TRD ORP versus SPORT Premium suspension differences

[Lotzof4Runners]

I'll throw this to the hive mind..
I test drove the ORP back at the end of January. Then I drove the Sport. I ended up going with the Sport because I liked the features and I knew I was going to swap the wheels and tires. I took delivery a week ago and swapped the 20" out for a set of 275/70R18 K03s with TRD Pro rims. The ride on this is terrible. Coming from 4 previous 5th Gens (including a 2021 TRD PRO)... The ride is awful. I would equate it to driving my wife's Audi A5 in sport mode. The suspension is rock hard. There is absolutely no bounce or shock absorption.

Are you all experiencing the same thing with your ORPs and larger tires?
Does anyone know what the "Sport Tuned Shocks" description actually means in the TRD Sport spec?
Any TRD Sport owners who've upgraded wheels/tires experienced the same or different?

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

 

[Burgi]

Yes the TRD sport suspension is definitely pretty rough. I had a 24 Tacoma TRD sport and it was way stiffer then the SR5. The steering is more responsive, turns are better and less nose dive while breaking on the sport but you feel every crack in the road. The sr5 is more bouncy and doesn’t feel as planted but more comfortable IMO.

Your issue are probably your tires. You have E rated tires that weigh 60lbs. That’s going to destroy your ride quality. If you switched to a SL tire it would feel a lot better

 

[Gator 22]

It might be a rather harsh ride but it looks good.

 

[DangItsDen]

Here's my ORP next to a sport for direct ride height comparison.

 

[DangItsDen]

I'll throw this to the hive mind..
I test drove the ORP back at the end of January. Then I drove the Sport. I ended up going with the Sport because I liked the features and I knew I was going to swap the wheels and tires. I took delivery a week ago and swapped the 20" out for a set of 275/70R18 K03s with TRD Pro rims. The ride on this is terrible. Coming from 4 previous 5th Gens (including a 2021 TRD PRO)... The ride is awful. I would equate it to driving my wife's Audi A5 in sport mode. The suspension is rock hard. There is absolutely no bounce or shock absorption.

Are you all experiencing the same thing with your ORPs and larger tires?
Does anyone know what the "Sport Tuned Shocks" description actually means in the TRD Sport spec?
Any TRD Sport owners who've upgraded wheels/tires experienced the same or different?

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

My ORP is a much softer ride than my 2015 Trail Edition on 3" bilstein coilovers. Much damper and absorbs more small bumps. Those E rated Ko3s aren't doing you any favors either. I am only going C load on this truck. I put 70k miles on a set of 33" ko2s in E on my 2015 and now have ko3 33" in C. The difference is night and day. E load is just too stiff for a comfortable ride in a truck this light.

 

[Lotzof4Runners]

My ORP is a much softer ride than my 2015 Trail Edition on 3" bilstein coilovers. Much damper and absorbs more small bumps. Those E rated Ko3s aren't doing you any favors either. I am only going C load on this truck. I put 70k miles on a set of 33" ko2s in E on my 2015 and now have ko3 33" in C. The difference is night and day. E load is just too stiff for a comfortable ride in a truck this light.

Thank you for the insight. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this. You're 100% right about the "E" vs. "C".
I guess it didn't cross my mind because I had "C" load K02s on my 2021 TRD Pro 4Runner. This ride is awful. I have 30 days on these, so I may need to take them back and try a different option.

 

[DangItsDen]

Thank you for the insight. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this. You're 100% right about the "E" vs. "C".
I guess it didn't cross my mind because I had "C" load K02s on my 2021 TRD Pro 4Runner. This ride is awful. I have 30 days on these, so I may need to take them back and try a different option.

Good thing you have time to swap. The unfortunate part is that there is no C load ko3 for 18" wheels. Either have to go down to 17's or go with a different tire. I'm shopping around right now and honestly the closest thing is the TRD Pro stock TOYO ( 33" Inch Toyo Open Country A/T III All-Terrain tires (265/70R18). No good load range C tires in this size that I have found. Super annoying. BFG has ko3 coming out in load range D but not until Feb 2026....

 

[Lotzof4Runners]

Good thing you have time to swap. The unfortunate part is that there is no C load ko3 for 18" wheels. Either have to go down to 17's or go with a different tire. I'm shopping around right now and honestly the closest thing is the TRD Pro stock TOYO ( 33" Inch Toyo Open Country A/T III All-Terrain tires (265/70R18). No good load range C tires in this size that I have found. Super annoying. BFG has ko3 coming out in load range D but not until Feb 2026....

Talked with the guys at Discount Tire today. They've been great. They told me I have 60 days on the K03s, so I have another month to figure it out. They told me it's "E" load range that's causing the ride difference. They said they'd swap for the Nitto Terra Grappler G3's which are available in SL. I'm skeptical. My TRD Pro came with the Terra Grapplers and they were complete garbage in the rain. They were toast at 26K and I ended up replacing them with KO2s. I may end up living with them for now. They want to redo the road force balance for me and we aired them down to 33psi to see if it softens things up just a bit.

 

[Burgi]

Talked with the guys at Discount Tire today. They've been great. They told me I have 60 days on the K03s, so I have another month to figure it out. They told me it's "E" load range that's causing the ride difference. They said they'd swap for the Nitto Terra Grappler G3's which are available in SL. I'm skeptical. My TRD Pro came with the Terra Grapplers and they were complete garbage in the rain. They were toast at 26K and I ended up replacing them with KO2s. I may end up living with them for now. They want to redo the road force balance for me and we aired them down to 33psi to see if it softens things up just a bit.

the G3s are getting lots of good reviews. You’re pretty limited to options with 18s. Like the guy above me said take a look at the open country AT3s. I’m pretty sure they have 275/18s in SL. I’ve had ko2, wildpeaks and terra grapplers and the AT3s have been the most comfortable for street driving and mild off roading.

I currently have 265 AT3s on my 4Runner and they ride great.

 

[Gator 22]

Discount tire sell the Goodyear Ultra Terrain AT that are a really great tire, have them on my 21 TRD Off Road. Light weight, great traction, great in the rain and light weight. Their ride is very forgiving too.

 

[Gator 22]

They are made in 3 load ranges.
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/goodyear-wrangler-ultraterrain-at

 

[Lotzof4Runners]

the G3s are getting lots of good reviews. You’re pretty limited to options with 18s. Like the guy above me said take a look at the open country AT3s. I’m pretty sure they have 275/18s in SL. I’ve had ko2, wildpeaks and terra grapplers and the AT3s have been the most comfortable for street driving and mild off roading.

I currently have 265 AT3s on my 4Runner and they ride great.

Thank you. My guy at Discount Tire was super knowledgeable. He also mentioned possibly looking at the AT3 in SL. He did tell me the Nitto's were getting great reviews and a side-by-side comparison to the KO3s had them better in a few categories. I'm going to sit on it for a few days and explore some options.

What I'm really curious to know now is if the "Sport Tuned" shocks are playing any part in the ride. I still have the 20" stock wheels/tires sitting in my garage, and I may swap them back for a couple of days to see remind me of what the stock ride felt like.
Still don't quite understand what Toyota means by "Sport Tuned" - fancy for what?

 

[Lotzof4Runners]

Can I just shout out a big THANK YOU to everyone who responded here. You guys are awesome!

 

[Gator 22]

I'm on my 4th 4Runner and have run most of the common tires in the AT arena. The Goodyears which are only offered by Discount tire have been the best all around. Better in the rain than Bf Goodrich's and Nitto's. I lowered the pressure a few weeks back and took it the limit before getting stuck. They are about the same as the BF's in this area. The SL rating available is a LOT softer on daily driving. I also tow a boat at speeds up to 75 and the rig tracks straight and true. Hope that helps.

 

[davester]

Yes the TRD sport suspension is definitely pretty rough. I had a 24 Tacoma TRD sport and it was way stiffer then the SR5. The steering is more responsive, turns are better and less nose dive while breaking on the sport but you feel every crack in the road. The sr5 is more bouncy and doesn’t feel as planted but more comfortable IMO.

Your issue are probably your tires. You have E rated tires that weigh 60lbs. That’s going to destroy your ride quality. If you switched to a SL tire it would feel a lot better

I tend to like sporty cars, so my opinion may be different. I think the Sport has a controlled ride which is actually on the sort side. It may be firmer than the SR5, which I can't speak to, but it is not "rough" at all.