2018 TRD Offroad Steering Review

Recently traded in my 2004 Tacoma Pre-Runner SRS with 245k miles for the new 2018 Tacoma TRD offroad edition.

Before I get into the steering review, I wanted to note my tires as it plays a large role in steering/handling.

Stock Tires: Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure With Kevlar

Steering Review:

High Ways speeds - darty, poor groove wander, road crown sensitive (pulls even on shallow crown roads), constantly making micro adjustments to maintain straight heading. On-center steering is linear for a truck (good thing - provides confidence/sporty feel at highway speed). On-center dead band is very small (good thing - compared to my 2004 tacoma).

Would like to get others feedback on the straight line stability - do you find yourself constantly making adjustments at highway speeds? (especially interested in hearing from the folks with stock Goodyear Wranglers All-Terrain Adventures).

 

I found the stock tires horrible. I swapped to KO2's and I find the truck wanders less.

 

No issues with mine on the stock tires.

 

I’ve got 12,000 miles on my Wanglers and have not experienced any of what you describe, in fact I picked up a set off Craigslist for $100 for when mine crap out. Perhaps it’s not the tires?

 

Mine steers fine. Have you checked the usual tire pressure and alignment?

 

Go have your alignment checked and have them set caster to high limit. 99% sure that your problem is too low caster.

 

No problems here.

 

This generation has been in production for 2.5 years now. I’ve been on Tacoma world for 2 of those years with my 2016. This is the first thread I’ve read complaining about steering. Lol

Check your tire pressure, adjust it up or down.

My current duratracs drive fine with 33-39 psi depending how much of a hurry I am leaving the trail. My Firestone’s drove fine when I was stock. Currently I also drive with out a sway bar and that’s fine too.

Maybe your new truck drives fine as well... maybe you’re just missing your old truck! Haha

 

Tire pressures are good, but alignment could be suspect - although, those are items to check for general drift/pull error states. What I'm feeling is more of a "darty-ness" to the truck - imagine an old car (circa 1950's) where you had to make small adjustments to the steering wheels in order to maintain a straight line ("Sawing at the wheel"). It will dart right then dart left within a highway lane - with error states related to tire pressures and alignment setting, usually you'll get a consistent pull in one dominate direction regardless of roadcrown; drift/pull is not what I'm feeling.

I think it's related to tires or steering/suspension geometry - or I'm just really sensitive to it coming off the 2004 Tacoma.

 

Lol - you're right, I couldn't find anything either - I figured I would be alone on this one, but I would ask everyone out there to pay attention to their highway driving next time. See if you are sawing at the wheel to maintain a straight path, you might be doing it not realizing it's happening. You can notice this on long highway trips - you'll find yourself getting fatigue quickly because of large amount of micro steering inputs.

...I also agree that I might be use to my old truck (I think there is some truth on both sides)

 

I'm pretty sure if your toe is slightly out like this:
\ /
I I
It can give a darty feeling, good for steering response, bad for highway stability.

 

Noticed that on mine when new as well. Was a bit irritating. It weirdly got better after I raised the front 1 3/4" to 2", even though I retained stock UCA's for now, and am slightly beyond spec for caster. Tires changed out as well, not sure I noticed a difference after just that. But it does seem to hold a line better now than when new with the stocker tires.

 

I have the 18 trd pro and stock tires and no issues at all

 

I came from a bmw and find the taco steering is just fine. Very easy to drive. And not much beats a bmw's steering

 

My does exactly the same thing.. stock tires, stock suspension, 4,300 on the odometer... I am planning on punting ICON lift suspension and different tires.. Hope this will help.

 

You are not alone in this. I have the exact same set up as yours and mine is so bad that I've taken it to service twice already and have now have asked for my money back using the lemon law. This thing is all over the road at all speeds but more pronounced at highway speeds. It really is a safety issue at this point. God forbid I'm looking In my side mirrors on a bridge and I slam into a wall or another car.

Service has done an alignment, cross rotated the tires, and replaced one tire, and I still have the same problem. They came back with "it's the way the truck drives".

I've had one other truck that drove almost this bad, it was a 2006 ram 2500 Cummins that desperately needed a new front end.

 

Same set up, zero issues. So much better than my old 01 DC. Definitely get the alignment checked.

 

Wow, great feedback - I've been disappointed with the darty steering and also the powertrain (lurching and gear hunting that is well covered in other threads). Both major issues that unfortunately I didn't catch during the test drive. I think I'm in the same situation as you and I'm ready to go down the path of the lemon law. Keep us posted on your lemon law efforts.

By the way, I can't stand when a tech tells me "that's just how it drives."

 

The problem is that the 3rd gens have much softer steering rack bushings than the 2nd gens, makes steering response a bit mushy just like the op suggests. I will replace them with poly bushings at some point.

Turn your truck on and lay under it, have someone move the steering wheel and see how much the rack moves before there is a response at the wheels...its a lot.

 

I haven't found there to be too much straying on the highway, no more than my F150 was or our Jeep. I have found steering to be quite a bit "tighter" than both of those requiring more force to turn, but nothing absurd. That said, I am dealing with a consistent bouncing/balance issue that I've already had at the dealer once for.