Auto-LSD question...drifting/powersliding

Gearheadesw- it's not something I do in a neighborhood, or around other cars/pedestrians. And like I mentioned in my initial post, it's a pretty juvenile habit. Thanks for reading the thread and chiming in.

 

Wouldn't using the locker like this cause damage?

 

Yes..those years have rust issues. However...it's an easy concept and no researching needed. If you find one.... Grab the VIN # and visit your local Toyota dealership and ask them "Has the frame been replaced on this truck?"
There's only 3 options / answers:
1) The truck was never inspected by Toyota.
2) The truck has a new frame
3) The truck has the undercoating.

For #1 - DO NOT buy anything unless the truck has been inspected first. EXPECT the sales person have the truck inspected before you commit to anything.
For #2 - Find out when the frame was replaced and by whom. You WANT a new frame.
For #3 - I wouldn't recommend buying a truck with the undercoating. The rust issues will probably haunt you in a few years.

If you come across a truck that was never inspected - HAVE IT INSPECTED first before signing anything. The inspection will either result in a FAILURE (new frame to come) or the undercoating. If a new frame is due....get it in writing (and feel free to buy the truck - negotiate for a better price).
Just an FYI - the rust warranty is good thru March 2016. Get it done NOW!!

 

I am sure I am going to be in the minority but I don't think it's all that juvenile. It's good practice in my opinion and better prepares you for what to do in a situation where you may have the rear step out, lose traction, so on. And like you said, you are not doing it in neighborhoods.... just don't get carried away.

anyway... My $.02, focus on finding an 05-08 with a mechanical LSD. Had an 06, got a 14, miss the 06 and it's lack of nanny controls and real LSD.

 

I'd buy something more entertaining to drive sideways than a midsize truck.

 

Hasn't yet.

 

Are you sure? I think I blew my diff doing doughnuts in the rain a couple weeks ago with the rear locked. I'm super scared to even turn it on any more since it cost me $800 to do doughnuts. Manual says "when locked, do not drive over 5 mph" I am considering deleting my e-locker for a mechanical one, when I do the rear disc brake conversion. The ring and pinion were changed to match up with the 35s about 6 months ago. Any thoughts?

 

Hi there. I'm the guy who made this video:



And I'm super excited that somebody linked to it before me! Really though, do yourself a favor and don't even mention doing anything like this on a public road. I trust you'll be a responsible driver at the hands of a 2 ton death machine.

That being said; if you want to do any asphalt hooning, I'd definitely recommend the 05-08 TRD Sport with a 6 speed manual. It's not a sports car, but it has "Sport" in its name, so there's that. I have no idea how the Auto-LSD fares, as I have never driven one, but it's never going to compare to the real thing. But then again a mid-size truck is never going to compare to say, an FR-S, so we're in the territory of compromise, anyways. But it's very easy to kick out the rear with the inherently short ratio 6 speed + clutch and 4.0 V6 in the TRD Sport. Plus I can go even further than many open-diff trucks with big mudders offroad on off-camber terrain.

As for using the factory electronic locker on the TRD Off-Road, I personally wouldn't attempt anything crazy with it on a high traction surface. I'm sure in practice it's fine, and many have abused theirs without any problem, but it's really not designed for that, so I wouldn't risk it.

 

also a good option

 

..the later years sports with LSD get both spinning in the rain just fine with trac off... yup, just fine...

I think the sales rep was glad I bought it after our test drive.

 

Buy any truck you want. Spend a few hundred and get an lsd installed.

 

Why would you swap a locker for an lsd? If you want to drift, do donuts a locked or welded diff is gona work the best.

 

I meant if it didnt already have one.

 

In 4LO

 

2nd gens dont have an anytime locker mod?

 

Sure

 

Wow guys, you all posted so many awesome comments in the last day. I want to try to respond to several of them.

Janster, I am appalled that a company with a such a hard earned reputation for quality and decades of auto construction know how would design and manufacturer a truck for 3 years that has major frame rust issues. That's the kind of bull$%&# I would expect from Nissan, not Toyota. And the only way to fix it is to replace the entire frame??? Isn't that a major undertaking that requires taking the truck apart? Will the truck ever get put back together as well as when it left the factory? I feel like if someone make a sportscar with that level of quality problem, people would literally just avoid buying those entire model years unless the price was dirt cheap...and the last time I checked, the price of used Tacos from 05-08 is in the stratosphere along with all the other Tacos ever made. If I could get over this stupid LSD hangup, I'd just go buy a new one and enjoy the fact that it doesn't depreciate.

DCSBFTMFW, good call on getting a more entertaining car instead of using the truck to solve the problem. I used to have two older BMWs (and prior to that, 1 old BMW and 1 Miata) that were my daily drivers and the truck would just get used once every two weeks so that the battery stayed charged and only relied on when I had to haul bigger items or when it snowed. When I had the 3 car set-up, I didn't care about drifting the truck because I kept my car control skills sharp 24 days out of each month in the sportscars. Once I got a fiance and moved to an area of town where I have to pay for extra parking, schleping 3 cars around, is a pain so two cars is my limit now. One of those car spaces it occupied by a vintage mustang, so I need my other car to be a daily driver/RWD car control car/4x4 snow vehicle. So far, a truck is the only vehicle I know of that can be both rear wheel drive and 4x4/all-wheel drive. If they would make a subaru, audi, 911 or BMW, heck even a chevy that was a 4 door sports sedan that had an AWD system where you could manually shut of power to the front wheels on demand, (or even with a quick turn of a couple bolts) then I'd be all over it.

Jeebz, sorry to hear about your diff. A welded diff is the BEST thing for drifting, but only if both of your wheels are spinning anytime you steering wheel is turned. If I had a truck with a lockable diff, I wouldn't want to risk damaging it by playing on merely wet pavement...cuz it doesn't seem slick enough. Hopefully you can get everything fix for less than $800.

DoorDing & devinzz1, if I find a nice 05-08 without the factory LSD, what are the good brands of aftermarket LSD to consider? And by the way guys, I promise that I'm not going to ruin a perfectly good off-road Taco buy buying one with the factory locker and scrapping it to install an LSD. There has to be a sport or base model out there that I should be able to find.

 

Trutrac

 

Your locker didn't blow your ring and pinion did which means it was either the gears or the installation of the gears or drastic change in traction. The locker might have helped it I bet you went from sliding to dry traction quick. A mechanical locker would have done the same thing.