2wd buyer's remorse...mods?

If you didn't want people to see your tag in pics, you could have just blurred it. No need to crunch it up

 

And they always seem to be never ending.

 

2wd trucks with some quality suspension, good tires, and a smart driver can go a long ways!

I’d start with tires or suspension, or both depending on budget. Tires I think are more important though.

Also, aired down to 15-20 psi, the truck will have loads more traction.



Don’t get discouraged !

+ in TX, you don’t have too many hills, so the terrain is on your side !

There’s another guy here with a 2wd in TX that has no problem, I forget his @ but I’ll edit this when I remember it.

EDIT: @TrapComa

 

I still have my 2004 trd double cab 2wd
But it actually came with a rear locker. Used it a few times.

 

To be honest, with the resale value on these trucks, I wouldn't put a dime into the 2WD if you have any regret. Bide your time and get the 4WD OR you want when the numbers work out.

If you can possibly see a situation where you've spent $X,XXX on the truck and find yourself going "man, I love it, but I wish it was 4WD" then don't even put the dime into it.

If you don't see that happening, mod away.

 

thanks! Do you trust the cheaper alternatives that are out there which can haul as little as 2 to as much as 5 (?) tons?

 

This

 

No. There are several things in life to cheap out on... girls, buddies, beer, for sure clothes and shoes but.... never recovery gear... or scotch.

 

I bought a 2wd truck ONCE. In 1983 my car was totaled. I was getting married in 2 months and my 4X4 truck was a beater. I needed a decent vehicle to drive and used the insurance money along with trading in the beater on a "nice" 4X2 truck. I'd owned 4X4's for about a decade before that and almost immediately regretted the 2wd truck. It took 2 years before I was in a position financially to correct the mistake. I've owned nothing but 4X4's since.

The initial cost is a bit more, but resale value makes it a wash. You'll spend the same over a lifetime of owning 4X4's as the guy who spends a lifetime buying 4X2 trucks. Fuel mileage is a fraction of 1 mpg different and the 4X4 parts don't get used often enough to wear out. You'll not spend any more on repairs. I have right at 200,000 on my Tacoma and probably less than 3000 miles are in 4X4. And I use mine more than most.

You can do a lot in 4X2 right up to the point where you cant't When you need 4X4 you NEED 4X4. Probably 1/2 the time mine is engaged into 4X4 is to pull someone with a 4X2 out of a jam. Since there are no long term downsides to owning 4X4 that is the what I'd recommend.

 

You still won’t get the taxes back. Which for me, was like $4k. Plus the added cost of 4wd (+~$3k) and in my cab config I would have had to get the v6 (+~$9k). In addition to the extra tax on the higher sale price.

Once I decided I was going to keep my truck forever and resale was of no concern I figured out that I could do the work myself. At that point, it came down to ~$2k for a DIY 4wd 4-banger or >$16k for a factory v6 4x4. The choice seemed easy.

 

What hiPSI said. Had mine nearly 20 yrs and has pulled out many a truck, mostly mine. I paid an outrageous amount for it, $156, but worth every penny..each time it kept me from walking.

 

Thanks y'all, especially Anchovy. Slapped a Prerunner sticker on there and gave it a 2'' lift, some 5100 Bilsteins and a cover and feeling pretty good about it.

 

So there you go. 1500 miles out of 200,000. That's using it more than most.

 

Man you're not missing out on much if you're not going offroad. I use my 4x4 once a couple of times a year- I live in Chicago and we have some heavy snowfalls. Even then it's not necessary I just use it because I have it.

Your truck is more than capable

 

I have only owned 2X4 trucks since 1973 and have never regretted it. I don’t go off road. I use my trucks as daily drivers and around the house projects. Maybe haul something for friends and family occasionally. It all depends on your needs.

 

Start modding a 4X4 and watch the gas mileage drop.

 

You know that old saying: When life hands you 2WD, make a Prerunner.

 

New 2wd owner here as well who rockcrawled jeeps for years. When my bumper to bumper warranty is up I'm just going to throw and ARB in the rear to lock the rear diff and call it a day. Not planning on heavy offroading and here in Florida a locked rear will do all I need it to do on the occasional dirt road and the beach.

 

Tires and lift for sure. Do lots of dispersed camping and exploring off fire roads. Be smart, have recovery gear, let people know about your plan, have fun!

 

Why not look at trading in for a 4x4? The 2019s will be discounted as the 2020s become available. I was able to trade a 2x4 2018 Sport towards the purchase of my current 2019 OR for about the cost difference between a 2x4 and 4x4 plus a bit more for a new model year. In total I think it cost me about $4000 on the deal.