Should I ReGear My 4 Cylinder?

Changing the gears will make a difference, but perhaps not one that solves your problem.

In any case, I know what you are feeling. My first pickup was rated at 90hp.

 

It'll peppy up for sure on stock tires. You can always upsize your tires in the future if the rpms are not to your liking.I have 4.88's on mine but with 285 tires so it was a necessity.

 

yeah I was just use to that zippy little Honda now with this truck it’s no that I’m not happy because honestly I still have my civic but it hasn’t been used since I got the truck other than once and I did enjoy the quickness but hated how low it was now that I was use to being so high up. It also does give my business a good look. Being in Texas you kinda grow up loving trucks bbqs guns and low taxes lol so it kinda just makes sense for me lol

 

.,.

 

I lived in Texas 19 years. Having a truck is definitely a good marketing move for your business. Numerous hunting trips each year and many (probably most) of my friends drove 2WD Suburbans and trucks with relatively few of them getting stuck often.

 

A set of these from Amazon will fit perfectly behind your back seat and get your 2WD out of some tough Texas spots
BUNKER INDUST Off-Road Traction Boards, 2 Pcs Recovery Tracks Traction Mat

 

It’s cheap cuz it’s only 2wd.

 

You could also go for a smaller set of tires. May not look as cool but easier to turn so more apparent power and same effect as lowering gearing. My 2011 has 3.15 gearing with stock 215/70R 15 tires. Good ground clearance, adequate power and fuel economy.

 

yo

 

Sweeet! I’ve been looking for something like this just in case

 

$800 to me sounds like a bargin. That includes new gears and labor?

I too could probably use a regear.

16 2.7 5speed 4x4, with Load rang E MTS, skids, steel bumper, sliders, lift. I dont use 5th gear anymore on the highway, too many hills around here that kill the power.

I just leave it in 4th gear at 65 mph. Be nice to get my use of 5th gear back.

 

Geez, i would think a stock 2wd gen3 tacoma with the 4 cylinder would be decent enough performance wise. When i test drove the 4wd drive sr version it wasn't.

 

@Birge how long have you had your taco? I got mine in late 2020 and for the longest time felt the same way about it. I loved it but wished I had gotten a V6, and wished it had more get up and go. Over time, however, I've come to be okay with it not being a racing truck. It's still an excellent truck and it looks great. I've taken a road trip to Colorado and back, and California and back. That kind of helped me bond with it more. I can be reasonably confident that it'll get me at least 250,000 miles down the road. Maybe not very fast, but it'll still be running when lots of other trucks have died.

 

Changing the gearing doesn't give you any more horsepower but it does increase wheel torque in each gear and gives you access to more power in each gear at the same speed.

Regearing to a higher number makes the most difference if you find yourself just barely needing to downshift. Say 3550 rpm at 75 mph (4th) is too much, but 2450 RPM in 5th is not enough. Let's say that if you just need to be at 2700 RPM at 75. Well, with stock gearing, that can't be done, it's 2450 or 3550, and 3550 seems to be the better choice. If you regear to 4.875, that puts you at 2800 RPM in 5th at 75, and that brings 4th all the way to 4050. Now you can use 5th gear since it gives you enough power, but now if 5th can't get the job done, you're stuck with 4050 rpm in 4th at 75.

Regearing can also help if you rarely or never use your last gear. It only does you good to scale your other gears back and let your actual highest gear be your old "highest gear."

The change you'll most notice after a regear is how it takes off from a stop. It'll also be able to stay in the same gear more easily at speed, but that's going along what I talked about in the 2nd paragraph.

 

Whats nice about v6, you can cruise at 70 mph in 6th barely turning 2k rpm.

 

I've never messed with my gearing with an automobile, but I have definitely messed with it on my bicycles. I used to race. It's about tailoring your gears to your expected lowest, average, and max speeds so that you maximize the time spent in the optimal rpm range while still maintaining an acceptable min and max speed. Hilly terrain requires a wider gear ratio than flat terrain. On bicycles you have a lot more flexibility and a lot less cost.

 

I had the EXACT same problem you do. Even considered supercharging the truck or adding a turbo... Re-gearing will likely not help as much as you think it will

Also, not sure about your elevation, but I lost 15% - 17% owing my being at 5,000 feet here in Albuquerque. And given that the stock motor only has 159 horsepower to begin with, we don't have much to spare...

Short of buying a 6 cylinder, which is what I did, your options are LIMITED. If you HAVE TO keep the truck, I would look at the supercharging kit, I cannot remember who the vendor is but Google is your friend. Should set you back around $5,000.

 

I did the same to my race bikes at various moto, and hare scramble events depending how open the terrain top speeds, and weather. Drop, or add a tooth makes a big difference when your racing a 125.

 

The 2.7 with stock 4.3 gears, stock 30.5" tires and stock 0.5806 6th gear is doing about 1950 rpm at 70 mph, the 3.9091 in the V6 is at 1750. I think no will argue the V6 has a slightly easier time staying under 2k though.

 

My v6 hardly ever sees more that 1600 rpm on our back roads. I've reached 2500 rpm at 50 mph when towing my boat on roads up in the taconic, or berkshire hills here.