Why is the tow rating of the 5 lugger and prerunner the same? Aren't the axles different?

I've owned a 98 Tacoma and will now be purchasing a 2009 prerunner with the 2.7 and a manual transmission.

According to the 2009 manual as well as the Tacoma towing bible, the tow rating is 3500 lbs. for both the base 5 lugger and the prerunner.

I understand tow ratings are somewhat nonsense and they try to push the v6 by having a much higher tow rating. I've read before that the tow rating for the combination I am purchasing is the same as the v6 in many other countries. This is because what really matters in towing is not the power, it's the ability to stop as well as the axle being able to handle the weight and everything. You won't be able to speed up quickly but neither does a geo metro.

Fine if Toyota wants to push the v6 to upsell, but let's actually talk about what these vehicles are realistically able to tow. Whatever the numbers are, surely the prerunners axle and brakes (which are the same as the v6 package) is capable of towing more than the base 5 lugger, right?

Also, does anyone know what the exact differences are between the base and the prerunner/4wd axle? I know the actual gear ratio is shorter, but is the actually ring gear a larger diameter? And are the axle shafts thicker? What about the actual housing? Prerunner/4wd models are 2 inches wider so I suppose it is bigger.

I mean, I guess they really think Americans are that dumb. Here we have a base Tacoma 5 lugger with a rating of 3500 lbs. Then we have a truck with much larger axle and brakes and yet the rating is the same. Ridiculous.

 

all I know is my 08 Access Cab 4x4 TRD Off Road factory V6 6-speed manual w/ the tow package has a 6500 lb tow rating, with 650 lbs tongue weight. as the truck has a total payload of 1200 lbs, thats reasonable.

on my truck, the factory tow package includes a bigger radiator, bigger oil cooler, bigger alternator, and bigger battery. if I had the automatic, it would also have a transmission cooler.

 

Pretty sure it's 2.7 and 4.0, and regardless of configuration the 4.0 is rated for A and 2.7 for B, 5 lug or 6.

 

it has to do with the tow package.

You cant get a 2.7 I4 truck with the tow package from the factory AFAIK.

Also... i definitely wouldn't want to pull more than 3500 lbs with the 2.7L anyways!

 

Well the tongue rating really just depends on the class of hitch.

I forgot about all of those other things. The radiator and oil cooler are for, well, cooling. I can see that. Of course, the v6 produces a lot more heat. I figure if I tow 6500 I could just watch the gauge. The alternator and battery are for trailer lights I suppose. Some things you tow have a lot of lights and some things don't.

And mine will be a manual, so no transmission cooler.

Funny story. My friend had a chevy 1500 that he used to tow a trailer with a lifted, off-road only geo tracker on it. When they went to leave, his truck wouldn't start. So my other friend with a 2wd 4 cylinder 5 speed ford ranger used a strap to tow the entire rig 45 minutes home. That's a lot of weight. He only went 20 or 30 mph but the little ranger took it just fine.

 

Since you don't have one, you are not qualified to say anything of the sort.
Since I *DO* have one, I will say, the 2.7 will pull just as much as the 4.0 does SAFELY.
You reach the chassis/brakes/steering limitations LONG before you reach the power limitation.

 

The tow package does NOT have a bigger radiator. In fact, the 4-cyl has the same radiator as all the 6's, yet is a smaller engine with lower cooling requirements. You don't need an additional oil cooler, since the engine is overall cooled better on the 4-cyl.

Alternator and battery requirements may increase if your trailer has significant electrical demand. Lots of lights, charging something, electric brakes, etc., can contribute to the electrical demand. If your trailer has a bunch of efficient LED bulbs and hydraulic brakes, then you're fine with factory alternator and battery for sure.

Transmission cooler is only for automatic, manual doesn't need it.


One of the big things that contributes to the misconception that towing requires a hugely increased amount of POWER, is the proliferation of the huge empty box camper trailers that people spend tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars on to use once or twice a year, instead of a proper hotel room or a tent. They grow in dimension much faster than in weight, so what you end up with is an extremely big WIND RESISTANCE. That is the thing that really hits you when towing, not weight. Weight is simple -- more weight takes a little bit longer to get up to and down from speed, but no extra energy to keep moving at a constant speed. So long as you aren't planning to pull a huge camper around at super high speed, you are good for the weight.

HOWEVER ONE WORD OF WARNING!!!!
Be considerate of what the POLICE will say to you if they notice that your trailer is twice the vehicle's printed towing limit. In most cases, however, you can trick them by showing them the sticker on the hitch, and point out that the vehicle's printed limit applies to the bumper as it shipped from the factory. As long as you aren't a jerk, that should be adequate.

Though frankly, the only things the cops are likely to be looking for, is that none of your TIRES are overloaded.

 

If you are going to go with your current thoughts then please make sure you have paid up roadside assitance that also covers whatever you are towing. Possible problems include over heating the transmission, overloading the rear suspension and shocks, burning out your brakes and/or breaking an axle. Anyone of which or other unforseen problems may leave you stranded on the side of the road or in a ditch hopefully without taking others with you.

Towing almost twice what your truck is rated for is a disaster that will happen. I just hope No one I know is any where around when it happens.

 

Who are you responding to?

-- overheating transmission only applies to AUTOMATIC. Read post #1, he's talking about MANUAL.
-- rear suspension is the same on all 6-lug trucks.
-- brakes are identical on all 6-lug trucks.
-- axles are identical on all 6-lug trucks.

 

I was responding to the OP and stand by my post. You can do what you want.

 

Aside from his idea about tongue weight, which is where the rear suspension comes into play rather than anything to do with the hitch, his thinking is perfectly rational.

Yours, on the other hand, is fear mongering, sensationalist B.S.

 

the 3500# rating is for towing with a ball mounted in the bumper, which is only rated as a class II hitch. The rest of the truck is capable of more if you have a stronger way to connect the trailer.

I had a '97 5-lug V6 extra-cab that was rated for 3500# (#350 tongue weight) on the bumper, my 2010 PreRunner (V6) with the tow package came rated for 6500# because it had a class IV 2" receiver built on from the factory. I've towed a uhaul 6x12 cargo trailer full of furniture (probably 3500-4000# loaded trailer weight) with the 2010 and couldn't actually feel any difference in throttle response with the trailer hooked up, but I also wasn't pushing it at all.

Not sure if you'd want to tow 6500# over much elevation with the 2nd gen I4, but it's only a little weaker than the 1st gen V6 for power and torque (the 3.4LV6 was rated at 170 hp/220 ft-lbf, and the 2nd gen I4 is 159 hp/180 ft-lbf), although I'm sure if you went back 20-30 years, you'd have found people towing almost as much with less power than that; you might need to stick in the right lane, but you'll get there.

 

main reason for the bigger alternator is for RVs, to charge the camper battery while traveling.

 

So I have been hauling trailers and campers for over 30 years and you give no basis for your statements other than what you say. Now that is at least BS if not a few other things that I could say on here. Again I stand by my postings. Put your head back up where the sun doesn't shine as that is about where you get your info.

 

Check this out: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/6...015/389772-heavy-hauling-2tr-fe-research.html