TRD Sport ride quality

[Burgi]

yea I don't know guys it's hard to explain but it just rides like shit lol. I don't think its engine or transmission related and there are definitely times when I'm on a super smooth road where it rides amazing. I had my rear differential replaced at 700 miles so maybe it has something to do with that but I didn't start noticing this until I hit 10k miles and I'm at 15k miles now. I need to go test drive another one and compare because I know my dealer will just tell me to fuck off and everything is fine if I bring it in.

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[sabinjo]

I have no complaints at all, but I'm coming from a '22 Gladiator with only 14k miles before I traded it in for my '24 TRD Sport.

Between the much rougher ride, much heavier feel and CONSTANT playing with the wheel to keep the damn thing in a straight line, my new Tacoma is a friggin' Lexus compared to that thing and rides like a dream.

 

[Lennyz1]

Short answer. Suspension. I upgraded to King shocks. The ride is so smooth like drving on new asphalt road.

Which ones did you go with and how much did it set you back?

 

[theKurt]

I feel you on the Sport suspension. I have one and it can be a little on the rough side around town, but with the '24 changing the rear leafs out for springs makes a HUGE difference over any other truck I've driven, and I used to get 1 or 2 truck rentals a month for remote field work driving dirt and gravel roads. No more squirrelly back end going over bumps on a curve, which is a major selling point on this model for me. I have also changed out the stock tires for 33" E rated and I run 34psi cold, so that will play into the ride quality equation as well. Still playing a bit with the PSI, as a tire calculator said I should be running at 37.

I will be changing out the suspension at some point. Partially because I want a little more smoothness, but I also contend with really bad washboard in my local wilderness. I have found the Sport shocks don't like it all that much.

While there are options out there right now (King, Dobinson, Icon, Fox....etc) I'm going to wait until Bilstein comes out with their 5000 and 6000 series options later this year before I decide which way I'll be going. They have such a strong following on '23 and older trucks that I really want to see them reviewed before dropping $2-4K on new suspension. Maybe OME, but those aren't available yet either.

 

[emidyl]

yea I don't know guys it's hard to explain but it just rides like shit lol. I don't think its engine or transmission related and there are definitely times when I'm on a super smooth road where it rides amazing. I had my rear differential replaced at 700 miles so maybe it has something to do with that but I didn't start noticing this until I hit 10k miles and I'm at 15k miles now. I need to go test drive another one and compare because I know my dealer will just tell me to fuck off and everything is fine if I bring it in.

I'm still trying to figure out if you're issue is ride quality or roughness from drivetrain LOL? Yeah prob get into another to see how its feeling on a comparable, but doesn't sound right though

 

[Captain O]

Is anyone else not satisfied with the ride of their TRD Sport? I feel that the ride quality is pretty bad even compared to my 2011 2nd gen Tacoma. I feel every crack and bump in the road. I’m pretty sure that if I drove over a piece of paper I could feel it. The most annoying part is when I’m just lightly on the throttle and maintaining speed, the whole truck seems to be shuttering/rumbling/slugging along. It’s hard to explain but it kind of feels like when you’re in too low of a gear and the vehicle sort of sputters. Even if I throw the transmission into Neutral and I’m coasting it feels the same. As soon as I really step on the gas everything smoothens out. It doesn’t matter what RPM, gear or speed I’m at, it just kind of shutters and slugs along depending on throttle position. I guess when I really step on the gas, it transfers some of the weight to the back and that’s when things start to get smooth. I went through and torqued all the suspension components, motor mounts, drive shaft, tire pressure, tire balance, even tried another set of wheels and it’s always the same.

Does anyone else feel like this? Anything I should look at? I have MR316 wheels with 265/70/17 BFG Trail Terrains (same tires that come on the TRD Off Road).

Hi Kids,

I have the TRD Sport. Stock on Method wheels and a AWE exhaust. From the moment I first drove it I was very happy with the ride in all modes and surfaces. In my opinion it was superior in everyway to my 2017 Tacoma. Cheers!
PO

 

[goin2drt]

I can say my Sport rides great. Better than the wife's 24 Camry and better then my outgoing 23 Corolla. Stock tires inflated to about 32 psi. All is great.

 

[6starwars]

Hi Kids,

I have the TRD Sport. Stock on Method wheels and a AWE exhaust. From the moment I first drove it I was very happy with the ride in all modes and surfaces. In my opinion it was superior in everyway to my 2017 Tacoma. Cheers!
PO

How do you like the AWE exhaust? I was curious and spent some time looking at YT reviews yesterday.

 

[Captain O]

How do you like the AWE exhaust? I was curious and spent some time looking at YT reviews yesterday.

Hi,
I will write a proper review soon. In a nutshell: Very high quality. Pretty easy to install. Dual exit looks good. About 30% louder than I expected but does sound terrific.

PO

 

[6starwars]

Looking forward to seeing your review!

 

[GR90]

My TRD Sport does ride a little stiff but I do like how it has minimal body roll like a sedan. It does not feel like I am driving a boat like a normal truck. I expect the stiffness to get a little better when winter is over.

 

[Goriders]

My TRD Sport does ride a little stiff but I do like how it has minimal body roll like a sedan. It does not feel like I am driving a boat like a normal truck. I expect the stiffness to get a little better when winter is over.

That’s more or less why I bought the sport. Guessing I could have bought an off road if I wanted less stiff suspension

 

[lightwashlevis]

yea I don't know guys it's hard to explain but it just rides like shit lol. I don't think its engine or transmission related and there are definitely times when I'm on a super smooth road where it rides amazing. I had my rear differential replaced at 700 miles so maybe it has something to do with that but I didn't start noticing this until I hit 10k miles and I'm at 15k miles now. I need to go test drive another one and compare because I know my dealer will just tell me to fuck off and everything is fine if I bring it in.

Been trying to find someone with the same issue. I've got a '25 OR Hybrid and I noticed this exact problem. Just took it in this morning and had the technician ride with me and he said he was feeling it and drove two other hybrids and felt the same thing. But now that I'm back home I'm wondering if he was just feeling the hard switch from electric to gas motor and not the weird shuttering thing I'm feeling. It's definitely not a ride quality thing. It only happens when I'm lightly on the gas. As soon as I take my foot off the gas it's gone. Also I feel it for a second when I'm initially accelerating. Maybe between 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd gear. I think I'm gonna go back to the dealership and drive another one myself and see if I can recreate the problem with another truck. Do you have any updates on your end?

 

[Burgi]

Been trying to find someone with the same issue. I've got a '25 OR Hybrid and I noticed this exact problem. Just took it in this morning and had the technician ride with me and he said he was feeling it and drove two other hybrids and felt the same thing. But now that I'm back home I'm wondering if he was just feeling the hard switch from electric to gas motor and not the weird shuttering thing I'm feeling. It's definitely not a ride quality thing. It only happens when I'm lightly on the gas. As soon as I take my foot off the gas it's gone. Also I feel it for a second when I'm initially accelerating. Maybe between 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd gear. I think I'm gonna go back to the dealership and drive another one myself and see if I can recreate the problem with another truck. Do you have any updates on your end?

I test drove another TRD sport and a SR5 and they all felt basically the same. I think it’s just a resonance/harmonics thing from the drivetrain and the frame. Toyota could probably address it with different engine/transmission tuning.

 

[lightwashlevis]

I test drove another TRD sport and a SR5 and they all felt basically the same. I think it’s just a resonance/harmonics thing from the drivetrain and the frame. Toyota could probably address it with different engine/transmission tuning.

Interesting. Fair enough. Guess it's just something to keep an eye on but glad it doesn't seem like a real issue with the engine or transmission. Thanks for the reply

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