There are various leaf packs available, what are the main differences?
Off of the shelf we have OME Dakars and Deaver. We can also have a leaf pack custom made through Deaver as well. As far as the off-the-shelf options here is some information on each.
OME Leaf Packs (Dakars)
There are two different OME leaf packs, the EL095R which is the medium duty leaf pack and the EL096R which is the heavy duty leaf pack. Either of the OME Dakar full leaf packs will provide quite a bit more hauling, towing, and depending on application off-road capability over the stock packs. That said both pack can be stiffer over the factory packs since they are designed to be more capable. ARB (manufacturer of OME suspension) spec's out the medium duty packs (EL095R) to provide approximately 2.75” of lift over stock on an 05-15 and around 2" of lift on a 2016+ Tacoma, both running 0 lbs. to GVW. The heavy duty pack (EL096R) having one extra leaf increases the load capacity by around 15%. ARB indicates this pack provides around 2.75” of lift over stock on an 05-15 and around 2" of lift on a 2016+ Tacoma, both running around 660lbs of constant weight.
Deaver J66 Leaf Packs
The Deaver J66 leaf packs will provide a nicer on-road ride then most of the other after-market leaf packs and is known to perform very well off-road. It is spec'd out to provide around 1.5" of lift over stock. If you do have consistent weight in the bed of the truck, tow or haul this pack is not the pack for you, simply put it these packs were not design to support additional weight.
The Deaver U402 Leaf Packs (3 variations)
The Deaver U402 leaf packs pick up where the J66 leaves off. These packs were designed to help support weight while providing a lift. The basic U402 pack will provide around 3" of lift on a Tacoma running around 300-400 lbs. of additional weight in the bed. If the weight is less than that then the lift will be more and the ride will in-turn be stiffer. The U402 II will provide around 3" of lift on a Tacoma running around 500-700 lbs. of additional weight and the U402 III pack will provide around the same amount of lift with an additional 700 lbs.+ weight. Again the less weight the more lift and potentially a stiffer ride.
OME Leaf Packs (Dakars)
There are two different OME leaf packs, the EL095R which is the medium duty leaf pack and the EL096R which is the heavy duty leaf pack. Either of the OME Dakar full leaf packs will provide quite a bit more hauling, towing, and depending on application off-road capability over the stock packs. That said both pack can be stiffer over the factory packs since they are designed to be more capable. ARB (manufacturer of OME suspension) spec's out the medium duty packs (EL095R) to provide approximately 2.75” of lift over stock on an 05-15 and around 2" of lift on a 2016+ Tacoma, both running 0 lbs. to GVW. The heavy duty pack (EL096R) having one extra leaf increases the load capacity by around 15%. ARB indicates this pack provides around 2.75” of lift over stock on an 05-15 and around 2" of lift on a 2016+ Tacoma, both running around 660lbs of constant weight.
Deaver J66 Leaf Packs
The Deaver J66 leaf packs will provide a nicer on-road ride then most of the other after-market leaf packs and is known to perform very well off-road. It is spec'd out to provide around 1.5" of lift over stock. If you do have consistent weight in the bed of the truck, tow or haul this pack is not the pack for you, simply put it these packs were not design to support additional weight.
The Deaver U402 Leaf Packs (3 variations)
The Deaver U402 leaf packs pick up where the J66 leaves off. These packs were designed to help support weight while providing a lift. The basic U402 pack will provide around 3" of lift on a Tacoma running around 300-400 lbs. of additional weight in the bed. If the weight is less than that then the lift will be more and the ride will in-turn be stiffer. The U402 II will provide around 3" of lift on a Tacoma running around 500-700 lbs. of additional weight and the U402 III pack will provide around the same amount of lift with an additional 700 lbs.+ weight. Again the less weight the more lift and potentially a stiffer ride.
Are the Dakar leaf packs left / right side specific?
For the 98-04 Tacoma yes they are and the packs have specific part numbers that correspond with each side.
For the 05-current they are not. Now people might hear otherwise because of misinformation past along regarding the markings on the packs, but this information is often confused. These markings are added following internal inspection post manufacturing and were intended to be used by the manufacturer only. For this reason there is no way a customer could specify which markings they would like to receive as the packs are not sold this way nor could the manufacturer produce equal amounts of packs with each marking and then distribute them accordingly. Nevertheless below we have provided what the markings mean for your reference.
For the 05-current they are not. Now people might hear otherwise because of misinformation past along regarding the markings on the packs, but this information is often confused. These markings are added following internal inspection post manufacturing and were intended to be used by the manufacturer only. For this reason there is no way a customer could specify which markings they would like to receive as the packs are not sold this way nor could the manufacturer produce equal amounts of packs with each marking and then distribute them accordingly. Nevertheless below we have provided what the markings mean for your reference.
- The "0" indicates the arch of the pack met specification almost perfectly
- The + indicates the arch of the pack met spec but landed on the high end of the allowed tolerance. What this means is there is just a bit more arch than a pack that is marked with a "0". With a bit more arch this could translate to a bit more lift.
- The – indicates the arch of the pack met spec but landed on the low end of the allowed tolerance. What this means is there is just a bit less arch than a pack that is marked with a "0". With a bit less arch this could translate to a bit less lift.
Do aftermarket leaf packs SQUEAK?
Squeaking is common with almost every leaf pack even the factory leaf packs can squeak. The biggest contributing factor to this is leaf curvature inconsistency which can cause certain ares of the leafs to make contact regardless of the use of anti squeak pads. Another factor for squeaking is the fact that leafs are exposed to dirt and grime which gets in between the leafs. Although most manufacturers do what they can to try and prevent the squeaking, they can't really guarantee it won't happen.
