What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Installed my front driveshaft after getting it back from the shop after having it lengthened. I had been having a feeling something wasn't right but wanted to wait until I had it installed just to be sure. Sure enough, the position I have been driving in acts like 4-hi. Both drive shafts spin and when the front hubs are locked in, all 4 wheels also spin. Okay so no worries, lets figure out where 2-hi is.... and that is where the fun really begins...

I seem to have a shift pattern that doesn't exist or is broken. Some of it acts like a standard J shift t-case. Top of the "J" is 4-L just as you'd expect and seems to work as you'd expect (4wd w/ reduction). Next click down is N and also works as you'd expect, you go nowhere regardless of what you do with the 5-speed gear selector. Once I push down again the shifter follows the "J" and kind of clicks at the same time. This is where I have been driving without the front driveshaft in place but what I now realize is or acts like 4-hi. Both drive shafts spin and if front hubs are locked in, all 4 wheels drive.

Last option is to go directly down one last click (toward the center console/backseat area). This is where shit really went sideways, because the front shaft spins but the rear shaft does not. It will not go forward in gears 1-5 unless front hubs are locked in, then the front will drive. In reverse gear, it will slightly move the truck if I give it many RPM's and feels like a slipping auto transmission.

So I was watching some YouTube videos of the J shift in action and in the videos where "H2" is listed the user has to kind of move it forward into "H2" and mine has zero forward movement available there. Also in that same location or what I believe is that same location it is driving both drive shafts and all 4 wheels with hubs locked. Then as you recall from the mention above, where "H4" should be (directly below) only the front shaft moves in forward gears (1-5) and reverse gear will kind of move the rear shaft.

SO I don't know what the heck is going on at this point. I've got a few guesses and that is where I will start. I bought the t-case and transmission used and when it arrived the t-case had a straight shifter on it w/ no buttons or anything. I ended up swapping it out for a J shifter because it worked well with my short throw shifter, but it's possible the shifter isn't moving the shift rails correctly??? So I am gonna try swapping that and or shifting it manually with a screwdriver or something.

But even if that is what is keeping it from going up toward the dash into "H2" and only driving the rear shaft, that still doesn't explain the behavior of whatever gear is below that where only the front spins. SO then it's like ok, say that gear went bad and it's not driving the rear output shaft anymore and only the front... that doesn't explain why "H2" isn't where it should be and is working like 4-hi.

There is one other shift pattern I found where H2 & H4 are in the same spot on the shifter and you use a button I guess to select 2-hi. This would explain why I have 4-hi in the location I do and that same shift pattern has H4-L in the spot directly below where I only have front drive. SO I was wondering if maybe I got a 4Runner transfer case that should have been setup for a push button 4wd switch but came with a standard shifter?

The outside of the transfer case doesn't look to have an actuator or even a place for it to be missing. It did have the little counter weight or whatever which also leads me to believe it was from a runner. Hoping maybe someone can shed some light on this situation or have some other suggestions to try. Spent a few hours looking around but haven't found a smoking gun yet.

For reference what the transmission and transfer case looked like when they arrived:

Not the best pic and never mind the bush methods being used. I am happy to get any additional pictures or information that would help someone figure this out

 

SC is just for streetabilty really.

Thanks man! I can't take credit, I stole the idea from @Reh5108

And I am hoping 37's, 5.29's, crawl box and SC will be where it's at.

 

Do you really not need a super charger is the real question? I’m about 2.5-3 hours from most trails. I think a supercharger would increase the fun driving the truck overall,

 

My exact feelings about my 4.88s

 

If you can go fast on the trail then it will make it more fun and I'm sure you'll break more stuff too

 

level it and tub it

 

Would appear it's not missing the actuator as there would be a rod sticking out lol. So that doesn't seem to be what is going on here...

 

Lol my end goal is like most, 4.88s(wishing I had 5.29s), SC and a crawl box. Bump up from 33s to 35s

 

Lol. I hear you. Get to trail faster. Watch out for chp.

Did you just say leave it? Mr one tons and 40s. Lol

 

Supercharger is definitely out of the question for me. I don't even know if I'd install one, even if I got it at a stupid cheap price.
I don't daily the truck and the added pep in the step isn't worth the add in gas prices and associated costs. Plus, I hold 80-85 no problem.
There's a long list of things that would come before SC for me. Crawl box, RCVs, etc.

FWIW, I am on 5.29s Auto

 

It’s definitely not a necessity. But I think it makes the 3.4 a little more of a well rounded motor. And it really is how you plan to use your truck. I’d love a crawl box as well. But I’ve done some hard trails and never had that feeling of “man I need a crawl box” haha They are both a luxury item to me, so if I decide to splurge I don’t know which I’d go with first, but it’s in my plan to eventually have them both. I’ve also never considered gas costs for my truck....it’s never been good. To me that is the fee to play. Smiles per gallon all day!

 

I've never felt the "need" for a crawl box either but I've definitely found myself in situations where it would be helpful. It'd also be nice to not worry so much about breaking something when I'm on the skinny pedal.

 

I can honestly say, if I could have figured out my high speed, low RPM pinging issue, I would still have my S/C!

 

Tis might sound dumb but did you ever turn ECT power on? As long as I keep it on and give it enough gas to kick off the torque converter I don’t ping in that area.

 

I must be one of the very lucky few, that don’t have ping issues without any fuel mods.

 

5 speed, I drove everywhere in 4th gear

 

Must be nice. How many miles you have on your truck?

 

Wut da hell

 

WOW! Looks great!