Difference between TRD off road and 4 by 4

It was really common on the Prerunners, out here in SoCal almost every 1st gen Tacoma I see is a 4x2 Prerunner with the TRD package

 

http://www.tacomahq.com/163/what-is-tacoma-prerunner/

Technically, the word “prerunner” refers to a vehicle that pre-runs an off-road race course. A lot of off-road racers have a designated prerunner that’s very similar to their actual race vehicle, which gives them a chance to run a course without having to ding up their race truck.

However, many off-road race teams have been known to pre-run rental vehicles, dirt buggies, bikes, etc., so the technical definition is pretty “loose.”

The more common definition of the word “prerunner” is a 2WD truck that has a lift kit. The Tacoma PreRunner basically matches this description, but a lot of people build prerunners with long-travel suspensions, 500hp motors, etc.

Basically, the word prerunner means different things to different people…but now you know enough to join the debate.

 

I always wondered what was special about my PreRunner. It's the lift.

 

It is my understanding that a "prerunner" isn't a 4x4. It was a 2WD designed to "scout" the offroad racing course prior to a race. Duly equipped with the big tires, suspension and lockers etc. Yeah they went offroad. And that locker could give 4x4s a run for their money in certain milder offroad circumstances but still cannot go many spots a 4x4 can. Science..

You may be right. Makes sense.

 

see my previous post, DCs came with Tokico

Difference between TRD off road and 4 by 4

 

Fascinating how a vehicle designed to scout an off-road track is a 2x4. I wonder why they just didn't stick with 4x4's.

 

A locked 2wd is night/day difference than an open diff one, in some cases might even be better suited for certain obstacles than an open diff 4x4 (which is pretty much a 2wd if one front and one rear tire is spinning with no traction).

Anyhow, I always figured "real" race scouting Prerunners were 4x2 because there's a lot less to worry about breaking than there is on a 4x4, seeing as how they are usually hauling ass through the desert.

 

Your prerunner has no lift...atleast it didnt off the lot. He was just referring to what the common definition of "prerunner" meant. Yeah your truck is much taller than a 5 lug 2wd but thats a whole different truck than your 6lug. The prerunner's are the same as a 4wd's suspension and everything else for that matter, just no 4wd system...

 

Really? It seems to be taller than say an SR5 or 2WD 6 lug. I regularly park next to an '02 SR5 2WD and my PreRunner is a lot higher off the ground.

 

It could be that his suspension is saggy or yours is newer or combo of both. But when new off the lot it was the exact same suspension components that were used.

Also an sr5 is just a trim package... and a prerunner is a 2wd 6lug. There is no such thing as a non prerunner 6lug, thats what a prerunner is, a 2wd 6lugger. The only other 2wd tacoma is the tiny lil 5lug truck, which has the ground clearance of a car.

 

Yup, 5 lugs and Prerunners were the only two kinds of 2wd Tacomas that Toyota sold, there were no 2wd 6 lug non-Prerunners. Either the guy's truck you saw has saggy suspension or maybe he's got smaller than stock size tires...but if it's a 6lug 2wd then it's a Prerunner

edit: now that I think about it, did Toyota sell 2wd 6lugs on the 4x4 platform in 1995.5-1997 before they introduced the Prerunner? I'm not entirely sure now that I think about it.

 

Probably was just saggy. I'm so used to seeing 5 lug 2WD's. I rarely see 4WD 1st gens around here, it's mostly the 5 lugs. It's always 2nd and 3rd gens that are the most common.

 

Idk if the early years of the taco didnt have the prerunner name but even if tbat was the case im sure if it were a 6lug it'd still have the same suspension. In the case of bartmaster's situation its an '02 he parks next to so its irrelevant. But if anyone knows if the prerunner came after the taco was born i too would like to know....

 

Eon made a good point about the tire size too, could that be part of it?

Its suprising how much a wore out suspension can sagg. Ive noticed guys on here get new suspension and it sets so much higher sometimes they think they ended up with the wrong parts cause their truck seems lifted lol.

 

You quoted my thread!

 

Oh I guess I mean W for TRD 4x4 my bad lol.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/vin-number.16205/

 

Thanks for the clarification, I looked up one vary similar to this one and pos 4 w was the only one with TRD in it, but you know how you can't believe everything you read on the Internet.


Where did you find this one BTW.

 

https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_(VIN_codes)/Toyota/VIN_Codes

 

I have a 98 and 00 4x4 TRD and they BOTH have the 4th letter of the VIN as W also(4TAWN72N9W2135801).Wondering if anybody with a 1st Gen 4x4 without the TRD package have the W or is it a U?