2020 TRD Pro with lots of weight and lift AND NOT TRASHING the FOX 2.5s!!!

This is my first thread and here it is.... after hours of online research... after 3 dozen or more phone calls nation wide on expert opinions ranging from commercial "sell you stuff" places to mom and pop shops---> I'm lifting my 2020 TRD Pro just a little, with a lot of weight, and keeping the Fox 2.5s till they just can't anymore (50-60K miles). Then I'll go weird with 4 inches or more of lift and ICONS or whatever. Heres the dealio on the pickleo: 2020 TRD Pro, Full steel skid plate collection from Cali Raised LED (heavy as hell but awesome stuff), rock sliders from Cali Raised LED (great customer service), over bed rack from Cali Raised (they're not paying me to say this: they're awesome, if your near fort worth do the pick-up option and they'll give you a tour of the place), Decked System, Roam RTT. Its a lot of weight, and I plan on adding more. Front bumper with winch is being built, rear bumper with dual swings still shopping for, gonna be lugging 20 gallons of gas and 20 gallons of water in the back, plus a refrigerator of beer. All this to say, I'm currently at 500 pounds and the stock suspension is starting to do the cali-lean thing. I'm going to be adding 200 more to the front, 300 more to the back, and about 200 to the middle. I ordered the Westcott 2.5 fox lift for front AND back (that's 1.5 inches up front, 1 inch in the back). I ordered the OME heavy leafs (2 inches in the back with 660 pounds). I'm (brace yourself) KEEPING THE FOX 2.5 SHOCKS. As the weight increases more, I'll add lift front/back as required (its a matter of product development/shipping/time off work to install). This thread is less about your 2 cents(cause I've read 80 or more hours of it on here and other forums) and more about what I did right or what I did wrong. Stay tuned. LOL. But 2 cents, 10 cents, and all forms of non-sense still welcomed.

 

LOL love it

 

Lift doesn’t help handle the weight, you need heavier springs up front.

also pretty sure your weight estimate is low

205 for the decked
50+ for the rack
150? For the tent
100+ for rear bumper
50 for the fridge
water / fuel etc is at least another 100
That’s not even counting any of the stuff in the decked or the bed

 

Yea my math might be a little off... 500 in the back so far for sure its the tent, decked, and rack. that's per the specs. then there's probably another 100 worth fuel tank plate, rockslides portion. so ok, 600 on the back so far. and yea ok maybe another 400 or 5 in the back after fuel/water/bumper. As for the front, all its got weighing in is the steel skid, future front bumper. The Westcott is a spring compressing/tiny tiny spacer combo. From my adventure motorcycling experience; spring compression is ok for countering weight (and adding lift but only then if applying damper adjustments and yada yada but that's more of a safety issue(rebound can kill you on a motorcycle, but just a minor inconvenience in a 4 wheel cage I think).

Ama wrong? If I'm still wrong tell me why Barney style... I need it broken down that way.

 

I’m in your exact boat. 2020 OR with 875lbs of extra weight. I have Fox 2.5s Resi’s. You can check my build thread if need be.

Crucial that you get DSC if you don’t already have it. You need to be able to adjust high and low speed compression depending on weight/conditions. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I’ve worked out all the kinks by now

 

I have a 2020 TRD PRO , when I'm fully loaded out for extended overlanding , truck weighed in at 8200 lbs on a certified truck scale . Was getting alot of rear sag , so I had a Firestone Air Bag system installed with bag cradles so I did'nt lose articulation . I run it at 50 lbs in each bag and it leveled the truck right out and gives a fairly plush ride ,all things considered . Was also thinking of putting the Icon heavy duty leaf spring pack in , but the bags are doing a really good job , so for now I'm leaving things as they are . As you have seen , there are lots of " friends " who want to help spend your money .

 

Oh lordy, like I need another rabbit hole to go down into LOL. SF brother, nice looking truck! All I'm really wanting to do is calm, chill, easy, technical-if-needed-but-at-a-snails-pace overloading to camp at some cool places. DSC and new shocks and all that jazz is something I'm going to do after I've used the stock Fox's for all they're worth.

Side note: If I had only done 100 more hours of research I would have just bought a 4x4 bottom of the line bare bones tacoma and gone from there... whoops.

 

Airbags. I just... need more proof that they're ok for off roading...

 

Ha I hear ya. Maybe the air bags as mentioned might work. Good luck brother!

 

You can rely on spring compression but the ride is going to become more harsh. You are also adding drastically more weight to the truck vs a motorcycle.

 

Well shit... ok ok ok... Tell both of y'all what.... I'll do the thing I've already paid for. If it don't work out, I can always throw the old shitty stock leafs back on and get some bags and make a compare/contrast. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

I like it rough; giggidy LOL. But yea I hear ya. 16 pounds of water on the bike takes about ton of consideration. I'm new and thought 4 wheels would be unlimited off-roading capability with unlimited glamping possibilities hahahaha. I bought the Taco and dove straight in head first and didn't check the depth y'all

 

Daystar Air Bag Cradle -

$93 KU09140BK , Made in America, Black

KU09140BK - the bottom of the bag rests in a cradle , the top of the bag is bolted to the frame , all the articulation you'll need is available. I drive class 8 trucks , air bags have a proven history of service in severe applications . For me it was the most expedient way to do what I needed with the suspension for the least amount of aggrivation . Its your money ,you have to decide , for me they have worked very well .

 

hmmmm.... thinking.... thinking.... stop OME leaf shipment, or keep and store, then try bags, and then sell leafs or install leafs (whichever the outcome after bag experience)

 

Thank you for the support!

 

I ended up upgrading the front Pro springs (instead of Westcott) and the rear leaf springs (instead of airbags +/- new springs/AAL). Good luck with your quest.

here are some more rabbit holes:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/deaver-expedition-stage-3-with-stock-fox-trd-suspension.701304/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/taco-pro-owners-interested-in-a-spring-upgrade-for-front.643212/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ith-trd-pro-westcott-designs-lift-kit.702873/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-hammer-hangers-soa-sua-archive-garage.519625/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-lift-a-trd-pro-a-bit-w-stock-suspension.576274/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/deaver-expedition-leaf-pack-owners.501763/

 

I have a 2020 trd pro like you and was looking at toytec springs for the stock suspension to increase load. I did this with my FJ Cruiser and it did the job perfectly for the added weight on that vehicle. The price is right and the only change was the spring kit that is specifically for the Fox shocks. So, I'm in the same boat, but not as heavy as you. Good first post Marine!

 

Why didn't you go with the Eibach springs they designed specifically for the Pro Fox Shocks that are designed to give you an extra 1.3" over stock? https://eibach.com/us/2281/E30-82-069-03-20-TOYOTA-Tacoma-TRD-Pro-pro-lift-kit

 

I should've done the same

FWIW I'm rocking both the Westcott perches and the Eibach lift springs in the front with Deaver u402 stage 2 in the rear