Stock TRD Off-Road suspension in Moab

Will the stock suspension from a 3rd gen TRD Off Road handle most the trails around Moab or are there ones to avoid before getting beefier suspension? I won't have much weight on the truck if that matters. I'm pretty new to trails so please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question.

 

Plenty of easy trails around Moab, but also plenty that regularly break buggies.
Red Rock 4 Wheelers has a guide (https://www.rr4w.com/Trails-Home.cfm) that will get you in the ballpark: I'd aim for a 4 and below to start, then adjust. You can 100% run harder trails, but there's a balance between careful spotting to avoid damage and just having fun that you'll have to find for yourself.
If you have a lot of experience, good spotter, good weather, or another rig go harder: if you're new or adverse to scraping your truck go softer.

For cheap/free improvements air down appropriately (grab a cheap air tank, free air at O'Reillys) and leave a ball in your hitch mount. Sliders aren't cheap, but are cheaper than the repair.

 

You'll find plenty of stock-friendly trails in Moab. Just my $0.02 but I think the main improvement you can do is add a couple key pieces of protection, like a set of sliders. The stock suspension isn't the limitation but how willing you are to push your truck and risk a dent. It'll get you through and with skill a completely stock truck is very capable. But you get highly skilled by starting unskilled. And we all FUBAR, slip off a rock. So it happens.

 

Check out the Jeep the USA website for trail ratings around Moab. Anything 2.0 (White Rim rating) or lower will be fine with no sliders or hitch skid. 2.5 rating will require spotting, but armor should not be necessary. 3.0 rating can be done on stock truck, but sliders and hitch skid would be recommended unless you have a good spotter and have experience wheeling. 3.5 and higher would be for modified rigs unless you are ok with some underbody scraps and dents.

With stock suspension and loaded with gear your average speed will be around 10 to 35 mph, depending on section, if you want to stay off bump stops and not beat up your suspension. If you are running stock tires air down to around 23 psi (cold).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mS0ZKuXKe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MW6jiJsmqc

 

Those videos are good showing stock capabilities, but in my opinion are a bit misleading, in that those types of obstacles are not what cause damage. Damage comes from boulders, ledges and outcroppings that nobody bothers shooting video of because they are so common on trails with higher ratings. Trust the ratings, not videos of short segments of trails.

 

Awesome footage, well done.

 

Lots of opinions on how great stock Tacomas are until you bash the undercarriage and crack a case, trans pan, bend a driveshaft, and taillights and or lenses covers pop off or shatter etc.
If you have those dual step tubes on the sides (not sliders) those may get hung up if you hit the rocks/ledges. Coming off ledges watch the rear end drops as the bumper can flex up and take the taillights out. If you have a hitch take the ball OUT as it hangs down and will catch - coming off ledges the empty square receiver takes alot of beating. You will hear the mud flaps bending and getting beat coming off ledges.

Main thing on stock truck is slow down and watch high centering. I have full 3/16" steel skids and they took some abuse. No sliders. Pick your routes and read:
The Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Tails - pretty good and will help you plan.

Anything in the bed (even with a shell) will get covered in dust so plastic tots are great - some laugh then don't when they look back there after a day of dust!
Fun area. Enjoy.

 

Most of the hard stuff has a bypass around the obstacle, but not all of them.

 

Plenty have bypasses as mentioned.

It's better to look at the many trails available, and create an itinerary for your trip out there.

This way you know what to expect because you've already chosen said trails beforehand, and know whether said trail offers a bypass or not.

You don't want to head out there uninformed; that'd be really dumb.

This book was useful before me and my friends went on a weekend long trip to wheel out there -

$62 Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails 3rd Edition

Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails 3rd Edition: Charles Wells, Shelly Mayer: 9781934838259: Amazon.com: Books





Both 4Runners were nearly stock; one of them was mine (3G).

 

thanks for the vids showing the stock ride. Love it .

 

Ya, moab an incredible place, and nice cause plenty to explore at all levels

 

Which are the best trails, can't miss trails?

 

Definitely recommend the ‘hidden canyon overlook’ trail on TrailsOffroad.com

amazing camping spot at the end