• For the 2024 SEMA Show, Turn 14 Distribution will be debuting a new truck build in the form of a lifted and tuned Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro.
• Toyota TRD Pro models are equipped with performance parts; however, aftermarket upgrades from partner brands will be installed to make the Sequoia a more capable SUV in off-road conditions.
• Following its reveal in Las Vegas, the Turn 14 Distribution customers will have the opportunity to win the Sequoia by purchasing products from featured brands.
• RPM Garage is a truck and off-road specialist based in Monrovia, California, and will be the installation expert and partner of the 2023 Sequoia TRD Pro.
• With only a couple of weeks before the SEMA Show, RPM Garage installs SuperPro control and trailing arms first.

Yes, you read that correctly. The 2023 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro before your eyes isn’t just your average truck build—it’s one Turn 14 Distribution will be giving away in 2025! It’s part of a new sales promotion program where manufacturers can sign on to become a build partner. T14 customers who then purchase products from these featured brands will earn points toward an opportunity to win the vehicle. Our first experiment was the BMW E91 GTS Tribute, a campaign that proved to be highly successful, and we’ll be announcing the winner at the 2024 SEMA Show. Our next two giveaway vehicles will be this Sequoia and a Honda Civic Type R, which, as you guessed it, both will be debuting in Las Vegas as well.

FLAGSHIP FOUNDATION

When it came time to decide what truck to use as a platform for the next giveaway project, we wanted something that would have a universal appeal and not be a vehicle that’s a dime a dozen at a massive convention like SEMA. After weighing several options, we ended up with Toyota’s flagship Sequoia from the TRD Pro lineup.

Priced at roughly $80,000, the Sequoia TRD Pro is at the top of the food chain when considering all Toyota models offered in North America. With its third-row seating, it’s categorized as a full-size SUV and competes with the likes of the Chevy Tahoe. However, because it wears the TRD Pro badge, it carries a certain reputation with 4×4 enthusiasts as it simply wasn’t engineered to pick up groceries and kids from soccer practice.

Now, why would we even modify a Sequoia TRD Pro you might ask? The answer is…there’s still plenty of performance to be unlocked, especially if we’re setting out to build one of the most capable, family-friendly rigs of the 2024 SEMA Show.

RPM GARAGE

We enlisted the help of RPM Garage in Monrovia, California to help us with the build, which, needless to say, we’re grateful for them, as we’ve left their technicians only a couple of weeks to install all the parts before the journey to SEMA. RPM is well-known and experienced in the Toyota truck and off-road space, so we were ultimately in good hands. Plus, all the modifications planned were parts they typically service regularly.

SUPERPRO TITLE PARTNER

SuperPro will be the title partner of the Sequoia TRD Pro build and giveaway campaign. The Australia-based manufacturer is a leader when it comes to suspension upgrades in the off-road and overland markets. Car guys will also know their background quite well as their sister company, Whiteline, is no stranger to offering some of the best sway bars, strut bars, bushings, and lowering springs in the industry. For our Sequoia TRD Pro, we would be installing their upper and lower control arms up front, as well as the rear upper and lower trailing arm kits.

We asked Steve Lam of RPM Garage if upgraded arms from SuperPro would be necessary for a 4×4 build like ours. It all comes down to lift, which we planned to aim for two inches with a set of King Shocks coilovers. “When lifting any truck over a 1.5”, it’s recommended to do upper arms. If you don’t, the alignment wouldn’t be as good, and the factory arms could end up hitting the spring or shock, especially if it’s a long-travel shock. The SuperPro arms provide the right clearance and are made a lot stronger to take on a lot more abuse.” Alignment is key as it’ll correct the overall suspension geometry, fixing camber and caster, which thus provides better stability, handling, and steering.

As for the lower control arms, they consist of new assemblies with pre-installed SuperPro polyurethane bushings and uprated ball joints. “Stock bushings are just rubber. When a truck goes up and down a lot, it stretches the stock rubber bushings, and there’s a lot of folding back and forth. Polyurethane bushings like the SuperPro ones are free-flowing and can cycle more freely,” explained Steve.  These are just one of those no-brainer upgrades to fix as the stock bushings often go through the most wear and tear when you get out onto the trails.

Steve continues that the rear trailing arm sets are probably one of the most important modifications to install when off-roading. “We see rear control arms break a lot with our customers. The stock arms are factory steel and not bulky or robust at all. The SuperPro arms are a heavy-duty design, and if it lands on a rock, it won’t bend like the factory arms, but can take the punishment.”

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Turn 14 Distribution x SuperPro Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro build in the coming weeks.

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