Poor ride quality

Interesting wheel/tire combination to go with the TRD Lift.

I've got a 2021 TRD Sport and had the TRD Lift (2") done on April 3, 2025.

TRD Lift uses existing OEM Coils up front and adds 1" block to the Leafs.

I'm riding on OEM Wheels/Tires: 265/65R17s.

The Hitachi shocks that came with the Sport were very soft and felt like an SUV suspension. (I previously owned a 2003 Honda Pilot)

The ride is much improved to include tires take corners much better now.

It's a firmer ride (I do mostly street driving) so I'm going out on a limb here to say, it may be your current tire set-up that's effecting your experience.

As has been said, there are variables to your situation.

 

I’m on kmc 17s with ridge grapplers 285/70/17

 

The wet noodle frame, the horrible digressive valving in the TRD Bilstein Shocks, and the E rated tires are probably the largest culprits here.

 

Run those tires @ 30 psi cold. In my experience Nittos are also notoriously heavy. Do you have the stock wheels and tires to try?

 

There are many opinions here...regarding this subject...I can't speak to the larger tires.

Just providing the components that make up the TRD Lift on my truck as well as the difference I've noticed from the Hitachi Shocks on OEM Coils/Leafs.

I hope you get the "poor ride" sorted.

 

38 psi; yikes! Get them closer to 32 cold and see if that helps things

 

TRD Sports ride like an SUV like it should. OR rides rough on roads like it should be cause they are made to ride nice off road oppose to the Sport.

 

My guess OP, it's the 285's.

 

My friend, I'm gonna guess you didn't test drive the OR because you have it backwards. The Sport has the firmer ride for better on road handling. The OR has the bigger cushier shocks for Off Roading.

 

The OR has a softer smoother ride on the street, Sport is quite stiff for spirited driving.

 

My experience for 47 months driving the TRD Sport is, the shocks felt "spongy" on bumpy pavement making a left turn.

The suspension would skip/hop and not engage the road...I would "slightly" go into the next lane because of the skip.

After the TRD Lift, I tested the same left turn and found the Bilstein 5100s engaged/gripped the same road much better than the Hitachi's.

The Bilstein's feel much firmer and negotiated the road better than the Sport's OEM shocks.

I can compare the ride to the 2024 Tacoma Limited...which was the loaner I had while the TRD Lift was installed on my truck.

I drove that Limited for 100 miles...from Newark, DE to Dover, DE and back to Newark.

But as far as OP's situation, I would venture to say he needs to evaluate his wheel/tires set-up and get an alignment.

 

I posted the same when I purchased my truck it was my first truck and the ride is garbage but I you’ll get use to it.

 

Valving makes a pretty big difference I'll say, but so does spring rate. Even with a stiffer spring rate, a pretty well valved shock will even out the stiffer spring rate, especially in the compression and rebound strokes. With a stiff spring rate and digressive valving, you'll feel every bump. Like others have said, those TRD bilsteins have that digressive valving bilstein shocks are known for. Coupled with the (I think) 700-730 lb/in, springs, the ride will suck, however you'll get really good control. I recommend looking into the OME nitrocharger sets with their coils, or a set of eibachs. I can personally attest to the OME, the springs are around 590 lb/in springs and tough the shocks are more in the middle of the road in terms of valving, the lighter springs lets the suspension compress with less force, so the ride will be softer. Coupled with the valving, they make for a pretty good ride.

 

For the rear leafs, if you have the 111, they carry MEDIUM LOAD: Full passenger load with luggage weight varying from 440lbs to 771LB

Do you have any weight in the bed? If not, you might try removing a leaf (3rd one down).

I had Dobinson's 111 leafs, but they were way too stiff on an empty bed. Removed a leaf, and night and day difference.

 

air pressure is too high.

 

With your cv angles I would guess your cranked up combined with tire air pressure psi ride won’t be so nice.

 

Should they be more straight? Would a diff drop benefit me

 

Hey OP. The Bilsteins are digressively valved which make them a bit firm for some. Depending on which OME leafs you got that could make the rear stiffer on top of the Bilsteins. And lastly the c rated tire at 38lbs. Add all those together and I could see the truck feeling really stiff. I’d personally start with putting the front tires at 30lbs cold and the rears at 28lbs. Then chalk test to see if you get the entire tread pattern on the ground. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks will do

 

Just a little update. Adjusted my SPC a little and aired down to 30 in all four tires. I believe this is the biggest difference maker in improving the ride. I think the tires at 30 are what’s giving me a much smoother ride. Thanks for the recommendation