2020 TRD Pro Advice

I need some help figuring out a solid setup. First the problem and issues I am having.

I off-road a lot. Mainly forest trails heavily rutted with basketball sized rocks in sections. Huge mud holes that with recent rains will come up close to doors..

The sized ruts I am going on have me dragging the belly of the truck alot. In some of the mud holes I encounter some hidden rocks so my factory TRD skid plate has taken some hits.

I am running 265/75/16 (31.6”) KO2's on it for tires.
I have a victory 4X4 Steel Tacoma winch bumper on it along with a apex 12k Winch.
I have Cali Raised Rock sliders
Rough Country Offroad rear Steel Bumper

So now the fun part. Wife loves to go 4wheeling with me and she knows I have been dragging the belly of the truck and the front skid has taken some hits.

She surprises me with new Victory 4X4 Front, Mid and Transfer case Skids for Christmas.
As much as I love her for it. I know this truck doesn't need any more weight till I deal with the suspension of the truck.

I dont do a lot of rock climbing, but I do encounter some rocks on these trails that I do need to navigate. Most of the rocks are basketball sized with some occasional bigger ones but nothing that I cant clear already with proper tire placement. Lots of smaller rocks that are just more of a bumpy ride if I use the skinny pedal.

I need some advice to change the setup on this truck. I am fairly certain I do not need 35's on the truck right now. Think 33's will be just fine. Especially because I do not want to re-gear right now.

Budget wise I dont want to break the bank, but I also don't want to run cheap. I want a solid setup all around this truck that I can get under 5k installed.

Can keep wheels and tires out of the price as I will deal with those separately.

My truck has some dings and some dents because I do play hard but she has always got me home and I haven't had to replace anything yet other then the plastic rear bumper because of trees LOL that spring up out of the ground and I cant see in the dark with the camera covered in mud backing up

What are some solid setups to run that are very dependable because I don't want to be breaking anything and getting stuck out there.

 

$5K is a great budget, you can probably get a complete mid-travel suspension which includes front 2.5 coilovers with reservoirs, upper control arms , rear 2.5 shocks with reservoirs, leaf pack and bumpstops. You can also re-coup some of the money by selling your current suspension.
For the suspension you can’t go wrong with any of the top name brands: fox, kings, Icon, etc

I would recommend that you send a message to @AccuTune Offroad they will custom tune the shocks specifically for the weight and how you plan to use your truck.

 

So you think I could get this all installed at 5k? I am talking parts with installation of the complete kit? I wont do the work myself because this is above my skill level I think. Skid plates, bumpers, sliders lights etc... Yes I will do that all day every day myself, but suspension I feel is a little bit complex for me and would rather take to a shop.

 

That would totally depend on how much they charge to install the suspension where you live. You can sell your current set-up and depending on the condition of the suspension you can get most of the money for the installation.

Since you’re spending a great amount of money you should at least get 2.5 shocks with reservoirs all around and upper control arms. To save some money you could probably get an Add-a- leaf instead of a complete leaf pack. This would bring the total cost down.

The install is not hard, it’s pretty easy to do it would just take you some time since it would be your first time. The most difficult part would be to set the correct ride height which “requires” a spring compressor to easily set the preload you need.
I recommend you look for local threads here on TW. I’m betting there’s people that will help you install it, I know I would if I was close to where you live.

 

I know PA has state inspections... Are there any issues with putting a lift or anything on the truck there?

 

I’d do this. I’d do camburg ucas but up to you. Might bring you closer to 6k with install. But as they say, buy once cry once.


https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p704/KING_Suspension_System_Level_1_for_2005__Toyota_Tacoma_%28KING05LVL1%29.html

https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/s...f_Pack_with_Ubolts_and_bushing_kit-_U402.html

 

15% off with code blackfriday22

https://camburg.com/shop/suspension...-tacoma-05-fox-2-5-performance-elite-dsc-kit/ (tubular uca with caps)

Add a set of stage 1 U402 deavers for another $1,000 and you'd be right around $5K.

Install would be a bit extra. Not sure what the going install rate is.

Another vote for Accutune. Having them redo the valving for your weight and setup is a solid investment and worth paying a little extra for.

 

Yeah I posted in the PA thread here at TW, but only had one person chime in about what setup I should get. Doubtful anyone is willing to help me install it. I like the idea of going with a 2.5 setup either FOX or KINGS. I figure if I am going that far with it I might as well go with the full leaf replacement and have everything new.

I have some shops in my area, I will reach out to and see what they would charge to install it. I just fear bad work which will then cause me lots of suffering and additional money to get it fixed. I am so hesitant to get this done because I have heard of horror stories from others. I am just tired of bottoming out where I go off-roading and fear I am going to tear or break something one day underneath the truck.

I do wish you were closer I would take you up on your offer! Appreciate all the advice!

 

Bilstein 6112 fronts with 650lb springs. 5160 rears with OME Dakar leaf pack. JBA or SPC control arms.

Would still have some coin left for wheels and tires. Suggest trying RealTruck.com customer service to see if they can give you a discount for buying a package wheel set

 

I’m sure there are some forum members in your area willing to help you install yourself for a pack of beer and some food.

 

What is the typical install price where you live? Give me something to baseline when I call the shops around here.

 

totally forgot the tires and rims. You might be at 5-6k with just suspension and tires.

 

Would buy a keg and plenty of food! Would even be willing to pay some cash for their time.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/suspension-install-cost-shop-recommendations.775667/

 

I’m gonna guess anywhere between $500-$1000 including alignment for suspension install.

Maybe just have a shop install the front and you install the rear as it’s pretty straight forward/easier

 

Thats a great idea! Thanks man!

 

Thats not as bad as what I was thinking. I figured closer to 2k.. I hope I can find some place willing to do it for under 1k

 

I dont believe so. I think the only thing is the tires cant be out more than 1 inch from the fenders. Nothing about the lift that I am aware of.

 

Cool. Just something to be aware of. It's been a while since I went to Penn State and been in the state. I never had to register my vehicle there though, so I didn't know the details.

 

Whatever you decide to get will be a bolt-on suspension kit so there’s not to much room for error but people still find a way to mess it up. If you do take it to a shop I would recommend getting a torque wrench (if you don’t have one) and going over every bolt and nut that was involved in the install. This would give you a peace of mind, from what I can recall there should be a total of ~34 bolts/nuts that have to be removed to install all the suspension so it’s not that much. There’s a few more things to check for and we can let you know what to look for once the install is done.

you can also take the front coil-overs to a shop with a spring compressor to set the correct preload for the ride height you want and then do the install yourself . Look on YouTube for a few install videos they might give the confidence to tackle the job, that’s how I started