Would a 4cyl be wise?

I am getting a 4x4 Tacoma to avoid getting stuck in snow, but I would also like to put a 8" lift and 38" tires on it. My concern is that a V4 is not enough capacity; what do you think?

Thanks

 

What do you think! 8'' lift with 38'' tires, first of all not at all practical second of all even on a v6 its way to excessive. I dont think that is a good idea at all, you can do what you want but who would you be trying to impress?

 

My friend had them on his Chevrolet (I forget the model), I was considering doing the same should I purchase a Tacoma.

What lift + tires would you recommend instead?

 

Honestly a 3'' with 33'' tires looks beastly. But if you want height you can always go with a 6'' lift at the max and some 35's with regear. That would be with a v6, if you have a 4 banger I personally wouldnt go bigger than a 33'' tire. as for tires there are so so many..... There's a sticky on here called "tires" check them out. I personally am a fan of the toyo open country mt's.

 

Whats a V4?

38" tires are going to be very tough on the IFS, and with all that weight you're not going to have much power and horrible gas mileage unless you regear. Honestly, I'd consider going another route. A 6" drop bracket lift like Fabtech (search, plenty of info) with 35" tires is the route I'd go if I where you. I'd still suggest gearing, but it's not necessary.

What do you plan on doing with the truck?

 

6" + 35" tires seems more reasonable.

I will not be offroading it or anything like that, but I am moving to somewhere with quite a bit of snow, and could use something that handles better than my Nissan sedan. That is part of my concern - if snow hits, would lift + large tires cause trouble?

 

Lift wont affect how your truck handles in the snow. tires and if you have a 4x4 will matter the most, Then power and how you drive in the snow will determine how the truck will do in the snow.

 

True; I read somewhere that truck lift will decrease the truck's power, and I am not sure if a V4 is powerful enough even on its own.

 

hell ya, my pa's 4 banger has been up some horrible old 4 wheeler trails in the high country. Lift wont affect your trucks power only tires will because it takes more energy to turn that bigger tire.

 

I would have to agree with all the above - I have 31's on my 4cyl, and that's all I would ever put on without a re-gear. Personally, I would NEVER put anything bigger than 33's on a 4cyl.

also - not trying to be smart, but the 4cyl in the Tacoma is an inline 4, not a v4......

c

 

38's you should get a diesel... 6 in a row is the way to go

 

Pardon...I4.

Jeff - would you tell me the specifications on yours? What engine is in there?

EDIT - never mind; found them.

 

Glad to see you finally stopped calling it a V4! If your sole purpose for a lift is snow, I think you need to do a lot more research. Are you going to be breaking trail where you're moving, or plowed roads with the occasional unplowed street? If you're talking plowed roads, big, wide tires can actually be worse for handling. If you're breaking trails, there are some advantages to a wider tire because they float but typically you want something tall and narrow to get down to the solid ground under the snowcover. To give you a rough point of comparison, bone stock, I can make my way through about 2' of snow in 4wd, no lockers, no ATRAC, just 4wd and open differentials. Nothing wrong with a lift, but it's not going to be overly helpful in the snow.

 

i have a tacoma 2.7L with 3in lift and 33x12.50 and it goes thru any thing.

 

i think you'll find with time that 0"-3" of lift will do you just fine and a nice set of 32" or 33" tires will handle snow very well depending on brand and make and what not. keep in mind that the bigger tires you throw on it, the more power you will lose. here's a thread that can show a little testament to how well these trucks can handle snow with a good set of rubber.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/travel/134417-wyoming-alaska-tacoma.html

 

My old impala with snow tires broke fresh snow on the road , cmon. 12" of snow in 2wd on a truck with 31" tires is the deepest ive had to do. 38" seems more of a mud thing than snow . 8" lift , crap why not 10 or 12".
A friend at work has a 1/2 ton chevy , he dropped the 38s because they kept breaking suspension , he has 35s now, seems happy with them.

 

V6 with a lift and better tires is all you need.

 

I've passed over a foot of snow no problem. I did get her caught in a 3' snowbank last weekend though. Operator error. Should have not even tried!

 

Why wouldn't a 4 cyl 4x4 Taco be good in snow?

 

Depends on your thoughts. Obviously, bigger tires and lift place more demand on the motor and drive, but question just how deep is the snow where the truck will be driven?

I've talked to some friends from the mountains who say fat tires will float on the snow rather than dig in. I can kind of see that, but ultimately tread and contact surface area have to be the biggest factor. My family in WVA have rarely gotten snow that stopped stock midsized SUV's. Seems to me if the hogheads clear then no problem.

My jeep that has standard size Bridgestone Duelers AT 235/75 R15, goes through and climbs in snow very well in the old pastures. I have a lift on it but don't need it. I've navigated very easily an offroad test track used for training and vehicle testing in my area with the worn stock collapsed springs before I replaced the suspension.

I'd also like to offer that if road or highway conditions are the focus, then I'd like to report that any conditions beyond what a OEM equipped and outfitted 4WD truck can navigate "should" be avoided all together.

I guess what I'm saying to over engineer and over spend to resolve a simple problem. ( Sounding like my Dad now)

Just my practical purpose driven 2 cents worth.