Tacoma 2WD overland

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for some inspiration and I would like to see and hear about your 2WD Tacoma overland builds and experiences.

Most I talk to always tell me I should have bought a 4x4 Taco if I was going to off-road and or overland in. At the time it wasn’t in the price point and off-roading/over landing wasn’t even a thought. Now I find myself in a position where my truck is paid off and I’m putting aftermarkets all over making it mine. I’ve gone off roading a few times no issues but before I dig deeper in the whole thing new bumpers or roof top tent etc etc is it worth the expense? Or should I cut the losses and just trade in for a 4x4 like everyone says?

please tell me about your builds and experience would love to hear them and or see them

thanks guys!

 

I've wheeled with a few guys now that were 2 wheel drive with a locker and meaty tires and aside from judicious usage of throttle on some obstacles that I crawled over and a few rocks that lead to them turtling (stuck on the belly with no weight on the tires) I would have never known.

2WD with a locker is 90% as good as 4WD open/open.

2WD with a winch is even better than a 4WD open/open.

Now granted 4WD is going to get more places more easily, but if you're just doing light trails and doing tbe instagram overland thing 2WD with a locker you're golden.

Now 2WD WITHOUT a locker is just asking for a major headache, totally 100% not worth even trying anything more than a rough gravel road IMHO.

 

You answered your own question, do this.

You never get your money back on modifications and you will eventually end up trading when you get off road.

 

@Timbo's Customs @pdaddy Y'all got any comments on wheeling 2WD?

I know Tim converted to 4WD and I believe Patrick is looking into it as a lot of 2WD (even locked) eventually do but @Sen_San_Sai it's probably a *LOT* more cost effective now that you've paid off your truck to stay with it especially since Tacoma's particularly 4WD's are at an all time price high right now.

Get a lift, get tires, get gears and a locker when you do, and get a winch for a back up, then wheel what you wanna wheel and see if you need 4WD at that point.



Ignore the haters, I wouldn't trade in my 2WD.

Now, is your truck a 5 lug or 6 lug? That would make a difference to me. If you have a 5 lug truck I would probably trade in or private sale it and get a 6 lug 4WD as a 6 lug is realistically a different truck.

 

@Key-Rei
I appreciate all the advice you’ve given so far thank you. My truck is in fact a 6 lug and I swapped out the stock tires with the faulken wildpeaks all terrains.
Been looking into a 3-4 inch lift and possibly upgrading both the front at back bumper. The off roading I’ve done so far in it has been really hilly stuff but nothing like rock crawling or anything like that. I don’t have any intention to rock crawl at all. Just some light-mid off roading and finding a spot in the mountains/desert to camp as I please for a weekend or so. That’s more so all I expect to do with the truck really.

 

A user just turned his PreRunner into a 4x4.

That's an option if you did not want to trade it in.

 

trade in and get the 4x4. I dont know where you're planning on going off roading, but if its anywhere besides forest service roads, nobody is going to want to bring along a 2wd (even with a locker) in their group. 4wd isnt even as much about how many wheels have power, its about having the control of low range and the slower/torquier wheel speed. Traction from your heavily weighted front tires is pretty important too when you're in the middle of nowhere. As i said, i would bet most groups would set 4wd as a minimum rig requirement to go on a a trip with them. I guess if you're going by yourself...better have a winch and good recovery gear. Are you trying to go on actual overlanding trips and actually go offroading? or just weekend camping with your dog?

I built my truck for rock crawling, but do go on the occasional overland trip..and even the relatively easy "overland" trails we go on still require 4wd and good tires.

 

@ResearchMonkee
How did someone convert their 2WD to a 4WD I thought that wasn’t possible? Do you have a link to the original users post by chance? That would be a favorable option over a trade in I think.

@IDtrucks
A lot of what I’ve been on now are service roads and desert trails that others have paved over the years I haven’t been on anything “off the beaten path” so to say.
I think as of right now the idea is more so for weekend camping trips with the GF and dog. But out where I’m at we have desert trails that are rarely used but still accessible to guys like me and I’d like to take one of those and just find a good spot close to a mount and camp for a few days then head back. I don’t really have any intention of rock crawling if I come across a situation that might require that I’m sure I’d do my best to turn back or go around. That’s to intimidating for me haha

 

@Sen_San_Sai Really depends on what you want to do and how good of a driver you are. If you want to do anything other than a maintained gravel road while overlanding, get a locker bc all it takes is one back wheel coming off the ground and boom, no traction. I know my boundaries enough to do most “4x4 only” trails. The lack of low range gearing is really the downfall, more so than having all 4 wheels digging but it can be overcome with some skill. 2wd doesn’t stop me

 

there is a big gap between rock crawling and overlanding. Just because you crawl over some rocks or through technical terrain while overlanding, its not rock crawling. Its just part of driving off road. Sounds like you are going more for a weekend camping rig than a purpose built off road rig. Depending on your terrain (desert sounds like), locked 2wd will suffice. Just buy things that arent that vehicle specific (like an RTT, you can put that on anything). IMO unless you are going for a sick gnar picture build, why bother throwing thousands of dollars at your truck in aftermarket parts if you just want to take it camping. You dont need a full set of armor, 100 lights, a crazy lift and tires to drive on a dirt road. or keep all your stock stuff so you can swap it back on and if you really decide you want to get into more serious wheeling, get a rig you can swap your parts on.

go fast in the desert is way fun. no need to rock crawl to build a bad ass rig, go slap a LT kit on that bad boy and pound sand at 60mph lol

 

For inspiration, you can find Michael Tran on YouTube. He has a 2017 2wd TRD Sport with no locker at all (well, at least for now). He has plenty of videos to help fuel your inspiration.

Here's his YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TJZjs80C-HGMrcJjD2EJQ

 

I drove a manual '02 2wd tacoma around Florida and Georgia for about 8 years before moving to the West (and selling for a 4x4). But I drove the 2wd all over in FL and GA, often by myself. A lot of sand tracks, forest roads, and the hills in GA, did a lot of camping and saw a lot of cool places. Deep puddles/mud and Georgia clay if wet was totally off limits, know when to turn around. But when dry there were few places I turned around and did not go because of 2wd. Low rage gears are essential for steep stuff no doubt and are totally worth getting 4x4 for. But in my opinion the things to keep in mind if off-roading in a 2wd are the same as for a 4wd. Traction is key. Tire pressure is king, let those tires downs. You will get stuck so be prepared there. I would say get yourself a tire deflator, compressor, max-trax (the real ones not the knocks off because you'll end up using them), a good long handled shovel (get two so your passenger can help dig as well), a quality bottle jack (maybe 2) and several 2x6 for a jack base, quality recovery points so others can pull you out as well as a strap (don't count on others to have gear), and then just go out there and drive. I am not sure where you are but you will probably be surprised where you can go. All this kit you would want/need if you end up buying a 4x4 so you are out nothing if you sell at some point. Enjoy the truck and enjoy being out, just pack accordingly. Just my 2 cents for what it is worth.

 

Not my photos* I got these after googling one of the trails I’ve been on. (Rowher flats Ca.)

but to give you guys an idea this is about the extent of my off roading experience so far. Oh and getting stuck in loose sand once but I was helped out in that situation by a Jeep passer by.

 

@dirt_seeker
I appreciate you putting in your 2 cents along with some gear advice. I’m always looking to add essential tools when I go out so far I’ve been lucky even when solo riding. I got stuck in soft sand once but a passer by was able to help me out. I want to say lesson learned but had they not passed by and saw me no doubt I would have been in trouble. I’d definitely like to learn more about getting myself unstuck in situations like that and what gear is good to have. I’ve seen and heard about the max-traxs those are actually on my holiday from me to me list this year haha and the bottle jacks I just recently started looking into as well. Any suggestions on a brand for that by chance? Again thanks for the experience advice anything at this point is helpful!

 

cost me 2500$ in parts and a Saturday to convert my trd sport prerunner into a 4x4. I can have 2lo if I need it, I have stock limited rear slip. Makes more sense to convert if you already have a great truck.

 

I’m a prerunner with a locker (halfway through a 4x4 swap now) and I’ve gotten around most trails in CA that aren’t ‘rock gardens’. Fire roads are no problem, what you posted is not problem. Over time you’ll learn the truck and how to get it through different scenarios. Don’t let it stop you from getting out. I had a rtt and explored backroads for years with it. Only thing I really had to be cognizant of was weather and elevation, one thing you’ll want to avoid is snow.

 

For the jacks? I have a cheap hydraulic one from Amazon, had it for years would not recommend it but it works (I might have gotten lucky on that one, I use it a lot and its fine but the review were pretty mixed), as well as the stock jack from the truck which is actually a pretty solid jack. I've been thinking of replacing the amazon jack with a jack from SafeJack or perhaps a Duralast brand from Autozone, but I have not spent serious time looking to see about quality. Would love to find a higher quality one if folks have good recommendations.

 

I never swapped mine. Had everything to do it but traded it in for a 19 tundra crewmax 4x4 and bought a 3rd gen runner and put one tons and 40s under it

 

I need to learn more about this 4x4 conversion! I had no idea this was even an option or even possible!