Sway Bar Options

I know this may be sacrilege, but imo the TRD Pro handles terribly. I know, I know..... For its intended purpose, handling is not what this truck is for. That being said, I feel the sway is dangerous and would like to improve it, especially for my wife.

Has anyone tried either a larger sway in the rear or replaced both with larger diameter bars? If so, what were the results? Also, is it true the Limited has bigger sways than the TRD Pro? I've never driven a limited, but is the handling better than other models, minus KDSS equipped trucks.

I also own a 2021 Tacoma TRD Off road that handles much better than my 4runner TRD Pro. I would love to get close to that in handling if possible.

TIA

 

Are you the original owner? If not have you checked to make sure the sway bar is actually there?

 

Yeah I bought it brand new and sway bars are there. I checked that first .

 

Doesn’t the limited weigh more with the full time 4x4?

 

A High Center of Gravity vehicle with 4-wheel drive, that is used for off-highway driving is not going to respond very well to limited suspension travel from larger sway bars.
If your intent is high speed stability, start with a different vehicle.
Having both will cost some significant coin but will not be the best of both worlds.
IMO.

 

You don’t hear that many people complaining about the body roll on a the Pro trim, considering they have decent shocks. How old is it? Any chance you just have blown shocks?

If everything is in good working order, then it’s probably just the nature of the beast. You can make them feel very planted with a good set of shocks/springs, but I think the reality is that it’s still going to be much less dynamically stable than other cars. You run the risk of feeling safer, but the high center of gravity is still there, and ultimately will flip you over just the same. The tacoma probably rolls less due to a lower center of gravity.

If you want the feel of stability and you’re willing to swap out for another 4runner, getting one equipped with KDSS is the best option. It’s got a massive bar, but it might not run as smooth on choppy roads. I wouldn’t recommend doing this though, because finding used 4runners without rust is hard, and KDSS hates rust.

The only thing that will probably make it more stable and also make it feel more planted is a good set of shocks and springs, set to a lower ride height. The 2wd SR5s I think are set up about 1.5 lower than a Pro. That might be a good target.

In any case, it’s always best to drive defensively in a 4runner. Don’t make sharp avoidance maneouvers at speed….and plan for braking straight ahead if you’re ever in an emergency stopping situation (like deer).

 

My almost stock Limited is 5060lbs vs TRD Pro with sliders and every damn skid plate is 5000lbs.

 

The Pro's have the softest spring rate of all the trims. A stiffer spring will certainly help with that 'moose test' feeling.

As far as the sway bar, the more offroady the model, the thinner (more flexy) the sway bar is. You could swap to another non KDSS model's sway bar.

A more aggressive solution however is to either increase spring rate by swapping springs, or swapping to 6112's or Fox equivalent equipped with 600 (ideal for OEM 4Runner curb weight) pound rated spring.