NEW TRUCK/NEW MEMBER what's next?

What's up TACOMAWORLD!? I've been dissecting the forum for weeks now, and I thought before I make an account and start asking redundant questions that could be answered by a trip to the search bar. It will be wise you buy a truck first. Well, I did! I went with a 2015 Double Cab 4x4 TRD Off Road. I love it! Now, as the title suggests, what's next? What's out there? What are the do's and don'ts, the good, the bad, and ugly of the Tacoma World?

I don't want to lift it, yet. Maybe a little lift. You know something that doesn't void the warranty. I'll contact the dealer with this, but if someone knows how high I can go please chime in. Still 3" is the most I'll go, maybe. HA! This might seem like a dumb question at least it does to me. As the truck is now (stock). What's the biggest size of rims/tires I can go where its still "functional" as its intended purpose as daily road/off road truck from factory. If I need to elaborate on this let me know.

Anyways, happy to be here. I love the site! Feel free to comment and add photos. Thanks in advance.

 

Two options.

1) Mod everything, sell house, mod more.

-or -

2) Lock your wallet in a safe and delete your TW account


What do you plan to do with your truck? camp? haul a trailer? expo (do you even expo, bra?)? Beach trips?

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to the club! Ton of mods to do. The hard part is figuring out what to do first. I as well am new.

 

Welcome. A guy could really go broke hanging around this forum. I just joined and am on my way. Lots of little, relatively inexpensive mods all the way to the other end of the spectrum. Lots has to do with your intended use(s) for your truck. Have fun and do lots of reading. There is tons of automotive modification wisdom 'round here.

 

The Rear Differential Breather Mod is the first and easiest perhaps mod IF YOU MAY EVER BE IN WATER over a foot- 18" deep for any time more than a few seconds. See the link to that mod in my signature...

The front diff has a remote breather up high, so why not the rear? One of the few fails on this excellent truck (the rear springs are too soft for most, as well).

Welcome and enjoy the quality of this machine! I am on my third Off Road 4WD Tacoma... and with the A-TRAC, this one is a Sherman Tank off road!

 

sick ass first post

 

haha yesss

daily commuter, mall crawl, haul my kayak and mtb around, trips to the cabin

 

hey man, thanks

 

thanks glad to be here, and tell me about it. ima ride out these wheels until i need new tires. dont have a clue on what make or size. any suggestions? i got the side steps. maybe a brush bar, and chrome tail pipe.. idk

 

ahh yes

thanks for the link.

 

haha oh yeah, i havent even made my first payment. i need to slow down.

i know ive learned a lot just browsing around.

thanks for the comment!

 

shit you just blew my mind. this is a lot of truck for me i can admit. but i rather have it the be without. i dont even know when to turn on my a-trac. my guess is when i go mudding? and the rear lock is only when i get stuck? would i run both at the same time? hell i dont even know how to add my profile pic! haha

your truck looks beast btw! i like how its not lifted and all, but the inner works are probably built as you say like a tank! thats what im after. thanks for the links.

 

thanks man. wish i flipped the first pic upright. didn't even think ill get a response

 

Welcome to TW! Leave it stock or go all-in. Once you start modding, it'll be difficult to stop.

 

First off, that's a good lookin' truck! You and I seem like we are on the same page in terms of lift and functionality, wait on the lift. The biggest I'm goin is 2.5", well 3" if I fully adjust the coilovers, but I'll never crank them that high. My advice, take it for what it's worth, is drive your truck around for a bit, and see how you like the way it rides. Then evaluate how much you want to improve/decrease driveability with a lift. Now with improved driveability is increased cost. You can get a cheap lift and it'll ride like a cheap lift. Go with a 2.5-3" lift, keep the stock wheels, and put on 265/75/16 tires to save some cheese on wheels. In terms of cheap mods, the first thing I did was remove the mud flaps. In my opinion, it looks great, but if you live in an area with a ton of gravel, some of your paint might suffer a little. Next thing to consider is plasti-dip the chrome emblems on the truck black. I think it looks really nice, and is reversible. Next, check to see when you drive your truck uphill if it pings. There is a TSB out that will reflash your ecm and make it stop. Other than that, maybe get some weather tech floor floor liners and enjoy!

 

What he said...^^^^^^

I simply put the TRD BAJA suspension on my '14 PreRunner, and with slightly taller tires, got about 2" lift total. Perfect for my truck's intended purpose!

 

I bet! Nice truck you got there sir. What size rims and tires on that beauty? Lifted?

 

I am here to assist on anything I can offer! My truck is stock except for the tires, which are an inch taller (265/75-16) the biggest without rubbing or needing a lift.

1) A-TRAC (and the locker) only works in L4, and L4 without A-TRAC or lockers is very ineffective beyond the low gearing. I actually can drive further in H4 with traction control than L4 without. Spinning tires just doesn't do any good in most situations, but traction tires do!

The first time you engage L4, press the A-TRAC button. Now it will always be on standby anytime you go into L4, unless you press it again. A-TRAC only works when you lose traction (stop moving/ get stuck). It then becomes ACTIVE and matches tire rotation across the axle, using the brakes on the spinning tire.

2) The locker is indeed only for emergencies (if you have A-TRAC). I use it when pulling another rig up a hill he can't get up (see the You Tube in my sig). The locker is sometimes more difficult to engage, and it has limit warnings because it does affect the steering of the truck more than 4WD does... so you are warned to not go over 5 mph for safety reasons, you can drive faster.

A-TRAC 'auto locks' the front and the rear and so it has more traction control than the locker. There is throttle control and some funky noises made by the A-TRAC, so some here prefer lockers (they add front lockers $$$). A-TRAC has never let me down getting my stock suspension Tacoma anywhere it can physically get by or over.

So, use A-TRAC anytime you need to be in low range to crawl up steep grades or through deep mud, etc. Without A-TRAC or lockers, you generally will have one tire in front and one tire in back spinning and the other two tires with traction doing nothing!
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In H4, you are normally in TRAC mode and since 2012, TRAC has engine regulation in H4. So they added TRAC OFF mode in H4, which is TRAC with the engine regulation off (ie. more power). Press the VSC button briefly in H4 to turn off the regulation. In 2WD this brief press will put you into AUTO LSD, just another name for TRAC OFF. It helps make both back tires work to get you out if just one is spinning in snow or ice, etc.

To have no traction control so the tires will spin freely (and get stuck easier), stop the truck and press the VSC button and hold it down for a few seconds until the dash lights say VSC OFF. This is in H2 and H4...

 

Welcome