Why doesn't Toyota put a manual 4x4 lever in the Tacoma?

I've noticed today looking at FJ cruisers that they come with a pretty badass manual lever to engage 4x4, just like my dad's old 83 'Yota had. Why does the Tacoma come with that 4x4 dial thing instead?

 

Probably the same reason they don't come with manual locking hubs anymore. Just more of a connivence i guess.

 

That may be true, but it seems odd the FJ gets it and not the Tacoma.

 

Marketing and appearances.

All compact- and mid-size pickups (Ranger, Colorado and Frontier) come with electronic knobs or buttons for shifting, so the Taco needs it too, else it would appear less advanced.

The Wrangler has a lever-actuated transfer case, so the FJ needs it too, else it would appear less hardcore.

 

A dissapointing trend, to be sure. This is one of the things that led to me not getting a 4x4 Tacoma when I went to the dealer. The 4 wheel drive system on the Tacoma just seemed to be more like a thing they added to say it had it rather than a real hardcore offroad tool. The FJ, on the other hand, just seemed to mean business.

 

You have to think about what 99.9% of the population wants. When most people buy Tacoma's, they are buying them for a nice truck that has 4wd. That's opposed to our reason of actually using it in the dirt. Manufacturers build trucks for most people to buy and use on pavement and on snow, not off road.

The FJC was designed to compete with the Wrangler, which Jeep 'claims' to build for off road. Therefore, it has the more reliable and solid feeling stick shift 4wd. When I get into my build (aka, I have money) I Will be doing the FJC t-case swap into my Taco. Best of all worlds.

 

1st gen FTMFW

 

That, sir, is going to be awesome. I'd love to see how the FJ case would look in a Taco.

 

A marlin crawler t-case would be so much more legit. If you're going to do it might as well put in something worth your time.

 

Yeah, mine has one...

 

They do put levers in them......... Ohh wait that was me that did that.

 

I like the shift knob. I had a lever and manual hubs in my old toyota truck. I like being able to shift to 4high on the fly.

 

While I wish I could claim credit, I am not the pioneer... clicky.

I'm actually thinking about a lefty with a doubler. It will all come down to cost vs. benefit vs. intended use. I'm building a reliable 'expo' (I hate using the term because people get touchy about what is, what isn't) rig. Something that I can camp, explore, wheel and enjoy. At that point a doubler and all that will be too much overkill. Time will tell what is in store.

 

Even though both transfer cases are basically the same?

Keep in mind the FJ will forever be a niche vehicle - it sells at 1/10th the Taco's volume. More people buy regular cab Tacos than FJs each year. The industry trend is going toward more electronic control. Look at the 4Runner - many offroad knobs and switches are in the roof. Imagine running wires from that location down to the 4WD ECU in the dash!

 

I find it a pain in the ass that sometimes it won't engage unless you move the truck ahead or back a little bit. That's great if you're not already stuck...

 

Knowing what you're doing has nothing to do with it. 4wd is kind of a "second chance". I get stuck in 2wd, shift it in 4wd, and get myself the hell out of there. When you're already in 4wd and get stuck, you're stuck...

 

This is why the older Tacoma's were awesome though. Yes, manual locking hubs and old school transfer cases were less convenient, but they kicked ass. You could get out after getting stuck in 2wd and still get it to 4wd and get unstuck. Our old 83 yota had both of these things and have a winch just in case neither one could get it out. It was pretty much unstoppable. I did really want a 4wd Tacoma but it just seems the modern system is too weak for anything other than snow driving. As many threads on here have confirmed, real offroading will break a stock Tacoma 4wd these days. I did not feel that was the case with our 80's one.

 

I believe the rule with offroading is to get into 4WD (4Lo if necessary) at the trail head and keep it there. If you are stuck, engage the locker.

 

I don't see why a lever would be any better. My Jeep had one and the function is exactly the same.

 

I wish there were a lever to open and close my skewp. Then if I want to drag, or if I'm stuck, I just open the skewp for full power