Sway Control - TAB 400 - Toyota Tacoma

Verna · February 2021

I was told by the Service manager at Toyota that since Toyota did not make any specific part to address the sag, no warranty damage on the Toyota would be addressed.

I had Firestone Air Bags added to my 2015 Tacoma TRD 4x4 with factory tow package and I was quite happy with them. The Service Manager was the one who suggested them.

DanManz · March 2021

I just had the frame replaced on my 2010 Tacoma TRD Sport which also has the Firestone Air Bags. That is an "extended warranty" program Toyota has for vehicles in high rust areas (like Vermont). They did the frame, brake lines, upper and lower control arms, alignment, most fluids and lots of other stuff for free. I paid for a new hitch, shocks and some other things. My dealer moved the Firestone Air Bags from my old frame to the new one with no complaints. It sure didn't seem to be any warranty issue for this job. My engine, transmission and body are all in great shape so hopefully I am good to tow for another 100,000 miles!

Verna · March 2021

@DanManz, a former neighbor was not given a choice of replacement. She was forced to turn in her older Tacoma due to the amount of rust damage, yes, with compensation. Yours is the first I’ve heard of who was allowed to have theirs rebuilt. Congrats!

GrandmasKid · March 2021

Makes me feel better about my new 2021 Tacoma that I plan to keep until I die and give it to my kids.

DougH · March 2021

One option is an Andersen anti-sway WDH. Installation manual for it suggests that for a C-channel frame either use a set screw with a pair of small holes to keep the brackets from sliding on the frame... or run a weld along the bottom edge of the channel and the bracket (which also allows optimal straightness of tension chain). I wonder if just using a couple thin plates of steel and the miracle of JBWeld (1800psi or roughly a third the strength of steel) to spread the load and keep the brackets in place would be enough.

Mercedes · March 2021

Just thought I'd pipe in here after yesterday's drive from TX to NM hauling my new 400 BD with my 2021 Tacoma Off Road. Winds during much of the trip were sustained at around 30 mph, with stronger gusts (up to about 45mph in spots).

The Tacoma's Vehicle Stability Control & electronic Trailer Sway Control are impressive. I had trailer sway twice, both times I had picked up excessive speed downhill, so totally my fault. As soon as I eased up on the throttle, the sway disappeared. I was able to haul at 60-65 mph most of the way without a problem. I never felt like I had to grip the steering wheel to make corrections -- the truck did all the work for me.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the V6 engine really struggled during the windiest sections. The transmission downshifted and revved high for long periods of time, dropping the gas mileage to just over 6 mpg. That truly sucked -- at one point I wasn't sure I'd make it to a gas station (I did, with less than a gallon left). It honestly felt like I was driving an underpowered 4 cylinder truck. So that combined with the smallish gas tank made a long trip much longer. I'm going to see how the next 6 months go with trips. Normally I'm a person who keeps vehicles a long time, but the Tacoma may end up getting traded in for something with some oomph.

kmulh · March 2021

I had a 2019 Tacoma TRD Sport and encountered the same thing when towing my T@B. I really liked the Tacoma when not towing but ended up trading it for a 2020 F150 with the max tow package and 3.5 ecoboost. What a world of difference. I set the cruise control and go, it's an enjoyable ride now. The 36 gallon tank helps too.

bergger · March 2021

Mercedes said:

Just thought I'd pipe in here after yesterday's drive from TX to NM hauling my new 400 BD with my 2021 Tacoma Off Road. Winds during much of the trip were sustained at around 30 mph, with stronger gusts (up to about 45mph in spots).

The Tacoma's Vehicle Stability Control & electronic Trailer Sway Control are impressive. I had trailer sway twice, both times I had picked up excessive speed downhill, so totally my fault. As soon as I eased up on the throttle, the sway disappeared. I was able to haul at 60-65 mph most of the way without a problem. I never felt like I had to grip the steering wheel to make corrections -- the truck did all the work for me.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the V6 engine really struggled during the windiest sections. The transmission downshifted and revved high for long periods of time, dropping the gas mileage to just over 6 mpg. That truly sucked -- at one point I wasn't sure I'd make it to a gas station (I did, with less than a gallon left). It honestly felt like I was driving an underpowered 4 cylinder truck. So that combined with the smallish gas tank made a long trip much longer. I'm going to see how the next 6 months go with trips. Normally I'm a person who keeps vehicles a long time, but the Tacoma may end up getting traded in for something with some oomph.

I owned 3 Toyota Tacomas from 1995 until 2020. I love those trucks and they served me well towing small off road trailers and light weight popups. However my last a-frame trailer weighed in at around 2800lbs and that is where I noticed the truck struggling more. Especially living her in Colorado. Did it get the job done? Sure it did but not comfortably as you mentioned in your post. When we got our T@b 400 I knew I would not want to tow it with my 2013 Tacoma, especially at the location we live at. So I found a barely used 2018 Nissan Titan Pro 4x and let me tell you how awesome that truck is. Towing the T@b 400 is effortless and traveling in that truck is so comfortable. And I am sure I get better mileage with it's big V8 than I would with the Tacos V6. Just food for thought.

GrandmasKid · March 2021

Mercedes said:

Just thought I'd pipe in here after yesterday's drive from TX to NM hauling my new 400 BD with my 2021 Tacoma Off Road. Winds during much of the trip were sustained at around 30 mph, with stronger gusts (up to about 45mph in spots).

The Tacoma's Vehicle Stability Control & electronic Trailer Sway Control are impressive. I had trailer sway twice, both times I had picked up excessive speed downhill, so totally my fault. As soon as I eased up on the throttle, the sway disappeared. I was able to haul at 60-65 mph most of the way without a problem. I never felt like I had to grip the steering wheel to make corrections -- the truck did all the work for me.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the V6 engine really struggled during the windiest sections. The transmission downshifted and revved high for long periods of time, dropping the gas mileage to just over 6 mpg. That truly sucked -- at one point I wasn't sure I'd make it to a gas station (I did, with less than a gallon left). It honestly felt like I was driving an underpowered 4 cylinder truck. So that combined with the smallish gas tank made a long trip much longer. I'm going to see how the next 6 months go with trips. Normally I'm a person who keeps vehicles a long time, but the Tacoma may end up getting traded in for something with some oomph.

I'm wondering if you were towing in S mode (semi-manual) with the Tacoma and if you could have slowed down to help with the mileage? I hate the idea of trading in my new Tacoma right away but I may need to. I do appreciate your sharing of your experience.

HuCamp · March 2021

@GrandmasKid I have the '20 Tacoma Offroad but with a manual transmission, so I have a little more control over the gear-searching that the automatics do. That said, the V-6 does have to work, but it is designed to operate at higher revolutions than what you might be used to. I just take my time getting where I have to get and not worry too much. I found that I was getting about 11 mpg while towing (here in pretty flat Texas) - ymmv!

warbler_road · March 2021

I forgot to mention that when I am towing the T@B 400, I put my Tacoma in S mode (pull the shifter over toward driver) and limit the top gear to 5. Read owner's manual for details. Prevents some gear-hunting.

Mercedes · March 2021

GrandmasKid said:

Mercedes said:

Just thought I'd pipe in here after yesterday's drive from TX to NM hauling my new 400 BD with my 2021 Tacoma Off Road. Winds during much of the trip were sustained at around 30 mph, with stronger gusts (up to about 45mph in spots).

The Tacoma's Vehicle Stability Control & electronic Trailer Sway Control are impressive. I had trailer sway twice, both times I had picked up excessive speed downhill, so totally my fault. As soon as I eased up on the throttle, the sway disappeared. I was able to haul at 60-65 mph most of the way without a problem. I never felt like I had to grip the steering wheel to make corrections -- the truck did all the work for me.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the V6 engine really struggled during the windiest sections. The transmission downshifted and revved high for long periods of time, dropping the gas mileage to just over 6 mpg. That truly sucked -- at one point I wasn't sure I'd make it to a gas station (I did, with less than a gallon left). It honestly felt like I was driving an underpowered 4 cylinder truck. So that combined with the smallish gas tank made a long trip much longer. I'm going to see how the next 6 months go with trips. Normally I'm a person who keeps vehicles a long time, but the Tacoma may end up getting traded in for something with some oomph.

I'm wondering if you were towing in S mode (semi-manual) with the Tacoma and if you could have slowed down to help with the mileage? I hate the idea of trading in my new Tacoma right away but I may need to. I do appreciate your sharing of your experience.

I did try slowing down but it just kept up the downshift/high revs. I didn't feel safe enough towing as slowly as it would take to have the truck shift and drop the revs (tractor trailers blowing by at 75 mph). I did not try S mode but will play around with it on the next trip.

The challenging factor was the high winds on this trip -- coming down from the north and I was traveling northwest. When I finally got out of the wind closer to home, the shifting issue stopped & my gas mileage returned to a more normal 12-13 mpg.

Mercedes · March 2021

HuCamp said:

@GrandmasKid I have the '20 Tacoma Offroad but with a manual transmission, so I have a little more control over the gear-searching that the automatics do. That said, the V-6 does have to work, but it is designed to operate at higher revolutions than what you might be used to. I just take my time getting where I have to get and not worry too much. I found that I was getting about 11 mpg while towing (here in pretty flat Texas) - ymmv!

Unfortunately, the 2021 Tacoma Off Road is only available with an AT. 🙁 My preference would have been manual.

Mercedes · March 2021

warbler_road said:

I forgot to mention that when I am towing the T@B 400, I put my Tacoma in S mode (pull the shifter over toward driver) and limit the top gear to 5. Read owner's manual for details. Prevents some gear-hunting.

It wasn't gear hunting, more like staying too long on one gear. I think the tranny could be tuned better for towing. For example, it would downshift coming up a hill in wind (good), but would stay in that gear going down the other side of the hill like it was thinking it was engine braking, even though the wind was providing plenty of resistance to slow the truck & trailer down (annoying). ECT was off. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm towing from Albuquerque to Moab this week, so I'll see how she goes! Crossing fingers.

Horigan · March 2021

With my automatic Highlander I just shift the transmission manually in hilly or windy terrain (Go to + or - in Sport mode). That way you can stay in or move to the gear you want.

HuCamp · March 2021

@Mercedes they do still offer the manual transmission in the '21 TRD Offroad package. Apparently there is healthy demand for old-school out there!

Mercedes · March 2021

@HuCamp We're both right lol. MT is only available with the Double Cab 5 ft bed. I need the 6 ft for sleeping when I'm camping sans trailer (I have the Access Cab w/the 6ft bed).

Mercedes · March 2021

Horigan said:

With my automatic Highlander I just shift the transmission manually in hilly or windy terrain (Go to + or - in Sport mode). That way you can stay in or move to the gear you want.

Thanks @Horigan -- I'm going to try that on this next trip. :-)

Wildflower · March 2021

warbler_road said:

I have the SR, 2018, which is a V6 but without the TRD fancy suspension package and lift. It's basically for road use (and cheaper :-D ) but still has the Toyota tow package, four-wheel drive and the big engine. Same rated towing capacity as you.

I did a fair amount of research, and got the impression that TRDs sag more because of their nice off-road suspension. I also read about the SumoSprings, and went ahead and installed them before I even got my T@B (so I never towed without). The first time I hooked up, though, at the dealer, I watched the frame come down onto those springs and definitely compress them! With the springs, I sag about an inch.

Honestly, I never thought about the warranty. The springs replace a dinky little pyramid-shaped rubber pad (with metal base) between rear axle and frame that's held onto the axle by the U-bolts. It's a very quick install and the only touchy part is making sure your U-bolts are put back on in the proper position with proper torque.

Driving without the trailer, I never even notice the SumoSprings are there.

Hope this helps!

A quick question. What weight sumo springs did you install? 500 or 1000 LB.? This is the way I'm going to help with the squat. Thanks!

HuCamp · March 2021

@Wildflower I installed the 500 lb Sumos. Very easy install, maybe 20 mins total. My TV now squats about 0.5" when loaded.

Greg234 · March 2021

HuCamp said:

@Wildflower I installed the 500 lb Sumos. Very easy install, maybe 20 mins total. My TV now squats about 0.5" when loaded.

Thanks! Had to reply on my wife's account the first time. I've heard the 1000's can give a rough ride so appreciate the info.

HuCamp · March 2021

@Greg234 The idea with the Sumos is that they don't contact the frame when the truck is unloaded, so you shouldn't see any difference when not towing. And when loaded, they give more resistance the more they are loaded, so you would see the most difference when heavily laden.

GrandmasKid · March 2021

Well, after a couple of e-mails and several calls I finally got someone from Toyota to say that for towing over 2000 pounds I need a sway bar and I should keep VSC (which includes electronic sway control) on, although I notice that they wouldn't put that in writing in an e-mail. Everyone's afraid in our litigious society.

ColoradoSun · March 2021

Thank you for passing that information along.

warbler_road · March 2021

Wildflower said:

warbler_road said:

I have the SR, 2018, which is a V6 but without the TRD fancy suspension package and lift. It's basically for road use (and cheaper :-D ) but still has the Toyota tow package, four-wheel drive and the big engine. Same rated towing capacity as you.

I did a fair amount of research, and got the impression that TRDs sag more because of their nice off-road suspension. I also read about the SumoSprings, and went ahead and installed them before I even got my T@B (so I never towed without). The first time I hooked up, though, at the dealer, I watched the frame come down onto those springs and definitely compress them! With the springs, I sag about an inch.

Honestly, I never thought about the warranty. The springs replace a dinky little pyramid-shaped rubber pad (with metal base) between rear axle and frame that's held onto the axle by the U-bolts. It's a very quick install and the only touchy part is making sure your U-bolts are put back on in the proper position with proper torque.

Driving without the trailer, I never even notice the SumoSprings are there.

Hope this helps!

A quick question. What weight sumo springs did you install? 500 or 1000 LB.? This is the way I'm going to help with the squat. Thanks!

Sorry ... been away a few days! I put in the 1,000 lb Sumosprings, the black ones.

Mercedes · March 2021

Another windy trip last weekend (tis the season!). Had sustained 30-40 mph cross winds on the interstate. Again, the Tacoma electronic anti-sway system & VSC performed admirably -- I had absolutely no sway the entire trip. :-)

I played around with the transmission -- S mode was definitely helpful when the truck needlessly downshifted (and on the little winding road to/from the campground). Otherwise, I kept it in Drive. Cruise control seems to be the biggest culprit re the crazy downshifting, so I finally gave up on it and the transmission did much better. Fortunately, it was only a 4.5 hour drive. Hoping cruise will do better in non-windy conditions.

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