'21 TRD Sport 4x4 After Action

Yesterday I traded my Taco in for another vehicle I will get into later, but first I wanted to share my lessons learned in the hopes that one of you considering a Taco or a TRD Sport will make an informed decision and consider some things that may not be at the front of mind.







Lessons Learned

• The dual battery setup pictured here will not work in a TRD Sport because of the ABS valving that is located at the passenger side firewall. These setups only work with the TRD Pro and TRD Off Road as they do not have the ABS valving at the passenger firewall b/c of crawl control. After reading the dual battery setups thread I determined not to go with a dual setup because of the stress cracks the additional weight causes in the stock location. Because of this weakness and because of the TRD Sport valving I did not get a dual battery setup. Something to know if this is important to you.
• As far as mods I would not do again the 1Up Rack on the top of the tailgate is something I should have thought through and not done. I figured the rack along with tying into my leitner rack would work out, but it didn't. I should have ponied up and bought my Kuat rack earlier and installed in on my trailer, but time was short and $200 and some rivnuts seemed better than an $800 Kuat rack. The rack worked which freed up my hitch for towing but it was a pain in the ass and introduced even more drag than my truck and trailer already had. If there is one thing you can learn from me, don't experiment with this. There is a reason you don't see single, 1 up racks installed on tailgates. Good initiative, bad judgement.
• Knowing what I know now, the first two mods I would have made would have been 4.88 or 5.29 gears and an Overland Torque Tune by Overland tailor
• I was hesitant to purchase the
  $1,628 ARB Old Man Emu 2" Lift Kit - OMETAC16MKSB
  Old Man Emu 2-2.5 in. Heavy kit because of members reporting squeaky/noisy rear leaf packs. I'm happy I went with the kit and SPC UCAs. I put 22,000 miles off road, towing, freeway, and everything in between without issue.
• For those of you on the fence about a winch, the is a powerhouse. I have had no issues with it and it has seen use every weekend dragging and moving land yachts (classic cars with frozen brakes/bearings/etc). Wire it properly with a switch and a 500 or 600 amp ANL fuse and it will be a workhorse for you. I had a Warn 16.5ti on my Cummins chase rig and I now have a Warn Zeon 12k that was factory installed on my current rig. I like Warn. I also like the Apex Badlands. I'm keeping it and installing it on a trailer. You will not be disappointed with the Apex Badlands 12k.
• I had zero issues towing off road with my RedArc Tow Pro Elite. I have a factory brake controller now and I like the RedArc so much I'm putting it in my '81 GMC Dually.
• 275/70/17 BFG KO2s served me well and 17x9 Vision Manx II wheels with +12mm offset were the sweet spot for me. No CMC, no trimming, only minor rub was at full lock and full stuff which only happened a few times off road. It rubbed the inner plastic. Shout out to @Discount Tire for the excellent service in Roanoke, TX.
• My Cali Raised LEDs and the Napa 2x2 bumper spots worked flawlessly. I highly recommend ditch lights for anyone traveling in the boonies.

Trade In

Keep an eye out on the B/S/T forum, I have a few accessories I am parting with. Priority will go to Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado buyers since they are local. I'm in 82401. Below is the truck just before trade in, I left the SPC UCAs, OME Heavy lift, wheels and tires and full sized spare. The rest of the items in my build thread were pulled off.







She was a good truck and the wife, dogs, and I had some epic adventures in her. I had zero mechanical issues to Toyota's credit and my only gripe is how these Taco's come neutered from the factory. I get it though, the EPA has regulations and Toyota has to meet those regulations and also plan for the majority of users, not dudes like me on the tail of the curve.

My New Rig

I decided to get a rig that is a 4x4 so I could pull the race car trailer (if needed) in light winter conditions. It'll stay home in bad conditions but if I have a buyer that is on the fence and delivering it will close the deal I'd like to be able to tow in winter. My 2WD duallys get sketchy as hell in snow and ice conditions, and the Taco couldn't pull my trailer, so a Power Wagon was necessary. You cannot beat the pulling power of a Diesel but total cost of ownership sucks and so does DEF/particulate capture. Gas is where it is at. 4.10 gears, lockers, sway bar disconnects cover everything I wanted my Tacoma to do off road and now I have 4k of payload and can pull 17k#

These are two completely different platforms so I'm not even going to compare. I have nothing but love for the Tacoma and my experiences in it, and look forward to my new '24 Power Wagon. Let the roasting from going from a Toyjota to a Mopar begin . You'll still see me around chiming in on topics where I may have some perspective and certainly in the B/S/T forum. I also have garages full of classic cars for all of you with an itch for something from the 60s or 70s. You'll see some stuff at Barrett Jackson and Hagerty this year. PM what you are looking for and budget so I can see if I have anything you may fancy.

 

Good choice on the color, been a favorite of mine. In my opinion the only downside to a full size Ram is the size, everything else is an improvement over a Tacoma.

 

Good recap and write up. Enjoy the new truck. What size tires are you putting on the RAM?

 

35 x12.50s eventually. for now the 285/70/17 Duratracs will work. I hear 37s will fit without issue but the spare will not.

 

In your classic collection you don't happen to have '64 GTO #104, which was a sedan, powerglide with column shift and in Saddle Bronze do you?

 

PM sent.

 

That was a fun morning coffee read! Enjoy your new truck brother!

 

Nothing in my inbox........... don't be a tease.

 

I'd get a Power Wagon in a heartbeat

 

Another option. Photo taken fall of '23 in Canada on an island off the St Lawrence seaway.

 

That is a nice build on a Lunar Rock tacoma!

A VERY nice truck.
Those years were the pinnacle of the US auto industry... (especially relative to the competition...)

 

Kidding! … but please report back over time on how the Ram is doing reliability wise. Seems everyone I know with something Mopar has issues.

 

We are glad to hear our ditch lights worked well for you! They are great at illuminating the sides of the road at night to enhance visibility.