With availability and price jacking so common on the TRD Pro I am wondering if anyone out there has purchased a 4Runner Off Road and "converted" it to a Pro. That is Suspension and such? Thanks. Going to be looking for a Pro in the next year.
4Runner Off Road to Pro Conversion
- Thread starter tls3601
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Jacket
Moderator
I don't know much about the packaging of the new 4Runners. Can you highlight the differences?
I would think that suspension would be an easy fix, and you could upgrade to something aftermarket that is as good or better than OEM. Does the TRD Pro have the rear diff locker and/or things like ATRAC and crawl control? That would be the set of upgrades that is extremely difficult to retrofit.
I would think that suspension would be an easy fix, and you could upgrade to something aftermarket that is as good or better than OEM. Does the TRD Pro have the rear diff locker and/or things like ATRAC and crawl control? That would be the set of upgrades that is extremely difficult to retrofit.
- Thread starter
- #4
@Jacket and @hobbes yes I believe aside from badging and Suspension the Off Road and Pro are nearly identical. Both have crawl and atrac and of course the rear locker as well. I believe that the biggest difference is the suspension upgrade on the Pro. I don't want anything with KDDS and so a base Off Road or Pro is appealing. Will check out that other site too.
Sounds like you are on the right track. I have a 2015 Trail Premium that has all the toys that a TRD Pro has (except the suspension). It also has leather and a sunroof. It also has KDDS, but I put an Icon stage 2 suspension on it keeping the KDDS functional. I must say, it is so much nicer than my SIL's TRD Pro and I'm into it about $10k less.
- Thread starter
- #6
@CreeperSleeper what is the deal with KDDS? I have heard mixed things about it. I would like something rebuildable in my next rig and more traditional design, I.e. Inexpensive and easy to fix. Opinions appreciated. Thanks
KDDS is a hydraulic ram on one of the frame mounting points of the sway bar. To be honest, I don't know too much about how it works.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks. Yes me either, seems cool that you can run aftermarket boingers with it still enabled. What if you totally removed that piece? Could it be set to run the Pro Suspension ?
I’ve only read a bit on KDSS. On the website above, you’ll find lots of discussions on KDSS or no. Some really love it, others seem to not. I believe the general recommendation is to try to drive two vehicles with and without KDSS and see which camp you personally fall in. My reading impression is on road and mild off-road KDSS is, on average, a good thing. Hard core off reading maybe not.
Last edited:
Save the money you'll spend for the Pro and do your own upgrades...you can buy better quality for less money.
Get a Trail Premium, do all the mods to it later. As mentioned lots of reading over at www.t4r.org/5th gen
Get a Trail Premium, do all the mods to it later. As mentioned lots of reading over at www.t4r.org/5th gen
I bought my Pro specifically for the color and because it did not have KDSS. I also had the the front cut up for an ARB Summit bumper and swapped the suspension for BP-51s. The cheaper option would be what Titan mentioned but I knew what I wanted.
KDSS is a controversial subject on the 4Runner forums. Follow the previously mentioned advice of driving both to see which one you like. I have owned both a Trail Premium with KDSS and my current Pro and much prefer the non-KDSS ride.
KDSS is a controversial subject on the 4Runner forums. Follow the previously mentioned advice of driving both to see which one you like. I have owned both a Trail Premium with KDSS and my current Pro and much prefer the non-KDSS ride.
- Thread starter
- #12
@Bighead My gut feeling is I like the Pro for the Suspension and the simplicity of it, as it is a more traditional design than KDSS. The Pro Suspension is as far as I would take it. No plans for a lift or ridiculously big tires. I would buy better tires for it but that would be about it. So medium level off roading, it will never be a rock crawler. Either BFG AT or MT tires in stock size. I will also probably get a roof top tent for it as well. Hope that helps describe my anticipated mods for next rig and it's intended usage.
I can't give an opinion on experience because I am still waiting for my Pro to show up. Was supposed to be this week but now supposedly next week. Not to worried about that part.
Here's my situation leading to my choice. I drive old Cruisers and my wife had a 5th gen limiited. She really doesn't like my "old" lifted, modded Cruisers much (unless a camp trip) so when it is weekend generic stuff, it's usually the limited. She mostly wont let me mod her truck either. Time came for a new rig since I get a "company" car and she actually said she thought the Pro was cool. That would mean a vehicle I would actually like being in and we can use it for some weekend backroad roaming.
I pushed for the Pro vs. Trail premuim because I know I can't mod it, the resale is excellent, and it's a cool truck.
We'll see when we get it
Here's my situation leading to my choice. I drive old Cruisers and my wife had a 5th gen limiited. She really doesn't like my "old" lifted, modded Cruisers much (unless a camp trip) so when it is weekend generic stuff, it's usually the limited. She mostly wont let me mod her truck either. Time came for a new rig since I get a "company" car and she actually said she thought the Pro was cool. That would mean a vehicle I would actually like being in and we can use it for some weekend backroad roaming.
I pushed for the Pro vs. Trail premuim because I know I can't mod it, the resale is excellent, and it's a cool truck.
We'll see when we get it
Either way, the trucks are just awesome platforms. My feeling on KDSS is its one more thing to go wrong, at the wrong time. I put on about 22k a year going back and forth to work, but I think the single best upgrade before you leave the dealer are LT tires...the truck is just too heavy for P's in my opinion. That and airbags in the rear coils.
Basically - Pro is primarily an appearance package. The Pro is the Trail Premium with all the stuff they sell on the wall at the toyota parts counter. It has non-adjustable Bilstein shocks that are comparable to the 6112/5120 set and exterior appearance parts - black bumper cover trim and grill parts. It also has an aluminum skid plate that's pretty awesome - but that's an option on the Trail now, and it's about a $250 aftermarket part. And - oddly - narrower wheels. The Trail has 17x7.5 wheels, the TRD Pro has 17x7s.
The Pro does not come with KDSS, which was sort of a must-have for me. It's much better for highway driving with KDSS, and that's what I use mine for mostly. KDSS is also better out of the box for rock crawling type use. It's only open flow under 12mph. But it offers significant benefits in body management and suspension balance in the rocks. Neither are out of the box crawlers of course. Where KDSS isn't so great is moderate speeds in the desert. It's really stiff sway bar means stiff ride in moguls. But Toyota chose to have KDSS on it's Baja 1000 race truck - and it had any option it wanted so I assume they chose it on purpose.
Anyway - it all depends on what you're wanting and what you want to do with it. There's very little difference between TRD Pro and Trail/TRD Off Road as it's now called - or really any 4runner. Mainly KDSS is offered as an option in the Trail and Bilstein shocks are standard on the Pro. For most years of TRD Pro there was no sunroof option. I think there is now. It's standard on the Trail Premium. Everything else is the same. Since I wanted a white color, KDSS, and was going to replaced the OEM suspension and tires anyway - it didn't make sense to buy a Pro model.
If I were buying today - I'd probably go find a nice clean GX460 and do an appearance swap to be a Prado 150. The 4.0 is great stock, but isn't great once you start putting on larger tires. And the only gear options are 3.73 or go all the way to 4.56. Nothing for us mildly modded daily drivers.
The Pro does not come with KDSS, which was sort of a must-have for me. It's much better for highway driving with KDSS, and that's what I use mine for mostly. KDSS is also better out of the box for rock crawling type use. It's only open flow under 12mph. But it offers significant benefits in body management and suspension balance in the rocks. Neither are out of the box crawlers of course. Where KDSS isn't so great is moderate speeds in the desert. It's really stiff sway bar means stiff ride in moguls. But Toyota chose to have KDSS on it's Baja 1000 race truck - and it had any option it wanted so I assume they chose it on purpose.
Anyway - it all depends on what you're wanting and what you want to do with it. There's very little difference between TRD Pro and Trail/TRD Off Road as it's now called - or really any 4runner. Mainly KDSS is offered as an option in the Trail and Bilstein shocks are standard on the Pro. For most years of TRD Pro there was no sunroof option. I think there is now. It's standard on the Trail Premium. Everything else is the same. Since I wanted a white color, KDSS, and was going to replaced the OEM suspension and tires anyway - it didn't make sense to buy a Pro model.
If I were buying today - I'd probably go find a nice clean GX460 and do an appearance swap to be a Prado 150. The 4.0 is great stock, but isn't great once you start putting on larger tires. And the only gear options are 3.73 or go all the way to 4.56. Nothing for us mildly modded daily drivers.
That's a great comparison video right there, didn't know about the 12mph factoid!
- Thread starter
- #17
It seems now that the Pro uses Fox shocks front and rear for ‘19 models. The ‘18’s only had specially valved Bilsteins up front. I am also gathering that KDSS is a much simpler system than I thought it was and that is good too.
When my time comes I'll be opting for KDSS enabled rig rather than not, considering the majority of miles will be on pavement than not, more benefit to me as a whole.
- Thread starter
- #19
Tons of fake Pro’s out there. Lots of folks giving their Off Roads the Pro look. If I buy a Pro, I want to be sure it is a from factory Pro. So if I buy used Toyota said to give them the VIN and they will verify what the vehicle started life as. Wrong color is of course a dead giveaway
We've had our black Pro for a couple of months now, and I love it. Again, since my situation with my wife's truck is pretty much "don't mess with it", I (we) made the right pick. Every time I have seen it, coming in the driveway, passing the wife in town when we are both out, or tonight when she was following me in my 100, I just can't help but stare at it and think, damn that is one sweet looking truck. I know it is mostly appearance stuff and cost more but I like it so much I just don't care, and I am a cheap ass!
