2012 Tacoma TRD Off-Road Upgrades

[GooseWSO]

Hello,

I have a 2012 Tacoma TRD Off-Road in stock condition. I’m new to overland and I just wanted to get ideas on what I should consider upgrading on my truck first? Or what I should add? I live in the SoCal region east of LA. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[liveoak]

That's a tough question, I guess it depends on how far you want to take it. There is endless aftermarket support for the Tacoma so you can do just about anything to it from suspension to armor. I'm a bit of a minimalist and prefer to keep it simple. I think the Tacoma does really well in stock form and I personally feel like once you start modifying the front suspension it can take you down a rabbit hole. A lot of people go straight to adding a lift of some kind but just be aware that lifting the truck changes the design engineering and puts stress on the axles and other components as they are now operating outside of their designed parameters.
So this is what I would do if I had that truck and was just starting out.
1. Recovery gear/tools/air compressor/camping gear/safety gear.
2. Hook up with some other overlanders and go on a day trip or overnighter to get an idea of what you might need.
3. A bit more aggressive/tougher tire once your bfg trails need replacing
4. The TRD off-road already has an upgraded bistein suspension so no need to change unless you really get into it and feel the need. A good way to do a slight suspension upgrade would be to look for 2016-2019 trd off-road suspension "take offs" on craigslist or offer-up. That would consist of front bilstein coilovers and rear shocks taken off of a new Tacoma because they wanted more aggressive suspension. The 16-19 suspension is a direct bolt on to the 05-15 and adds a little bit of lift and travel without compromising the stock ride.

So to wrap it up, your truck is quite capable as it is. The only thing it needs is you to take it somewhere.

 

[GooseWSO]

Thanks for

That's a tough question, I guess it depends on how far you want to take it. There is endless aftermarket support for the Tacoma so you can do just about anything to it from suspension to armor. I'm a bit of a minimalist and prefer to keep it simple. I think the Tacoma does really well in stock form and I personally feel like once you start modifying the front suspension it can take you down a rabbit hole. A lot of people go straight to adding a lift of some kind but just be aware that lifting the truck changes the design engineering and puts stress on the axles and other components as they are now operating outside of their designed parameters.
So this is what I would do if I had that truck and was just starting out.
1. Recovery gear/tools/air compressor/camping gear/safety gear.
2. Hook up with some other overlanders and go on a day trip or overnighter to get an idea of what you might need.
3. A bit more aggressive/tougher tire once your bfg trails need replacing
4. The TRD off-road already has an upgraded bistein suspension so no need to change unless you really get into it and feel the need. A good way to do a slight suspension upgrade would be to look for 2016-2019 trd off-road suspension "take offs" on craigslist or offer-up. That would consist of front bilstein coilovers and rear shocks taken off of a new Tacoma because they wanted more aggressive suspension. The 16-19 suspension is a direct bolt on to the 05-15 and adds a little bit of lift and travel without compromising the stock ride.

So to wrap it up, your truck is quite capable as it is. The only thing it needs is you to take it somewhere.

Thank you for the very helpful information. I don't want to do anything super major to it as I'll be doing overland/camping 2 weekends a month I'm sure. The tires I have to replace cause they slip on dirt roads near me. The tread is almost gone along with tire rot. I'm a novice off-roader so I still need to learn proper line choices and correct tackling obstacles.

 

[Chadlyb]

Hello,

I have a 2012 Tacoma TRD Off-Road in stock condition. I’m new to overland and I just wanted to get ideas on what I should consider upgrading on my truck first? Or what I should add? I live in the SoCal region east of LA. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
View attachment 100113

Nice Toy....it really does depend on how you plan to use it. My 2011 started off stock and now I can do pretty much anything with her that I want. before you spend money needlessly. Just get out there with the basics and figure out how you want to overland . How you want to set your truck up. There are endless possibilities with our trucks.

 

[GooseWSO]

Nice Toy....it really does depend on how you plan to use it. My 2011 started off stock and now I can do pretty much anything with her that I want. View attachment 100312View attachment 100313before you spend money needlessly. Just get out there with the basics and figure out how you want to overland . How you want to set your truck up. There are endless possibilities with our trucks.

Your rig looks awesome! Kinda what I was thinking. I want to keep it a little bit more simple since my truck will still commute me to work and around town. What are the items on your build?

 

[Chadlyb]

Your rig looks awesome! Kinda what I was thinking. I want to keep it a little bit more simple since my truck will still commute me to work and around town. What are the items on your build?

Thank you. The Black Pearl is a daily driver. Just know that your gas mileage is just marginal now and as you add mods and weight, it just goes to sucks. The best part is they just keep looking better and better as you go. Here's just a few mods....

ARB front bumper with Warn 10k winch with synthetic line.
RCI Fabrications rock sliders and full armor front to back.
Pelfreybilt [now Bankrupt] rear swing w/spare and Jerry cans&high lift.
4inch lift
ARB front and rear air lockers
Regeared
KB Voodoo bed rack
2 sets Maxtrax
Smittybilt 8x6 awning
Smittybilt Overlander tent w/annex