally Posted by FlatironsDreamer

My opinion is Toyota over designed the suspension and frame of the Tundra for the best towing/hauling capability at the expense of ride quality.

Thats exactly the definition of a real truck. Its made for work'n, haul'n, towing... nothing more, nothing less.

Originally Posted by FlatironsDreamer

This is a mistake, in my view, as the majority of buyers will not use it as a heavy-duty truck.

A "majority of buyers" are making the mistake, not Toyota. They need to re-examine their purchasing decision. It clearly doesnt meet their needs, and they obviously dont need a truck-duty vehicle.

Kinda stupid buying a vehicle, and expecting it to behave in a manner it was not intended for.

The new Dodge is a perfect example... its not made for the serious duty stuff like the Tundra is, as demonstrated by its inferior towing/hauling capability. Its for people who dont use a truck as a truck, Dodge knows this, and is designing it accordingly.

Toyota intends for the Tundra to do a lot of Truck-duty stuff, and its designed accordingly.

[GMoney749]

Originally Posted by FlatironsDreamer

It's interesting that the newly designed Dodge 1/2 ton trucks are doing away with leaf springs in the rear and focusing more on ride quality over hauling ridiculous amounts of cargo. My opinion is Toyota over designed the suspension and frame of the Tundra for the best towing/hauling capability at the expense of ride quality. This is a mistake, in my view, as the majority of buyers will not use it as a heavy-duty truck.

Originally Posted by steve moffett

Toyota needs to fix this, it's advertised as a "TOUGH Work truck" not a little yuppie wanna be truck.

....

[waterfowler65]

Originally Posted by Andrew4j

I experienced it on a test drive and gave me cold feet. I realize that it's a big truck that is made for towing a hauling, but the segment of truck buyers that are weekend warriors and use it as a daily driver are probably the ones dissapointed the most. I'm in sales and drive alot and just don't want to bounce all over the Oklahoma roads all day. They need to go ahead a keep the current platform and call it the Heavy duty or something and then make a different setup for us city slickers who like our trucks a little more refined.

This is why Toyota builds another pickup, I think it's called the "Tacoma"!!!!!!
Everyone keeps comparing the Tundra to the F150, the GM's and Dodge 1500 series, I wish they would STOP.... the Tundra is not a half ton its a 3/4 TON!!!!!!! Put some frickin weight in it or tow something with a little tongue weight and see where your bed bounce is, if it's still there then complain......

Just a thought....Marc..

[Andrew4j]

Originally Posted by waterfowler65

This is why Toyota builds another pickup, I think it's called the "Tacoma"!!!!!!
Everyone keeps comparing the Tundra to the F150, the GM's and Dodge 1500 series, I wish they would STOP.... the Tundra is not a half ton its a 3/4 TON!!!!!!! Put some frickin weight in it or tow something with a little tongue weight and see where your bed bounce is, if it's still there then complain......

Just a thought....Marc..

The taco is a great truck but doesn't fill the bill as far as interior space or even bed space that some need. The tundra is classified as a 1/2 ton unless you know something the rest of us don't and I don't think it's too much to ask to build a truck that doesn't ride like crap! Are we supposed to drive around all the time with a trailer hooked up or a fridge in the back? Not sure why it's a badge of honor to be miserable. I want to be loyal to Toyota because my 03' has given me 153k flawless miles but I don't care what anyone says, the ride is a dissapointment.

[BuzzKill]

When I first got this truck I thought to myself "man, the ride isn't as smooth as my old tundra." But I DON'T CARE! I don't expect it to be. Not if it's going to tow/haul as much as it claims. There should be stiffer suspension. At first I was a little disappointed, but I've been in a couple trucks that had some serious bounce so it didn't freak me out. I think I was just a little spoiled by how smooth my old tundra was compared to other rides and now that I have a tundra that competes with 3/4 tons I have to get used to the feeling. Maybe I've never felt the extreme bounce that other have, I don't know. I do know that it's a pretty big stretch to start considering re-designing highways because a few of the hundreds of models of vehicles out there bounce. If they didn't fix that on the drawing board when they designed it, it's not the civil engineers responsibility. These are my thoughts. Talk amongst yourselves.

[rackman]

My last two trucks were a 2001 3/4 ton Chevy 2500HD Crew cab and a 2003 1/2 ton Chevy 1500HD Crew cab. Although both trucks rode nice I changed to the 1500 and added Edelbrock IAS shocks because I wanted an even smoother ride and at most I would occaisionally run a bed full of firewood. Neither truck had a bed that shook like a paint shaker and, when you hit a bump you didn't feel an aftershock like in the Tundra.

If you don't have any constructive ideas to correct the problem wether you think it is perceived or real , don't comment. Remember it's Tundra solutions.com.

[SGull]

Originally Posted by rackman

If you don't have any constructive ideas to correct the problem wether you think it is perceived or real , don't comment. Remember it's Tundra solutions.com.

+1-- Thank you

For those of you that think people shouldn't be in a 'big' truck if they don't like the ride, you haven't experienced the bounce. It causes the headlights to bounce up and down on the rear of the vehicle in front of you..several inches, it causes your voice to waiver when you talk, and forget boob bounce, it causes all the skin on your body to 'bounce'.
It's not on new freeways either, the worst 2 stretches I've run into are eastbound 80 on the way to Tahoe/Reno, and I-5 southbound just before heading up the grapevine from Bakersfield, it is extremely uncomfortable, not just rough, or stiff. Both are much older than 5 years, I-5 has been reground, no help. They have reground sections up near Fresno and that has cured the problem completely.
If anyone is in my area, I'd be happy to let them experience what it really feels like, then see what opinion you have!

[Art64]

There's nothing more we can do to eliminate or minimize this bounce effect without modifying the rear suspension or stiffening the rear frame. It's the combination of the frame flexing and stiffer leaf springs and shocks that created this effect. OF course the easiest thing to do is to load up the bed.

I've replaced my overload springs with a 3-leaf minipak. Helped a bit when truck is empty. It's great with 250-300 lbs of gravel on the very back of the bed next to the tailgate. Really smooth on washboard roads.

Then I added a trd sway bar. Helped a bit too in controlling the bed bounce, but works great in keeping the truck level in curves and turns. Makes the truck feel tight in turns too.

Then I replaced the stock shocks with Rancho adjustables. Made a huge improvement over stock shocks. The springs actually dip now, even when the truck is empty. The bounce is still there though but the ride is smooth.

Then I ordered an aftermarket hitch as mine did not come with one (SAP). The beefiest one I can find--Class V, I think. I just wanted the stiffness that it will provide to the rear frame. Not really concerned about towing.
Helped a lot. The bounce is almost gone now. It only bounces on really rough roads and when I'm going fast thru them. The hitch also weighs 85 lbs. At this time, my trd sway bar links will not fit. I need to replace the bolts with longer ones.

My last mod is going to be the complete replacement of the rear springs. That's gonna be this weekend. I ordered customized springs thru Alcan. These springs are softer and spec'ed for RCSB. If they made this right, it's going to be one sweet ride.

To compensate for the loss of payload capacity, Firestone Air Bags will also be installed at a later date. Now, where's that tax rebate?

[Rooster]

I did not read this entire topic so excuse me if this has been suggested already, but in the previous version Tundra's, there was a vibration problem in the early models that seems similar to this bed bounce. The cure was resetting the front alignment. Could this be the problem, maybe tire balance.

[jrratmuff]

Just got back from a trip to Fresno and I was suprised how bad the bounce was. I just lifted my truck and put new wheels and tires on. I thought that I caused the problem but it seems common. My girlfriend had to stop talking on the phone because it was like someone was tapping on her voice box. LOL This sucks but I dont drive down there that often. Waiting for a fix. OH I also work at a Toyota Dealership So if I see something come through I will give you guys the heads up!@ Thanks