Opinions choosing new gears.

With the Tacoma’s double overdrive, it doesn’t make as significant of a change as 2nd gens going from 3.73 to 4.88 does.

You’ll set yourself up for bigger tires in the future with gears, and it won’t downshift nearly as often, especially paired with a good tune. Most shops now are regearing stock trucks, brand new from the dealership. People know it drives better with different gears.

 

Yup, the gear shop I went to regears around 30 turd gen Tacoma's a month.

 

I am not trying to discount your experience but I have to disagree with this. The main difference is the 5-speed versus the auto. You were able to get by with 4.10s because of the manual trans.

Also, running higher RPMs is not an issue with the v6. It loves to rev.

 

Even with a manual, using 10 ply load E 33's on steel wheels with 4.10 was very sluggish when taking off. Now with 4.88's it's way better.

 

automatics are more forgiving because of how the torque converter works instead of being direct drive like a manual. I wheel with people with stock 4:10 gearing and 33” tires with automatics that handle it fine while I was either having to ride the piss out of the clutch or carry some speed through the rocky sections. Manuals have their advantage, but so do autos in some situations.

also, I never said anything about the engine not liking higher revs. I said I don’t wanna listen to it screaming on long drives.

 

Offroading on 4.10 isn't bad because of 4low. You lower your gears with 4low essentially so technically you're regeared. Using bigger tires with stock gears puts stress on your drivetrain in 4H or 2H .

I find it hilarious that people who haven't regeared or experienced a different gear ratio with the same vehicle. Daily driving is greatly improved and you even increase your gas mileage. I drive all day at around 85mph and am right under 3500rpm. Not high at all.

https://youtu.be/pj5RSSmKIH8

 

off-roading in my taco with 4.10s and 33”s was absolutely still horrible in 4 low. My experiences I spoke of above were in 4 low. 4 high was not even useable as the truck could barely turn all four tires in high range on anything other than basically flat, almost dry ground. 4 low doesn’t fix improper gearing. The 4.10s and 33”s worked perfectly fine in 2 high for street driving, and still averaged 21 mpg daily driving, off-roading was where they sucked. When I swapped to 5.29s with the 33”s, it completely flipped. Was awesome off-road, but a bit to low for street driving. turning 2800 rpm at 60 mph dropped my fuel mileage to an average of 19 mpg. Now I have 35”s with the 5.29s it seems much better for an all around, daily driver/off-road vehicle, but I’ve only had them for a week or two so I’m still in the testing stage.

If that last part was aimed at me, I’ve ran this truck from bone stock on 31”s, to stock gearing with 33”s and an added rear locker, to 33”s with 5.29s and front and rear lockers, to now on 35”s with 5.29s. I’m well aware of the effects of changing gearing

 

It seems you're a bit backwards. 4.10 with 33's daily driving was horrible. 4low with 33's was fine, but not as good at crawling as 4.88 or 5.29. Mpg's with 4.88 on 33's are much higher than 33's with 4.10. I'm referring to manual by the way. My friend in a Sequioa running 33's with 4.10 in an auto says it feels terrible as well.

The last part is aimed at everyone who talks like they know rpm's and stuff and don't even have experience with regearing. The usual "4.10 is fine no need to regear" people. You know, those that rely on numbers on a website.

 

There is nothing backwards about what I said. That is 100% my experiences, and I’ve been driving this truck in many states of modification for almost a decade. It was fine on the street with the 4.10s and 33”s, I didn’t say it was perfect, I said it was fine for street driving. In the rocks however, even in 4 low, the 4.10s were way to high. This is also on a manual. It was either ride the piss out of the clutch or carry some speed in the rocky sections. The automatic guys in the group had to let me go first as it was much easier for them to crawl through the rocks with the auto on stock gears than me with the manual. Yes, autos will benefit from proper gearing as well, but in general the auto will be more forgiving to slightly higher gearing than a manual due to the slippage and torque multiplication in the torque converter vs the direct drive of a manual.

 

Well my experience is the complete opposite. Taking off you needed to ride the clutch a bit for daily driving. In 4low I didn't need to ride the clutch at all, except with very technical rock crawling. 4.10 with 33's was terrible for daily driving. Very sluggish off the line.

 

it wouldn’t win any hole shot races by any means, but it would still accelerate with traffic, and mines a 4 banger even. I don’t understand all this flack I’m getting anywho, I never told anyone in this post that stock gearing was perfect with bigger tires, nor did I tell anyone not to regear.

 

Probably because you're saying that it wasn't an issue to daily drive with 33's when in fact sluggish take offs is indeed a problem. Once you're up to speed then it's whatever, traffic driving and taking off really stresses the drivetrain with 33's and 4.10.

Downplaying it might be steering people in the wrong direction.

 

It was fine daily driving with the 33”s, did it for years. You don’t have to launch like at the drag strip every time you take off from a stop light. I haven’t steered anyone wrong on anything. Telling Someone that never leaves pavement that they have to regear from 4.10s for 33”s is false. Telling them they need 5.29s for 33”s for a daily driver that rarely leaves pavement is steering them wrong.

 

You're wrong again, and I hope no one takes your advice.

 

Nothing I said was wrong.

 

If you say so.

 

I am assuming this is your truck (5-speed) and you are in 5th.

For comparison of RPMs... At 72 mph indicated by the speedometer, which is 70 mph per a couple of GPS apps I use, my RPMs are dead nuts on 2500. This is with a 33 tooth speedo gear, 33" tires with 4.88 gears and the auto.

The difference here is important because it demonstrates why it is important to consider the trans type in making a correct choice of gear ratio when regearing. The final drive ratio in the two trans types is quite a bit different.

 

You guys can agree to disagree, lol.

 

honestly I've only met like one person ever who regretted 5.29s regardless of tire size

 

I've met a bunch of guys that went 4.88 and REALLY wish they went 5.29s. If they made 5.70's I'd be running them.