Factory OEM 5 luggers?

Just curious, anyone have any pics or things to say about their OEM 5 luggers? I often think I am the only one here who drives a bone stock 5 lugger five speed.

 

I love my 4 speed auto 5 lug. Mostly stock just got bigger rims/tires, added some lights, and swapped the rear shocks for some 6 lug trd bilstiens.



Reg cabs actually have a good pick up and are easy to park

 

Mechanically speaking, If i was using my 5lug access cab for only short distance, low density commuting, i would have left it as-stock, as it has pretty much been from Feb 2011 to March 2015. That's actually a remarkably long time for me, to have anything remain 'stock' ..

The slippery slope started with the stock tires needing change-out with premature tread separation issues, well before the actual tread wear bars were at minimal levels. Root cause is that i WASN'T using it as per the above use.. i was asking more of it, than it could give, left as stock... the abnormal tire wear issue was a visual warning that i was doing so, at my own peril. At that point, i realized i had 1 of 2 choices - trade up, or modify to better suit my needs. Kijiji.ca provided for a set of aftermarket rims and tires that were one size larger than stock for less than the cost of new OEM'ish tires alone, and the thresh-hold for modifications to suit and/or make the truck work better for me, was crossed.

If you are happy with it stock, and it works for you, leave it stock. It is a slippery slope. Modify one thing, and another part will need attention sooner rather than later, or the original modification will reveal a weakness that needs to be addressed elsewhere, in turn.

I won't touch the issue of cosmetic changes.. that is a case by case, personal thing that only you as the owner can answer/address for yourself.

 

Changed my wheels and tires. Will probably change the tires soon back due to gearing issues.

Otherwise singlecab and stock, and see no reason to change anything but the rear leaf springs. The truck as it is currently built simply cannot handle any sort of load without bottoming out. Rides nice unloaded though.

 

i dont have any pics of my truck when it was stock, but they all look about the same. my 5 lug was stock for the better part of 5 yrs (I drive a 2010 Access 4 cyl. 5 lug). first mods i did was adding cruise control and intermittent wipers (a must if this is your daily driver). After that was the slippery slope of modding to make my truck a "better driving" vehicle. I then added fog lights and HIDs to be able to see better at night. then came the intake for better fuel efficiency and a bit of power, then the bed mat and bed extender, then the wheel and tire package (looks great but killed my MPG). Its the longest ive kept anything stock, and much of the mods (cruise ctrl, wipers, fogs) i regret not doing sooner. next up on the list to improve its "driveability", short shifter, headers and exhaust.

 

2006 all stock except for the dealer installed shell when the truck was new. I find the gearing on my 5 speed regular cab a bit annoying. There is a massive ratio gap between 1st and 2nd gear which makes low speed driving a chore. This gearbox is also very reluctant to downshift into first gear even with a proper rev match. The final drive is very tall as well in my regular cab.

In the 32K miles I've owned it, I logged every tank and have averaged a decent 27.4 MPG. This is mostly due to my 95% urban interstate commute at a max speed of 60 MPH. Fuel economy is disappointing in winter temperatures and interstate driving at +70 MPH.

I can't complain about the reliability though. I'm at 140K miles and the only non-maintenance related issue I've had was a pre-cat O2 senor failure. Toyota at least made access to it very easy.

 

Don't feel alone. While mine might not be exactly considered 'off the shelf', it's certainly not modded by TW standards. Or even my own normal standards for that matter. It came with the convenience package. I added delay wipers. A previous owner had added OE fogs, but botched the wiring, and I still have to correct that.

Finding the pre wiring for the fancy mirror and backup camera, I've added the mirror with the backup image, compass and temp. Someday a camera will be found. A ScanGaugeII is above the mirror. A SPST button is in one of the switch blanks for my garage door opener hidden under the dash. I've added the LED underrail bed lighting and an Extang trifold, along with a Curt hitch. WeatherTech mats/vent shades.

My MPG is so good I won't mess with the wheels / tires much, but I will find something better looking for wheels and better quality for tires, even if they are close to the same size. I may do a Hellwig leaf overload spring just to help out on occasion.

It's perfect for my needs. Transport for me futzing around town, home improvement, bicycle hauling, kayak hauling, and decent for modest road trips. It has cold AC and a jukebox. What else do I need in a truck?

 

Glad someone else agree's about the 'slippery slope' factor.. Fortunately (or unfortunately for my bank balance) .. i'm coming near to the end of the major purchases, and am down to a few nickle and diming mods.

Do i regret diverging from stock (like you, after an extended period of time), in some ways, yes.. in other ways, no.

Gas mileage, even with with the minimal rim/tire up-sizing done, has taken a hit. Probably due to additional weight stuck onto my truck, fore and aft.

I've never had a vehicle with intermittents... but strangely, there is something about the Tacoma's 2-stage wiper interval, low and high, that is really annoying. A watch on wrecking yards, might be in order..

With my rim/tire sizing, the gearing has become taller .. and that isn't a good thing at times, on the highway.. especially stop and go.. which is usually defined as "sprint and screech.." That will be a major upgrade, and hit on the wallet to rectify. It's tolerable for now.. but when it comes time to replace the clutch, that will be the time to do the final drive ratio re-gear, while things are apart anyway.

The Scangauge II was my first 'mod' .. but really just yanked from my lease-return Yaris and plugged in to the Tacoma. I too was impressed with the frugality of the Tacoma, with conservative driving techniques.. around 27mpg also for about 6 months out of the year... winter really sucked in comparison, literally and figuratively. Easily a 25% drop in fuel economy. Same commuting conditions/ratio.. but rather more grid-locked than average.

To the OP, the best thing about leaving it stock - it gives you plenty of time to contemplate what you want, vs what you need, vs what might turn out to be an upgrade regret.

I can safely say that Tacomaworld has a large role to play in the downfall(?) of my trucks medium-term 'stock' status. If none of these upgrades were available - I might've well needed to move up to a full-sized truck, as my basic needs for the truck changed, and upgrades would have been needed to increase it's versatility.. if they weren't needed for the extra things i do, and the demands that they place on the truck, the truck would have remained fine, as-is.

 

Here are a few photos of mine...2.7l 5spd manual, rwd...purchased it brand new february 2015!

Here are some photos of it on the lot before i bought it, and the snow storm last week...

Ross.

 

Hi Ross, I got the exact same model on news years eve. I'll admit I wanted a pre runner but the 2015 only had 6k miles and the dealer practically gave it to me. Keep me updated on any new additions to the truck. I would like some bigger tires but the stocks still have thousands of miles left on them. Cheers! Steve

 

I added a bug deflector, window visors that say tacoma on them, a rear window visor, a tri fold tonneau cover, and in the spring ill add the chrome wheel covers...thats about it! Lolll