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Customer
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019
Unfortunately it was the wrong fit for my truck! The description said it would fit my vehicle too.. if you buy you're better off to call hellwig and confirm it will work for your vehicle. I am in the process of returning mine right now and they seem to be doing a fantastic job with customer service and making it right for me. Will update if anything changes on that front. Good luck out there!
Steve
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2016
A+ for the reviewer that recommended getting the manual/catalog from Hellwig and verifying the spring kit model number applicable to my exact truck. This led me to the 979 kit for my 2007 Tacoma Prerunner Double Cab with TRD and short bed. Amazon shipping was beyond great as they arrived the next day without paying for next day service. The kit came with new extended length spring pack u-bolts in case you have a 4x4 with 3 leaves+OL springs. Then the extended bolts would be necessary to get the helper springs added under the bump stop. My 4x2 prerunner only had 2+OL springs and I was able to reuse the original u-bolts as factory. Fitment instructions require the sideways placement of the front tension u-bolt on the drivers side to avoid interference with the gas tank. If I need front tension adjustment there, I'll have to cut a pipe sleeve and slip over the u-bolt to decrease the spacing and tighten the spring. I haven't done that yet. In addition, I had to relocate the emergency brake cable mounting bracket in front of the spring bracket on the drivers side to a pre-existing threaded hole of the correct size on the under side of the body (how lucky was that?). I cut a piece of bicycle tube pad the cable in the new bracket location. This relocation prevents any abrasion of the cable by the front sideways mounted u-bolt. BTW, use the shortest u-bolt provided here with the thinnest bracket bar. Other tips are to raise the truck level without lifting the wheels completely off the ground and support the frame with jack stands about 2 feet in front of the rear wheels. You don't have to and shouldn't remove your wheels. My air impact wrench made quick work of the spring pack u-bolts and they seemed rather easy to remove maybe even undertorqued from the factory. I tightened mine to 80 lb-ft each after installing the helper springs. I'm sure that was tighter than factory. I'll finish fine tuning the tension on each spring the next time I'm pulling my camper. Hopefully, no more bottoming out when crossing bridges on the interstate. Unloaded the truck sits just a bit higher in the rear. I like the results so far, and I like that the 979 kit applies assistance to both front and rear sides of the spring instead of just the rear of the spring as the EZ 550 kit does. Just seems like better physics to me.
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2016
ends scrape frame
Marc Ferrara
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2015
Add was updated to say it does NOT fit a 2014 Tacoma TRD 4x4 double cab. The leaf spring clamps are in the perfectly wrong spot. Super frustrating I can't return these things. Hellwig seems to have several models of similar numbers that have qwerks with fitment guides that are not mentioned on amazon adds.
chester davis
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2015
It did everything they claimed it would.I've got about 400 pounds in the bed of a 2012 tacoma and a fiberglass campershell with a roof basket that has an additional 75 lbs in it and it leveled it out nicely.Sometimes it looks as if it actually gave a little lift also, depending how the trk is sitting
Sunrise
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014
If you are like me, you have done your homework. Please note these are NOT like the videos you found/can find out there. - notice the picture of these and those that they use in videos on the web . The Helwig helper springs installed in the videos on the web require no disassembly of the rear axle – these DO! In the video on youtube and elsewhere they just lay the helper spring over the top of existing hardware and bolts. NOTICE: These do NOT have the deformation to go over the bump stop – you have to remove the factory U-bolts and the bump stop and put this UNDER the bump stop. It’s a significantly larger undertaking than the videos on Helwig Helper springs depict. Watch videos of add-a-leaf to get a better feel for this install.That said, its only eight more bolts than you would expect- but they are brutal, exposed to the elements bolts. (You will want WD40, Liquid Wrench or similar or both, and a few days to soak.- doing that made getting them off a breeze. :-) )The instructions are poor – when I called to get clarification and told them the instructions were not very good they informed me their instructions are “very good, with pictures” – they do have two pictures showing the U bolts in place - though to give credit where credit is due, they were extremely nice about “call us if you get stuck”. But since when is the manufacturer the judge of if the instructions are good?I gave the hardware five stars. They are well made, beefy, … There is nothing I would complain about on the hardware. I recommend these wholeheartedly. I would buy them again. I would recommend my friends buy them.I, like the others on this one so far, bought these to bring the back end back up to stock after I put a shell on. With the shell on and fully loaded for a five day camping vacation in a remote spot in the mountains, the truck does not squat, sag, none of that. It does lower but by about ½ to 1 inch, max. High clearance, 4x4 roads are no issue. With just the shell, I have it at stock.Now, on to instructions that would help get the "product" 5 stars -What the instructions should say:The factory installed U-bolts will need to be replaced with those in the kit.Break the factory installed U-bolts nuts loose, leaving the nuts on the U-bolts, while the vehicle weight is on the ground. You will need a 19mm (I think) socket or wrench and a breaker bar or impact wrench. After the nuts are broken from the seal created by exposure to outdoor elements, jack the truck up until the wheels are just touching the ground, using the frame. Support with jack stands or similar. If you are jacking the rear up equally on both sides, chock the front wheels. Working on one side at a time; (DO NOT remove the U-bolts on both the driver side and passenger side at the same time.) For each side, remove the two U-bolts and the bump stop. Install the Helwig helper spring - being very careful of the brake line when on the driver's side. There is no front or back designation. Install the larger diameter than factory U-bolts provided in the kit. NOTE: The factory installed are metric, the new ones are English – you will need different tools.From here, the instructions pick up and explain pretty well. You won't need more help.Worth noting1.) the instructions say to fashion the one U bolt sideways (driver's side front bolt) – I, like others, am of the opinion if I did that I would put the brake line in danger. With the U-bolt down like the factory installed it, it has plenty of clearance.2.) IF you are running with a 2+1 leaf pack (two long, one short), you will want/need a means of cutting off the U-bolts once installed. They will protrude down far enough that you can NOT get a socket (including deep) over it to use a torque wrench. You could use an adapter that doesn't go over the bolt end but… just FYI. If you are four wheeling, using that TRD high clearance, you are not going to like how far the U-bolts will protrude below the truck. If you are running a 3+1 leaf pack, you will be fine.And last but not least – I am a female, 5’2”, 108 lbs and installed these by myself. I would buy them again. They were a much better alternative to add a leaf or swapping a leaf pack. And they do the job perfectly.Had I had "these" instructions, it would have taken me less than an hour start to finish.
Bill K.
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2014
So far I am loving these. helped a great deal with sag on my 2008 Tacoma TRD Sport longbed. I did not have the leaf spring TSB done before my warranty ran out so this was a cheaper more effective solution. Squeeks a bit at first but that went away after a few hundred miles. Makes towing the boat much smoother of a ride and keeps the headlights level.
scott adler
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2014
Extremely easy to install and very well built. All hardware and parts are stout. This is exactly what I needed for the Tacoma. No sag at all now with my topper on.
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