Building a TRD Off Road ?

Ok..thanks for the input, so what it comes down to is getting locker and suspension upgrades..So what type of locker and suspenson should I get and how much might it cost..? to be equivilent or better then the trd off rd pkg..

 

arb is about a grand installed maybe a little more and if you can get the tsb springs the suspension will be free. If not someone mentioned 5100's and those are better than the trd and not too pricey.

 

I'm not real thrilled with my Taco 2010, the whole electronic issue takes the off road right out of the picture.
I'm used to taking control of my driving, without the help of a ecm. I think that it maybe more of a hazard for those who know how to counter react driving problems. i also think its a waste of fuel and breaks. I rather have an Auburn gear ECTED LOCKER. I would like full control of my rear diff.
although i do like some of the electronic gizmo's just not in the warm months, winter may be the best to use them.

and yes i do turn the whole system off, but the open diff really blows goats, the ECTED DIFF would fix that.

so for now i'm just cussing like sailor, and trying not to take the truck apart by shear anger..

 

Instead of cussing it out why don't you learn how it works then make an informed opinion on it.

The rear e-locker has a solenoid that engages the pin to lock the rear. Once locked, there is nothing electronic about it... it's a metal pin that keeps it locked together. It's perfectly solid, in fact the only times I have heard of it failing were people that engaged it improperly. It needs to be engaged below 3mph or it can/will shear the pin. Once engaged it's fine... I had my last prerunner locked running 75mph in the sand no problems, abusing it up hills I should have had 4x4 for... no problems. It never once failed me.

My '10 4x4 transfer case hasn't had an issue either. If you know how to properly engage and disengage it... it works. Not to say it can't fail... but hell even the manual gearboxes can break. I personally find it rather nice to flick a switch and be locked and not have to run out in the cold for some manual hubs.

As for traction control... I'm sort of along the same lines you are. VSC can be a life saver on black ice and bad conditions though... but I know how to correct most issues myself as well from driving rwd sports cars. However traction control does it's job, and does it rather well. The only system I still despise is ABS, but I always have as it decreases stopping distance, especially in sand.

 

so...your saying that if i push the diiff button in under 3 mph, it locks the rear diff in until i push the button again.. Well maybe i missunderstood the instruction on the diff... if that's the case i can turn every the vsc off and the locker on and just be happy.

i read the instructions as if the locker dropped out at 3mph.. i'll read that again..

thanks for pointing that out kyouto42..

as for abs..i still pump the breaks..

 

Yea, it's only for engaging and disengaging. I wouldn't use the locker on the streets though, only in off pavement situations and only when you need that traction. If you run it on dry pavement you WILL break something, that's a tremendous amount of stress when it can't slip.

Also you can turn VSC off and use Auto-LSD which acts like a limited slip diff... it works pretty well and it uses the brakes to the same effect a clutch in the diff would... you're really doing essentially the same thing.

As for pumping with ABS... that's an extremely bad idea and it will make your stopping distance wayyyyy extended. Hating the system is one thing, attempting to counter act it is making it way worse.

 

Yea, A-Trac is decent but it's still no locker. It does help in that situation you need additional front traction, but a front locker would be far, far, far superior.

 

Really? That's weird around here A-Trac wouldn't get me up a hill but the locker could.. and it always brings me up straight. Maybe it's the terrain...

 

I'm off and on road all the time, i don't always have time to stop and shift the diff in.
That other locker i was talking about was able to drop in and out at any speed.
When it was not locked it went to a standard limited slip diff. I rather have a normal limited slip that don't burn my breaks up.

My problem is i've driven Gm vehicles too long and this shift to Toyota is taking a bit long and im just to ADHD to give it time..

thanks for the info, really its not a bad truck; just needs a bit of help.

 

Possibly, depending on what it is. But show me where the failure rate in the electronic systems is any higher than the failure rate in the manual systems. I want statistics. We all had manual systems at one point that we believed were "bombproof" mostly because none of us experienced a failure. Doesn't mean they didn't happen. Certainly ditto for electronic systems. Most of these have so much redundancy and engineering built into them, I would bet they fail less. But again I want to see statistics.

 

To the OP - I second the ARB. Don't get their base under hood compressor. Take a step up and get one that can also be used for onboard air (inflating tires). It's not much more. As for the seats, they're fine but the fabric is a little more Camry than offroad. Get some good seat covers and you'll be set.