This . . . right here . . . is my. . . truck

^^^ X2

Don't pay attention to people who call you a mall crawler. I've gotten that, even when my truck is covered in mud and dust. You can always put a locker in the rear and still go places that most other 4x4 mall hoppers couldn't touch, including the BIG curbs.

 

Welcome to TW nice tacoma

 

Welcome to TW. Like a few others have said, that's a nice clean looking truck. Should serve you well for a lot of years.

 

thanks man, speaking of lockers . . . could point me in the right direction for something like that? who makes them? how much money we talkin?

 

Long travel it!! that would look mean welcome to TW bud

 

2wd truck with ARB air locker will go further than your 4x4 with open differentials

 

Good thing I have a locker...

They are about $870 on ebay for an arb air locker. I put one in my old 2wd taco for winter driving. Good solid unit.
I pride you for actually using a truck as a truck. Most people buy those little trucks because they are cheaper than 4wd, then think they are gonna make them off-road rigs. It just doesn't work. Even with the arb my old piece got stuck in stuff my new truck goes through like cake. Definitely get a good winch and upgrade your battery to handle it.

 

A lot of people are going to recommend ARB, which is an awesome locker. What it really comes down to is what you are looking for and can afford... do you want a selectable (like the ARB) or possibly a full-time (automatic or lunch-box type) locker. The selectable will reduce wear & tear on tires and drive-line components, but costs more money initially and more parts to break if you do manage to break it. The auto-lockers are cheaper (usually) but can chew up your tires quickly and put added stress on your drive train.

I happen to have the TRD Off-Road package on my truck, so I've got an electronic locker in the rear diff of my truck.. which right now is "permanently" locked because I believe the damned switch in the rear failed. (It won't disengage, so its fully locked all the time).. and it is chewing through my mud-terrains a bit more than I would like. But until I fix it.. that's how it stays.. doesn't get driven much anyway so it can wait for a bit.

Any which way, a locker WILL help a great deal with traction, 2WD or 4WD. A winch would not be a bad idea if you plan to get into rough stuff on your own.

 

I'm saying a non-prerunner 2wd base model with car tires is a mall crawler if you try to make it look off-road. Don't get me wrong, I've seen prerunners do well off road. A truck that has one wheel drive and sits 6" off the ground won't go over rocks or through a class b road very well.

 

i wish 2nd generation rear windows opened up like that, sucks that they don't. very clean looking truck.

 

Looks good, and you've already gotten the 'dog mod' for it!

 

hmm someone gave me neg rep for suggesting a relentless fab bumper

 

Nice truck and welcome!

 

Yeah, a plate bumper would be a good place to mount a winch. I do wish there was a reasonably priced brush guard with a winch mount. That would save some weight. x2 on the relentless fab bumpers. Relentless fab looks like the best plate style bumper available. Comparably priced to the ARB, and construction looks to be sturdier.

Make sure to take into account the additional weight of the front bumper when you do your lift. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/116113-what-kind-springs-truck-881s-882s.html

If those are the alloy wheels I'd just paint them if you want them black. Or, do the plastidip thing. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/121380-plasti-dip-opinions.html IMO, you should try to avoid adding extra rotational mass with relatively small engines.

EDIT: Welcome to TW.

 

I just came home from off roading with my buddy. My little Taco didn't do bad at all... I still have the stock Dunlop Grandcrap tires with almost no thread left. We went through some rough spots where my truck had problems crawling, never got stuck though! When I knew I can't crawl through a spot, I reversed a bit, then gave it more gas. Momentum is important with 2wd open diff truck!

Having a selectable locker in the rear would made off roading much, much better. Now we are talking dry weather, in snow or mud off roading with 2wd truck, even with a locker is a whole another game.

Lastly, I agree with you. I see this all the time. Big trucks with 6" lift, yeah that high of a lift is completely unnecessary... For one it will increase dramatically you center of gravity, making your truck more prone to roll over and secondly it is not necessary for offrading! My 5lug with 3" lift did just fine off road, I had no ground clearance issues with stock tires and some rough terrain.

 

hey. ive got the 2.4. i love it more than the 2.7. for many reasons. but im a speed demon tho.

 

nice little truck!! me likey

 

shoot man.

give that bad boy a little lift and a locker!

i went wheeling with my buddy that has a lifted 4wd 4runner and i did everything he did, and plus one obstical he couldn't and i could! because of the locker.

2wds can be legit offroad vehicles too.

then throw a bumper on there.

 

Check out the avid front bumper for the 1st gen tacoma, and maybe get a winch mount that would go on a reciever hitch plate and that way you could take off when ya dont need it, it would save weight, and gas miledge. and that way you could use it on the back.
The avid bumper has and option for a reciever hitch:
Plus there is a TW discount on avid products
http://www.avidoffroad.com/products/1996-2004-tacoma/


And Locker get a locker like matic has/