Tacoma Purchase Go-No Go, Suspension Mods

I’m a newbie here so please bear with me. I am considering buying a Gen 3 2017 Tacoma Pro. The vehicle has low miles 37k (7 yrs old) and i’m strongly thinking about purchasing. I was hoping some of you could offer opinions about my questions below to help me make a good decision about this truck. The vehicle has some suspension mods and my questions/concerns mainly around those subjects. Please see pictures. Please forgive my ignorance as needed but I’m learning:
1. The truck has Rough Country suspension mods but I can’t really determine exactly what’s been done. (I’ve only seen pictures. Haven’t seen or driven yet).
2. Can you tell from pictures what RC kit has been used. I see coil-over in the fronts ut would like to know more. can you determine exactly what model etc.,,, how much lift?, Lift kit? RC skid plate, etc.. is sth skid plate a reasonable mod away from factory stock? See pics below
3. Tough question but am i safe buying a truck with mods done like this. Not knowing who did it or if they did correctly. I’ve haven’t driven yet but I don’t know how to determine if done correctly.
4. Is this a decent setup in pics. I will do some off roading but know super adventurous. Jeep trails, forest service roads, but not bouldering, etc… mainly camping, exploring, adventure…
5. I don’t think i really need any additional lift over stock but ok to have it. Can I reduce it if desired with the current RC setup.
6. Quality of Rough Country mods in general? I’m sure there are better components. In general I prefer quality but this is what on the truck. Is it ok for a beginner if done correctly.
7. how can i tell if installed correctly?
8. Fuel Wheels in lieu of stock Toyota TRD Pro? Is that a reasonable mod?
9. What do you think about this truck.
10. Go - No Go. i know you can’t decide for me, but I need any assistance in deciding if these mods should affect my decision.
sorry for the really long post but i’m trying to learn from all of you and make a good decision on this “new” truck.
Thanks everybody for any help you can offer!

 

The cap is nice. All the Pro hardware is gone no Pro shocks, wheels, they even got rid of the sjid plate. If you could get the truck for $10k, and had a new frame for it then buy it.

How much is it?

 

Going to need more pictures. I see Rough Country Vertex shocks…which seem to get decent reviews. Hard to tell how much lift from the pics.

Fuel wheels are okay. Nothing spectacular about them.

 

Why would some one take off the pro fox suspension and put on rough country

 

If it was me ,a big fat no thanks. It appears the frame was chopped and new crossmember ( maybe I'm wrong) but that in itself would void any frame warranty down the road. The wheels suck( who puts 20" on an off-road truck) . In reality they removed Pro components and replaced them with inferior parts.

 

OP it’s up to you to determine if it’s a reasonable mod. As others have stated this appears to be a drop bracket lift so it’s either a 4 or 6 inch lift.

 

It is a Rough Country drop bracket kit. It appears set up for ~4" lift judging by the CV and tierod angles (I guess technically it would be a 3" lift since the TRD Pro originally sat 1" higher than other models).

The front lift actually looks decent to me (has new (lifted) coilover shocks rather than spacers) and I don't see anything obvious in the pics to indicate the truck has been abused or neglected, but the rear lift is trash (tall lift blocks on the stock leaf springs). Plan on a pair of good (lifted) leaf springs for it. The 20" wheels/tires do have to go if you're looking to offroad with it (more sidewall height is better). Stock TRD wheels (16" or 17") will fit with the RC lift if you get 1" wheel spacers (Bora or Spidertrax).

Looks like it's sitting at a dealership... Is it being sold with any sort of warranty? Since you haven't acquired much experience yet, a warranty might give you some recourse if there's an issue with any of the mods done to it.

 

It’s a drop bracket lift which are Typically 4” lifts or higher. Drop brackets require to cut the frame in the truck. Most ppl will say don’t do that because you lose ground clearance & because you’re cutting up the truck.

RC VERTEX shocks are decent, I’ve heard good reviews from them, but RC in general has always been a “cheap” lift.

personally myself, I would not do that type of lift on a TRD PRO, being that it comes with the fox suspension from the factory. PROs are more capable trucks and typically if you switch the suspension you want something better like king or fox coilovers etc.

At the end of the day, it’s your choice and your money. If you like it how it is, then buy it

 

Run

 

Highly recommend you buy a stock machine. If you want to modify it, do it yourself.

 

Thanks everybody for taking the time to respond. Very helpful and kinda confirmed what i knew in my gut. I am going to pass on buying this truck and find another option. Especially at the price point or anywhere near what they are asking, For that level of pricing, i can find a better option. I think I would much rather it be stock and do any mods myself. Appreciate the input. Thanks all!

 

-Ditto, plus that thing is going to ride like crap with that set up.

 

And it's got f#ckin Ram mirrors on it!

They've basically removed everything that made it a pro to begin with. I'd question if it really even was a pro with a VIN check. Anybody can swap a hood, some headlights, and tail lights and then slap a badge from eBay or Etsy on the door...

 

Just to close the loop on this thread, I am soooo glad i didn't buy the red truck in the OP. After learning a lot on this forum and other places, I kept looking and finally bought what I hope will be my forever truck. I've been studying, shopping, and wanting a Tacoma for more years than I can admit. Well, I finally did it and bought a beautiful truck. For the same money as the chopped up one above, I bought a stock 2018 Pro (Cav Blue) with super low miles. I really appreciate the responses here and all the great information on this forum. It's been invaluable to me. I'm hooked already on the forum and can't wait to learn more. Anyway, thanks!

 

What is unfortunate is the incredible amount of bad info there is on the internet when it comes to DB lift kits. Most all of it is parroting and fear mongering. It is true you do have to cut part of the frame crossmember to install such a kit, but beyond that, they have a lot to offer when it comes to having more clearance while still keeping your suspension & CV joint angles reasonable and your steering rack alive (and every DB kit just by nature of it's design provides a new (often stronger) member to go underneath where the cut is made on the factory member). But to each their own is what I always say.


Certainly I will agree with those who say starting with a clean slate is usually better than taking over what someone else started. Since that red truck was a Pro, they probably were asking a "Pro" price on top of everything else even though nearly all the Pro goods are no longer present.
Congrats on your new Tacoma purchase!