New guy here

Purchased my Tacoma TRD 4x4 access cab new in 2015. Really like the truck but not too happy with all the plastic on the body. Only mods I've done is add a hard bed cover and bug deflector and window vent shades.

 

Perhaps yours is a "mall crawler" but mine is a working truck. I carry mail and it is my bad weather/roads go to vehicle. The additions I made were strictly for function and not looks. Bug deflector for obvious purpose, vent shades for keeping the rain outside the cab, and hard cover to house packages too big to fit inside the cab and keep snow out of the bed. Not looking down on your truck mine just has a different purpose.

 

Welcome. Post a pic of your truck now. Thanks.

 

Welcome to TW!!

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Never said anything about bumpers. The plastic I was referring to is the bed, fender flares, flaps, and inner fender well parts. Perhaps you are lucky you've a 1st gen mine is a 2nd gen.

 

I tried unsuccessfully to post a pic. Perhaps I didn't do it right?

 

The bed is composite, right? You can remove the mud flaps if you want. What else are gender flares made from?

 

In lower right hand corner of post, tap on the word quote then, tap on upload file,go to photo library then select the photo you want.

 

Welcome to The Forum!

 

The truck the day I it got back in aug 2015 prior to installation of deflectors, vent visors, and hard color matched-bed cover. I also removed the wheels and put steel wheels on in same size. Just a durability concern for my purposes.

 

Call it composite if you like that's just a fancy name for plastic. Definitely not something to hook a metal fender brace to. Yes I've seen flaps made of everything from aluminum to a rubber mesh embed material. I do plan on removing the flaps as they are way more trouble than they're worth.

 

With a composite bed you never have to worry about to rust or denting or scratching. That's a pretty big win.

 

Anybody out there had any trouble with odd tire wear on Left Front only. Original became cupped and vibrated. Replaced with BFG all terran TA's, same problem, Replaced with multi-mile mud claws, again same problem. Did rotate and balance several times same problem. Steers well and all tires wearing normal other than the cupping and ensuing vibration that follows it. Original tires were 6 ply all replacements have been 10ply. One other thing I've noticed is the truck is low in the rear and lower on the left than on the right as measured from bump stops to rear spring hangers. Tends to bottom hard on even really small bumps. It's a short bed so excess weight should not be a problem and the hard bed cover weighs less than 150lbs and other than the spare all I carry in back is a lightweight aluminum racing jack and a couple shovels and tow rope.

 

Not really a problem in my case as it's one of the reasons I had a hard cover installed when I bought it. Don't kid yourself about the no denting thing. I've pretty big one now in the Right Rear fender which is metal but the "composite" flare is dented as well. Not broken but definitely dented. I'll give ya the nod on the no rust thing but I'm not sure it outweighs all the negatives.

 

At the end of the 2017 year I had a salesman burning up my phone line trying his hardest to sell me a 17 Tacoma. I did some research and learned all the engine I could get was down from the 4.0 I have now to a 3.5 which I told him was totally unacceptable due to power concerns in heavy mud situations. The 4.0 was already a step down from the 4.3 I had in my S-10 crewcab. Then he tried to talk me into a Tundra instead which I immediately shot down due to it's too big to work for my purposes on my mail route.

 

Meh, I've had a truck with a metal bed. I won't be going that route again. Different strokes, I guess.

 

I've not heard of any 3rd gens struggling in mud or snow conditions. The new engine does have more hp, but slightly less torque. I can't imagine one would be vastly superior to the other in heavy mud. Just get good tires and your set. Heck, those four bangers do just fine in the mud.