TRD Pro vs. Limited Suspension

[Bumbo]

I bought the Limited model for commuting and weekend light duty off-road. Great rigs for snow & skiing.

Very pleased, also enjoyed our 1998 limited and the 200k miles of pleasure it gave us.

I have a 4th gen SR5 with 200k+ miles which is now dedicated off-road toy, and a Limited 5th gen which will be the family commuter / road trip vehicle until my 4th gen decides to die (unlikely) or I destroy it off-road. I have plenty of time to wait for my XREAS to start leaking, but call it future planning before it gets heavily modified.

I agree, excellent for the snow/ski mountain drives. I think people forget that it’s the only trim that includes a Torsen TC. Something that used to be standard on all previous generations. In that regard, it has more in common with a Land Cruiser than any other 5th gen trim.

 

[niadh0]

Interesting you have the same question I had over a year ago before I ordered the 2019 Pro. before the Pro I had a 2011 Trail with KDSS while my wife still drives a 2010 Limited.

Three weeks ago I ordered a 2020 TRD-Off-Road with KDSS to replace the 2019 Pro. Three supporting reasons for this move. (1) I am going to retro fit TRD Pro Fox suspension on the 2020 Off-Road (yes there is an easy yet a bit expensive way to do it) and (2) I wanted all the Tech added to 2020. Going away from the VooDoo Blue has been difficult but I enjoyed the extra attention on the Road. (3) got a great trade-in value for the 2019 Pro.

the end result would be Fox at stock height + KDSS. as for sharing my experience, I know the ride of the 2011-Trail-KDSS and 2019-Pro-Fox, I will also ride the 2020 with KDSS for at least two months before I install the Pro Fox on it. Will report back what changes for good or for bad. I am optimistic that the KDSS+Fox on the Off-Road would be amazing since I am combining two different functions.

I'm debating between a '20 TRD pro (I've since sold my '16 GX 460) and a '20 TRD off road.
Loved KDSS on the GX, and I'll be putting a lot of miles on the road between Vegas and L.A. in addition to a decent amount of light off roading in Nevada, Utah, and CA.

I think the TRD off road with KDSS will feel a bit better on turns/cornering on road, but how does the pavement ride of the off road compare with the TRD pro? I keep hearing how amazing the pro rides on pavement thanks to the Fox shocks. If the Off Road is even close, that's probably what I'll go with so I get KDSS and save the $$$ for upgrades

 

[Bumbo]

I think you can quite easily meet or exceed the overall suspension quality and performance of the Pro by just selecting the right components aftermarket.

Fox makes some great equipment, but not sure if they do something different for the OEM channel. If you pay attention to what you are buying, you can probably make some improvements as well. Depending on how you mod the truck, you have more control over spring rate, arms, valving and adjusters, and high flow piston upgrade. I personally would prefer this route.

Back when the 6112 was the primary shock on the Pro, there was still plenty of room for improvement. Enough so that many people were removing it to upgrade and for various reasons.

 

[niadh0]

thanks for your input. I am open for specific suggestions. as for the requirements, the over all height in the back needs to remain the same and the front height can be levelled with the back or stay at factory height of the Pro or somewhere between. don't want to sacrifice any comfort plus want the 4R to fit in my work garage. budget upto $1500-$1700 USD but not more.

I think you can quite easily meet or exceed the overall suspension quality and performance of the Pro by just selecting the right components aftermarket.

Fox makes some great equipment, but not sure if they do something different for the OEM channel. If you pay attention to what you are buying, you can probably make some improvements as well. Depending on how you mod the truck, you have more control over spring rate, arms, valving and adjusters, and high flow piston upgrade. I personally would prefer this route.

Back when the 6112 was the primary shock on the Pro, there was still plenty of room for improvement. Enough so that many people were removing it to upgrade and for various reasons.

 

[Bumbo]

thanks for your input. I am open for specific suggestions. as for the requirements, the over all height in the back needs to remain the same and the front height can be levelled with the back or stay at factory height of the Pro or somewhere between. don't want to sacrifice any comfort plus want the 4R to fit in my work garage. budget upto $1500-$1700 USD but not more.

If you are getting OEM Fox takeoffs to outfit your 2020 TRD Off-Road for $1500-1700, then that would be the route I would take, at least based on what you said (unless I misunderstood your post).

Considering the retail cost of just the front Fox 2.5 DSC RR coil overs, that alone will exceed your budget. While I said you could easily meet or exceed the Pro suspension, one would need to be pretty loose with the grip on their wallet to accomplish this.

 

[Bruin1md]

Interesting you have the same question I had over a year ago before I ordered the 2019 Pro. before the Pro I had a 2011 Trail with KDSS while my wife still drives a 2010 Limited.

Three weeks ago I ordered a 2020 TRD-Off-Road with KDSS to replace the 2019 Pro. Three supporting reasons for this move. (1) I am going to retro fit TRD Pro Fox suspension on the 2020 Off-Road (yes there is an easy yet a bit expensive way to do it) and (2) I wanted all the Tech added to 2020. Going away from the VooDoo Blue has been difficult but I enjoyed the extra attention on the Road. (3) got a great trade-in value for the 2019 Pro.

the end result would be Fox at stock height + KDSS. as for sharing my experience, I know the ride of the 2011-Trail-KDSS and 2019-Pro-Fox, I will also ride the 2020 with KDSS for at least two months before I install the Pro Fox on it. Will report back what changes for good or for bad. I am optimistic that the KDSS+Fox on the Off-Road would be amazing since I am combining two different functions.

Sounds like we are in similar boats, wanting similar things.

1. How did the ride of your 2019 TRD Pro compare to your 2011 Trail with KDSS compare-- specifically on highway and street driving? I'm guessing the Pro felt quite a bit smoother.

2. What type of discount are you getting on the TRD off road? I'm shooting for $5k off sticker on an off road premium if I go that route, or $2500 of a TRD pro (might be ambitious I know).

3. I'm with you in that the ultimate ride would be KDSS + retrofitted Fox shocks, but will this not negate the warranty on your TRD off road ?


One reason to go with the Pro would be the unmatched resale value if I sell it in a few years, vs the Off road premium.

FYI, I drive a Ram 1500 Rebel now, so I can't imagine the Pro will feel 'less planted' than my truck, but who knows.

 

[niadh0]

got you. nice to be reassured that the OEM Pro Fox are not bad for the price point in my mind. I already love the ride quality. Yes I am getting a take off set from the 2019 for $1200USD so I paid a deposit but haven't picked them up yet (the seller is far away).

If you are getting OEM Fox takeoffs to outfit your 2020 TRD Off-Road for $1500-1700, then that would be the route I would take, at least based on what you said (unless I misunderstood your post).

Considering the retail cost of just the front Fox 2.5 DSC RR coil overs, that alone will exceed your budget. While I said you could easily meet or exceed the Pro suspension, one would need to be pretty loose with the grip on their wallet to accomplish this.

 

[Bumbo]

got you. nice to be reassured that the OEM Pro Fox are not bad for the price point in my mind. I already love the ride quality. Yes I am getting a take off set from the 2019 for $1200USD so I paid a deposit but haven't picked them up yet (the seller is far away).

Front and rear for $1200? If so, that’s a really good deal.

 

[szuyung3000]

This is the most ridiculous statement I have heard about the Limited all year. Well done.

While there are differences in the factory trims, all the models can hold their own just fine off-road.

The reason I said the Limited isn't meant for offroad I meant its less capable offroad comparing to other models. At least stock wise. Of course people can modify their vehicles all they want but stock from the factory the Limited version's usually less capable offroad than the SR5, TRAIL, TRD OFFROAD, TRD PRO.

You don't have to agree with me. I'm just stating my opinion

 

[szuyung3000]

[MENTION=438005]szuyung3000[/MENTION],

I don't have a Rigid industry front grill LED light bar.....

[MENTION=103267]Saker[/MENTION]

I mean the light bar you have on your front grill in your picture...

 

[niadh0]

1. the experience of Pro vs KDSS is mutually exclusive. they are both effective in different driving patterns : cornering and zig-zag at certain speed is smoother with KDSS, ProFox is my preference all around in any terrain at any speed except what I just mentioned above for KDSS. This what got me thinking about combining.

2. I got $2500 off on the 2020 OffRoad so if you are getting $5K on the 2020 OffRoad then definitely go for that. you can easily add the Pro skid, rack, and the suspension from the 5K. if you want to match the looks then you can even add the heritage grill, front and rear black valance with the 5K. People will argue no matter what but at the end you have to decide what you want and why. I already drove the Pro for 11 months now and I won't regret changing to the TRDOffRoad (plus the mods I listed) at all - just wont get the special color.

3. not too worried about the warranty. the void would only be applicable if the problem somehow relates to the suspension.

a couple of people I got feedback from from this forum, who already went this route experienced a KDSS lean issue after installing the TRD FOX suspension on the TRDOffRoad. This was because the driver and the passanger side front TRD Fox suspension have different perch settings (one side's coil is more compressed than the other side). I checked the Canadian 2019 TRDOffRoad OEM black standard suspensions and found that it uses identical part numbers, colis, perch settings for both sides. This in theory means that if I put two identical front TRD Fox suspensions (say the two driver side with the same coil height) on the Off-Road then it would be fine. But I will only do this trick if I have any lean issue after installing the full taken-off TRD Fox suspension set that I bought. using spacers is an alternative and cheaper way of course.

as for the resale value yes you are right but also keep in mind that this is the 5th year of the Pro and there are a lot more on the road now than a couple of years ago. a special color has of course its value.

I will post back what actually happens in a couple of months.

Sounds like we are in similar boats, wanting similar things.

1. How did the ride of your 2019 TRD Pro compare to your 2011 Trail with KDSS compare-- specifically on highway and street driving? I'm guessing the Pro felt quite a bit smoother.

2. What type of discount are you getting on the TRD off road? I'm shooting for $5k off sticker on an off road premium if I go that route, or $2500 of a TRD pro (might be ambitious I know).

3. I'm with you in that the ultimate ride would be KDSS + retrofitted Fox shocks, but will this not negate the warranty on your TRD off road ?


One reason to go with the Pro would be the unmatched resale value if I sell it in a few years, vs the Off road premium.

FYI, I drive a Ram 1500 Rebel now, so I can't imagine the Pro will feel 'less planted' than my truck, but who knows.

 

[niadh0]

Front and rear for $1200? If so, that’s a really good deal.

yes bought a few items from a single guy as a package. $1200 for the full pro fox set. $1200 for the pro rim and nitto tires without the sensors, $300 for the predator steps and $350 for the rack. I might install the steps but he rack will just be hanging in the garage - or I might sell it and recover some cash. less than 2000 miles on his 2019 Pro.

 

[Bumbo]

The reason I said the Limited isn't meant for offroad I meant its less capable offroad comparing to other models. At least stock wise. Of course people can modify their vehicles all they want but stock from the factory the Limited version's usually less capable offroad than the SR5, TRAIL, TRD OFFROAD, TRD PRO.

You don't have to agree with me. I'm just stating my opinion

Not trying to be confrontational but I’m just curious but how much off-road driving do you actually do? I've spent the better part of my life doing recreational off-road driving in Southern CA deserts with my SR5 and Limited.

What makes you think the SR5 is any better or worse than a Limited off-road? I'm legitimately curious.

I have probably done more in my Limited and SR5 than most do in their Pro or Off-Road and have been for years.

If you are referring to the exclusion of the rear lockers, sure… there are situations where I know that would have some impact, but the rest of the drive line is no less capable.

I put no credence into crawl control or multi-terrain select. People have been off-roading just fine for years without these things. While these systems may be useful to some, it is not a replacement for driver skill and good technique.

 

[IanB]

The biggest thing holding the Limited back off-road is the low hanging front and rear bumpers, and deeper sideskirts (shared by the early SR5's). The fact a rear locker is not available from factory isn't the end of the world. The full time AWD of the Limited is a rugged system, lots of Toyota 4x4 SUV's have had similar systems for years and years (GX470/4Runner V8, Land Cruiser 80/100/200, etc).

 

[5thToy]

The biggest thing holding the Limited back off-road is the low hanging front and rear bumpers, and deeper sideskirts (shared by the early SR5's). The fact a rear locker is not available from factory isn't the end of the world. The full time AWD of the Limited is a rugged system, lots of Toyota 4x4 SUV's have had similar systems for years and years (GX470/4Runner V8, Land Cruiser 80/100/200, etc).

Even then, the low hanging fruit on the Limited is just plastic. It doesn't make them lest capable, just more vulnerable to cosmetic damage. I had an 03 Limited and have a 19 SR5P. I haven't noticed any difference in capability offroad between the 03 with center diff locked and my 19 in 4WD.

 

[Bumbo]

If anyone gets into off-road driving with the assumption they will never obtain trail damage is kidding themselves. I don’t care what trim level you own.

Tearing off a bumper is a right of passage… if you wheel that hard, you are going to make the appropriate upgrades. Sliders, high clearance bumpers, armor and other things are all part up the enthusiast upgrade path. Another reason I can care less about my Limited not looking as good as the other models because eventually it will get changed out. Same argument people make about the 20” rims… I have another set of rim and tire. Its really not that big of a deal.

Every trim level will require modification to really make it out there. This includes suspension. Factory height, even for a Pro owner, is often times revisited with an aftermarket lift. No lockers, no problem, you probably bought bigger tires and need a re-gear anyways. Get it all done at once and save some coin.

I very much understand my upgrade path… by the time I’m done it would basically be a baby Land Cruiser. The only thing I question at times is if I should have started with a GX instead, I have plenty of time for aftermarket to catch up.

 

[Saker]

[MENTION=103267]Saker[/MENTION]

I mean the light bar you have on your front grill in your picture...

They seem hard to find now but it is a 20inch single row combo 120Watt LED CREE light bar. It has 10W cree leds in it, not the 5's or 3's...…..

 

[szuyung3000]

Not trying to be confrontational but I’m just curious but how much off-road driving do you actually do? I've spent the better part of my life doing recreational off-road driving in Southern CA deserts with my SR5 and Limited.

What makes you think the SR5 is any better or worse than a Limited off-road? I'm legitimately curious.

I have probably done more in my Limited and SR5 than most do in their Pro or Off-Road and have been for years.

If you are referring to the exclusion of the rear lockers, sure… there are situations where I know that would have some impact, but the rest of the drive line is no less capable.

I put no credence into crawl control or multi-terrain select. People have been off-roading just fine for years without these things. While these systems may be useful to some, it is not a replacement for driver skill and good technique.

"what makes me think the Limited trim is less capable off-road than the other models??". I'm talking about (100% stock from the factory)

1. the approach angle is less
2. the departure angle is less
3. THE MOST IMPORTANT factor is it has 20" wheel with low profile tires
4. so you can't air them down as much compare with 17" wheels
5. In my opinion Limited is more for city people 4runners

And again, I'm talking about (100% factory stock)

 

[szuyung3000]

I never understand why people would spend their money on a TRD PRO suspension AND THEN have it swapped out. It's a waste of money in my opinion. But I guess if they did that just because they can.

 

[SpeedyKevin]

I never understand why people would spend their money on a TRD PRO suspension AND THEN have it swapped out. It's a waste of money in my opinion. But I guess if they did that just because they can.

Could sometimes be for the exclusive color