First time towing with my Taco!

Diesel makes all the difference there.

 

So it is starting to sound like I just have to get used to this truck a little more. Like I said, it was my first time towing with it and I'm more used to low end torque rather than high end torque.
I'm getting another trailer for parts next weekend in VT so I guess that will give me a better idea as to how it acts.
Thanks

 

Gotcha, now I know where you're coming from. Most people who ask this question fall into two categories: Usually it's either the guys that have never towed or the guys that are used to pulling the 53' trailers.

Yeah these won't pull like a diesel. There's a definite loss in performance compared to that. It might be a slow slug, but it'll still happily chug along once you let it do it's thing. As I said earlier, lock out the two top gears by keeping the shifter in S4, and don't expect to run it at 75 all day. It's happier at 70 and below.

 

You got it! These little trucks can do it, just not as well as a bigger truck. I'm betting half the miles on my Taco are towing my trailer around, usually 3000-4000lbs. Keep it under 70 (60-65 even better), and you'll be just fine. Good luck and enjoy!

 

ROFLMAO
I typically keep it around 70 - 73 on trips anyway.

 

ez to complain

many dissatisfied with towing with 4 & 6 cylinders

yet there are amny that tow …….No complaints

terrain

rpms / gear

size …...not so much the weight
mostly comes into play making grade

aero plays as much if not more a factor

the ' CD ' coefficient drag eats up as much power.....mpg
as the weight

what gear
what speed
what rpm are U having issues

 

You can, but the dealer has never mentioned a good / bad thing about any of my obvious mods over a few ToyotaCare visits.

 

Don't you think 5.29s are a little extreme for an otherwise un-modded Taco?

 

Not in the least. The overall ratios close enough to the Stock MTs, esp in the upper gears. MT with 32s on the left, AT with 32s and 5.29s on the right:


The website is grimjeeper.com .

 

What's the tranny option for Grim jeeper on a 3rd gen? i dont know the model.

 

There isn't one. Just input the ratios from the link in my signature.

 

Turn on ECT, shift it over to S4 (like the manual says) use those gears when needed up or down and you should feel a bit of improvement. You have to work that Auto transmission like a manual sometimes especially on hills.

 

That's nuts the difference between the MT and AT ratios on the 3rd Gen. WOW.

But looking at the AT 3.91 vs AT 5.29, that's a VERY large difference. I just swapped from 3.73 in my 2nd gen to 4.56s, stock tire size, mainly for towing which I do consistently. Just seems extreme for intermittent use.

 

It is nuts, right? The 3rd Gen AT diff gearing is a joke. In real life, the MPG difference is not even there. And, it was said that Toyota can't build more than 5% MTs without goofing up the CAFE compliance. Just weird all around.

IMHO, ATs should have been at least 4.88s Stock. That would have made some sense.


The 1st Gear ratios in yours has an extra zero.

 

WOW... just WOW...

Thanks for the lesson, man! I'm so far loving my re-gear, but haven't had a chance to do a real towing test yet. Got a trip over to Moses Lake coming up in three weeks, that should be telling.

 

You're welcome!

A lot of folks have asked me about the tough decision between 4.88s and 5.29s. It tell them that it's easy. Haha!


Oh yeah. I was just over 20 and goofing around in the hills. No towing, but too damn happy with the setup.




I ran this from Mukilteo to Kent and got 20mpg. About 1,300lb and bad aero:

 

It’s been pretty well documented that these trucks need to be turning in the upper RPM range if you plan to tow “comfortably”. (And I don’t think anything over 3.5k lbs is comfortable) Even us 2nd Gen guys suffer from this too.
The 3rd Gen even more.

The engine is rated relatively high @
Maximum Torque is attained at 4600 RPM
Maximum HP is attained at 6000 RPM

You’re going to need push the little guy to get him “going”.

 

I guess I should have read my manual. I've just been towing my trailer around dropping the hammer to get it into 4th or lower when I need power for the hills.

I always thought it was a no-no to manually shift an automatic transmission, especially when towing.

So you guys are saying just put it in 4th and leave it? Even on the highway?

 

I have never heard that it is bad to shift an AT. It is what I do every time I have to drive one. Most all come with a manual sport mode these days.

S-mode in the Taco only limits the upper gear. So if you pop it into S-mode, it will default to S4, which has a slightly different shift map and will shift through the first four gears. If you get on a flat or downhill, you can go up to S5 and S6. Use good judgement and possibly monitor ATF temps.

It is just like the OG PRND321, where if you pop it in 2 or 3, you're just limiting the gear shift range.

Have fun!

 

Yes. and turn on ECT.