About to buy -- couple questions:

Thanks for the ongoing excellent opinions and advice.

I went out with the wife and baby and drove a DCLB sport followed by a DC O/R. I had driven the longbed before but not the offroad. Wife hadn't driven either.

We both very much liked the way the sport drove. Although I'm pretty sure she almost clipped another truck on the lot when turning back in from the test drive. Yikes. Score the longbed down a half point.

I can't decide if I was imagining the difference in the way the offroad drove on the test drive (which was of course on pavement). I felt like it was more 'work' to drive it, if that makes any sense. Not in a bad way. It just handled more like a truck I guess. Definitely noticeable. Don't know if it was more the suspension, the difference in wheelbase, or the tires. Probably a combination. Only important I guess because I'm considering putting more aggressive tires on the longbed if I end up going that route.

I can't recall ever getting myself into an offroad situation that my basic 4WD truck couldn't get me out of. And I've already got more hobbies than I can keep up with.... However I definitely recall being glad I had as much space in the bed of my old Ford as I did. I think the long bed may be winning out, at least today.

 

I came back, I don't tuck me ol'tail and run when I'm wrong.
I'll stand corrected. But still feel need to explain my comment
above. EVEN THOUGH I"M WRONG.

Not really, The problem is I have to make a sharp turn to avoid a tree I park right in front of, this makes the truck buck and jump as the drivetrain binds. Inconvenience?, not if you like buck and jerk.

As far as putting it in 4x4, I do it a few times a week some times.
It's not the knob I fear. But good guess....

Yeah, No doubt. That is totally the reason.

[/quote]
I got my info from Toyota, I commented on why my current truck spins
more than my old 1999 Tacoma. The Service guy asked if it was a TRD?
I said, "NO". he said id was due to the open diff on the TRD. I really never gave it much more thought. Hell, he works for Toyota, that was goodenough for me.

 

I'm still confused.
You specifically recommended NOT BUY THE LOCKER but now you're telling us (and you told the dealer) that you don't have a TRD Offroad=no locker?

And YES... The TRD Offroad is an OPEN diff until you engage the locker. The locker is not working unless you are in 4LO range and engage it.

 

Been there done that.

I went from a 96 Tacoma extended cab to a Dodge Ram 1500.
Drove out of a parking space too tight and clipped the bumper of the car beside me. The Ram was tall enough, that I hit it with my wheel. Ripped the chrome cladding (2" length scrape) off my 20" Rims (stock rims).

Needless to say, I learned the hard way and take things a bit wider now (even in this Tacoma).

 

I do have a locker in my current truck. 2007 TRD-OR
My old truck did not have the locker. This is the one I was refering to
when I said, "It didn't spin near as bad".

The Dealer asked if my OLD truck was TRD-OR with a Locker.
I said, "No" . The Dealer said" The TRD-OR had an Open Diff. That's why it spins more" He was talking about my CURRENT truck.

Sounded like a good enough answer to me. I finished paying for my oil change and left.

 

On the open diff conversation:

If I have any open diff, how is it so easy for me to break both of the back tires loose when I turn off traction control in the dirt or snow? My 2000 Tundra had an open diff and I could only spin one tire until I put the limited slip in there. Just curious...

 

Depends on the terrain & surface you're on.

On an open diff, the power will go the wheel with least resistance. If one tire is on pavement while the other tire is on ice, the tire on the ice will spin. If both tires are on ice and they both have the same level of traction, they'll both spin.