New Suspension on a 2010 TRD Sport

I just bought this truck and am needing to upgrade the suspension. I don’t know much about suspension this why I am here asking this question. I will be using this truck as a commuter. I drive about 15 miles a day in total to and back from work. But I hunt often on weekends and need a suspension system that will ride pretty smooth on rocky dirt roads. Hoping to keep it around $500 or less for it all. It has a 2 inch lift on the front which I am imagining is a leveling kit because there is nothing on the rear. I would like to keep it the same height that it is now. Any suggestions on brands and types of shocks and struts to buy? Thanks!

 

I think you are going to spend alittle more tha $500.00 depending how old your current setup is. With that said I have Bilstein 5100 up front set at 1.75 and TSB leafs with 5100 on rear. The springs are WORN OUT sagging like old sacks. But i'm looking to do a complete suspension upgrade and replacement if needed. 165000 miles and counting. I have only put 500 miles on since Sept. 2022, back injury not driving getting chauffeured around. Look @HeadStrong Off-Road or @Exitoffroad.com.
Good luck

 

$500 is an extremely low budget for anything that qualifies as an "upgrade". Especially when an alignment alone is gonna run you $100-250.

I'd either look for something aftermarket on the used marketplace (I found my TRD Pro Bilstein suspension for $450 locally, but admittedly that was a great deal) or I'd look into some 3rd gen takeoffs. The latter is probably the better way to keep your cost down under your budget.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/review-3rd-gen-suspension-on-2nd-gen.542843/

Also, don't expect "smooth" rides over rough terrain. You're gonna need 5-10x the budget to get something that might be described as "smooth". There's some great info in this thread but it only discusses setups that are probably $2-3k+. And in these guy's opinions these are almost entry level for serious offroaders although they're high end for the avg Joe like you or me.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/blind-shock-tests-fox-elka-icon-bilstein-king.799472/

Your best bet to help get a smoother ride at minimal cost will be the two items below. These will do more for comfort than any <$500 suspension setup.

• Air down. Get yourself a portable compressor and air down to 15-20psi when offroad.
• Remove front sway bar. Allowing the front suspension to articulate independently of each other allows for a much smoother ride offroad.