School me on the 2004 Toyota Tacoma...

[thejafe]

I'm looking hard at the 2004 Toyota Tacoma to possibly replace my 2004 Jeep TJ. My goal is to get into something that's more "practical" and comfortable as a daily driver/overland rig. Problem is I know very little about Toyota's and what mods would best suit my needs in regards to the Tacoma platform.

Lets say I've got $16k total to start with. I'd like that $ to cover the base vehicle, suspension, wheels/tires, gearing and an ARB Bull Bar. Anything in addition to that I could add later on.

Now my questions:

- The Exped West rig features 5.29 gearing with the 255/85R16 tires. I'm assuming this is a good gear ratio/tire combo for daily driver/expedition vehicle? I'm often driving 4 hours to get to specific destinations and spending the rest of the day on the trails.

- What has your experience been with steel wheels? Are they fine, or should I stick with a good alloy wheel?

- Looking for a quality suspension setup that I can install myself. I have lots of experience installing TJ suspensions, but never tackled anything with IFS up front and a leaf-sprung rear.

That's it for now. Interested to get your input! Thanks guys :smiley_drive: .

 

[thejafe]

Of course, I love the Expeditions West Taco and the rig I found on off-roadweb.com:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/vehicles/ewvehicles/tacoma/index.html
http://www.off-roadweb.com/adventures/0611or_2004_toyota_tacoma/

 

[Containerized]

The alloys are fine; I wouldn't waste a chunk of your budget swapping to steelies. Lots of alloy wheels fit, from Landcruisers, Tacos, Hiluxes, and 4Runners.

255/85R16 KM2s are the standard tire here on Expo it seems; I run them and they're great unless you live somewhere with very cold weather. Not a problem here.

Unless you're rock crawling, I don't know that a super aggressive re-gear is necessary. One advantage of alloys plus the 255/85R16 is your unsprung mass is substantially less than with a crawler wheel/tire combo.

I would add sliders to your list; breakover angle on a Taco is substantially more of a consideration than on a short wheelbase Jeep.

There are some nice options available for upgrading the suspension, though OME is hard to beat on a cost-per-unit-of-improvement basis.

 

[p nut]

What config are you looking at? Ex Cab? Double Cab? V6? 4WD? Mileage? Reason I ask is, because low mileage 2004 ExCab/DC are going for premium (and have been for the last several years). For a Double Cab, you'll spend majority (or all) of your budget on the truck itself. For an ExCab, you may have $2-3k left for the mods.

 

[thejafe]

What config are you looking at? Ex Cab? Double Cab? V6? 4WD? Mileage? Reason I ask is, because low mileage 2004 ExCab/DC are going for premium (and have been for the last several years). For a Double Cab, you'll spend majority (or all) of your budget on the truck itself. For an ExCab, you may have $2-3k left for the mods.

Ah, yes I should have specified:

Auto Trans
Extended Cab
4WD
V6
Mileage under 100k

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I would recommend you look at the toytec ultimate lift. Its basically the same price as an OME lift when you consider the cost of installing/compressing the front springs on the struts. Sure you can rent a tool and do it yourself, but if you have seen those spring compressors work it looks awful dangerous to me. Plus you can adjust the toytec suspension as you build up the truck to account for different weight like a bumper, winch, or both. Good luck finding a low mileage truck and getting the extras done within your budget. As for wheels, I would run whatever stock wheels it has on it.

 

[enzo]

Ah, yes I should have specified:

Auto Trans
Extended Cab
4WD
V6
Mileage under 100k

You'll be cutting it close with your budget on those specs. In my area, a truck like that still goes for $15-$17K. Those things hold their value extremely well as most Toyotas do. Welcome to Toyota.

 

[JWP58]

Heck I just sold an 01' TRD Prerunner Dcab w/175k miles for 5k cash, and I probably couldve got 6k for it. An 04' with less than 100k is going to run you atleast 12k and that will be a steal. People think these things are made of gold.

(side note i only paid 15k for my 09 reg cab with 30k miles on it)

 

[thejafe]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to search hard to find the right rig that fits my budget. If I have to cut back on some of my initial mods to make this work then so be it. I'm not opposed to that if I find the rig I'm looking for .

In terms of a regear with that size tire is the 5.29 ratio going to be a good all-around option? Or, is it more suited to one task over another, ie. better gas mileage while sacrificing crawl ratio, or vice versa?

Two more questions:

- What's the best option for carrying additional fuel?
- What's the best option for carrying a full size spare?

Sorry, I know these must sound like total newb questions .

 

[JWP58]

I would think the answer to both your last questions would be a swingout mounted to the rear bumper. Lots of guys on here run them.

 

[thejafe]

Hmm, after searching around I found a 4cyl 2004 with only 38k miles on it for under $12k. Should I even consider the 4cyl engine?

 

[JWP58]

Why not? Unless you have a need for speed. A 4cyl will probably get you everywhere you need to go.

But dont comprimise if you really want a V6, because you'll always be thinking about it.

 

[m3bassman]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to search hard to find the right rig that fits my budget. If I have to cut back on some of my initial mods to make this work then so be it. I'm not opposed to that if I find the rig I'm looking for .

In terms of a regear with that size tire is the 5.29 ratio going to be a good all-around option? Or, is it more suited to one task over another, ie. better gas mileage while sacrificing crawl ratio, or vice versa?

Two more questions:

- What's the best option for carrying additional fuel?
- What's the best option for carrying a full size spare?

Sorry, I know these must sound like total newb questions .

in my opinion, you should hold out for a TRD model unless you plan on adding air lockers later on. it gives the truck a u=huge advantage over open/open trucks. Also as mentioned earlier, OME makes an outstanding product. im current running it on my 01 trd.

as far as regearing goes, im on heavy, e rated 235/85/km2s and have no issues(with the v6). i have driven an older model taco with 33x12.5s and it too didnt feel as though it struggled much. i would rather sacrifice crawl speed for keeping rpms down on the interstate, seeing as i put a lot more miles on it on the interstate, than crawling. honestly, unless you make the BIG jump to 35" tires, a regear isnt necessary IMO.

As for your gas question and tire question, you can kill two birds with one stone and get a custom rear bumper with a tire gate and mounts to hold jerry cans.

I love my tacoma and it certainly is just about the perfect platform for an overland rig. good luck in your search!

 

[thejafe]

in my opinion, you should hold out for a TRD model unless you plan on adding air lockers later on.

As for your gas question and tire question, you can kill two birds with one stone and get a custom rear bumper with a tire gate and mounts to hold jerry cans.

I love my tacoma and it certainly is just about the perfect platform for an overland rig. good luck in your search!

Thanks for the input! Is the locker in the TRD model a selectable, locking differential? Or is a limited slip differential? Also, I'm having a hell of a time finding manufacturers that produce swingout tire carriers for the Tacoma. Any suggestions?

 

[m3bassman]

Thanks for the input! Is the locker in the TRD model a selectable, locking differential? Or is a limited slip differential? Also, I'm having a hell of a time finding manufacturers that produce swingout tire carriers for the Tacoma. Any suggestions?

its a selectable electronic locker.

for bumpers, check out these couple places.
http://www.cbioffroadfab.com/
http://www.relentlessfabrication.com/

there are more out there. Ive never shopped for one so i cant help you much.

A good place to look would be through build threads here. Also a site to really explore would be tacomaworld.com. Lots of info on the trucks.