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Toyota Releases Factory TRD Lift Kit for 2020 and Newer Tacoma

Toyota Tacoma owners can have their cake and eat it too, with a dealer-installed factory lift kit.

February 22, 2021

The long list of warranted TRD accessories for your 2020 and up Tacoma just got a little beefier with the addition of a dealer-installed lift kit.Toyota

If you’ve been toying with the idea of lifting your 2020 or 2021 Toyota Tacoma but have hesitated in deference to your warranty and the stock Toyota Safety Sense system, allow us to ease your mind. Toyota has released a TRD-branded 2-inch lift that will play nice with your safety sensors and your factory warranty.

Jazzy graphics, more girth, higher spring perch, more cred, all with a 36,000-mile warranty.Toyota

The kit comes with TRD’s 36-month, 36,000-mile warranty if it’s installed before you buy the truck, or a 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty if you have it installed after the fact. To take advantage of the warranty, you’ll have to get the kit installed by a Toyota dealer.

Sure, you can probably achieve the same lift and functionality for less cost, but is the trade-off worth it? We think not.Toyota

That peace of mind does come at a cost. The parts alone are $1,350. Toyota estimates it’ll take a dealership four to five hours to install the kit, and you’re paying for that time. Still, the warranty retention should soften that blow.

The change in attitude is subtle, but it’s there. The truck sits more level with the lift, and gets almost 2 inches more frame-to-ground clearance.Toyota

The kit is centered around digressive-damping Bilstein shocks that are bedazzled with red TRD-branded boots and TRD decals. The lift is achieved by moving the coil spring mounting points on the body of the shock itself. Toyota says the extra travel means they can improve road manners by extending the rebound stroke.

More height isn’t the whole story here. Approach, departure, and breakover angles are all improved over stock.Toyota

To boost off-road performance, the shocks in the kit are 2 inches in diameter, up from the stock inch and a half. The increase, Toyota says, adds oil volume to help dissipate heat and improve damping. The rear shocks get bigger-than-stock pistons. The kit adds an inch of rear lift with cast-iron leaf spring blocks.

Owners of Double Cab Long Bed trucks, two-wheel drives, and four-cylinder-powered rigs need not apply. The lift only suits certain V-6 4x4 models.Toyota

The effect of all that is a 1.7-inch bump in frame-to-ground clearance, a 3.1-degree increase in departure angle to 32.1 degrees, a 1.6-degree increase in breakover angle to 23 degrees, and a 0.5-inch increase in departure angle to 24 degrees.

Two inches might not sound impressive, but Toyota uses it to great effect.Toyota

Toyota rounds out the kit with a new grille that sports old-school “Toyota” lettering in place of the traditional badge. The new grille includes a new camera-mount bracket and millimeter-wave sensor to keep the TSS system functioning properly.

The kit goes for $1,350 plus labor and can be installed before or after you buy the truck.Toyota

The kit is available for every V-6 4x4 Tacoma except Double Cab Long Bed trucks, the TRD Pro, and all two-wheel-drive and four-cylinder trucks.