adding TRAC to 06 TRD offroad?

Hi Dean... it is, but there are some here who need to blow up their egos or post counts and have a problem with information sharing (or repeating). Just hang in there and ask away... As for your question, I do agree with whippersnapper that adding lockers will be less hassle than trying to incorporate A-TRAC into a truck that didn't have it installed at the factory. The rear locker is the first choice... with that alone, you may find you can get anywhere you need to. I did in my '01 and '05 Tacos. If you are going to Moab or the Hammers and become a rock crawler, then the front locker will be handy for that...

 

A-TRAC is even stronger than TRAC in that there is nearly no spin to activate... much closer to lockers than limited slip in how it provides traction. Fun stuff!

 

Yeah... but maybe I need traction while turning...

 

I have no idea, I'm more curious than anything. I don't drive anything with any sort of VSC or Traction control. Not a project I'll be attempting any time soon, but it would give me cool bragging rights if I did it, right?

Right now, I'm thinking more about driving in snow than off-road.

 

Hate to get technical here, but I agree with you that 2009+ 4wd SR5/Sports with TRAC (vacuum booster), ATRAC is even stronger than TRAC (yellow wire mod).

I will disagree that ATRAC is stronger than a 2005-2008 4wd OR equipped with TRAC/VSC (hydraulic master/booster and ATRAC in 4low/4high).

 

I looked up the hydraulic master/booster and it was ~$1000 from Toyota parts... An ARB front locker w/o compressor is right in that range.

 

Adding a front locker to a TRD-OR that already has a rear locker only helps out in in extreme conditions where the rear locker isn't enough to get the truck moving. Driving in those conditions is not my intention for this truck.

I live in the mountains of Colorado and deal with snow and ice 4-6 months a year. Having VSC/TRAC would make it easier to get out of my driveway on a snowy day without having to switch into 4WD just to get to the road. When the roads are a mix of snow, ice, and dry pavement you don't want to be driving in 4WD because of the stress on the differentials on dry pavement. Under these conditions VSC/TRAC is a lot more useful than a front locker.

 

I am confident in saying that no one has ever tried to add VSC/TRAC to a non-VSC truck, therefore I wouldn't expect many responses on how to do it.

Looks like you will probably be the first. If you go down that road, feel free to use this thread as a journal.

 

Just get Subaru I know what you taking about but VSC and ATRAC will help you little.

 

The first part you are correct... a front locker would be only if you wanted to be a rock crawler, not typical steep off roading (where the rear locker works great).

The second part needs reviewing: "When the roads are a mix of snow, ice, and dry pavement you don't want to be driving in 4WD because of the stress on the differentials on dry pavement."

It is raining today here is SoCal, and because I haven't four wheeled in a month, I popped it into H4 for a few miles of straight driving... you know, to 'lube the parts'. No damage will come on wet, or snowy paved road use... Even dry while driving straight... It is called "binding" that occurs with slow, tight turns on dry/ hard surfaces (pavement or granite rock). The tires must rotate at 4 different speeds to make a turn and the binding in 4WD is what you need to avoid. Heck, just to turn into a tight spot even off road is best done in 2WD because it takes great force to even turn the steering wheel in 4WD, if moving very slow.

So, if you have conditions that 2WD is not safe, then USE 4WD! Even if you have to go back to 2WD, rotating that dial is like no major effor is it? I mean, it is shift on the fly. If that is too much to do, then you want an AWD vehicle (or 'full time 4WD') with a center differential so the binding is eliminated! Toyota makes several, like the Land Cruiser with Full Time 4WD.

 

We've had a lot of snow here lately and I've been making frequent use of the shift on the fly 4WD and it has been great. No big need for VSC or TRAC. When I think about it more, if the Tacoma 4WD system has open differentials front and rear, then that would allow the left/right wheels to turn at slightly different speeds without putting any stress on the differentials, even in 4WD.

Does that sound right?

I haven't had a chance to sit down and read through the manual yet. What are the limitations (MPH, etc.) on the 4WD shift on the fly? Can I shift it in and out at any speed I want?

 

This is the card in (my) sun visor/ driver's side... you should have one like it, too.:


You should be under 60 mph when going INTO H4. No speed mentioned when going back into H2.

You do have open differentials (unless you are an '05-'08 Sport, then the rear only is a limited slip diff.)... The stress of using 4WD on dry pavement (while turning) is not at the differentials, but instead at the transfer case where the front drive shaft and the rear drive shaft come together. When turning, the front drive shaft needs to rotate more than the rear.

The Off Road Tacos have a locking rear differential, which is not 'open' when locked.