Why Modify a TRD Pro?

How much do you really need to do what you want? You start adding bumpers and racks and cargo systems and pulling trailers and you need a different suspension. Then you seriously limit the ability of the truck at long distance and highway by reducing the power and shortening the range because of all the weight. Don't get me wrong, I love the look of the truck with all the stuff on it, but I also want to stay as close to stock as possible because I don't want to fill up every 250 miles. You can't have it all and no truck will do it all. Just a matter of what you do most of the time. A stock pro will do pretty much everything a modified one will do at places like Moab. Clearance for the bigger obstacles is really your only issue, but most of the time you can go around. If you are rock crawling for sport all the time a jeep is a better answer. If you are traveling all over the country a V8 pickup with a slide in camper is a better answer (especially if you are old like me and hate sleeping in a tent!) But hey, if you are young and can afford it, have fun, get what you want! YOLO.
 
fogcitysurfer said:
A stock pro will do pretty much everything a modified one will do at places like Moab. Clearance for the bigger obstacles is really your only issue, but most of the time you can go around.
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eh... you probably won't return from Moab with your bumpers on a stock Pro if you wanted to follow the modded 4runners. I'm not sure you'd return with your transfer case either. At a minimum if you're not lifting it you'll want some skid plates for the soft bits for trails like hells revenge. I'm not sure you'd be able to do poison spider mesa at stock height and keep your rear bumper intact. OTOH a base model SR5 will go everywhere a Pro will go in Moab - or basically anywhere else for that matter. And SR5 is a lot closer to a Pro than a Pro is to a long travel setup. An sr5 with long travel will run circles around a Pro.
 
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FWIW - it's been said a billion times before.

A Pro is a Trail edition without KDSS, but with about ~$800 set of shocks that are not height adjustable, and an appearance package with special color options. The primary reason to buy one is for the special color. The resale probably won't last. As soon as the 6th gen comes out the Pro will be just like the 2nd gen Tacoma pro - the same price as all the rest of the 2nd gen tacomas. I do have a soft spot for Inferno. If they brought it back I might think about it.

The Pro now has the same options as a Premium Trail - except for KDSS. It didn't always have options like a sunroof.

Out of the box, the Trail with KDSS has more suspension articulation and is likely equal or better offroad in most situations other than high speed desert terrain. The two are damn near identical except for kdss. A non KDSS trail would perform identically in every scenario at lower speed. I'm not sure why you'd choose a 4runner for desert racing, but to each his own. Toyota did okay in the Baja 1000 in a 4runner. The 109 wheelbase is kinda short for that. In a perfect world we could buy a Limited with KDSS and rear locker. That would probably be the ultimate version of the 5th gen.

The new Tacoma TRD Pro has some legit shocks. If the 4runner ever gets them - it would probably be worth the price of entry. There's no aftermarket shock setups for the 4runner short of dual shocks with external bypasses that are as comprehensively designed as the Fox shocks on the net TRD Pro taco. And they're a lot more expensive than the jump from Trail to Pro.

And we have to keep in mind that these are mostly street vehicles that are pretty capable in the dirt. They're great for all around utility vehicles. True offroad use isn't the primary design goal, whether it's an SR5 or a Pro. It's a balance between street and dirt that has a few nuances between very similar vehicles across the board. They basically all do all the same stuff in stock form. ATRAC has leveled the playing field in terms of traction with the offroad models. It's not as good as a locker, but it bridges the gap a long way. The biggest short coming of all the 4runners when it comes to off road is body clearance.
 
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I had an early Bronco (1974) for 18 years, heavily modified it. Long travel suspension, front/rear lockers, EFI 5.0,dual fuel tanks, 35" tires, big brake disc conversion, oversized axles, front/rear bumpers, bucket seats, roll cage, and the list went on and on. It was awesome but I couldn't use it for daily use anymore. I wanted something that was off-road capable but I didn't need anything to go fully nuts off-road either in my older age.
The TRD Pro was the ticket for me, it's more than capable for what I need it for, it's unique color and appearance, comfort, factory finish and quality, warranty, and the resale value. If I was to modify it like I did with my old Bronco I would have bought a used 4Runner or a base SR5 if I was to go new.
 
Jetboy said:
eh... you probably won't return from Moab with your bumpers on a stock Pro if you wanted to follow the modded 4runners. I'm not sure you'd return with your transfer case either. At a minimum if you're not lifting it you'll want some skid plates for the soft bits for trails like hells revenge. I'm not sure you'd be able to do poison spider mesa at stock height and keep your rear bumper intact. OTOH a base model SR5 will go everywhere a Pro will go in Moab - or basically anywhere else for that matter. And SR5 is a lot closer to a Pro than a Pro is to a long travel setup. An sr5 with long travel will run circles around a Pro.
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Yup thats why I said clearance for bigger obstacles. Front, rear, center, sides. Clearance.
 
fogcitysurfer said:
Yup thats why I said clearance for bigger obstacles. Front, rear, center, sides. Clearance.
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Isn't that kinda like saying that it'll go where the lifted ones go - except all the places that you need a lift?

You definitely don't need to modify a 4runner to have fun in Moab. Most of the bolt on farkle doesn't do you much good. But the departure angle in particular is pretty hard to get through most of the trails rated around 5 or higher. A small lift makes a world of difference on a lot of the intermediate trails. If you paid a lot of money for an appearance package - it's going to be hard to accept dragging the bumpers on the rocks all over the place.

I've been there as the smallest tires on the block. It's remarkably capable with a small lift and better tires. I don't think a stock TRD Pro would be able to keep its bumpers intact without some suspension upgrades. But then you're tossing the parts that you just paid a premium to have OEM installed.
 

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Jetboy said:
Isn't that kinda like saying that it'll go where the lifted ones go - except all the places that you need a lift?

You definitely don't need to modify a 4runner to have fun in Moab. Most of the bolt on farkle doesn't do you much good. But the departure angle in particular is pretty hard to get through most of the trails rated around 5 or higher. A small lift makes a world of difference on a lot of the intermediate trails. If you paid a lot of money for an appearance package - it's going to be hard to accept dragging the bumpers on the rocks all over the place.

I've been there as the smallest tires on the block. It's remarkably capable with a small lift and better tires. I don't think a stock TRD Pro would be able to keep its bumpers intact without some suspension upgrades. But then you're tossing the parts that you just paid a premium to have OEM installed.
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You're missing the point of my entire statement. I'm going outside now.
 
Your money, time, and vehicle. Do what you guys please. I always appreciate a well modified vehicle regardless of trim level.
 
I have a 2015 Inferno TRD PRO and I have put 40,000 hard desert miles on it with everything stock except a bunch of Baja Designs LED lights. I have run Arizona, Nevada and Baja deserts and find the stock TRD suspension superior in a fast desert terrain. Have even had the 4runner air born on numerous occasions with a soft landing. Also the resale value on these Pro's is insane! No mods needed here.
 
fogcitysurfer said:
You're missing the point of my entire statement. I'm going outside now.
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I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. I think I agree with the general premise that if you want to do moderate off roading and have a nice comfortable highway vehicle, a Pro is a good choice out of the box.

I think what we see often on this forum - it seems weekly - is a new member who's been sold a bit of a false sense of what a TRD Pro is. Often they are told it's the most off road capable of the 4runner lineup, when the Trail with KDSS is arguably better out of the box both on and off road. And often they've been given the impression that if you buy a Pro it will do the same trails as other 5th gens with more advanced aftermarket suspension. Bilstein 6112's are fine shocks. Great for OEM. But they're not really in the same category as Fox/King/Icon/OME stuff. And to be fair they're not $2500 either so it's not really something you should expect.

And they also generally don't know that TRD parts like the wheels and such have always been parts counter upgrades, just like floor mats and cargo nets. So when they comment that people shouldn't make "fake" TRD Pro's out of trails for example, it's kinda funny because it's just a model where the wall of retail parts the dealer used to sell is now pre-installed.

I don't have any objection to the Pro models. I like the way they look. I do not understand the pricing. And I don't understand the OP's position that you don't need to modify a Pro as compared to a Trail or SR5. The Pro has virtually no advantage in stock form. In fact an SR5 with something as simple as just installing 285 tires would likely be better off road in most cases. The modifications are pretty much the same across the board for the same reasons. They all have the same height, same ground clearance, same weight, same tire size, etc.
 
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Jetboy said:
I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. I think I agree with the general premise that if you want to do moderate off roading and have a nice comfortable highway vehicle, a Pro is a good choice out of the box.

I think what we see often on this forum - it seems weekly - is a new member who's been sold a bit of a false sense of what a TRD Pro is. Often they are told it's the most off road capable of the 4runner lineup, when the Trail with KDSS is arguably better out of the box both on and off road. And often they've been given the impression that if you buy a Pro it will do the same trails as other 5th gens with more advanced aftermarket suspension. Bilstein 6112's are fine shocks. Great for OEM. But they're not really in the same category as Fox/King/Icon/OME stuff. And to be fair they're not $2500 either so it's not really something you should expect.

And they also generally don't know that TRD parts like the wheels and such have always been parts counter upgrades, just like floor mats and cargo nets. So when they comment that people shouldn't make "fake" TRD Pro's out of trails for example, it's kinda funny because it's just a model where the wall of retail parts the dealer used to sell is now pre-installed.

I don't have any objection to the Pro models. I like the way they look. I do not understand the pricing. And I don't understand the OP's position that you don't need to modify a Pro as compared to a Trail or SR5. The Pro has virtually no advantage in stock form. In fact an SR5 with something as simple as just installing 285 tires would likely be better off road in most cases. The modifications are pretty much the same across the board for the same reasons. They all have the same height, same ground clearance, same weight, same tire size, etc.
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Ya I think we are basically saying the same thing. Its a great vehicle stock, but when it comes to the really hard stuff you need some help, no matter what you drive. And of course people mod for weight concerns and just looks.
 
Crawl Control saved my ass

Quicksand~ said:
The color got me I'd say, but everyone always leaves out the crawl mode. That's it best feature to me... I have yet to use it though lol so I'm going off of videos
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Over 30 years of wheeling solo, now driving my 3rd 4runner, and I recently used Crawl Control to get myself out of a bad spot after I'd spent almost an hour wallowing around.

I'll testify.
 
Bodie the Dog said:
Over 30 years of wheeling solo, now driving my 3rd 4runner, and I recently used Crawl Control to get myself out of a bad spot after I'd spent almost an hour wallowing around.



I'll testify.
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Glad to hear! I'm looking forward to needing... I think


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
most people would have to disagree with the statement that spacer lifts have any positive affect on suspension dynamics
 
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