My first truck! I need advice

Hey guys my first post on this site. I have been on here for years and have been saving for about 4 years to purchase my first tacoma cash. I decided on build just not sure which model. I know I want a DCSB 4x4 but I cannot decide if I want the sport or the TRD OR. What I do is mainly street driving and camping. The spots I go camping are out in the woods so I will use the 4x4 for sure. My only concern is the only true trails I would be doing would be done on the fourth with some of my buddies when we go out to their ranch and have a good time. We get about a week of snow a year and it can get pretty nasty, but I handle my self in my focus just fine. So big rant I know, but TRD OR or Sport.
Planning on going with MGM

 

I'd go with the offroad .... The locker will be there IF u need it.

Better to have 3 wheels turning than 2

 

x2
offroad

 

X3 off-road
If you do into wheeling you'll be astounded how often your rear tire will come off the ground. Lockers are nice

 

off road

 

Chris, I chose a TRD Sport 4X2 for several reasons: Ease of service, less weight, less upfront cost, less cost down the road, better gas mileage, and last but certainly not least, ROADability. Everyone to their own preference, but my last 4X4 never went off the road, not even once.

 

He will be doing camping tho, and using 4wd for sure.

I got 2wd myself because I don't see snow, mud and barely rain even.

But op will prolly need 4wd

 

I have heard a whole lot about the rear locker, but have not really looked into how it works. I assume it essentially keeps every thing moving no matter their position. Close?

Thanks again for the responses

 

Basically even if 1 rear tire is in the air, both keep spinning.

With the open diff, the tire off the ground would spin and the other sit still.

 

U could get the sport and buy an arb locker as well....... Sport looks, off road locker.

 

I read some where on here not factory lockers tend to fail any truth in that? I wouldn't go cheap expecting probably a grand for locker if I went sport.

 

I suppose there is, electrical things can fail. I've never had any problems with mine and I use the hell out of it. I do know that the TRD sports have stronger diffs and the OR diffs have been known to chip teeth. However, again I've never had that problem. Tire size and abuse comes into play a lot with that too...

 

TRD OR has the 8" diff with the e-locker, the Sport has the 8.4" diff and no locker but is about 15% stronger than the 8" diff so a sport with an arb or such would be a stronger rear end than an OE / E-locker. If you aren't going to put any big tires on it then either one is just fine. Buy the one that has the looks and options that you want, and if it is a sport and you want a locker, then add one.

 

Are you buying new or used? I think it was 2009 when they came out with the TRAC and A-TRAC systems. Both are great. If I didn't want the DCLB I would have bought the off-road for the locker but the traction control system on the sport is now such that if you have one rear wheel with no traction it will still transfer power to the one that does have traction. The Sport doesn't have an "open" diff and will get you to any camping spot you are probably considering.

Also, I believe the suspension is stiffer on the sport for better on-road handling and softer on the off road to allow better flex so when you are going over uneven ground you are more likely to have rubber on the ground. I could be wrong about that though

 

Sport IMO. Add a locker if you think you'll need it. Is there a price difference in the Sport 4x4 and Off Road 4x4? How big is the gap between Sport 4x2 and OR 4x4?

 

09+ Sports are open diff and relay on the electronic LSD to act as an LSD. Even on the 09+ only the Offroads have ATRAC, the sports do not have it.

In the real world the difference in strength between the 8.0 and the 8.4 is negligible. When you lay the ring gears on top of each other they are the same size and both measure 8.0". I think the issue with the 8.0's grenading had something to do with poorly made ring and pinions and Toyota has since corrected that because that issue is rarely seen on 09+'s.

My view on it, is that if you are set on a TRD I would get the offroad. The Sport is basically just adding looks while the offroad is adding performance (ie ATRAC and locker). The sport adds some color matched stuff and a non-functioning hood scoop...

The suspensions are set up slightly different, ie offroad tuned vs sport tuned, but both are pretty subpar even compared to cheap upgrades like Bilstein 5100's...

 

If your definitely going for the dcsb, then I would say go for the offroad. Then you'll have the locker and atrac.

I went with the sport because I wanted both a double cab and a long bed and you can't get both with the offroad.

 

Id go sport, If youre mainly doing highway stuff, sport is better

 

Yep

 

Get whichever one you like the looks of. Unless your doing some serious wheeling they will both work just fine.