Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Accessories: Trim-Specific Upgrades Worth Buying

Pull up to a trailhead in a 2024 4Runner TRD Pro and you've got more than most rigs leave the factory with. Fox 2.5 shocks. A locking rear diff. That Lunar Rock paint that turns heads at the gas pump. But the TRD Pro is a starting point, not a finish line. I've watched guys drop $3,000 on parts that duplicate hardware their truck came with. This guide covers the upgrades that earn their price tag, and the ones you can skip.

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ships with Fox 2.5 Internal Bypass shocks, a locking rear differential, and TRD-tuned front springs. The accessories worth adding: full-belly skid plates ($400 to $900), rock sliders, a roof rack, an LED light bar, and tailored seat covers to protect the factory upholstery. Skip aftermarket shocks, sub-2-inch lift kits, and generic covers that ignore side airbags.

What the TRD Pro Already Includes From the Factory

Before you spend a dime, know what you own. The TRD Pro isn't a base SR5 with a badge. It's the top tier of the 4Runner lineup, and Toyota loaded it before the truck hit the lot.

You get Fox 2.5 Internal Bypass shocks at all four corners. These shocks cost $2,000 to upgrade on lesser trims. You have them stock. Toyota also added KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) on the TRD Pro for better articulation on rocks. This system differs from the TRD Off-Road trim and flexes better in dirt because of it.

Under the hood sits a locking rear differential engaged by a dash button. Up front, a factory TRD-stamped aluminum skid plate protects the oil pan and engine front. On the outside, you get the heritage TOYOTA grille and Pro-only badging.

Cross-reference your build sheet against the Toyota spec page before ordering parts. Nothing worse than paying for a "TRD upgrade" you already own. Ask anyone on a 5th-gen forum, this mistake happens weekly.

Skid Plates and Underbody Protection Worth the Money

Here's where the factory setup falls short. That TRD-stamped front skid plate looks good, but it's thin aluminum. It covers only the engine bay. Slide it under a Jeep at Moab and you'll see the difference in ten minutes.

The transfer case and fuel tank sit exposed. A dropped tank on a fire road ruins your day. Full-belly skid systems from ARB, SCI (Southern California Industries), and RCI wrap the underside from the front crossmember back to the rear axle.

Expect to pay $400 to $900 for a full front-to-back system. Steel plates weigh more (usually 90 to 130 lbs total) but take rock hits better than aluminum. Aluminum saves 30 to 50 pounds and won't rust. Owners in Colorado run aluminum for payload concerns. Guys in the Southeast choose steel because they crawl through wet limestone.

If you buy one upgrade from this list, make it the transfer case plate. That's the piece Toyota skipped and the one you'll miss on rock.

Rock Sliders and Side Steps That Fit the TRD Pro Body

The TRD Pro sits wider than a base 4Runner because of fender flares and TRD wheel offset. That matters when ordering sliders. Confirm fitment by year and trim before checkout. Generic 5th-gen sliders can leave a gap between the rocker and slider face.

Two schools of thought exist here. Welded sliders (CBI Offroad, Shrockworks) bolt and weld to body mounts. Stronger, but you pay a shop to install them. Bolt-on sliders (N-Fab, Rago Fabrication) install in a driveway with a floor jack and socket set in about 90 minutes.

If you run a 2-inch lift or bigger, sliders double as a step. My buddy's wife kept hitting her shin on his stock running boards. He pulled them and threw on RCI sliders. She stopped complaining and he got trail protection.

Roof Rack Systems for the 5th Gen TRD Pro

The 5th gen 4Runner (2010 to present) has fixed roof rails. Most bolt-on rack systems mount to these rails without drilling. Yakima and Rhino-Rack both make crossbar kits sized for the Pro's rail spacing.

Watch the weight ratings. The 4Runner's factory roof holds 165 lbs moving and around 660 lbs parked (like a rooftop tent). People forget this and pile 400 lbs of gear up top at 70 mph. That's how you learn what your rack can hold the hard way.

Basket racks (Front Runner Slimline II, Prinsu) are the overlanding standard. They hold jerry cans, MAXTRAX, and a rooftop tent. Simple crossbars with a Yakima FatCat or Thule Track weigh less and work better for kayaks and skis. Pick based on what you do, not what looks cool on Instagram.

Lighting Upgrades That Clear the TRD Pro Grille

The TRD Pro grille on newer model years has a light bar cutout molded in. Rigid Industries and Baja Designs both make bar kits sized to slot in without cutting the grille.

Go amber for dust and fog, white for open desert running. I've been behind a friend's rig in Baja where his white LEDs turned the dust cloud into a wall. He switched to amber selective yellow and could see the trail again. Basic physics, but people learn it the expensive way.

Look for plug-and-play harnesses from Diode Dynamics or Cali Raised LED. They tap the factory wiring without cutting the harness. They include a switch pod that mounts on the A-pillar. Total install time is about 45 minutes with hand tools. If you're pulling apart the dash, you're doing it wrong.

Interior Accessories That Protect the TRD Pro Cabin

The TRD Pro interior gets red stitching, TRD badging on the headrests, and premium fabric or SofTex depending on model year. It's the nicest interior in the 4Runner lineup, and it gets destroyed the fastest.

Trail mud tracked in on boots. A water bottle rolling under the seat and leaking for three days. A wet dog shaking off in the back. The TRD Pro cabin takes a beating before the first oil change.

All-weather liners from WeatherTech or Husky are the baseline. They catch the mud your boots bring in and hose out in a driveway. Grab a cargo liner too because the rear cargo carpet stains from wet gear in about three trips.

Then there's the seats. Generic universal covers are a bad idea on a truck with side airbags. The TRD Pro has them in the front seatbacks. That's why our tailored seat covers for the Toyota 4Runner are cut with airbag deployment channels stitched in. They protect the factory upholstery and the TRD stitching underneath. They install in under an hour with the seats bolted in place.

If you like how the trd pro seat covers look on the Tacoma, the same construction runs on the 4Runner line. For older rigs, the 1999 4runner seat covers and the 2000 toyota 4runner seat covers get the same treatment. They're cut for the exact seat shape of that model year. If you want to see the material spec, check the OEM-style luxury seat covers product page.

Recovery Gear Worth Mounting on a TRD Pro

The TRD Pro front bumper has factory recovery hooks rated for the truck's weight. That's your starting point. From there, build a kit that matches how far off-grid you go.

Baseline for anyone leaving pavement:

• MAXTRAX or Actiontrax traction boards (mount on the roof rack or rear door)
• Kinetic recovery rope (25 to 30 ft, rated to 3x vehicle weight, so around 13,000 to 30,000 lbs for the 4Runner)
• D-ring shackles rated to the vehicle curb weight (4Runner sits around 4,750 lbs curb, so 4.75-ton shackles minimum)
• A hi-lift jack, mounted where you can reach it

Skip the winch on a TRD Pro unless you wheel solo. Most trail days you're with buddies, and a kinetic rope pulls harder than a 9,500-lb winch. The winch adds 80+ lbs to your front axle, which changes how the suspension feels loaded.

Accessories That Are Not Worth the Price on a TRD Pro

Here's the list nobody talks about. The stuff not to buy.

Aftermarket shocks. You have Fox 2.5s. Icons and King 2.5s cost $2,500 installed and give you almost nothing over stock unless you're racing Baja. Don't sell perfectly good Fox 2.5s at a loss to install nearly identical shocks.

Sub-2-inch lift kits. The TRD Pro sits about an inch higher than an SR5. A 1-inch lift on top of that is $600 for maybe 3/4 of visible ride height. Save the money for skid plates.

Generic universal seat covers. These are the ones sold in three-packs at big-box stores. They don't fit the TRD Pro seat contour. They bunch under the driver and block the side airbags. Read why custom car accessories hold resale value if you need the case for spending more on the parts that touch your body every day.

Duplicate skid plates. If a plate covers only what your factory TRD plate covers, you're paying twice for the same protection. Buy the plates that cover what Toyota left exposed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the best upgrades for the 4Runner?

For a TRD Pro specifically, the highest-value upgrades are full underbody skid plate coverage (transfer case and fuel tank especially), rock sliders sized for the wider TRD stance, a roof rack rated for your actual gear weight, and interior protection like WeatherTech liners and tailored seat covers. The Fox 2.5 shocks and rear locker come from the factory. Skip the suspension money and spend it on protection.

Q: What is the most popular TRD Pro color?

Lunar Rock and Army Green have been the most talked-about TRD Pro exclusive colors in recent years. Army Green debuted on the 2020 model and sold out almost immediately. Lunar Rock (a pale sage-gray) followed in 2023 with the same reaction. Both hold resale value better than Super White or Magnetic Gray Metallic on used listings because they're only offered on the Pro trim.

Q: Do 4Runners have Easter eggs?

Yes. Toyota has hidden small design details on several 4Runner models, including a tiny mountain scene embossed inside the door jamb on some TRD trims and a topographic map pattern molded into certain interior panels. The locations vary by model year and trim. Check the Toyota owner community forums for your specific build. TRD Pro trims get more of these hidden details than SR5 or Limited models.

Q: What does TRD Pro stand for on a 4Runner?

TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development, Toyota's in-house performance and off-road division out of California. The Pro designation marks the top tier of the TRD lineup. It adds factory Fox 2.5 Internal Bypass shocks, a locking rear differential, TRD-tuned suspension, unique badging, and Pro-exclusive paint colors over the standard TRD Off-Road trim. It's the closest thing Toyota sells to a factory-built race truck.

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See SUV seat covers built for off-road trims if you want covers that match your 4Runner's exact seat shape. Airbag-safe, installed in under an hour, and priced well below a dealer upholstery job.