Another sad 4x2 story

Haha thanks man!

 

Get a locker for the rear end.

 

4x4

 

thanks for the input guys, i appreciate it. @smitty99 and @eon_blue you guys are right and said it best. This thing will suit my needs as is, throwing chains on for the snow aint a big thing. if i end up having the urge to get into some real 4 wheeling, i guess it'll be time to invest in a rig i won't mind beating up against some rocks.

 

That's pretty solid advice. I have 2 cars- one for driving around the city (Off-Road Accord) and a 1st Gen 4x4 that goes on all the trips. You're in CA, I bet you could get a solid 1st Gen with relatively low miles that you could build out and get it 4x4 trail ready for what you'd re-invest in a newer 4x4. Then you'd be able to keep the miles off it.

 

Story sounds familiar and hits home lol. We have a little group going on 2wd friendly runs here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2wds-unite-bs-and-meet-ups-june-trail-run-big-bear.488858/

 

He's got the TRD OR according to his sig so he should have the e-locker. Night/day difference in what you can tackle in 2wd if you're locked. Best mod I ever made to my old 1st gen Prerunner back in the day. Second best one was upgrading to a locked 4x4 But there's plenty of fun to be had in a locked 2wd if you mind your limitations.

 

+1, you have a locker

 

Locker in the rear . Poker up front

 

I've got 2 4x4 Toyota trucks...and a 4x4 SUV for my old lady .. my last car was awd and the 2nd gen Tacoma before it was 4x4 .. I bought her her first ride it was 4x4 also..we find a way to use every one.

 

depending on the region, a 2WD truck could have a specific application in desert racing and some other applications of course. But working in the off road industry we always say that lifting a 2WD is the worst of all worlds because you still have all the complaints that people make about lifted 4x4 trucks in general with bigger tires , parking, gas mileage , convenience , ride , noise , blah blah blah at least you have four-wheel-drive with the 2WD you have all the disadvantages and none of the advantages.

 

Why are 2WDs often preferred for desert racing?

 

Less shit to break...4x4 isn't typically needed on desert racing terrain especially with the speed/momentum they maintain

 

Get the 4X4, you will regret your current truck till you do.

 

If you have it, you will more than likely use it. If you don't, you will always hesitate and most likely not use it. My previous truck was a 4x2 and when i got stuck, i never went again... for 10 years. Now that i have my first 4x4, i try to go every weekend

 

If it's just for some snowy conditions, good tires, chains and a couple hundred pounds of ballast in the back will get you through anything paved if you know what you're doing. 4WD will make it easier to get moving in some situations, but you're no better off when it comes to steering and stopping.

Far too many 4x4s in Cali who think that the T-case makes them some kind of superhero or provides any kind of benefit for doing anything but speeding up. Four powered wheels will slide off the road the same as two will if you hit a good sized patch of black ice (and being chained up in the back might actually help you catch enough to stop in that situation).

For trails, there's a lot of terrain where high clearance is the more important part of what most 4x4s will give you over most cars. There are definitely some things that a 2WD won't be able to do unless you're jacked up to the sky and rolling on 40"+ tires, but most people would be surprised at what a 2WD tacoma can actually get over (Just ask the guys from some of the groups I ran with in my 2010 PreRunner at Rock therapy last year), especially with a locker ans a winch added to the mix. My personal preference for a real crawler/trail rig would be something a lot shorter and narrower than a 2nd/3rd Gen Taco anyway; I love my truck but when I get the chance to build a trail rig, I'm going to shoot for either an 80's toyota pickup/hilux, a 1st/2nd gen 4Runner or a 70's era FJ40 if I can find one that's beat up and cheap.

 

Not only will you lose on the trade depreciation, you would lose on the tax and license on the full value of the new truck in calfornia. You could be looking at 8k to trade in.

 

4 wheel drive will get you into fun spots but without a locker, your still just using two drive wheels. A good set of tires will do more good unless your specifically doing rough trails with hills or snow. Buy a beater 4x4 and take that off-road. Keep the 2wd and use it as a truck instead of a jeep.

 

So for me personally if I ended up with a 2wd Tacoma some way or another I would only upgrade to a 4wd after I had repeatedly gotten stuck. It's not the end of the world to get stuck...friends or AAA or someone can get you out in all but the most extreme cases. Don't fix what isn't a problem. That being said I pretty assuredly would be fine with a 2wd Tacoma and yet I have 4wd.

 

I live in southern CA in the San Diego area, and have a 2WD off road. I've only had it for a month but I think back to when we went up to Mammoth this year in its worst conditions and made it through fine in my girlfriends 2WD Kia Sorrento with no chains. If you have good tires and the locker you will be fine! I have found a ton of mellow trails out in east county san diego that do not require 4X4. Yeah there are times that I think about it and wish I had it just to have it but have yet to actually need it and probably wont. Save yourself the cost and increase in monthly payment/insurance.