What is generating such enthusiasm, specifically, for the TRD Pro?

This is exactly the reason to buy a PRO. Buy it and drive it as is. They have a great suspension right out of the box. No need to upgrade anything, unless you're going in the rocks and need armor.

It depends on which PRO features you're looking to imitate. I have never had any interest in making mine look like a PRO, so the grill wasn't necessary. Also, the off-road wheels are arguably better than the PRO wheels for off-roading.

I was mostly all about function. I have a lift and 33" tires, skids, sliders, bumper with recovery points, a winch and off road lights, and have probably spent about as much as just buying a PRO.

So, if you're just concerned about maximum off-road capability, you're better of starting with a lower trim and building from there. You would have to invest at least $5K into a PRO to have what I have.

I did do the labor myself, with a lot of help from great friends, so that saved me a ton of money. However, that cost would be similar for having a shop install everything I have on a PRO, so labor is kind of a wash.

So, it's not really about having a PRO equivalent for less $. It's about having more than a PRO has, at least as far as off-road use.

Don't take this as me ragging on the PRO, either. I'm just sharing my perspective. I think the PRO rules for anyone doing mild off-roading who doesn't want to modify their vehicle. And, they do look really nice!

And, I don't care how anyone spends their money. I just bought a $200 flashlight. Do I really need it? Nope. Do I feel like it's a waste? Hell no. Money is for spending. Buy what you like, and don't worry about the next guy's opinion.

 

Subaru=Cool Lesbian car!

 

Hi,

you mentioned in your post that you have lift on 33” tires. Could you please let me know, if you have 2” or 3” all around?

 

I have 2.3 or 2.4 in front, and 1.5" rear. There are some who have fit 33"s (32.9" to be precise, 285/70/17) with less than that.

I don't think the rear actually requires anything to fit them, and the front is more about alignment, adjusting inner fenders, and possibly adjusting or removing mud-flaps.

It tends to be easier with a lift, but if you use a lift to clear tires and don't do the other things, you will probably rub when you flex the suspension off-roading.

 

Thanks. I read that the Pro sits an 1” higher. Wonder if one would fit 285/70/17 on scs rims 17x8.5 bs 4.30” offset -10 without lifting the Pro. I guess one way to find out, is to try.

 

It won’t fit. I’m running SCS wheels with 285’s and my 2020 Pro has the Eibach springs for them to clear. I know in my Pro if it was stock the SCS wheels with 285’s would not clear.

 

Thanks for pitching in; good to know. How high is your lift all around? Did you have to cut the portion of the frame? BMC? Trimming? I guess, it depends on the 285 brand tire as well?

 

No problem, With the new Eibach springs it lifted my front 1.6 higher than factory and 1 inch higher in the rear over factory. Did not have to cut or trim anything. I have NittoRidgeGrapplers. They just clear when the tires are turned. If I would change out my upper control arms I probably could get away a little more from where the mudflaps are. But my alignment is great after having it done. My caster is out a little bit that don’t matter. The rest of the alignment is good. No wheel shake and handles very good.

 

Those probably won't fit due to the negative offset. You will get by with less trimming with a 0 offset wheel.

Like I said earlier, lift alone won't really clear tires. You may not rub driving around the city, but they will still rub when flexed unless you get the proper alignment. Even then, you might need to do some trimming and/or adjustment to clear.

 

Great. Thank you very much. Yes, the decision is simple on my end: TRD Off Road brand new. I am not planning on reselling in the future. I have had a Volvo S60 for 21 years. I definitely want to lift it and put 285 on it, full rack, front armor bumper. That’s it for now. So buying the Pro and stripping the Fox shocks and the wheels and try to find the buyer, well too much hassle. I do not need all the bells and whistles from the Pro. Don’t get me wrong, it is great rig for decent off-roading without doing any mods, other than the ugly rack.

I have been doing a lot’s reading and research and I leaning towards these following for the TRD Off Road:
IVD Stage 2 suspension kit. I think setting it up to 2” all around is decent and safe for the wheels, without BMC and too much trimming. I am not planning crawling over rocks. Decent, safe off reading.
Wheels SCS Jet Black 17x8.5 -10mm
Tires Falken Wildpeak A/T3W

 

you are absolutely right. -10mm offset definitely will require trimming, possibly BMC. That depends on the tire.
I am leaning towards IVD Stage 2 suspension setting it up to 2” lift all around, rims SCS 17x8.5 -10mm, tires Falken Wildpeak A/T3W

 

Why do people buy the Pro? I suppose some people buy it for exclusivity (most expensive trim, exclusive paint colors, or whatnot), others buy for features, others maybe for laziness in not wanting to invest the time to research and mod it themselves. Humans are illogical.

The TRD Off Road models come with extraordinarily cheesy HT tires, fairly cheesy skid plates and a soft suspension, which hardly makes them ready for anything that resembles serious off-roading. The Pro comes with p-metric tires, fairly cheesy skid plates, and a suspension that isn't high end. A 1" front lift, really? My point is none of the 4Runners come from the factory ready for serious off-roading. That's perfectly fine if all you need is a daily driver, and for unpaved roads, fairly easy trails. For those who want to venture off the grid, at some point most will turn to aftermarket mods, regardless of trim level.

 

You are absolutely right and cannot agree more. It’s a personal preference; again, I personally want to drive it daily, yet be able to off road lightly and have a good look. I don’t need 35” tires, armor in the front or back, and most importantly, I like the reliability of the Toyota.

 

+1

In 2017-2018, the lines between a PRO and an ORP was narrower than it is now. If spec’d right, an ORP was just a PRO out the docks of Japan minus the American marketed Bilsteins, Thailand wheels, and trim pieces.

I appreciate the PRO’s unique colors for the USDM market, but I wanted super white so I opted for an ORP by a thin margin.

In retrospect, it would have been gut-wrenching to monitor the resale value as I put miles on my truck. I would have babied her too much for the next prospective buyer instead of driving it like I stole it.

Justification aside, the 4runner is quite a capable platform in any trim (maybe except the 4x2). Other vehicles like it will come and go but a 4runner remains omnipresent on and off road. Having people covet this truck in the highest trim, however trivial it may be, is just a testament to the success of the entire platform as a whole.

 

Sure, I am not denying it. I just like to have the 285 on it and other mods. So, paying extra for the Pro, doesn’t justify it.

 

...and I absolutely love the Army green. Look at this nicely, decently modded TRD Pro on this picture. But paying extra thousands of dollars, just to get the extra color? Insane for me!!!

 

Yeah I agree. The numbers seemed to add up very fast in favor of the other models when I was shopping.

$2750 rock sliders and full skids
$2500 Dobinson's suspension with 2.5/2 lift
$1250 (5) LT tires, extra 'Trail' wheel + tpms

This is about the minimum I'm doing for what I would consider to be a capable off-roader. Not planning on rock crawling, no front/rear bumpers, winch, etc. For $6,500 in aftermarket adds, my little 2019 Off Road bought for $38,500 ($45,000 all-in) will be far more capable than any stock Pro at $50,000+ (comparable 2019 prices). Plus, I just really liked the idea of being able to select the exact way I wanted it equipped, but that's me. And since I don't plan on selling, resale value meant nothing.

 

the spring loads thing is eventually why I will have to swap stuff out but thats probably 4-5 years away so to me it still is money well spent.
Plus im really glad because I bought my Pro in Feb, was barely employed by march and still am waiting for aviation to rebound to get my job back. Had I bought an ORP it would still be sitting on stock rims, tires, suspension and I wouldnt have a rack (which has really come in handy) vs having a truck that works great and looks great all year long.

 

If I'm not mistaken, there are springs you can swap onto the PRO struts. Or is that what you're planning on doing?

 

I am not 100% sure yet; that is why I am doing a lot of research. 95% pavement driving, the rest gravel road and maybe once or twice Colorado, so as you can tell, no rock climbing. If I could fit the 285 without lifting, I would not even bother, but we all know, that is not the case. Sure I could settle for 275, but if I settle for 275; I may stay with 265 and change only the rims, so the wheels stick out a little, like this picture below on the TRD Off Road. Very nicely and tastefully done. This guy put Method rims on his rig without lifting and rubbing. I like it. Method 17x8.5 offset 0mm, back space 4.75, tires bfgoodrich T/A K02.

If I lift, I would like to stay at 2” all around max due to the CV joints wear out prematurely, driving, maybe front differential issues? That is what I keep reading.

 

Not sure yet. I havnt decided if I want to do a full front bumper or just a lower insert yet. I do know I will get a swing out rear bumper at some point though. My next item is a gobi roof rack swap. Nothing’s gonna happen till summer 2021 I know that for sure. Hopefully I have some disposable income by then again.

 

I keep meaning to call eibach to see if their pro springs are for increased weight or just stock. I’m not sure that was ever mentioned on the thread for them.

 

I think 2-2.5" is a good spot to be in the front, or maybe 3" with a differential drop. I'm at about 2.3-2.4" according to Bilstein, and my CV angles look good.

The front differential issues I've heard of have been due to a weak driver's side needle bearing. I had this problem before doing anything to the 4runner.

Some of the full front bumpers look really nice! Those swing out rear bumpers look good, but man are they expensive! And, heavy!

I assume you're aware, but be ready to wait FOREVER for that GOBI rack! From what I hear, it's worth the wait.

Good call waiting on these things before suspension.

Do they make springs compatible with the PRO/Fox setup?

 

Well maybe if I order the Gobi rack now itll be ready when Im working again but im in no rush.

and yeah Eibach makes them specifically for the Pro. Sounds like they are slightly stiffer and add another couple inches of lift give or take.

 

Yes Eibach makes springs for the Pro. Thats why I bought a Pro. I knew I didn't want to modify it much and I was able to buy the Eibach springs, have it installed, put 285's on and get it aligned for $1500. Completely changed the look and yes it rides firmer, but still very comfortable. It looks stock+ and is exactly how I wanted my Pro to look.

Before:



After:

 

I've had mine for just a little while, and so I have just started going off road, but the thing rocks for a newbie. I love mine.

 

yeah I really like that look of your rig. I will most likely go this route later in the year but just can’t justify any spending for now and even that should suffice for awhile. Do you know if the springs are meant for heavier weight?

 

They are firmer, but I don't know if they can handle extra weight. I would say a small amount because they handle better than stock.

 

well it’s gonna be awhile before I really start adding significant weight to my rig but I do want the small lift to fit 285s on. Thing is the more I drive mine and off-road it I’m finding suspension mods less necessary. These things are legit stock or pro.