What would improve offroad performance the most

First thing's first, experience is most important here and I firmly believe that.

This costs nothing more than your personal time, gas, and possibly frustration. But the return will be worth more than the parts you can throw at your truck.

I had 4x4's before but didn't really get into off-roading until I got my Tacoma, and it was a Prerunner.

Bought it completely stock, and yeah I threw money at it but the first thing I set out to do was go wheeling. I went 2-3 times a week for a few years, and often posted about gatherings and got to meet a ton of people both off and on the forum -



In time, I found myself doing harder and harder trails while the same people I was with were in 4WD.










Yes, a Prerunner will have its limitations but gaining experience is absolutely the best thing you could possibly do for yourself. You will find even a Prerunner will be much more capable than your own skillset.

You will learn how to approach things better, you'll learn how throttle control can be your friend (you'll use it more than those in 4WD do), and you'll learn the limitations of your truck as you get better.

By the time you convert your truck to 4x4, you will be that much better and will find it so much easier to run technical trails.

When I got my 4Runner 4x4, I was immediately tackling harder trails than people with 4x4's wouldn't run. I won't call anyone out but many are on this very forum itself.

So what I'm saying is, get out there, and enjoy your Prerunner.

Get yourself a quality set of tires, and a means of airing down and up; traction is your best friend here.

Over time, gather the necessary parts (and knowledge) to put together a 4x4 swap. It can be done for pretty cheap, but specific parts are hard to come by. At that point, you should not only be knowledgeable with your truck, but also have some trail riding experience under your belt.

I noticed at one point you mentioned Hollister Hills; I used to live in Monterey County for 11 years so I'm very familiar with that area and all around.

If you ever need help wrenching on your truck, or want to run some trails, don't hesitate reaching out. I can always get a get-together going as I've done many in the past.









Wait until you move passed Prerunner as well as 4x4 IFS and onto solid axle, it's a real treat

 

In no offroad condition is a 2wd better than 4wd, even if the 2wd had better tires. Use your brain. Age doesn't matter, ability does.

 

Thank you. That is the helpful advice I have been waiting for

 

I’m having trouble deciphering your message. I can’t tell if the first sentence is a question, rhetorical question, or a statement from the lack of grammar as well as the random conjunction of words you put there. I’m trying to take in what you’re telling me because you have more experience than me (I think) but you’re making it difficult.

Also there’s a lack of clarification what you mean by ability.

 

I have a basically stock Taco like yours although with 4wd and some K02s. These trucks handle alot more than they look like they can. Your biggest "mod" you can do is experience. It takes a while, some getting stuck a few times, and going through some tough stuff to learn how the truck handles it. It's like shooting- most often the rifle is much more accurate than you are.

PreRunners are great but are seriously handicapped in mud and other slippery conditions. With some finesse you can skimp around some obstacles but you'll need to bump things and use alot of skinny pedal which is not what you want to be doing to your daily driver. I also daily mine so trust me, be nice to it.

The best thing you can do on a budget is get a winch. If you hate that idea at least get a Come Along at Harbor Freight for $100. That and a tow strap for it will save you almost everytime you get stuck, and you can feel good about going on trails where you might get stuck. After that, tires would be your best bet since traction is your biggest handicap. A lift would be nice but I don't think you'd get much out of it.

I was once a broke high schooler too. Now I'm a sort of broke college student! But everything comes with time and experience, I am a much better mechanic and driver than I was when I started out.

 

High school moding is all for the looks. Will you end up with the Tacoma version of this? It looks like a race car, but it will be shit on the track. A lifted Pre Runner will look like an off-roader but it will be shit on the trail.

As for offroad experience, I've got a bit. You came here asking what you should do, 4wd or tires? The consensus among most posters is 4wd is always better than tires. It's true. People saying stupid shit like 4wd with bald tires are stupid. Besides by the time you convert your beloved pre runner to 4wd you will have spent enough to purchase a low mileage, solid frame, with maintenance history truck. A lifted Pre Runner is a great mall truck, but if you want to hang with friends you'll have far more fun, learn more, and save a good bit of money with that 300K truck. Speaking from literally decades of off road experience wheeling a nice truck is a bad idea for your wallet. If you're doing it right things will get broken, bent, and otherwise destroyed. Buying a beater and fixing what breaks will teach you far more than pissing money away on lifts and tires. Don't get me wrong, lifts and tires on a 4wd are awesome, on a pre runner they're only for looks.

 

I'm more of a latent talent guy myself

 

Better tires and a locker

 

OP, I've gotten up 45 degree rocky inclines no problem with modest A/T tires in a 2WD. Bought my truck at 19, owned it almost a decade now and finally going for a 4x4 conversion after dicking around with nearly every part on the truck in some way or another. Can report back in a year lol

Rear locker did save me in snow one time though

 

Perhaps you should quit worrying about how to make your truck more offroad capable, and instead pay more attention in school. It's obvious that your comprehension skills are lacking.

 

Now, now, pot stirrer, stir gentler

 

If you stir too slowly, the item sticks and burns

 

It matters not even with the best tires in 2wd with an empty truck .

Being on wet grass my truck will also just spin . Wet grass is about the same as Ice on a incline with it warm enough to have a layer of water on the surface.

As I was in school in the early seventies a few years of driving experience has enabled me to escape wet grass.

A bald tire or street tire 4x4 truck with an empty bed in 4 WD has the advantage of the weight of the engine on that front axle in many cases is enough to escape . I have watched this happen a few times over the years.

Also there is no shame in turning around and seeking another route .

Someone close has to have a 4x4 Tacoma you can drive to experience the difference your self

If you were close I would be glad to show you this in real time.

Best of luck!!

 

I was the one who mentioned Hollister haha

I cant agree more with you, as it does come down to experience and how well the truck is equipped.

The 2nd photo you posted, I made it up with my prerunner with the rear locked, it was a pain because I had to get quite a decent run up since that road is loose rocks.

To me it does get a little frustrating sometimes with 2wd, but im pushing through it until I do the swap, hard saving up in highschool since I already blew so much money on this truck.

Its hard to try harder trails, since most of the time I wheel alone, and dont wanna increase the risk of getting stuck more so than I already do.

 

After getting some good tires, I would invest in an air compressor. You need a reliable way to air up after you air down to go off-road. I bought a 5.6 cfm Smitty for $200 over three years ago. It works great and is good to have for airing up my rig and friend(s) trucks. Don't cheap out on a compressor. I've been with friends who had some cheap compressors melt on them when there were with me on the trail.

Also, a tow strap kit is good to carry because you might need it if you get stuck. Don't make the mistake that you will find someone to have everything that you need for recovery.

People like to wheel with other people who come prepared. We all get stuck along the way -- even with a triple-locked rig. Being prepared can keep a simple problem from turning into a big one.

 

Tires will definitely help in any case, 2wd or 4wd. MTs are a waste in my opinion unless it’s a dedicated off-road rig. They ride rough, are loud and wear too quickly on the pavement.

To me though, there’s no replacement for that 4wd switch. I got stuck in wet grass way too many times with my old Prerunner (even on BFG KO2s).

Also, maybe consider getting a winch.

Lastly, if I were talking to my 17 year old self, I would save that $3k and invest it. It’s cool to look cool, I guess, but it’s way cooler to have a fat stack.

Good luck with your decisions!

 

Keep your truck well-maintained. I've had to winch or pull out extremely capable rigs over simple problems like a power steering line or some preventable failure.

I also have seen some lower balljoint failures (e.g. 1st gen Tacoma) cause big problems on the trail. We know our truck's weak spots. Don't let a known problem ruin your trip.

 

I struggle at this one, because my advice changes depending on what stage we are with life.

A 17 year old that is about to either leave the nest or go off to college - I would advise the most uncool, boring thing possible, the one thing you do not want to hear:

• Concentrate on a good set of AT tires, and tires alone. Forget the lift for now.
• Stay away from the deep mud. Stick to the light trails and dry track for now.
• Get under the hood of your truck. Learn more maintenance than just doing your own oil. Learn to bleed your own brakes, change your own plugs, and flush your own power steering. Make sure that truck stays healthy for the next four years. Because without knowledge and diligent preventative maintenance, it wont be.

I say this because going off pavement and driving through mud has more consequences than just getting stuck. This hobby is hell on your truck. Things will break, and those things tend to be expensive. And if it is your only ride, you had better be proficient with a wrench or have a bottomless well of play money, or you will be spending a lot of time walking to work.

I say this because I've been there, and I've broken shit. When I was 21 I cooked a transmission on a 2 week old truck with the dealer's sticker still in the passenger window, on an easy trail, because of sheer lack of experience. It was a dumb, stupid, expensive mistake. 8 years later, that truck was showing levels of wear and tear that you wouldnt even see on most 20 year old trucks. Off-roading is the vehicular equivalent of a cigarette habit - you won't see the compiling damage until suddenly you do. And when you are young, which is to say, when you are at a stage of life that's financially starting from scratch, its a habit that is very difficult to afford.


I won't end it with doom and gloom. Get tires, invest in a tool bag and a good tent, and take the light trails. I would say that I have been able to explore a good 90%+ of trails in this country on 2WD and tires alone, and there are plenty of adventures to be had. Change your focus - get out of the local mud pit and use it as an adventure vehicle instead. Trust me, I've been there.

 

Unfortunately for me, as you can see my truck was as my friend put it "a cunt hair from tipping over"

We had gone after (and during) a rain so everything was slick already. That area is known for it's loose rocks and having mud in your tires in a Prerunner just made it a whole lot harder. Ended up sliding back a hundred feet or so and caught enough momentum to put my rear up on the hill (before going over that ledge) and almost flip my truck.

All you can do is keep wheeling after you get your wheels on the ground.

Since you're the semi-local dude I'll extend the same invitation to you if you need it.

 

My dad gave me an old habor frieght portable aircompressor that he found in the attic. Nothing compared to my friend's onboard air but I've started carrying it. Better than nothing right.