New 2017 4X4 - Offroad test complete!

So I finally decided to pull the trigger and move on from my 07 TRD Prerunner to a 2017 TRD Off Road (I will forever miss that truck) That being said, I got a great deal for the trade in and even got more than another guy that traded in a newer 2011 4x4. Goes to show that if you take care of these things, it will pay you back in value and reliability.


But I LOVE my new truck. Below are a few pics from the dealership and a few from a half day run I did through Palomar/High Point Divide road. Truck performed amazingly. I was actually surprised how well it performed even in some softer terrain without airing down and with the stock Goodyear adventure tires. Tested out the crawl control a bit as well. Gonna take some time to get used to that for sure, but the truck never flinched heading up a few rocky out crops and scaling the Palomar mountain switch backs. All of this was done in the Cleveland national forest in 104+ degree heat.


I have some pretty big plans for this truck and wanted to run a few questions by the board and get some opinions. Im not looking to create the ultimate rock crawler, but a safe, reliable adventure truck that I can throw the gf and dog in and head out on varying types of runs in SoCAL.

1. Grill replacement - I love my truck, but I HATE the chrome grill. I notice after reading some on the forums that this is a running theme. I dont want anything fancy, but changing out the chrome for a black front grill is the goal.
   • What are you guys doing for the grill replacement on new gen taco's? Aftermarket stuff or just looking for some private resellers online?
2. Lift - I did have an older OME lift that I ran back in the day. It was fairly cheap back then. It was a simple OME coils and a real AAL. Looking at kits nowadays, the prices have definitely changed. I like Toytec's products and prices, but wanted to see if there were any opinions on anything specific? Im looking to spend under 2.5k or so to lift my truck. Also, I managed to work the dealer into getting the 10 year extended warranty for a grand total of $0.00 so I need a kit that wont require any cutting etc of the wheel well or frame.
3. Wheels/Tires - I actually like the stock TRD offroad 16" wheels. So I think Im just going to be upgrading the tires here. BFGs MTs and ATs are still the go to it seems, but I'm actually looking at the Goodyear Duratrac's. Anyone have experience with these? Size recommendations on a 3 inch lift?
   • 
4. Sliders - Demello are the go to here for sure, but also seem to be the most $$$. Any recommendations outside of Demello? Need to be bolt on, again for warranty reasons.
5. SoCAL Tacoma clubs - I am a former SoCAL TTORA member from back in the day. Went on a few runs (Hungry Valley, MJT, Johnson Valley etc) but didnt really get the full experience with a 2 wheel drive truck. But it seems that organization isnt what it used to be. The forums seem pretty quiet, so I was looking for a new group of Tacoma enthusiasts in the SoCAL area to meet up and do some wheelin' with. Im located in North SD Country area and can be at most run locations within and hour or so.

Thanks for reading, looking forward to hanging out here on the forums and hopefully seeing everyone on trails!

 

Congrats on the new truck, looks awesome.Love the 4dr, long bed. Sounds like you have some good plans for it,enjoy.

 

Congrats on the new truck, first person I've seen actually bring home a 2017. Big upgrade going from 4x2 to 4x4, you'll love it!

With regards to bolt-on sliders, be aware that many bolt-on sets require drilling extra holes into the frame to completely attach them. I'm sure that this would void any warranty as well, not all require this but some do.

 

Yea I was actually on the lookout for a 2016 for a few months with the specs I wanted, but decided to just wait until the 2017s started rolling out to pull the trigger.

Thanks for the info on sliders, will keep that in mind!

 

Congrats on the new truck!

To help answer some of your questions...

Grille:

I had a local body shop paint mine. I had it painted rather than using PlastiDip (common on here) due to the appearance. Having it painted doesn't seem hold up against rock chips as well but I plan to run either the TRD Pro or an aftermarket piece but I won't make that decision until I see a couple different ones in person.

Lift:
What budget do you have in mind as they range in price quite a bit.

Sliders:
I currently have the All-Pro Heavy Duty version on my truck and love them. They did require a little bit of drilling but nothing I would be concerned about from a warranty standpoint. Here are some photos I snagged per the request of another member.









Tires:
I had the Goodyear Duratracs on my FJ in a 33" size. They did well both off-road and in the snow but I noticed they cupped easily and became noticeably noisy as they started to wear. I now have the BFG AT K02 in a 33" (well, 285/75/16) on the Taco and have been very happy with them. This is the tire they should have put on the truck from the factory, IMO.

 

Demello makes quality sliders. I was a little reluctant to go weld on, as my truck was brand new at the time (2009 Offroad 4x4); it's the definitely the way to go, never looked back. I had Demello do the install/weld job on my truck. I believe Demello does offer a bolt on version. Depends if you are picking up or shipping you sliders, as you take into account shipping costs, as sliders are heavy and bulky in size.

As for your tire selection, AVOID the Duratracs. I currently have them on my truck, and they hum like no other. I wish I stuck with my previous set of the Toyo Open Country MTR, which are pricey and may not last as long, but they don't exhibit that annoying hum that the Duratracs do. Tire size, I am running 285/75-15 and yes you will have to cut at least on the 2nd gen tacomas. They rub. I even did the cab mount chop and plate weld. Not sure how the 3rd gen tacomas fair in wheel well clearance.

As for suspension, you really can't go wrong with Icon, King, or Fox in my opinion. Worth the cost? That's entirely up to you. I got knock off (unauthorized) Donnahoe Racing/Icon from a vendor that use to machine all the parts for Donnahoe back in the days ... "Leeper" now defunct probably lost alot of money from the litigation/lawsuits from Icon. They are completely identical to the Donnahoe/Icon, also verified from a well known shock prep/rebuilder, Kurt of DC Shock services.

It's now time for me to upgrade my truck has been paid off now for over a year. Probably use the Leepers as back up or offload them.

 

Weld on definitely is the way to go I think, I've seen bolt-ons flex pretty hard on other rigs before. Not so much with the welded ones. Never seen either fail though.

Honestly, I wouldn't fret too much over the warranty thing. If something came up with the frame that required use of your warranty (which would be rare as I've never seen any issues with these frames other than rust, but that happens years down the road outside of warranty), I'd bet that Toyota would still deny warranty work even if they were just bolted on. They'd probably argue that regardless, the sliders add stress to the frame that wasn't originally intended to be there. That's my guess anyhow. Bolt ons are easier to take off and sell if you ever needed to for whatever reason, so there's that. Weld on sliders can be removed too, but it's a lot more work.

 

Welcome! For tires, I'd just bump it up 1" to 265/75r16. It'll still look good and zero trimming of anything, even while off roading.

For a lift, talk to Headstrong offroad. You can get a basic Bilstein 5100, OME coils and an AAL for less than $700, leaving you plenty of money for other fun mods. It's what myself and a lot of other people are running and have no complaints.

 

+1 on going through Headstrong, they are a great company with good deals on everything. I'm running a kit from them, 5100s/OME 881s and their own 3 leaf AAL in the rear. Love it so far, all for under $900 (the 3 leaf pack is pricier than the single) and I opted to have them ship the coils/shocks already assembled. Worth every penny

 

Congrats on the new truck. Looks nice! The BAMF Recessed Grille is a great aftermarket option. It's a bit pricey, but one of the best looking grilles available IMO.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bamf-3rd-gen-recessed-raptor-style-grille.406245/

 

Congrats on the new truck! I just got the 17 TRD Pro on Tuesday (one of, if not the first one in Texas), which I ordered about 4 months ago. Super stoked. It replaced an 07 4x4 Sport, so it seems we have similar taste in tacos! I have the following mods getting installed this coming week before I'll have a chance to take her out stock:
1. A 1.5" Revtek front spacer
2. 1.5" Icon AAL rear
3. 285/70/r16 BF Goodrich AT KO2s, which I heard would have some serious rubbing without:
4. 1.25" wheel spacers.

I've heard mixed reviews about wheel spacers, but haven't actually talked to anyone who's had a bad experience with them first hand. Only secondhand anecdotes. Would love your opinions there.

Very soon, hopefully before getting too crazy on the rocks, I plan to get some sliders as well, currently researching some. A buddy told me they make some sliders with removable steps for the new Tacomas, but I haven't seen a link to actually buy some yet.
Anyone had experience with those?

Here's the photos stock:

This last one is next to my coworker's white 16 Sport 4x4 that he lifted a bit, and then a stock Off Road that was getting picked up by a customer (Im a manager at a Toyota dealer).

 

Cool truck! I would advise against messing with the suspension though. Why spend all that extra money on the Pro at that point? Spacers are for people on a budget, which you sir, are not.

 

My thinking with the simple front spacer/rear AAL was to get a tad more height/clearance WITHOUT really messing with the key suspension parts. The rear leaf Springs on the Pro aren't anything special, so Im hoping the Icon AAL's will provide the height I'm looking for and improve the ride quality.
If the front spacer does negatively affect the ride quality, I might explore other options, but like you said, it's a super affordable solution so if it doesn't work I'm not out much $$ at all.

 

Yeah, I guess that's a good way of looking at it. Just be careful of over compressing your front shocks. I'd recommend modifying the bump stops so you limit uptravel, and therefore you won't blow them up. That'd be a damn shame!

 

Thanks for the tips, for sure. Got a link of anything to look at for bump stops? I'm definitely curious to check out some options

 

Go to Wheelers Offroad and check out their superbumps. I've heard nothing but good things. Another option is Timbrens, but they're about double the cost. Not too sure how to space it up far enough in the front to help you though.

 

Thank you sir! The LB was definitely a requirement. You would be surprised how hard it is to find the 4x4 4 door LB in SoCAL. Luckily I found a dealer that worked a trade with another in the area.

Grill - Yea I thought about that as well. Painting is definitely an option but wasnt sure if there was like a "go to" vendor online that everyone is using on the newest gen Taco's

Lift - My budget is about 2.5k or so. I would like a decent kit that will look and perform well.

Sliders - Those are some nice sliders. I will definitely put those on my list.

Tires - I have heard mixed things on the Duratracs regarding noise and wear. Some really good reviews, some geared more towards your experience. Good to know though for sure

Yea I really like the Fox and King sets, but that cost is $$$ for sure. Might be the most expensive upgrade on the list hah.

I agree with Demello, they do make some quality products. I have seen them in action and pretty much own the market. Just looking for other options as well.

I hear you. I am probably just worrying too much. I would just hate to ruin what was a BIG win on bring home day It also depends on the dealer as well.

I haven't heard of Headstrong. I will check them out for sure. Thanks!

Cool thanks for the +1 on Headstrong.

Wow those are pretty damn cool. And Wow, that price though

Very sweet truck. I actually considered waiting for the Pro version, but decided to stick with the TRD off road for what I need. I will take your hood scoop hood though. Im gonna miss that from my TRD Sport. I would definitely like to see those 285s on your rig with that setup.

 

Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road is great to deal with, knows her stuff.They sell Icon,I wish I could afford Icon,I went with OME and Bilstein,$800 shipped 2" lift.

 

Honestly, if I'd known how much they were going to charge for the Pro vs the Off Road, I would have definitely heavily considered the Off Road! My only complaint for the Pro so far is the ridiculously stiff, patterned leather they borrowed from the Limited.

Anything double cab long bed 4x4 is going to be a pain for a dealer to track down, honestly, so you're super lucky they were able to find one without going the 4-6 month special order route! Definitely a unicorn.

 

Sent you a pm regarding your trade in.