New 2011 Tacoma

Hi All,
I bought this 2011 Tacoma with 2 previous owners and 84K miles at the end of December. Kind of an impulse buy, although I'd wanted one ever since my ex ended up with the 1990 Extra Cab we bought new many years ago. The 2011 has a 4 cyl 2.7L engine, which wouldn't have been my first choice. It's not the best for climbing mountains, and I doubt it will be happy to pull my teardrop trailer up a hill, either. It just happened to show up in the used car lot in my small town and I was able to negotiate a reasonable deal. Looking forward to your advice.
S

 

Hello Sharon
Welcome to TacomaWorld
Towing a teardrop won't be a problem

 

Welcome to TW, Sharon!

 

Welcome to TW.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW! The four cylinders have aftermarket turbo or super charger that can help if power is a concern. But most will be jealous of the fuel economy you’ll get. Enjoy!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome, all!
Only a month in and and I've encountered my first issue. This truck has aftermarket wheels with 275/70 R17 tires. There's enough tread to last until next summer sometime. I had the tires rotated (Les Schwab rotates and fixes flats for free when you buy your tires there), and afterwards I had some vibration in the steering wheel between 45 and 55 mph. I figured the wheels were out of balance, but when I took it back, they checked for that and said the wheels were balanced, but the clamp-on spacers (which they don't recommend for safety reasons) needed to make those big wheels fit were causing the vibration. Now I have to decide whether I want to keep these wheels before its time for a big investment in new tires. I'm not inclined to. The big wheels look boss, but frankly I'd be happy with a set of stock wheels if I could find a good deal on them. Suggestions?

 

Seems to me that if the spacers we causing the vibration you would have noticed it before. I would take it to another tire shop and have them check tires and wheels for balance.

 

Well, I failed to mention that it did have a small vibration already. I hadn't driven it on the highway much prior to the rotation, however. It just became a bit more pronounced, or maybe I noticed it more, after the rotation. Anyhow, probably a good idea to get a second opinion on the wheel balance.
In any case, if clamp on spacers are not safe, I'd rather downsize on the wheels before I have to shell out for tires. Wondering what my best range of options wouldd be so I can be on the lookout on Craigslist or Facebook.
Thanks!

 

Welcome!