Bent My Rear Lower Links While Wheeling

ColdTaco · 2025-10-05T05:20:00+00:00

TRD off-road with upgrade package and SDM. Build: JRI adjustable shocks set at +1.5 inches front lift, compression at 1 (softest setting) and +1 inch rear with Icon springs, Katzkins leather, RCI sliders and trailing arm skids, Rival 4x4 skids, RRW wheels with protective rings, Nokian Outpost NAT 285/70R17 (SL), SXTH trail pipe and rear recovery points. WOW, this place is amazing! Highly recommended! Fins and Things was the first trail we took and it didn’t disappoint! Great trail to test your driving skills, and learn/test you and your pickups capabilities. The rock looks slick but is very grippy. Started out in 4LO, and SDM disconnected for the entirety of the trail. It keeps you busy 1 obstacle after another. Definitely doable with a stock 5ft bed Tacoma. Drug the trailer hitch in 1 spot, and it was pretty much unavoidable. Chicken Corners is another must do trail, and probably a better trail to take first if you have limited experience, and is easily doable with a stock Tacoma outfitted with better tires and a full size matching spare not the slick Toyota gives us! It’s longer, more scenic, with a wide variety of terrain, and very little 4LO use. White Rim Trail is long (90 miles) avg speed was 9.1mph, with several stops to enjoy the views. We took the more difficult direction, Potash Road (rough as hell) to 313 (West to East). The first 1/2 or so was 100% rwd, very rough and slow, a little past 1/2 way it got serious! Tight steep switchbacks with a sand and good sized sharp rocks, with steep cliffs on both sides that are unforgiving, plenty of room but be carful you don’t get to close to the inside and drag the side of your pickup on the rocks, but not too close to the cliff on the other side. 4LO is a must on all the switch backs except the last one after the boat launch area. Do your best to get a good look before going up the switch backs for on coming traffic, there are a few spots to make a meet but not many! We crested the top and there was a stock Honda Ridgeline waiting, kinda felt bad for him, I’m certain that thing didn’t make it unscathed! The guy driving didn’t look happy, he was definitely past the point of no return. The entire trip was just under 2600 miles, avg 17.8 mpg, The dust is like nothing I’ve seen it’s heavy and sticks to everything, keep your windows up when possible! The SL Nokian Outposts were fantastic, one flat from a bolt on the face of the tire, plug kit and Dewalt air compressor made for a quick easy fix. The Tacoma never broke a sweat, handled everything with shockingly ease. A front camera would have been helpful but not necessary. My only real complaint was the SDM automatically reconnects at 18MPH wish Toyota would bump it up to 30, because it makes for a much more pleasant ride.

rustytaco

Administrator

Staff member

Sep 8, 2025

So... we hit some pretty solid rock crawling a few weeks ago. I had just installed my 37s, so I was ready to see what the truck could do.

Overall, I think it did well. But... I wasn't being careful enough on one section and dragged my driver's side rear lower link on a big rock. With the weight of the truck dragging over a rock it put a pretty decent bend into the arm. I have a tiny bit of driveline vibration, but nothing terrible. Barely noticeable to most. We kept wheeling for two days after it happened, and I've driven another 1500 miles since it happened.

Currently on the lookout for some new links. Probably a full set. Uppers and lowers, preferably adjustable to push the axle back a little bit and fix any pinion angle issues (if they come up). They need to be beefy, ready to take some hits.

If you're going to wheel your truck in the rocks, I recommend you upgrade before the damage happens. An avoidable issue that might limp your truck. Oh, and you should probably get all the skid plates available for the link/shock mounts as well.