2LM PnP - Plug and play 2WD low range for the 3rd gen. Tacoma

Also, wouldn't it be the outside tire? Weight is going to be transferred to the downhill (inside) front tire making the outside rear lighter.

 

In my mind, it's the tighter radius, similar to going forward from a stop. That is not so much weight dependent, but the tire with the least amount of total traction.

Caster will even come into play a bit as the inside will jack a bit.

 

Ok, now I'm curious. Empirical testing is required. Now to find the right hill.

 

Same! I have one at work here. Maybe tomorrow morning.

 

It's actually happening on flat ground after I crest the top of my driveway. I need to make a sharp left turn as soon as I get to the top to park out of the way. I have the car with me today, but I'll do some more experimenting maybe tomorrow and over the weekend. I might even try to grab a quick video of really slow reversing with 2Lo and turning in a circle on flat ground to see if that does the same thing.

Please take no offense and I really appreciate the info. and cool mod

I don't really think this is an issue - just wanted to make sure I didn't have something going on that I needed to dig into. I imagine with the extra tongue weight of a trailer that you are right and I'd never notice the hop/slip.

 

No offense here. It is good stuff to know and understand.

For me, the Taco is my first RWD, 4wheeled vehicle since I was a teen. I spent too long suffering with the limitations of FWD. The Taco is fun and enjoyable to drive, which I didn't think that I would ever say about a car / truck again. I feel that anything with higher limits would also tend toward boring as much as there is an appeal toward faster things. Previously, I was enjoying the limits of a bike with 4in wide tires. Sliding that around at or below the speed limit was all kinds of fun.

The axle wrap issue is about my only major suspension complaint. Maybe someday I will try a SUA conversion and see? That's a lot of spring and a minor hit to the ground clearance. I need to do a lot more reading there.

 

I have a very similar parking setup it sounds. I'll try it when I get home today.

Also, it seems this mod has gotten out into the wild. I have received several orders from people that do not appear to be forum members in the past couple weeks. It's nice to see, maybe if word gets out there can be another batch in the works for people in the future.

 

I was thinking/wondering today, as perfect as it is, if it'd be possible to modify the 4wd selector switch such that the center becomes a pushbutton rather than a required step to get to Low gear, and use that pushbutton to provide the input which the current switch provides. Seems like disabling the need to push the button to get to Low would not be overly difficult, but converting a momentary button into one with pressed/unpressed state would be harder and then providing visual feedback of state harder still. Probably would be easier to design an entirely new replacement switch in the factory location which could feed both the factory selector plug and the mod switch plug.

 

definitely doable, but there be quite a bit involved like sourcing different switches or replacing buttons. Plus mapping the pins for it and possibly building an entirely new end of the harness that plugs in there.

So it's technically possible...

maybe if the Toyota engineers ever talk to actual customers the people that use their trucks...

 

I have not disassembled a 4x4 switch, but I would imagine it would be quite difficult. I don't think push action to get into 4L is at all electrical. I think it is only a mechanical interlock to prevent you from accidentally going directly to 4L from 2H. Anything is possible, it just comes down to time and expense. I'm sure you, I, or someone else could design and commission a replacement selector switch to be made, but if it cost $500 because of the low volume, would anyone really buy it?

 

I tried 2Lo in reverse with the steering at full lock both ways. I didn't have any trouble reversing. When I punched it enough to break traction, it was the inside wheel each time.

I have taken the 4wd knob apart to paint the chrome. I also modded it to remove the two tabs that require the push to get it in and out of 4Lo / 2Lo. The problem is that the center section is not just a cover. It has a fastener in the center that retains the assembly. There is plenty of space to add a switch in that area, but it won't be pretty.

The knob is easy to disassemble if you want to check it out. Skip ahead to 2min 10sec:



Be sure that you don't lose the two plastic nubs that rest on top of the detent springs. The springs don't fly out, but the plastic can fall out.

 

I'm assuming you did this on a hill?

 

Yep. The same would have happened on a flat with more go power.

 

if Toyota talked to their customers, I’d have a hilux rugged x and 79 series land cruiser

 

The 3rd Gen is not ideal for a lot of folks, but it sure does a good job with a couple small mods.

There are the dream machines that we wish we could purchase, but the ability for Toyota to offer them is slim.

A lot of it goes back to the old quote by Henry Ford: If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. I have no idea if he actually said that, but it is a good sentiment.

I would love manual hubs and T case, but the other 99.9% of buyers would not.

 

Wow they sure do some nice videos.

I still have chrome around my 4x4 selector and cup holders but the a/c controls are grey, not sure if maybe the previous owner did them?

So it’s 5 pins right now. Seems like a replacement rotary switch would be ideal with harness to snap in to factory plug and the switch plug. Rotate clockwise to go 4wd high then low, rotate counter clockwise to go 2wd low. High to low would require pushing the button either way. Intuitive and backwards compatible.

Seems doable to me, price being the major hurdle. It’s not that I mind the extra switch so much, but I think it’d be ideal to have a user interface which prevents the wrong sequence. Maybe one other problem is that the mod requires three steps and that may be hard to do with one click of a rotary. So it might need to be more like press the button, rotate counterclockwise once (to engage mod) then twice (enter 4 high with mod = 2 hi) then three times (4 low with mod = 2 low). Maybe some status LED’s to finish it off.

In other news, proofs for the visor cards are in and we have a little bit of a tight squeeze on the corners. I’m playing with some ideas but maybe others have suggestions too.



EDIT: Ordering info in this post:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...e-3rd-gen-tacoma.614743/page-52#post-23732558

 

I am not a fan of the notched design. I like the smooth shape of the OEM stuff. So, for me it is paint or vinyl. Both of which are holding exceedingly well. Also, there is no current solution for the biggest issue, the center cup holder surround that kicked off my entire interior dechroming.


For me, I have no worry about the sequence. The worst case scenario is that I get a 2wd / 4wd error? Just once since I installed mine, from the first batch delivered, have I accidentally not hit the override switch and tried to turn in our cul de sac. The binding was immediately apparent.

For sure, a right turn for 2Lo would be sweet, but given the internals, you would be looking a couple molds and a circuit board. That would be out of my price range.

 

Anyone know if you get a code going from 2 low back to 2 high with the 2 low button still pressed in? I’m thinking that’s the real stickler, that the sequence isn’t one way to engage and reverse to disengage but the button press / unpress has to happen first.

 

Yes. That is the main way that the message is caused.

Honestly, you will get used to it really fast.

One other tip. You can hit the switch and go from 2Lo to 2Hi in one motion without stopping at the 4Hi position. Unfortunately, going from 2Hi to 2Lo, you do have to stop and wait at the 4Hi position.

 

My 2019 with Premium package (dual zone climate) has grey around the environmental a/c controls also. Not sure how they delineate between which trims or packages have chrome and which has the grey rings, but wish they had switched to that grey for everything - a/c, 4WD, vents, cupholders, etc.!