Would hauling heavy loads of dirt or mulch cause the suspension on a Toyota Pickup to become worn out?
Like GodPower said, yes overtime. What year model is it? How many miles? Your Toyota has rear leaf springs (or should). If they look like they a no arch (should look like a smiley face) and are on a flat plane. Then yes they are probably worn. Best thing to do is compare it to the same year make model of truck and use your eyeballs. Does the rear of the truck sag compared to the front? Drive the truck and if the rear squats too much while accelerating then I would look at the shocks.
Of course! Hauling heavy loads in your pickup will wear the suspension, tax the transmission and clutch and strain the engine faster than if you just drove the vehicle. If the vehicle has over 70K miles or 50K under heavy loads, the shocks/struts are well on their way to needing to be replaced on any vehicle. For condition, you just have to crawl under there and look at them. When you drive the vehicle it should have a firm ride with little dive under braking. A clean vehicle is a good sign. An owner that keeps maintenance records is another good sign. Mulch isn't very heavy. Gravel is. What exactly was he hauling?
Over a lot of time, but eventually they might wear out even if you didn't haul with it. If you have a friend who knows about such things ask him to take a look.
