Is your Tacoma a 4x2 or a 4x4?

4X4 For me, as well as the wife. Here in N NJ we do get some delightful snows.

 

Must have 4x4 in Utah. I live about 15 miles away from the mountain. Lots of hills here. I used 4x4 for minor offroading and winter.

 

I wish my taco was a 4x4, but at the time when I bought it I didn't have the extra 3k to spend. Such is the way of things...

 

Know I'm a lil late to the party here and still sifting through this mammoth 17 page thread, but have been considering buying a 2WD 2001 Tacoma Double Cab with V6 3.4 liter engine and TRD Off-Road Package.

I don't offroad but am subject to Northeast winters of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Might make the occasional trip to NH or VT, which I used to do in my 06 Altima, so I don't think I need the 4x4.

Will I be good with a few hundred pounds of sand in the back? I can't imagine that this Taco's snow-performance will be worse than my Altima.

 

Your altima was probably FWD right? FWD works better in the snow, plus the weight of the engine over the drive wheels.

The Tacoma is RWD with essentially no weight over the drive wheels. The bed is composite (read: plastic/fiberglass) so it's very light weight, and the stock rugged trails suck in snow. Ok in the deep stuff, but a light dusting almost sent me off the road in 2wd. I use 4wd and no weight in the bed. In 2wd 180lbs of sand made no difference. They made a slight difference if I could keep the bags against the tailgate.

Just FYI. Personally, I'd opt for 4WD. You won't see much difference in MPG between 2WD and 4WD of the same engine size. Hell, I need 4WD just to get out of my driveway sometimes! Lose traction in the rear and 1 tire spins on the slick asphalt.

Edit:

Basically, think about other trucks fishtailing in the snow with heavier metal beds. You need to compensate for a lighter bed material THEN add more weight for traction. That increased weight increases stopping distance and reduces MPG. Might as well get 4WD.

 

Yeah, the Altima was FWD. Never had a pickup and hoping to make a Taco my first.

I thought the rear lock diff on the TRD package plus some snow tires (ATs or Blizzaks?) combined with some anchored sandbags in the bed might be able to cut it.

 

Granted I don't have blizzaks, but the locker doesn't do much for me once the tires dig through the snow to the asphalt of my driveway. Something as simple as slick asphalt and the wheels spin. Put it in 4WD and no problems.

This year I'd like to get blizzaks all around and see what happens. Big raise at work so hopefully I'll be able to afford them this year. Maybe some steelies so I can swap them myself too.

 

4x4. More fun in Arizona, almost essential in Wisconsin.

 

He was looking an first gen. First gens do not have the composite beds. Full on metal.

 

Oh.... oops. missed that part. Suppose that would make a little difference. Still, I've seen full-sized domestics fishtail on the hills around my house. Weight might help get up the hill, but could make it harder stopping on the way down.

 

Don't lock the rear if you're just tooling around, that'll be real bad news bears for you then. Use the locker if you're stuck or you just need it to get up a hill. Turning with it locked will really monkey fuck with the handling of the vehicle.

Get 4x4, you won't regret it.

If you don't, you will end up regretting if.

Specially if there is snow involved.

 

No not really. Its still just a 2WD with the suspension of a 4WD. Other than that and it looks like a 4x4. Only problem is it's not a 4x4.

 

Just thought I would mention that it is waaayyyy easier for a full size truck to lose traction in snow/ice because of the torque. 400+ ft/lbs in a V8 vs. 266+ft/lbs (at the most) in a Tacoma...truly no comparison in power.

 

Sure it is. Power to weight ratio and also how much power is actually being put to those tires. Having driven a Full size diesel and my Taco, I can say from experience that the Taco swings out far easier.

 

I've also driven plenty of full size trucks (still do)...power to weight ratio controls your speed and acceleration...not really a factor in losing traction.

Almost all pickups have the same dynamics, power to the rear wheels, small percentage of weight over those wheels. But full size pickups put down way more power.


Edit: None the less, I just did the math. Newer F-150 super crew weighs 5,500 roughly, and has 390 ft/lbs of torque. So about 14.1 lbs per ft/lbs of torque.

Newer Tacoma double cabs weighs 4,100 pounds roughly, and has 266 ft/lbs of torque. So about 15.4 lbs per ft/lbs of torque.

 

And again, that's the flywheel numbers. What are the wheel to ground numbers.

 

Agreed. Locker is nice if you want to help keep the truck going straight and/or turn off the ABS. I used it one day when the ABS kept causing the tires to skip over the snow/ice/slush and almost sent me sliding through several intersections. However, too much gas and you're power sliding off the road. Not to mention when my driveway ices over with ice or hard packed snow the locker doesn't do shit. Both tires spin. Only thing that gets me going is 4WD. I've tried rocking, starting in 2nd instead of first, and hammering the gas to dig down to the asphalt. None of it ever helps until I engage 4WD.

Yup! Taller stance means you can probably slog through deeper snow, but if you lose momentum you don't have the front wheels helping pull you through. Even with 180lbs of sand in the bed my truck still slides in 2WD mode. If nothing else having 4WD means you can tap the gas during a slide to have the front wheels pull you straight just like a FWD.

I almost lost my truck the first week or 2 I had it due to the rear breaking loose up a hill with no guard rails. Ended up sliding into someone's driveway, engaged 4WD, and was fine after that. The thing people don't think about is where the weight of the truck is. Our trucks may be shorter or have less power, but the bed is lighter. Without the longer, heavier metal bed a full size has there's less weight over the drive wheels.

Yup, I've swung mine out several times, and my wife fucks with a co-worker who doesn't drive by doing donuts in the parking lot after a snow. I can do donuts very easily with this truck, especially with the locker on. I have a manual too so there's much more torque in first gear than most auto's. How many full size trucks still have a manual option?

 

doing donuts with the locker? isnt that pretty bad for your rear end?

 

Maybe you missed the part about "after a snow"? And about the back end breaking loose? And even if were on dry asphalt the fact I said "donut" implies the tires are spinning. Is that any worse than doing a burnout? Just wears the tires down faster.

On snow, ice, gravel, loose dirt, etc having the rear locked can actually pull the vehicle sideways like turning a screw. Keep it up and the rear swings around the front. Actually makes doing a donut EASIER that without a locker.