upgrading a basic tacoma to off roading
 

im looking into buying a tacoma, i want the 4x4 v6 dual cab, and i want it to be fully off road capable for hunting. would it be better to buy it with the offroad package or go to an auto shop and get them to install one?

if u are mechanically inclined i would upgrade everything specifically to your liking if not then you should buy prepped.

do i really need to be that mechanically inclined? couldnt i just go to the shop and get them to do everything? haha

but yes i am somewhat, although i know next to nothing about the mechanics of a truck i am willing to learn

your gonna break stuff eventually offroading.

what do you wanna do to the truck anyways?

OME lift kit, 33's and you'll go more places than you know what to do with.

Just get the trd off road edition

what Gab said. The Tacoma is an amazing beast in stock form anyway. A little clearance with better tires and you are golden. Unless you are getting the Off Road package on the Access Cab then don't bother. You can't get the rear e-locker on a double cab in Canada; which sucks balls. I'm not sure what else the TRD Sport package gives you in terms of better "off road" equipment.

If you can deal with a short box then get the TRD Off Road Pro double cab in the States. Four doors with the e-locker. The Pro's now come with remote res Bilstein shocks all around. Pretty killer stuff.

i pretty much want what the offroad package comes with, Active Traction Control (A-TRAC)
Rear Differential Locks, and upgraded shocks, but not all the unnecessary extras that you have to pay for as part of the package like the chrome etc. and also you cant get the offroad package with the dual cab only the access cab. so can you get rear differential locks installed at a shop somewhere in van or is that not possible or to expensive?

i would get it in the states, but from what ive heard its really hard to bring them over into canada and you wont get the 5 year warranty that comes with buying it brand new... as far as i know.

yeah buy the trd edition, no point in trying to cheap out now.

put about a 4" lift on it and 33's. it'll be high enough and you'll be able to have so much fun with it.



edit: not sure what your price range is, but this is a nice one. http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/pml/ctd/4749754197.html

You can buy a TRD double cab and have a shop install the factory Toyota e-locker. I would guessimate a cost of about $1,000 for parts and labour. The only reason to upgrade the suspension is for extra clearance and articulation as the stock stuff is pretty good. Toytec makes pretty decent stuff so you can check them out for lifts. Or go all out with Fox or ICON.

The Toyota warranty thing is up for debate. I've heard that Toyota dropped their policy on it as there are different model in the US market that Canadians want. It's more about product options availability rather than a cost savings, which is why manufacturers put up blockers in the first place.

do you think its necessary to get the e-lockers for off roading in bc(just going through hunting trail in the interior) or should i be good just throwing in the bilstien shocks and maybe 33's?

No one really "needs" a rear locker. It's just cool that Toyota has the e-locker option. Saves having on-board air for an air locker(ARB, etc). Normal 4WD should be enough but when you get hung up and the front left tire and right rear tire are teetering(sp?) it's handy to have.

Read up on rear lockers and see how they operate. You be the judge whether you would like to have it or not.

As for the 33's, yes, you would need a lift to get the tires to clear without rubbing.

I take my Nissan Frontier crew cab long box with 5" lift and 33" tires down all the access/ex-FSR roads for hunting with no issues and no lockers. This year, we took my friend's 2001 Dodge dually and it was walking over trees etc.

E-lockers have a tendency to break, not sure how well the Toyota ones are, but they really aren't needed unless you are climbing steep rock faces or going through deep mud on a regular basis.

i would just get the double cab sport edition and throw on whatever you need.

swap out the suspension. if you're on a budget go with OME's if you've got money to blow, fox/king/icon all make a nice remote resi setup.

i'd go 3 inch lift and 33's. its a good balance of off-road clearance and on-road driving (which you'll do the most of).

i would go with an ARB locker instead of an e-locker for a few reasons. mainly, it gives you the secondary benefit of having on-board air.

upgrade the factory skids to some better armor. also get a nice set of sliders. the sliders not only protect your rocker panel but also give you a point to jack from when using a hi-lift.

as for bumpers? unless you're doing some hardcore crawing you would be just fine with the factory bumpers. a hidden winch setup is nice to have if you do plan on venturing solo. an alternative is to have from and rear mounted hitches so that you can pop the winch onto whatever end you need when getting yourself out.

i would also include some creature comforts. ibs dual battery setup, arb roof top tent, etc

here's some inspiration

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...9_10_fused.jpg

^^^ugh! that's the dream truck right there. Access Cab Off Road. Just gorgeous.

How hardcore is the stuff you're traveling on? I'd start with a stock truck and take it out for fun (not on a hunting trip) and see where it falls short.

only thing to keep in mind is that the anything that isnt a off road edition will lack skids for the gas tank so be mindful of obstacles.

el-cheapo solution is find an off road edition at a wreckers and pull the stock skid and bang it up till you can afford a nice set of skids like shrockworks or budbuilts.

not to hardcore mostly forest service roads, which can get pretty rough. im not going out looking for serious off roading by an means

FSR's you're probably fine in a stock truck if you exercise a little caution in the rougher bits, though you obviously know the roads you'll be on better than we will. Determination and skill can get vehicles through a lot though, I've seen cars in places I would've hesitated to take my Cherokee.

make sure it actually has front diff, some models have trd off road badging but are only rwd with elocker

Reviving from the dead because I may be in the market for a tacoma.

I would be looking at used, preferably 08 as I believe the TRD sports still came with an elocker.

-main question is to any current or past owners. How bad was the fuel mileage?

I read mixed reviews. My plan would be a 3" lift with 33" all terrain tires. I base most of reading off mpg, so it seems some people complain about mileage as low as 13-14mpg, and some say 16-17mpg. These are mixed/city driving.

-how do they drive around the city, the double cab short box is still pretty long at 17.3 feet. Is it quite cumbersome around town, or manageable and maybe almost car like shifting/maneuvering?

Any other basic information I should be aware of? I'm looking into a manual double cab, short box.

are you getting rid of your 3500 ram for one?

This one is pretty sick too!
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...37&oe=564ED2C5