2021 SR5 Trail Edition suspension upgrade

Howdy, I’ve got a ‘21 SR5 Trail Edition that I’m looking to get a little more height out of. I’ve heard some folks are reusing part of the trail edition factory suspension (I think it has a longer coil?)

essentially, what would be the best route to go to get more height/better suspension out of my setup. I’m looking at either the TRD 2” lift or something from Fox. Trouble is I’m a suspension idiot and have no idea what I’m actually looking for, I just know what the end result I have in mind is lol.

 

generally, but I also don’t know for sure lol, I’ve never driven another Tacoma lol. I came from an F150 so I have no frame of reference for the feel of them.

 

keep what I can but get the extra lift. Basically I wanna get the most bang for my buck lol, who doesn’t right?

a guy on Reddit I was talking to also has a Trail edition and he said the springs are longer than the standard and he coupled those with the factory TRD 2” lift and got a total 3.1” lift in the front and 2” in the rear according to him. Not sure if that gives you the info you’re looking for or not.

 

I had to refer to the TFLnow review of the 2021 trail edition to see what the differences are between that and mine (2022)
Doesn't come with the bronze rims like the 2022
has a different grill than the standard SR5, maybe it was the limited grill? Dunno, it's not the bronze heritage grill like the 22.
has the same seat stitching.

Things the review doesn't cover, I don't think the 21 Trail had the locking rear diff like the '22. (?)
Not sure about the factory lift and if it was a thing on the 21 or not. But in the video it sure does look like it has the lift.

22 Trail has the standard SR5/base Hiatchi shocks, but longer springs, amounts to 1.1(I think?) or just 1" for ease sake, and it has the standard spring pack in the back with a 1/2" or 3/4" spacer block or whatever it takes to level the truck. Trail is essentially just a small step up from just a budget spacer lift, but below the optional Toyota TRD lift kit.

I have the Ironman foam cell pro kit going on next week and I am going to set it at 2" lift.

Big question is, what is your budget? You looking to actually offroad it, or is it for looks? you can accomplish a little bit more lift for looks for a lot less than if you want something that has really good functional travel/dampening.
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68Hc8GtLko
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1tTelhdEiM

Tinkerer's Advendure video about IFS lifts helped me a lot when thinking about what(and how much) I was going to do as its more complicated than just lifting my Jeep on solid axles was.

 

yeah, from my research and looking into it,
I believe it’s the Limited grille, and it does not have an electronically locking diff, came with these dark gray almost MGM rims that look pretty solid (not as sexy as bronze though haha), it does have a slight lift over factory, but if it’s like you say and it’s just a spacer lift then it’s not much to consider lol.
Your description of the 22 trails standard shocks and longer springs is exactly what I’ve heard about the 21 from another guy so I’d assume the 21 and 22 are the same.
Budget wise pretty flexible, I want the most bang for my buck obviously but I’d rather spend good money on a good result you know? But once cry once kinda deal, that being said, I also have very little frame of reference on what the costs even look like for suspension upgrades so I can’t really say.
As far as usage goes I’m not looking to go to dakar, but I would like to do some intermediate off-roading. It’s pulling double duty as a daily and my fun car, because well, I can’t afford two cars right now.

 

Cool. Kind of where I was at with budget and thought process. I had a budget range that was, at the time below the price of the full medium/2.5" Ironman FSP kit. But when I had the money and went to the shop to order it the owner at the counter was like "I'm not supposed to say this but a sale starts in a week and a half, come back then" with the sale it dropped like $1300 off the price of the kit. It was substantial. But it put it right into my price range. I was going to either go with the OME nitro charged kit, or the more basic nitro charged Ironman kit.

I like the rims that came on yours very solid look and color for a stock rim. A lot more than the TRD OR ones.

I am not gonna lie at least here in Canada, pricing for the Trail and the TRD OR were so close that it came down to my cosmetic shalowness. I liked the new blue the TRD has. But I really can't stand the look of the TRD rims. If I would have gotten that they would have been demoted to winter rims right away.
The bronze accents and heritage grill, and bronze rims, in the Lunar rock on the Trail is all it took to sway me haha

 

I’d for sure trade my wheels for the bronze ones, I’m already looking at some method bronze wheels for it lol. It’s such a crisp look.