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Toyota Tacoma TRD package
lonesomeduv
Member Posts: 50
What exactly is this supposed to be? The salesman insisted it was stiffer than the regular suspension but I drove both and much preferred the regular (I like a firm ride).
I know nothing about off-road racing, but I found the TRD to be incredibly mushy on the street, to the point that it made the engine feel sluggish. Is it just me? Do I just not know what I'm supposed to be looking for?
I know nothing about off-road racing, but I found the TRD to be incredibly mushy on the street, to the point that it made the engine feel sluggish. Is it just me? Do I just not know what I'm supposed to be looking for?
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Option Packages
TRD Off-Road Package
Off-road-tuned suspension with Bilstein®2 high-pressure gas shocks and progressive-rate springs
P265/70R16 BFGoodrich tires on 16" 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheels3
Locking rear differential4
Black fender flares3, 5
TRD graphics
I've driven a Ranger, Mazda B-4000 "Dual Sport", Ford F-150, and a Tacoma with and without the TRD. I really did not like the TRD, which kinda surprised me since the salesman kept insisting the TRD was firmer. The TRD just felt mushy to me, while the others didn't. I'm just wondering if maybe I'm missing something. Like I said, off-roading isn't really my deal so I just may not be used to that kind of ride.
I guess I should just count myself lucky that I truly don't like a $1200 option (or whatever it is)!
If you gonna put a suspension lift, the rear shocks will be too short, so you'll have to replace Bilsteins anyway. And if you go with bigger wheels, the alum rims will hold a 32x11.5x15, but not as comfortably. Obviously, a 33x12.5x15 will not fit on stock rims. So it really depends. I have a TRD truck, and will hold off on any mods for a while, but in the mean time it performs very well for me offroad. I can't go places guys with lifts and 32-33" tires can, but I can go elsewhere.
TRD is supposed to be stiffer. I thought it was hwen I was testdriving.
Heh.....you can just put Tohiko shocks on it, you'll get a stiff ride of your life. THat was one big flop that Toyota did this year at the 4x4 competition.
I don't do any major off roading, but I like the handling of the TRD a lot better, it corners like a sports car (well, almost) where as my non-TRD I had to really watch going into the corners.
But I will say the TRD can be too harsh on bad roads. I wish it had adjustable shocks to soften it up a bit for everyday driving and then tighten it up for the trails.
When discussing the TRD pricing please remember that it also includes the nice 31" x 10.5" Goodyear Wranglers and the aluminium rims. Yes you can get those w/o the TRD, but I believe it is an $800 upgrade(?). So really, you're only paying about $400-$600 for the stiffer springs, leafs, shocks, locker and fender flares (and don't forget the cool sticker
I like that I have a pretty decent stock off roader with out having to do a lot of mods, but I agree if you're gonna tweak out all that stuff anyway, don't get the package because you'll be taking it all off.
actually, 31's don't stick out any more than the 265's. the 265 is actually .2 inches wider than the 31x10.50. do you know what you are talking about? the only place that the two tires are the same size is the height. both are 30.7 inches tall. last time i looked, a ZR2 or an FX4 (only two trucks left that come with this size stock) didn't look like a "low-rider". you drunk tonight?
I don't recall the tires appearing flat, but I didn't check because you would assume a brand new truck sitting on the lot would have reasonably proper tire pressure. But who knows? Something didn't add up, maybe that was it.
Thanks!
Oh well, so 31s on TRD fit fine. I'm not drunk, just tired. And just thinking that that guy had a TRD, which he doesnt. Still, pretty damn potent truck offroad. He takes that truck places others are afraid to go.
31s stick out too far on trucks with no fender flares. Thats what the guy I'm talking about has on his truck. And his truck does look like a lowrider. I'd have to ask him waht he did to his fender flares, probably lost them somewhere. He almost lost his bumper last time.
But I do wish I could get my hands on them. On my truck, they don't stick out. And I could use a better tire for offroad. 265s aren't really meant for offroad use.
Second, the differences in how much the tires protrude is probably due to the difference in the wheels (backspacing). Aftermarket wheels tend to put the centerline of the tire farther outboard than the OEM wheels, it seems.
scorpio- thank you for explaining yourself. a 31 without flares looks really retarded, and is the epitome of the ram scenario i listed above. just remember that you would have to locate some pre '01 toyota aluminum rims to fit the ACTUAL 31's. that, or some base 15" steel rims to use specifically for off-road use. at least that way you wouldn't have to worry about scuffing them on rocks or what not. they'd probably be cheap too i'd assume.
also, that 16" 265/70 has a smaller sidewall as compared to the 31 incher, which in turn makes it look slimmer since it doesn't have all that rubber sticking out on the sidewall. whereas the 31" tall tire looks fatter and maybe shorter. more rubber showing may make it look like it's sticking out.
I would be surprised if anyone could tell the difference in height between a 265/75 and a 265/70 unless they had both tires back to back.
Also, as wheeldog said it varies by manufacturer. I have 31 x 10.5" BFG KO's on my explorer and I think the actual width is something like 10.3". And the height is 30.7."
6 of 22 lonesomeduv...... by tbunder Feb 05, 2002 (10:28 pm)
i dont know if you know this or not, but you can get the locking differential WITHOUT getting the TRD package. you're more likely to have a less common truck if you DON'T get the TRD. they're all over these days. they once were few and far between, but as common as any off-road pkg'd truck now a days. it really is a good off-road pkg. however. it really is just some bilstein shocks and the locker. a set of 4 bilstein shocks and an automatic lock-right locker can be had for $600 if you really wanted to save some cash. good luck.
Not quite, tbundy. A lot of hard science goes into building an awesome suspension. Simply slapping on a set of Bilsteins isn't going to do the trick. As for Tacoma TRDs being all over now - wasn't it you who kept spouting the Ranger is superior because they're the #1 seller? So does that mean the more Tacoma TRDs there are, the more superior they will be?!
even when ranger sales declined this year, they wooped the tacoma at the showroom. what's it gonna take? about $3500 off the msrp, that would be a start. and maybe some thicker doors and some better build quality on the rear of the cabs. some real skidplates. perhaps a re-freshed interior with no '80's materials. maybe actually being able to get abs, not to even mention getting it standard like rangers. these little things are what most buyers want, the reason ranger outsells tacoma. oh yeah, the deeper bed and more towing capacity. i could continue all night. yeah, you can bring up the recalls, (the whole 1 in '01), but the fact is simple. people think the ranger is the better truck, and they prove that year in and year out at the dealer's showroom floors. 'nuff said.
That doesnt exactly happen in the Toyota vs. Lexus.
Btw, I'm still waiting for that msg. # where you said you provided me with a link to Camry defects (nevermind the fact that I've already read them, but you said I was stupid enough not to read the msg. So where is it?)
As for bestseller Ranger: call it Toyota business strategy. It's easier to be the underdog, and make it through the tough times without having to layoff 30K people. The strategy makes sense: don't flood the market with the product, but keep the demand a little up. You spoke of TRD being on every other Tacoma out there, so it wasnt "unique" anymore. If you are so concerned about unique, what a hell are you doing driving a Ranger?
I'm not trying to say that Toyota is perfect. It just seems heck of a lot better than the Ford alternative.
I'm not saying the Ranger is an automotive disaster; rather, I'm just giving examples of "more sold = better" is not true.
BUT, I still have a question. If Toyotas are over-rated and over-priced, why does everybody keep saying "My Ford IS AS GOOD as your Toyota?" Or "My Chevy IS AS GOOD as your Toyota." Or "My Dodge IS AS GOOD as your Toyota." Sorry, but I don't hear the Toyota folks saying their Toyota IS AS GOOD as a Ford, Chevy or Dodge.
Just how did Toyota become the benchmark to which everything else is compared?
ive heard numerous problems with these newer tacoma trucks. seems they leak around body components and inside soaking the carpet, they emit squeaks from the engines, dashes are coming apart, complaints on very thin doors, very uncomfortable seats, and i also read about an exploding transmission.(to read the list or reviews, visit the rangerIII forum and look for the link to this list.) do i conclude that all toyotas are like this as you did with the ranger? no. but the quality isn't as you guys would like to believe. it may be good, but so was my ranger bud. i drove a tacoma about two months ago. it was nice, but not as nice as my ranger inside. the dash was old fashioned, and it didn't even have a cd changer or abs. it was a tight truck, but no tighter than my ranger, or my previous explorer for that matter. ill admit they're nice and for the most part pretty solid, but for the premium it takes to get into one, id take the ranger any day. easier to get parts for, and less expensive to operate. and with the ford, i know that when it gets up there in mileage, i won't have an engine issue with sludge buildup like some toyota owners are experiencing as we speak.
pluto- that sales thing and the more standard horsepower are still bothering you, ain't they?
also, care to comment on the new toyota "bulletproof" engine problem that scorpio so bravely made us aware of? did they put that engine in your beloved corolla?
oh yeah, the focus is now the most mass produced car in the world. re-check your facts bud. it is also the worlds best selling car too. the corolla is nice, but can't compete with the focus worldwide on the sales floor.
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=1534
2k1trd- LMAO. toyota quality? yep, sure. id much rather replace a bushing than a whole engine.
tbunder, where did you hear of numerous problems with Tacoma trucks? Is that the same as "I've heard of problems with transmissions" when you read one message here about tranny that failed? Gimme a link where I might read about this rattling dash and soaking carpets.
And for more standard horsepower.....it's not bothering me, at least. Pluto will tell you that a factory warrantied charger will spank any of your Rangers anywhere. I'm just gonna laugh and think "Yeah, look at them. Toyota's dominated them for 6 years with the V6, and Ford is being stupid by sticking a new engine into Ranger every 2 years, trying to beat it".
The 3.4L in Tacoma seems to work no problem. There are people who get up into 100K+ with a charger without engine problems. Sienna just got out of luck. But dealers are being pricks for charging to put it back together. Nothing that a lawyer can't take care of, though.
its too bad your little toyota quality is fastly falling down hill. you know as well as i do that this is a potentially crippling blow to your 'american' company's reputation. those two engines are the lifeline of toyota's products. how would you like to have your toyota sitting in the shop since july of '01 just praying for the day your lease expires? wow, that toyota customer service is killer, eh? i wonder what it feels like making payments on a car that won't run because at 31K miles, it froze up. hehe.
If you are gonna push your point of view through, then Nissan quickly falls out of picture here, because their "210 hp supercharged V6" is a joke without the charger (in fact it's a joke with it too). Torque wise: duh. Ranger has .6L more displacement, sure it'll give more torque. However, what I fail to understand (I simply don't know) is how Ranger puts out an engine that has roughly 16% more displacement and produces under 10% more hp and torque. Isuzu V6 thats put in Rodeo makes 210hp.
As for you making weird statements about "crippling blow" and me making payments....it's not a crippling blow. Life will go on. People will continue to buy Toyotas. People have to be STUPID enough to let their car sit in a shop since July '01 waiting for lease to expire. Get a lawyer, get to court. Thats what lawyers do. Most of them would jump at the opportunity.
I wonder what it feels like to make payments on a truck that runs on tires that explode under you...what does it feel like?
As for "how many": 3500 out of 3M something. Toyota is not recalling all the engines.
As far as Focus goes: 7 recalls in first year? 5 on Escape. It's not called "Quality #1". It's more like "Beta customers #1". Let the customers sort out the bugs in our product. 1-2 recalls are reasonable. 5 is stupid. 7 is unacceptable.
I'm admitting that Toyota may have screwed up with the engines. And even that some of those people have a legitimate reason to be pissed off. But it seems that those people arent dealing with the situation as it should be dealt with. That lady with Sienna has been out on the net whining about it for ages, or so I heard. For all I know, I'm set to treat my trucks' engine with care: synthetic oil, good filters, engine cleaners. 5 days a week I'm a stop'n'go driver, and only get some good highway ride on weekends. So I'm going to take care of the truck accordingly. It would be stupid to make the company pay for the drivers mistakes. You can't expect Ford to replace your frontend if you rearend someone at a light because you were talking on a cellphone and werent paying attention, can you? I'm not defending the way Toyota is handling the situation, it's rather sad how the press release said "Well, our engines are perfect, it's your god damn fault" , but there's some truth to both sides of the story.
a warranty is a warranty. backed by toyota or backed by paxton or vortech. on a ranger or tacoma, it will be covered. so what's your point on that one? also, the nissan isn't in this argument. im sure it is a bulletproof engine. ive heard stories of the 3.3 going into the 400000 mile range, and no head gaskets leaking either. but remember, it is charged at the factory, you don't have to tear down or modify an otherwise perfect engine to have a charger. it is built with it. and for the same price as a regular 3.4, you can have the more power and torque that the nissan s/c offers as compared to a regular 3.4 tacoma.
as far as the numbers go on this toyota engine problem, it's early. im sure when the public hears of toyota finally admitting they knew they had a problem, a whole lot more customers will come forward with claims.
but pluto says that toyota is known for its benchmark quality- is this it? can't even build a 4-cylinder engine to exceed 40K miles? please.
I'm not trying to downplay the problem. There hasnt been a recall yet. We'll see what happens. If Toyota admits the engine problem, so be it.
Nissan engine was not designed as a charged engine. It was made as naturally-aspirated 3.3L. Thats what is in Frontier, only the Xterra and Frontier S/C have a charger sitting on top of it. Same thing really as the TRD charger: can order it from factory, have it covered under warranty.
Toyota can build an engine to last. If they couldnt, none of the 96 tacos would be on the road today. Nor 97s or 98s. There are people with 99s that have 80K+ miles on them (on ttora board), they are still running. So there seems to be some other factor present here, otherwise all the engines would fail. So far there are no 3.3M pissed off customers, only about 3500.
-wow. I'm writing this one down in the quote book....
eagle- when a company recalls a product, this means they have proven knowledge that there is a problem with it. when recalled, this means they will fix it at their expense. toyota is not doing this. they are putting all the blame on the customers and acting like its their fault and they could really care less. at least with the focus recalls, ford took care of the problem. so to be so sarcastic about this, is just your immaturity coming out i guess. most of the time, recalls only affect a certain amount of vehicles at a time. so it could be worse, and it may be better. depends on number of vehicles affected. but at least under a recall, the manufacturer pays for it. toyota won't step up and admit fault here. it sure is pitiful. love that toyota quality though. NOT!
As for the sludge problem, time will tell if Toyota is playing games with customers or if the customer is at fault. While you praise Ford in their handling of recalls though, keep in mind that they only replaced all of the Firestone tires when the Federal Government began to consider taking them to court to force then to take action. I got refunded for mine but only after almost a year after I had replaced them because of the news of the problem. The Explorer SOHC 4.0 cam and timing chain problem was another issue that Ford ignored for several years, charging customers thousands to replace engines before the numbers with problems became too great and they had to take action.
It will be interesting to see if this sludge issue is really a problem and, if so, what action Toyota takes. If Toyota is in the wrong, I'll gladly join with you in condemning the company.
you must have not did the firestone refund thingy correct. i had a refund directly from ford within 3 weeks. the ranger i had? had the full price of my new BFG's ten days after i took the old tires to the dealer i bought my truck at. the cool thing with the explorer's refunded tires is i saved the receipt just in case ford did recall them. and they did. but not from pressure from the gov't. they did it on their own behalf. only after ford did recall all of them, firestone recalled them all. that's why i praise ford so much, they stepped up and put new tires on every vehicle with firestones. and then, firestone finally recalls them, after ford already paid for most of them.
Toyota will gladly install a charger on your engine. Wanna know why? Because the margin of profit for that job is immense.
As for Ford and tires.....please, don't try to make Ford look like an angel on earth. They did try to tell people that it was their fault for blowing up tires, because tire pressure wasnt high enough, did nt they?
-so let me get this straight, you've taken a random story you heard on Edmunds and are using it to make the generalization that Toyota never takes care of their customers?? Has your never ending quest to find fault with Toyota forced you to sink to this?
I think it's great that you're a Ford fan. Since you seem to like recalls so much, they should keep to happy for many years to come....
As far as the Firestone tires, remember that Ford's first recall only included a limited dot code group of tires, even though accidents and deaths had occurred with all Firestone Wilderness tires. I replaced my wife's tires almost a year before Ford acknowledged the fact that all of these tires presented a problem. In fact, I suppose you could say that many died as a result of Ford NOT accepting responsibility for the entire scope of the problem. I may also add that you need to do a bit more homework before you erroneously state that Government pressure didn't push Ford into recalling all of the tires because that's beyond speculation and a hard fact. I suppose Ford could have fought the Government in court, however, with the almost weekly fatal accidents happening at the time, I'm sure that Ford's lawyers saw no hope of winning the case.