TRD suspension with no badging?

I have been looking to buy a 95-04 tacoma and test drove a few yesterday. I always thought that the TRD package came with a different suspension but also had that badging above one of the rear wheels. Of the 3 that I drove, two of them had a much better drive while the first felt almost dangerous. It felt like it leaned much to far in corners and handeled nowhere neer as well as the other 2. Could it be that the first that I drove had something wrong or that the other two had the TRD suspension and I just didn't know?

 

What kind of mileage on the three of them?? Cause a truck that old could easily have upwards of 200K miles..and if no suspension work/replacement has been done...They probably ARE dangerous.

It is also really easy to pull badges off...so they may have had the TRD suspension, or an aftermarket set up.

 

TRD has progresive rate front springs, the coils are not evenly spaced, also I believe they have a drain plug on the rear end. thats how I can tell, you can buy sticker kits for non TRD trucks.

 

i think that the trd off road will have a button for the locking diff and the others wont.

 

exactly

Just to the left of the steering wheel. There is an in-dash light for it also.

 

its to the left of the steering wheel. with orange writing. or you can always check the rear diff. it will have an electric motor bolted next to the punkin.

 

yup. because someone put them on my 96, and the TRD pkg didnt start until 98.
sockmonkey could make them as well.

but the real question is whether or not the trucks you looked at have had any suspension work done to them.

 

Is the locker a standard part of the TRD package, or an option?

I don't have the locker, and my truck is supposed to be a TRD. Im going to be pissed if somebody just put stickers on...

 

Uh oh!

 

As far as I knw YES. only on the first Gens. the 2nd gens are different.

 

The e-locker was a **common** part of the TRD Off Road Package, but it was not included on all pre-2005 Tacomas with the TRD package.

Toyota would not put an e-locker on 4-cylinder automatics - either as part of the TRD Off Road Package or as a separate factory option. Exclusion of the e-locker from the TRD Off Road Package equipment on 4-cylinder autos is explicitly stated in the factory brochures and options lists from 1998 to 2004.

 

There are A LOT of "fake" TRD's in my area. When I was looking to buy my truck I must have lloked at about 5 or 6 first gen tacomas all with the TRD stickers on them. the sales people/owners were all content that they were true TRD's.

On a 6 cyl you should have the locker button like the above posters had mentioned. But on all TRD trucks you should have bilstein trd suspension. It is very easy to see. The shocks in the back are yellow with a blue jacket on them. The front are also yellow.

There are a bunch of other little things, like a transfer case skid plate, factory 265/75R-16's, tow hooks, etc.

Hope this helps

 

TRDs also came with Tokico shocks as well.

 

Yep - Tokicos were used instead of Bilsteins on Double Cabs.

 

My taco is a double cab, what do the tokico shocks look like?

I like my truck, it was still a good deal even if it isn't a TRD, it just irks me the way people are. I don't plan on taking it offroad so I don't need the locker, but now every time I see the TRD stickers it is going to bother me.

 

So where is the Orig poster, did he get screwed>>?

 

Learn something new everyday

 

UH oh!

 

I hope not, but he has not been back has he?

 

the first one that leaned into the corners. Mine does that because I took off the sway bar. Check suspension parts.