Twisty frame question

AT around 7 minutes they talk about Tacoma having an independent frame from the cab. I plan on adding bed stiffeners since ill be putting on a full-size cvt tent. Would the bed stiffeners go against how Toyota has designed this bed to move during off road?




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9n31MZoqQw#action=share

 

Tacoma claims this was for better articulation, and the video showed evidence of that.

 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did they design the frame for weight and cost reasons, discover it ‘warped more’ and marketing labeled it ‘articulation’? Or did they want more articulation and a less rigid frame was easier than more complex suspension?

 

Agreed but do bed stiffness interfere with there design?

 

No

 

No. Bed is attached to frame so will not mess anything up.

There is a reason there is a crack between beds and cabs lol.

 

Sounds like nonsense to me. Maybe the shocks are just longer on the Taco. Or maybe they just made up the articulation excuse as a reason to make the frame cheaper.

 

Boxed vs C channel. Designed that way for that reason.
Why would you think it was bullshit? It's right there in the video.

 

Toyota used to use boxed frames on everything but stopped due to cost and weight. It's just a by product now. But it doesnt mean its good or bad really.

 

Stiffeners for the plastic bed?

 

Honestly the beds probably gonna break. Get a Ranger!!

 

Know anything about a Unimog’s frame? Anyway...

The op’s question reminds me of that YouTube Dodge vs Ford frame twist test video. Our frames may be more similar to the Ford when it comes to flex, but the bed stiffeners theoretically should keep the tailgate aligned between the bedrails during full flex (like the Dodge). I have no clue if the newer Tacoma has an issue in that scenario. My 99’s bed used to twist to the point the tailgate wouldn’t open while flexed with a loaded bed.

 

^^^Toyota engineer??

They frame isn’t boxed or unboxed for cost savings. This myth, based on nothing but speculation, needs to stop being repeated as truth. The Taco frame is boxed or unboxed for its designed purpose, which is a combination of weight savings, center of gravity, flex, truck handling, and resistance to corrosion.

Arguably the strongest, and most expensive off-roader is the Unimog. It has an open c-channel frame, as that is the way they designed it. It certainly didn’t make it any cheaper!

 

They articulate pretty well after a few years on salty roads:

 

Cost, weight. I’m not taking the word of some weird dude in a random video. I get that the C channel isn’t as stiff but I’d be pretty surprised if they intentionally designed it that why just for more articulation. Also, it’s a pretty small static load so I’d be surprised the c channel even deflected a noticeable amount more than the same sized boxed section.

 

What makes you think when they make the product cheaper that they pass that savings on to the customer?

 

Body on frame pickup trucks with separated beds are supposed to flex, they can’t not flex. Why do auto makers try and make truck frames stiff? So they ride and handle like cars! You know what happens when they try to make a pickup frame stiff? They resonate. Google “Chevy Shake” to see what I’m talking about. You will see video after video, and post after post of people trying to fix it with tires, shocks, driveshafts with limited success. Will the Ranger do this? Probably not since it’s not a new truck, it’s 7 years old already, someone in Europe would have noticed.

 

I highly doubt articulation was a primary engineering objective for the Tacoma. It was definitely a byproduct of cost-savings.

 

I saw a ton of the new rangers in New Zealand recently more so than the Hilux. I saw a few all modded out with armor, snorkel, racks, etc... and they look slick. Seems to be really popular over there. My unbiased opinion is they look nice and if they are reliable (Lets be real its a ford truck) I think it will dig into the Tacoma sales. They seemed to be priced in the same line as the Tacoma's and they do look a little more modern, all be it very ford explorerish, with a lot of comparable tech inside.

This can be some real competition for the Tacoma...which is generally good all around.