WANT LIGHTER WHEELS? SAVE 4.88 LBS PER WHEEL, HERE YOU GO.....

More re OEM light wheels (and other OEM parts):
I did not know there were so many aftermarket light wheels, good to know, thanks guys.

When I spoke to the Toyota engineers (5 of them) at Overland Expo recently they impressed me with what Toyota does and how much it costs to research and simply, say, add a grab handle to the driver's A pillar, it was like $400,000 or something like that. They said it is amazing how much effort (so $$) and time goes into each and every change to a vehicle. They emphasized, based on their own personal experiences with knowing what Toyota does, that they would always, personally speaking, only use a Toyota part as they KNOW how much goes into each and every part and they trust that effort for their own personal vehicles.

So for instance I told them I plan on adding a King suspension to my TRD Off Road with camper, but they recommended ordering and installing a TRD Pro suspension, as it was SO thoroughly researched by Toyota.

I am going with a King suspension, BUT in every case I will buy an OEM part if I can. They are just more reliable, more available, I won't get a cross eyed look from the service department if I drove in with all kinds of aftermarket parts installed on my vehicle, speaking in a overall way.

For instance I installed Holley Sniper fuel injection on my '86 FJ60 Land Cruiser so now I am not able to drive to my local Toyota dealer and get help if it is not working properly and I travel in that vehicle, so that is a limitation. But the advantages over the stock carbie are huge, IMO and I am willing to take that chance in this case.

This is my experience and opinion, fortunately there are lots of other options that also work.

 

good info... running steelies right now and when upgrading will want a lighter wheel.

 

Same Tern in AZ @drbeemer73 is a good friend of mine so I’ve been following his plans for quite some time.

 

Have you actually confirmed the removed bed is 250 lbs? I've wondered how going to something like a Norweld tray would fare but I didn't expect anywhere near that with all the composite and super thin bedsides. 250lbs means the barebones tray would actually weigh slightly less than the bed and you'd actually gain payload given it also means removing the rear bumper (and hitch if you so choose).

 

Why not get the Volk TE37X which is 10lbs lighter each. But they are expensive.

Or... the Enkei RPT1 which is 8lbs lighter each. Which are more affordable?

 

How does one quote a previous post so it can be referenced?

Velogeek, yes, we actually have weighed the bed after it came off the truck, but the truck is in AZ and I'm in PA, AND I'm not a detail person
So my bed weight of ~250 is accurate, in that ~ means "about"

IOW 250 is close enough for my work

Sorry I don't have an accurate number for you. But I do recall my stock 2019 access cab 4wd weighted 4400# on a scale, and when the camper is all built I will get a a true "all built out" weight as I want to be below GVWR.

 

Click the quote button to quote a single person and than reply below it.

It’s good seeing you active on here buddy!

 

I appreciate it. Maybe there's hope for this Taco if I can get a tray as the starting point... I just struggle with GVWR issues as well and I'm really hoping the next gen matches what Jeep and Ford are capable of in similar trim.

 

How many have wished for that, like all of us. We want to see the overseas only, Hilux. But I wonder if they put more GVWR into the US Tacoma and priced it accordingly what with all the other components that would be required to handle the GVWR such as bigger brakes, engine cooling, stronger frame, stronger bed?, if they would be bumping up against the price of the Ford F150, etc.
The Tacoma, especially with 4 doors, just fits the bill so well for so many folks who may have a kid or two, and use it to haul light loads such as the occasional lawnmower, some firewood, Grandma's old sofa, etc. The composite bed saves weight, likely costs less than a steel one, and Toyota sells millions of Tacomas.
I think they've got it figured out.
And if you want more GVWR they offer the Tundra, yes more $$ and bigger, but they can't offer a million different lengths and GVWRs.
And yes, they sell tons of Hiluxs overseas, but overseas, how many Ford F150s does one see? Like none.

Toyota sells millions of quality products for a reason, they do it well. Not well enough for you and I 'cause we want more GVWR in our Tacomas but overall very well.

My .00002 cents, worth what it cost.

 

I will say those same TOYOTA engineers looked over my truck pretty hard with 7 rear leaf springs, air bags, and the heaviest coils up front OME makes with my 1100lb camper sitting on it and didn’t seem concerned one bit. In fact one of them was building a Taco with a 4Wh camper on it. Off the record he told me they build plenty of safety factor in.

of course there is no way to increase actual GVWR but I think in addition to brakes you’d want a fully boxed frame (like the Hilux) but for now I’m more than ok running around a little heavy. Obviously caution should be exercised and lighter is better.


my heavy Taco

 

That is GREAT to hear! I had wondered about that, I wish I had been there when the engineers were looking over your vehicle.

You *were* timid going around those turns on the parkway, concerned about leaning too much, just sayin', but anyone would be to some extent, of course.

On a plane home from our camper/Tacoma build in Prescott, AZ last week I happened to sat beside a lawyer and asked him hypothetically, "If you were the lawyer representing someone who had been run into by what you thought was an overloaded vehicle, would you see to it that it was weighed and would it be a material factor in litigation, IOW "Because your vehicle was over loaded, you caused or contributed to my client being injured and his vehicle being damaged". He said,"Yes", but it was all hypothetical.

Googling overloaded vehicles mostly talks about tractor trailers, but a local DOT cop I know told me overloaded, say lawn mowing guys with trailers ARE cited.

When/if I get stuck (likely I want to be lighter so I can extricate myself more easily.

For a laugh: I found titanium tire irons! From Russia, so I wonder if a geiger counter would set them off

From Russia, with LOVE

 

I wonder how much it cost to research and simply, say, remove a grab handle from the A pillar?
It must be around 1million$ to put the touch lock on the passenger side of a 17 taco , gotta get the electrical engineers involved. My wifes 17 highlander has it???
Looks like you are all up on your research though. If you take your FJ to a dealer I doubt your getting much help with the stock carbie.