Honeymoon's over...

10851 thanks and yes my current ratio 4.10. Everyone Ive consulted with have said go 4.88 as 4.56 is not quite worth it. All the calcs that Ive used say I'd be right around 3k rpm at 75mph on 4.88 w/33s which isnt too bad i believe. Just to test it ive driven at around at 65 or so in 4th (~3krpm) for about 20 miles and it seemed the motor could putt along all day at that pace...on flatland. My real concern is maintaining speed up in elevation and steep grades loaded without winding out the motor to 6k. Above 4.3k rpm there just doesnt seem to be much left in it.

 

I have a 4x4 4 cylinder regular cab. I've added quite a bit of weight: sliders, full skids, bumper, winch, high clearance rear bumper, tools, and gas cans. Sometimes I tow a trailer. I've also regeared to 4.88. So I can speak to your post from actual experience.

The 4 cyl meets my needs, and I can go 70-75 on the highway all the time, on all but the steepest high altitude climbs. Then I'm limited by redline in third 70mph IIRC.

All that said, I think you won't be happy until you get the V6. Why? Because you wrote this:

Small engines make their power high in the RPM band and the 2TR-FE is no exception with peak torque at 3800 RPM and peak horsepower at 5200 RPM. To keep a heavy truck moving and accelerating and climbing hills, you're going to be running the engine between those RPM ranges, NO MATTER WHAT REAR END FINAL RATIO YOU'VE INSTALLED. Installing 4.88 just does two things:

1. Make it easier for the truck to start moving from a dead stop
2. Decrease the speed you can creep in 1st in rush hour traffic or in 4 LO while wheeling
3. Marginally makes the gears closer together (in terms of vehicle speeds you shift at not RPM speeds, which remains the same)

As a practical matter, after regearing to 4.88 while running my 33" tires, the top speed in 3rd at redline is around 71 mph IIRC. And I use that when driving in the mountains when the engine won't hold 65mph+ in 4th.

TLDR - Small engines == high revs no matter what. Get used to it or get a bigger engine.

 

Trade for the V6 and be done. If you don't I'm thinking you will regret it down the road and end up swapping out anyways.
The fact that you bring up the Tundra tells me even with the V6 you are are settling.

 

Absolutely excellent advice guys!!

Reading a bit more on engine mods (header, intake, exhaust etc) + gearing and I'm actually feeling a little better about making the 4cyl work for my needs in the long run. That and the fact that for the most part I'll only be trekking up significant mtn grades maybe a few months out of the year. The rest of the time will be mostly fire access roads, light trails, and daily commuting. All of which I'm sure the combination of gearing and engine mods should be enough to keep the truck moving sufficiently at speed. Also rethinking 285's and now looking into 255/85 or maybe even 265/75's as a possible option.

 

I have ext cab 2.7 4x4 with 33s (255/85) a camper shell and 350# sitting on the tongue (300# bike + 50# carrier) I keep my cab filled with gear.


I drove like this from LA all the way to Ohio along 70. Utah and Colorado are no joke as far as elevation change.


My truck handled it fine. Going through the mountains in Colorado had me down at 45-50mph in some places but I was at no point bothered by it. Great little truck

 

That's quite a load on that 4 banger and a real testament as to how reliable and durable these motors really are. However 45mph, at least to me, just isnt cutting it. But that was likely due to the fact that you were towing. Still that's an impressive haul.

 

Your interpretation of my post is correct, that's precisely what I did.

If you have a 4banger I'm sure that the header won't make it seem any faster. Funnily enough, I just got done installing an LCE longtube header on my taco, only desired result was a lowered torque curve. I don't expect much of any noticeable change in driving other than a bit better low-end torque response. Although i would have gotten a V6 if available, this 4banger was the first reasonably priced Taco I found after a year of searching so I scooped it up. I'm not at all disappointed.

This was on my way back from Cali. On the way out, I didn't have the bike or carrier on my hitch and I was limited to the same speeds in the mountains of CO. Altering the weight of your truck will not have much effect on what speed you can go at elevation on an incline. The elevation is what is limiting your speed more than anything. Re-gearing would help, smaller lighter tires would help, but the change would be negligible. Even in a V6 I think that you would be disappointed when driving through mountains, just a guess from the way your posts read. I think you want either a re-geared V6 or a full size V8. With a Tacoma, you're going to find places that are high enough up and with steep enough roads that you will undoubtedly be stuck at or below 55mph! .02

 

Thanks guys you may be right. I've read positive reviews of the LCE header, full exhaust, and drop in AFE filter and was thinking those plus some weight conscious choices when it comes to gear may be enough. However, the more I think about how I will be using the truck and what I expect out of it the more I think a regeared V6 or even a first gen Tundra V8 would work better. I wouldn't even think of a current gen Tundra as they're just too big and i like the sizing of the current gen Tacos. I have a time frame for the end of the year so I've got a few mos to make a decision.

 

Go bigger if you're on the fence

I say this in complete opposition to my personal views and needs when it comes to vehicles, but i can tell that it is what you want. All the best bud, can't wait to see what you end up with!

 

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Local member regeared his 4 cyl to 4.88s and he was on 31 inch tires .. he says it should come like that from the factory.
Factory tires are 30.5 inch. Not much different there when it comes down to it.
I strongly disagree with the idea that it should have shipped with 4.88 gearing. That would be very harmful to fuel consumption, and longevity.




I don't know if he was referring to me but I've been thru a couple ratios and found this to be my opinion,

3.31 stock gearing in a base 5 lug was stupid tall. I was burning my clutch backing up my 1000 pound fishing boat/trailer combo. Absolutely insane gearing with tiny donut tires.

Stock tires with 4.10 was just about perfect, that's a 2wd so might be a 26" tire. So, for a 30.5" your back to near where I was stock, no good at all. MPG stayed at 23-24. Truck was as I think it should be delivered with tiny stock rubber. 4.10 was just right.

Next, I went with a 31-10.5-15" tire and 4.88 gears. If given my druthers I'd have a taller fifth gear but it's returning

***** 23 mpg average *****

with plenty of 70+ mph highway. I've got decent crawl in first, towing isn't a problem and drive ability is great. The odo runs 10% short, and I'm about 5 mph over indicated speeds at over 60 mph. So, my sons 4.10 stock geared 4x4 four cyl should have had 4.88 IMO. We just did a trip to Canada. His truck pulling my boat. Had to down shift to third on some highway hills. Stock tires almost the same diameter as my trucks 31-10.5-15".

Don't fear the gear!

 

Can't decide what i should go with when i re-gear! I have stock 4.10 and when/if I re-gear I would go 4.56 or 4.88. I've seen people say 4.88 is best for automatic and you shouldn't go quite so tall on a manual (which is what I have). Thoughts?


Also, could I put a taller 5th in if I wanted to? Like a 5th gear that didn't match the rest of the gear kit?...

 

The old rule is to err low, so in your case 4.88. Go to a gearing calculator, the difference is almost nothing in RPM between them. You can always get a slightly taller tire to make up the difference. I've done 30,000 miles in the last year on my truck and if I go to a taller tire I'll kick myself for making first a taller ratio, but I have that option if I want it. I can also drive three or four mph lower and be right there too, lol!

Fwiw, in my two different Mach Mustangs I had 4.30 and 4,56. I couldn't tell the difference but will admit they were owned a few years apart. If I build another, it'll get the 4.56. There was no down side.

 

I looked into swapping in a 6 speed, first off it doesn't fit, second it has nearly the same gear spread anyway. My JK jeep had 4.88 and their 6m. It was great with 33" tires. Start in second, good cruise in sixth. Granny first, nice low reverse. I'd love that in the Tacoma but it's probably not worth even trying to adapt that into it.

My current gearing/trans/tires are easy enough to live with.

Oh, I have an LCE header too, just refined the power enough to make it rev very smoothly in the mid range. I shift at 2000 most of the time. Second gear starts aren't really possible unless your rolling at walking speed. I can use fifth way down at low speeds and I run it around 2700-3300 on the highway with no ill effects on mpg. 3000 feels just right. 3300 isn't busy, can't really tell the difference to be honest. Regular cab is a bit more sensitive at speed due to shorter wheel base.

 

I, too, need to figure out whether to go 4.56 or 4.88 in my 2014 Reg Cab 4x4 with AUTO and 285s. I just want to make sure that it's not turning 4k at 75mph on the freeway.
I've read every thread on this gear choice that I can find and still can't decide.

 

I would give the V6 taco a try. After putting all that money into mods, I think I would rather just get a V6. Higher resale value, too.

 

Not necessarily answering the OP but just a word of advice from someone who's changed gear ratios in several vehicles of different types and different uses: DON'T FEAR THE GEAR! Always go one step lower than what you think you need! It's easy to get used to something geared too low but you'll never forgive yourself for dropping a lot of coin and still be wanting for more!!!

 

Started to read through this thread, but the combination of alcohol and natural impatience led me to just post my question. So here it is. Might be lengthy. I have the 2.7l 5 spd sitting on almost 32's. It has a leer reinforced cap which might weigh 300 pounds, around 350 pounds in the bed at all times, full skids/sliders, at least another 75 pounds in the cab and driver at 200 pounds. Satisfied with it so far and can crawl better than most expect with clutch and throttle control. Looking to add front hybrid (for weight) bumper with winch, and rear bumper with tire carrier with 33's. Probably looking at another 350 pounds there. What would the gear heads here go with in the differentials as she sits now? Also going to need a new clutch at some point so recommendations there are appreciated as well.

Also to add I will be going with a tacobox in the future with the lowest possible gearing. I love this truck. Most reliable and heavily used vehicle I have ever owned. Has around 114k on the odo. with only a bad thermostat, and many hard off road miles. Anything else was a wear item. Some day in the future she will get solid front axle and a boxed frame, but that's 10 years out.

 

LC Engineering just recently started offering a heavy weight flywheel for the 2tr. It's 35lbs. Not sure what the stock one is but I'd guess the LC flywheel is about 10 lbs heavier. It may help carry more momentum on the long uphills.

 

I just this year took my AC 4cyl 5 speed on a road trip to the west. One time on I-70 in Colorado I had to downshift to 2nd gear and creep the slow lane with the semi trucks! I forget where exactly but it was a long steep climbing towards a tunnel on I-70 west. Most of the highway driving was 4th or 5th gear depending on the grade. Had to descend into 3rd many times as well to climb hills on the highways.

Overall I thought the performance was acceptable, though not great. I wish mileage was better tho. I averaged 17 and change for the 5000 mile journey. I was carrying 100-200lbs in the bed, have an aluminum truck cap (Leer DCC), 3 humans (maybe 500lbs?), 235/85-16 all terrain tires on aluminum rims (about 1.25" taller than stock), aluminum plate front bumper (maybe 45-50lbs), steel plate rear (60-80lbs), LC engineering header, AFe Pro dry S drop in filter.

 

Too much weight in bumpers and people!