Ground Clearance… What Ground Clearance?????

I have a 2019 Crew Max 4x4 SR5 with TRD Off-road Package. Stated ground clearance from Toyota is supposed to be 10.6” from factory. I would assume that is to the lowest hanging part under the truck, which is the rear differential. I just installed Bilstein 6112 on the 1.3” lift setting up front, 5160 with a RAS set to highest lift (appx 1”) on rear and Toyo AT3 275/70R18 on factory rims. Should be about 1” taller than the factory 275/65 tires so I was expecting about a half inch increase in ground clearance, or about 11”. Out of curiosity, I measure to the bottom of the differential and I get a whopping 9” on the dot! Where did my other 2” go???? (Sounds like the same question that gets asked by many of the ladies… lol). Obviously Toyota told quite a little fib with their stated ground clearance. Anyone else ever notice that and does anyone have any explanation (not that there really is an explanation) but I’m just curious how high the Toyota guy was the day he measured specs?. Makes you wonder what other specs are wrong.

 

The struggle is real...

I did learn that the Toyo's run a little smaller in actual rubber than they do on paper. I replaced the Michelins with some AT3's in OEM size, and the Toyo's are like a 1/2" shorter.

 

That still doesn’t explain a 2” difference in advertised versus actual clearance.

 

CAFE standards.

 

Some earlier models with less engine displacement had smaller differentials and Toyota probably put that in fine print somewhere.

 

Even worse, when you need the clearance, you should probably be deflating the tires at the same time too.

 

Love my 33s*

*40s at 8psi

 

Mine still makes it over the mall parking lot speed bumps. I'm sure yours will too.

 

There’s probably something to that, I just looked at the 2007 brochure and there’s no way all these models have the same differential clearance. They are either measuring something else on the frame or using the same measurement from like the 4.7 differential for the 5.7.

 

I'm aware, wasn't speaking to that.

Only speaking to my experience with one of the expectations you mentioned.

"Should be about 1” taller than the factory 275/65 tires so I was expecting about a half inch increase in ground clearance"

It has also been my experience that advertising, marketing, specs, and fine print are very rarely factual and straightforward. I'm actually more surprised when truck numbers ARE real than when they're not.

 

The ground clearance is pretty sad. Combined with the wheelbase, I scrape everywhere offroad. Even the frame is really low.