First Trail Run - 33" Tires On Stock Suspension | 4th Gen Tacoma Forum

Reality Check: SAS on a 4th Gen Toyota Tacoma Isn’t the Move

Tacoma_bs24 · 2026-04-25T02:19:07+00:00

Been going down the rabbit hole on straight axle swapping the 4th gen Toyota Tacoma and the more I research it, the less it makes sense right now. The fabrication side is doable. Mounting a solid axle, links, shocks, steering components, driveshafts etc has all been done before. The real issue is the electronics. The truck relies heavily on front wheel speed sensors for ABS, traction control, stability control, crawl control, multi terrain select, and likely transmission logic. Once you remove the factory front hubs/knuckles/CVs, you now need a way to retain or replicate those signals or deal with constant faults. Steering seems like another huge hurdle. Since the truck uses an electric steering rack with its own set of sensors, I think you’d be stuck retaining the OEM rack and building some sort of swing set steering setup to make a solid axle work. Transfer case compatibility is another potential issue. We still don’t really know the transmission family or what transfer case options will realistically bolt up cleanly without creating more drivetrain headaches. That side feels largely uncharted right now. Then you still have, radar/ADAS calibration, dash errors, and whatever else Toyota tied into the factory system. At some point you’re spending a ton of money just to become the test dummy. That’s why I think portals make way more sense for the 4th gen platform. You keep factory IFS geometry, retain factory electronics, keep the steering system intact, gain serious clearance, and could realistically install them over a weekend. Older Tacomas? SAS still makes sense. 4th gens? I don’t think it’s the move right now unless someone figures out the electronics side.

1slowtacoma

New member

Mar 14, 2026

Took my Tacoma out for its first dirt run and it was an awesome experience.

The truck felt super smooth and planted on the trail, especially with the new 33’s on the stock suspension. The bigger tires definitely made a noticeable difference in comfort and traction over rocks and uneven terrain.
Even with the stock setup, the truck handled everything really well, great articulation, solid grip, and a much more confident feel compared to the stock tire setup.

One of the reasons I went with 33’s on the stock suspension is because I wanted to keep the truck simple for now while still improving the stance and off-road capability. So far, the setup feels like a great balance between daily driving and trail performance.

Overall it was just a fun day out on the trail with friends and the Tacoma performed better than expected.