Bought TRD Pro but got TX Baja Suspension, BUT wait... it gets shadier

Yeah that's bull shit. That guy needs to be reported to eBay STAT. So nobody else gets screwed. Fine to sell if he explains the situation and gives you some confidence. But this was a blatant attempt at misleading someone into thinking they're getting something they're not.

 

And offering to pay to get them shipped back... he's just trying to not blow his cover. Keep you happy so he can con the next guy.

Just imagine if I went onto the TW buy/sell page... selling a brand new Pro suspension. With pictures! And then I send you a Baja kit with the labels cut off the shocks and the boxes?

There'd be some head scratching. And then the mob would soon follow.

 

Put the pitchforks away guys
Seller has 25k feedback and has sells hundreds of auto parts a day
He’s not deliberately trying to pull anything over on anyone
Like someone said, ebay will auto populat part numbers depending on how you process your listing..it’s happened to me.
Also it’s CLEARLY a Baja kit in the picture since it’s not assembled.
And he offered a return.
Was the item not as described? Technically
Was the item not in the condition described? Maybe, if stickers are important to you.

The shadiest part about the whole thing is the OP only posting one side of the convo. What are you hiding.

And then there’s this from the listing

 

They're probably a returned part. If i was the seller, i would be happy to take them back. Arn't these on national backorder now, if so i would relist for more than before.

 

sigh.... really man? I have nothing to hide.
I got my shipment, opened it up and saw it wasn't the right PN.
Here's the sequence of events.

 

So for what it's worth, my TRD Baja suspension, purchased from Toyota, is branded as TRD/Toyota and all that jazz. That said, I don't think OP really got ripped off and got fakes, the parts and stampings look correct.

I agree with the other person on this thread that commented they are likely over stock being sold off by Bilstein without Toyota/TRD branding to remove them from any warranty or future part dispute. Likely part of some agreement between the two companies.

To OP, looks legit man. I wouldn't sweat it honestly. Yea the removal of the branding is weird but you have the real parts.

 

Talked very briefly to my sister's bf who works at the bikstien plant here in Cincy. He said the shocks were definatly made at his plant. The sticker that was cut off the boxes is what Toyota outs in them. That's all the info I got he got a call at work

 

The seller just isn't listening to you. I think he believes what he's telling you is correct (and maybe not intentionally misleading you, giving him the benefit of the doubt). And he maybe isn't aware of the Pro vs Baja. He thinks they're the same thing. He's just not paying attention.

That said, he's not giving up details of the back story, either (cut labels, etc).

 

Agreed that the OP has the real parts.

As others mentioned the picture in the listing shows Baja; as the shocks are not assembled, the rear remote shocks have braided lines and it has the short bump stop kit. Why the branding is removed is odd and we can only speculate.

OP you did get a killer deal this setup being it goes for over $1400, which is about what I paid for mine.
http://trdparts4u.toyotaofdallas.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=-10512

Deal or not, when I buy something for my truck I buy it because I did my research and wanted something very specific so if I got something else I would send it back.


However if you are unfamiliar with the differences in the Baja kit vs the Pro kit, here they are:

Baja
-650lb coils
-Digressive shock valving
-Extended travel front bump stops (extends compression)
-Raw aluminum shock bodies
-Stainless braided rear reservoir line
-Rear brake line drop bracket

Pro
-600lb coils
-Progressive shock valving
-No extended travel front bump stops (does not have extended compression)
-Zinc coated aluminum shock bodies (prevents discoloration due to surface corrosion)
-Rubber coatedrear reservoir line
-Rear brake line drop bracket (I believe, same as Baja)

The big difference is in the first 2 items, spring rates and digressive vs progressive shock valving leading to very different driving experiences.

This chart is clearly bias, but it has some good notations for digressive vs progressive dampening curves.



The digressive 'supportive areas' on the chart is going to lead to a firmer sportier feel in the Baja whereas the progressive 'mushy areas' are going to be a softer feel on the Pro. There are of course pros and cons, Toyota used a progressive shock for a reason. Many small repetitive bumps like a washboard or lower speed off road trail will be much smoother on a progressive shock like the Pro whereas the Baja with the steeper initial digressive curve is going to transfer more of those shocks to the chassis, resulting in a harsher off road ride in these conditions. However, it is that steeper initial digressive curve that helps give a sportier handling response on the street.

In choosing whether to keep or send back, I'd look at the above info, how you use your truck and determine what is best for you. Both kits offer the same gain in ground clearance. For me, I optimized my suspension for how I use my truck the most. It sees the trails a couple times a year, and the street nearly every day. So I went with the Baja.

 

You sure the Pro kit is progressive? This is the first I’ve heard this. I thought all the Bilstein stuff (5100, 6112, Baja, Pro) were all digressive. The new Fox stuff on the 3rd gen Pro is progressive I believe. Also internal bypass.

 

Good info!

 

Pro is listed as 3-stage progressive:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/vehicle-...-series-truck-and-suv-line-up-o-e-s-off-road/

Hmm, but here the Tundra Pro is specifically listed as progressive but not the Tacoma:
https://www.superiortoyotapa.com/blog/2014/february/7/toyota-trd-pro-off-road-package.htm

Maybe it is just the Tundra, Toyota’s press release is here and it says Progressive for the Pro Tundra:
https://www.autoblog.com/amp/2014/02/06/toyota-trd-pro-series-tundra-4-runner-tacoma-chicago-2014/

 

If search for PTR13-35150, I get links to Toyota websites that say you can buy the PRO kit for under $700 shipped:
https://parts.sftoyota.com/p/Toyota...rings-Suspension-Kit/69528988/PTR1335150.html

 

You know what I just noticed in my pics?
Look closely at the rings around them. One is on the upper ring, the other is on the lower. What's that about?

 

@Navy Jumper Those rings are set up to account for taco lean. The strut with the higher set ring goes on the driver side

 

Ahhhh

 

Still listed at a lot of places, but most (all?) places are out of stock. And nobody seems to know if stock will be replenished. There are multiple threads on the forum about this suspension being liquidated. Some of us got it for as low as $500's. Most around $600's. Lots of forum members installing in the last couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

 

The only difference between the two is that the Baja kit has a higher compression rate, I personally looking to get a baja kit over a pro kit for that reason.

 

compression rate is the only difference

 

Also- the Pro has rubber coated lines on the resi's and a zinc coating on the shocks to prevent accelerated corrosion issues.