Between buying 3rd Gen SR/SR5 and modding vs TRD Offroad and keeping stock

Thank you all for all the information and the input. I apprecaite it. Looks like you guys are steering me into my original direction, which is saving a little longer so I can afford a Manual TRD Off Road. I feel like I would hate the automatic transmission especially if the Automatic Transmission jumps all over the place like that. Much prefer to control what gear the truck is in than letting it hop all over the place. Seems the automatic has some cool features for offroading that the Manual doesn't, but as cool as they sound, I feel like I would prefer to do the work myself and not just let the computer do it all for me.

Hope to be back here sometime in 2018 to show off my very own Tacoma! Until then, I'll be stalking the forum. Thanks again everyone!

 

Sr 4x4 here... 29g wasn't a bad price. Does everything i need it to

 

I have a 2nd gen, which I bought used. IMHO the only reason to buy a TRD is the locker and therefore the only TRD to buy is an OR. I bought the TRD OR because at the time it was available. I wanted a stick shift, Access Cab with 100K or less, not super easy to find used in Colorado.

Honestly, if I was looking now to replace it I'd go back to a lower spec. The truck this replaced was a more basic model, back in 1991 they called it a DLX, which is roughly what a SR is now. At the time DLX added things like power steering and a 60/40 split bench seat. Things were simpler back then, trucks were really basic.

Then as is now my trucks end up modified a lot. My TRD OR might as well be an SR5 and I could have saved money in theory by going with a lower spec and just adding an Air Locker. Otherwise the only other thing left that makes it a TRD is the 120V inverter, which I couldn't give less of a shit about.

 

TRD OR with the Premium & Tech package.

I love my auto headlights, auto climate control, and heated seats.

Hate the sunroof, but it's part of the package so I deal with it.

 

I wanted the manual and got the auto (because fancy crawl control and multi-terrain select) and only hate the auto on interstate driving.

 

I bought an SR5, and originally was going to get an SR. I could have afforded a TRD PRO if I wanted, but nothing past SR5 seemed worth it to me.

The SR5 vs SR is a bit of a toss-up. I was not going to buy without keyless entry or a tow package, both of which are standard on SR5 (the latter is a required dealer add on for every SR5 in the SE). I ended up going with a SR5 because I wanted a DCLB anyways; the SR does not come in DCLB.

You can add ARB air lockers, front and rear to a SR5, for about what the cost delta is for the jump from SR5 to TRD OR. You really don't need crawl control with lockers, and a front and rear locked Taco will outperform a TRD. As for other features, the sunroof, sound tech, and suspension I'm replacing anyways doesn't make sense to pay extra for. My wife did make me add heated seats to my SR5 though.

There is the downside that you do have to pay cash to later add those lockers. That's a problem for some people. If you're financing and won't have the cash to add lockers later and think you need them, it may make more sense to just start with the TRD to get that rear locker. They do make a difference offroads.

 

Don't really need a front locker with MTS, plus a locker in a IFS will be very hard on the diff. and axles and lead to broken parts.

 

I found the opposite, fewer broken axles with a front locker. There's an advantage that the torque is never concentrated on one wheel but mostly it's that you stay in control. Bouncing is what breaks stuff and if you can keep wheels on dirt you're better off.

 

I've got a TRD OR w PP. It was a toss up between this and an SR. The TRD w PP is very nice. As one guy mentioned, auto headlamp, rear sensors, sunroof, and my wife's fav--heated seats and dual climate control. Crawl control, rear locker, multi-terrain--all very nice as well. But if I am honest with myself, I will never use those off-road gizmo's and could do without the lux amenities. So while I love the truck, if I were to do it again, I would just save some cash and get an SR (or SR5). But I wouldn't even mod it, really. Just get some good tires, maybe a shell, and call it good.

 

Exactly. Suspension components are mostly plug and play now. A few bolts and you can have 6112s and 5160s but spend some time getting your money's worth out of the stock off-road suspension first. Installing a compressor and a locker on a diff that doesn't have the same gear ratio as the off-road is expensive.

 

They make the ARB air lockers for both the 3.73 ratio and for higher ratio's front and rear.

 

Take a look at the bottom of this list. What you say about being more expensive, what do you mean because I don't quite follow.

http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/PDF/accessorizeYourRig/toyotaTacoma.pdf

 

There is no limit to ratios with Air Lockers. You can replace your stock open, limited slip or locked diff with an Air Locker and either reuse your gears or install new gears of the same or different ratios. It's not always best to reuse gears since they set to each other and to the carrier, but it's not strictly impossible either.

The front and rear Air Lockers aren't the same part but you can do them independently, just add a front to existing factory electric locker. Do just a rear if you don't have anything.

What many people do is change ratios at the same time to adjust for larger tires, but it's not a requirement. Some people with TRD ORs just have the stock front diff replaced with an Air Locker to complement their existing rear locker, not changing anything else.