What the hell ''flexy frame'' means????

get a 1st gen, problem solved

 

the only frame modifications im considering at the moment are off stock tacomas. the Front and Rear K braces off of the XRunners

 

Funny thread. The sheep arguing that the frame on 2nd gen Tacomas is anything but poor, in comparison to other brands. Like it or lump it, the Frontier has a vastly superior frame, end of story. To those who love Tacomas, or think that the appearance of their truck is more important than the strength, whatever.
Might as well start defending the drum brakes too, what a silly discussion, no doubt the sheep would line up to swing for that one too. The Tacoma has some clear deficiencies, hopefully to be remedied in the re-design, the Frontier has far more solid fundamentals, with a little polish, it could easily become the truck to have.....

 

and nissan doesn't make regular cabs. so, imho, they fail lol

 

Has anyones frame cracked? I've seen some people on this forum beat the shit out of the tacomas -- it the frames were weak wouldn't we see failures?

On another note -- just take a look at the inside of the frame -- it's re-enforced and not just a straight c rail.

Fir crying out loud. When I was a kid we used to run datsun and Toyota 1000 pickups which are pretty much Toyota corollas make into a pickup kindof like the el camino. We beat the shit out of them on the worst roads central america had to offer. My friend drove one for over 5 years between the ages of 15 and 20. The damn thing never died -- the Tacoma is light years better than they were.

 

Rigidity is not the only way to build strength - ask any structural/materials engineer and they will tell you this.

Toyota simply took a different approach with the Tacoma frame, using an energy dispersive method rather than thicker, heavier materials.

Both designs have their advantages. The Frontier's boxed frame will help it handle better on road while loaded. The Taco's half n half frame will make it slightly less capable in this area, yet help it offroad with the additional flex and lighter weight, and improve gas mileage through the lighter weight.

To argue that one frame is superior really isn't the point. They're different. That is all.

 

Isthatahemi is correct.
The frame...that thing you hang all the rest of the stuff from, is weak.
You can rationalize all you want, but the Tacoma Gen2 is a poser of a truck.
I will admit, it has more of a truck engine (4.0l) than the Frontier, but for use as a truck, it's lame without upgrades.
Deal with it.

 

when they say flexi frame they mean the frame is flexible, its not a complete square tube which makes it more flexible then other frames that are. Our trucks have a lot of flex when hitting bumps and driving down the street. Have you ever drove in a vehicle behind another tacoma? You will see the flexing with every little bump it hits.

 

a really cool read on frame design: a lot more than your box frame is better than c-channel debate....

http://www.a-sp.org/database/custom/RPTAltairSUVFrame.pdf

 

Nissan = 50% Nissan + 50% Renault
I need to fix my Nissan's climate control dealer wants $1500 for it. I spent 9 hours troubleshooting why computer resets all air control motors to Hot position.
Please don't mention f@#$ing Nissan

 

Interesting that no one countered my post with facts, just attacks and silliness.
Face it the Tacoma's frame is weak, rust prone, and should be improved on the next upgrade. Not exactly rocket science.....
I was mentioning the boxed frame, rear discs, and general integrity, because for a true truck guy, specs win, and the Fronty has tougher specs. Pretty sure it's frame won't rust out either.......
I owned a 2005 Frontier, so I'm not guessing, like 90% of the posters. The Nissan had advantages, the frame, rear diff, transmission, and rear discs.

Look folks, as the Tacoma rep gets tarnished by these various shortcomings, it's trump card of high resale will be lost, and resale value is a huge factor in why many of us bought our Taco's....Don't believe me? Check the ALG residual values of the vehicles with accelerator issues, or the Toyota brand in general...

Back on topic, I don't find the frame of the tacoma flexes noticably more than my 05 Fronty,, but there was definitly a more solid feeling on my Fronty when a trailer was hooked up, and the camping stuff was in the box. (no tsb required, lol). Especially with the tailgate (cough, cough...) down......

 

rear discs on a truck imo are bad news, but I agree with most things you say, as for the value depreciating, that has to do with the supply and demand of the truck more so then the accelerator issue.

 

Demand for Toyota's is very high in Canada, yet ALG residual values have slipped 10%. Reputation heavily influences price.
As for discs, my chev 1 ton has rear discs with original pads, never warped squeeled seized or otherwise given me trouble, so far 132 000kms loaded to 95% GVWR all the time. And if GM can do it......

 

You know I have a Nissan right now its not Frontier but still a Nissan and quality of that car is not even near Toyota. So by you saying that Frontier has better frame, brakes better resale value I can tell you right now That is another BS that spewed by web mechanics.
Nissans are known for brake problems that is why you can buy any brake component in any Auto store in US. They last 20K with some serious luck. The frame yeah its boxed out of the paper thin steel. Trannies please I am hoping my current one lives long enough to trade that car for Toyota. And Nissan FSM completely sucks, good luck repairing that car.
Go buy Nissan and keep it for 10 years.

 

True enough. I'd still only purchase a GT from Ford.

 

That study favors a boxed front and rear, with an X-braced center, not what the Tacoma's frame is........
As well that study favors light weight, not ultimate durability or strength. It was not a study of pickup truck frames. It is interesting and only somewhat relevant.

 

Point being, and remains, boxed vs. c-channel is a small part of a large debate.

As I stated before, both methods have different characteristics with different advantages and disadvantages.