HELP: I Bought an Overweight Overlander

[clearock]

There's no such thing as new transmission 4 ur vehicle, it will be a factory rebuild, what r u being told is wrg with ur trans (only skimmed all the posts so if u said i missed it). I know ur in situation where u need a fast turn around but the r better options then a factory rebuilt. There r two company's that offer upgraded TC (torque converters) and increased # of friction disc's. In ur position u'd be better of getting a cheap used trans and running it 4 a while, while u info urself about what ur needs r (how ur going to use ur vehicle and what u need to upgrade/build to fit ur needs). There r a # a other factors that one needs to take into considerations when parts start failing on their vehicle other then saying "u bought a lemon", what i mean, is that what caused ur trans to fail, heat is generally what is going to kill ur trans. Ur added weight and not understanding the effect it has on the rest of the drive tran, along with improper driving habits and expectations of ur vehicle. With the proper upgrades and adjusted driving habits this vehicles can safely and dependable handle a lot of weight (my 3rd gen is both a overland and very capable rock crawler but this requires a lot of work, and adds tons of weigh... literally). Back to trans heat, when adding weight and not watching/understanding how ur trans is affected, ur going to quickly kill it, I could write a page on this alone, this transmission r very easy to work on and there r a lot of ways u can help the unit to last. One of the best mods i did was to add an idiot light 4 TC lock up, when ur TC is in lock up the heat being generated by said drops to very small amounts, this give one a visual stimulant and teaches u where to hold ur foot on the gas pedal. There r a # of other things that will help with heat but ive already rambled to long.

ur rear diff is another point of failure that isn't surprising, depending on ur uses, weight, and desired 4x4 ability. An upgrade of the axle assembly and all the components associated with said will need attention. I put a tundra 10.5" rear axle assembly into my 3rd gen and have been very happy with said (its a complicated mod that requires the complete reworking of the unit and shorting it width), because i was destroying the stock rear ends regularly.

every build is unique to it owner and with that the type of repairs and upgrades r going to be based of what performance and function is desired.

 

[calicamper]

When your blowing up axles, bearings and transmissions on a light duty truck. Loose weight or simply get a vehicle rated for the weights your hauling. This “overlanding” trend can easily be called the “overweighting” trend 99.99% of the time these days.

 

[clearock]

When your blowing up axles, bearings and transmissions on a light duty truck. Loose weight or simply get a vehicle rated for the weights your hauling.

Or build the vehicle according to ur needs. Going with a larger vehicle has its limitations that go along with size... its not "overweighting" if its built properly and suits the operators needs. U can blow up axles, bearings and transmissions on a vehicle at stock weight depending on what ur trying to make it do...

 

[Ziro]

There's no such thing as new transmission 4 ur vehicle, it will be a factory rebuild, what r u being told is wrg with ur trans (only skimmed all the posts so if u said i missed it). I know ur in situation where u need a fast turn around but the r better options then a factory rebuilt. There r two company's that offer upgraded TC (torque converters) and increased # of friction disc's. In ur position u'd be better of getting a cheap used trans and running it 4 a while, while u info urself about what ur needs r (how ur going to use ur vehicle and what u need to upgrade/build to fit ur needs). There r a # a other factors that one needs to take into considerations when parts start failing on their vehicle other then saying "u bought a lemon", what i mean, is that what caused ur trans to fail, heat is generally what is going to kill ur trans. Ur added weight and not understanding the effect it has on the rest of the drive tran, along with improper driving habits and expectations of ur vehicle. With the proper upgrades and adjusted driving habits this vehicles can safely and dependable handle a lot of weight (my 3rd gen is both a overland and very capable rock crawler but this requires a lot of work, and adds tons of weigh... literally). Back to trans heat, when adding weight and not watching/understanding how ur trans is affected, ur going to quickly kill it, I could write a page on this alone, this transmission r very easy to work on and there r a lot of ways u can help the unit to last. One of the best mods i did was to add an idiot light 4 TC lock up, when ur TC is in lock up the heat being generated by said drops to very small amounts, this give one a visual stimulant and teaches u where to hold ur foot on the gas pedal. There r a # of other things that will help with heat but ive already rambled to long.

ur rear diff is another point of failure that isn't surprising, depending on ur uses, weight, and desired 4x4 ability. An upgrade of the axle assembly and all the components associated with said will need attention. I put a tundra 10.5" rear axle assembly into my 3rd gen and have been very happy with said (its a complicated mod that requires the complete reworking of the unit and shorting it width), because i was destroying the stock rear ends regularly.

every build is unique to it owner and with that the type of repairs and upgrades r going to be based of what performance and function is desired.

Thanks for the detailed info. As much as I would love to get this rig in optimal condition as you described I just can’t afford any mods or alterations beyond repairs at this point. Eventually, if I choose to keep it long term I’ll consider some of these mods but for the time being I’ve just got to get this thing on the road, roll slow and lose some weight.

 

[Ziro]

When your blowing up axles, bearings and transmissions on a light duty truck. Loose weight or simply get a vehicle rated for the weights your hauling. This “overlanding” trend can easily be called the “overweighting” trend 99.99% of the time these days.

evidently, that’s what I’ve got to do. I figured we were ok as the camper and interior are all aluminum but I guess and the steel armor and gear I’m hauling took a toll. I’m just shock that it happened so shortly after purchase - only 3500 miles of my driving And I’ve been taking it easy cruising slow for the most part and staying well under all speed limits at all times.

 

[Buliwyf]

Normally I call BS when transmissions fail. But little trucks get worked hard and wear out these things. At least you'll have a taco with a new axle and trans.

With vehicles I buy new, I insist that MY transmission gets rebuilt. Don't swap my perfectly functional, but worn out, trans with a rebuilt one. But since this truck's used, don't sweat that.

I don't need the internet to tell me that of the 6 people I know with 2000 era Rangers all of them blew up or became a nightmare to maintain and not one of them is still on the road while I still commute to work in one 2002 2wd Tacoma and drive anywhere to any country in another 2002 4wd Tacoma.

I wish that was true. I hate old rangers. I hope the two rangers in our clique take a liking to the new ones and trade in.

They've all pulled trailers with those darn things, and wrecked axles and transmissions many times over. But junk yards have parts. And Mustang parts fit fine as well. They aren't as coakroachy as XJ's. But at least XJ's can overland.

 

[Ziro]

Of by "harsh" you mean honest...then yes.

Also..I never said that every 14 year old vehicle was a POS...lol. All I am saying is that major components should be expected to fail at 100,000+ miles, especially in an over loaded 4x4. Being shocked when they fail is naivety as its finest.

definitely guilty as charged on that count

 

[AbleGuy]

Yep...... Seems to seriously upset the alter boys...

“Alter” boyz? Is that a gender fluidity issue?

James Charles Recreates Kylie Jenner's Sexy Bodycon Instagram: '2 Can Play At This Game'

This isn't the first time the YouTube star channeled the Jenner family

people.com

Or did you mean “altar boys” ?

?

Oh no, you didn’t, did you?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

definitely guilty as charged on that count

Meh... We live...we learn.

I learned two key things about vehicle ownership over the years:

1. Don't but a modified car
2. Don't modify your daily driver.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

This “overlanding” trend can easily be called the “overweighting” trend 99.99% of the time these days.

 

[TheNatural]

I've had my second gen Tacoma since 2013.. it's a 2012 with 190k km on it. Not quite as well traveled as yours, but close. Also not quite as heavy as yours, but lots of extra steel stuck to it as well. I've been hanging around TacomaWorld for years so I'm quite familiar with the platform.

I definitely say keep it. The rear end (usually ring gear) is a known weak spot, so an axle doesn't surprise me. The transmission can take a beating with the extra weight and hard use, so that doesn't surprise me either given what you've said about the vehicle. I suggest replacing the rear axle with something bigger at some point for more peace of mind if you're going to stay heavy and use it off road - Dana 60 or 9" Ford are the two popular swaps I see. I also suggest installing some sort of transmission temp gauge... ultragauge's can be set up to monitor trans temp. Shedding a few hundred pounds will make a big difference in longevity of parts as well as driving experience. They are quite reliable vehicles, you just happen to have found two of the expensive components that fall victim to all the extra weight we carry around.

I'd also suggest having a look at cab and radiator mount bushings - given the age they're probably in need of replacement, but they're cheap. Wheel bearings too. U Joints perhaps. Those sorts of things are common wear items for overloaded off road Tacomas.

Somebody mentioned lower ball joints. That was a first gen thing though, second gen design is much better.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Not to sound rude but this is just funny , bought a rig with enough weight bolted into it to need 3/4 ton drivetrain to survive , wanting to do cross county travel without the knowledge to fix your own rig , thinking a well used rig will not have a massage amount of maintenance required to get it up to near new condition . You roll the dice anytime you buy a used vehicle and you roll a even bigger dice buying a modified vehicle . Maybe sell off the rig and put a down payment on a new vehicle with a warranty through a tent and a cooler in the bed and go explore .

 

[Ziro]

Not to sound rude but this is just funny , bought a rig with enough weight bolted into it to need 3/4 ton drivetrain to survive , wanting to do cross county travel without the knowledge to fix your own rig , thinking a well used rig will not have a massage amount of maintenance required to get it up to near new condition . You roll the dice anytime you buy a used vehicle and you roll a even bigger dice buying a modified vehicle . Maybe sell off the rig and put a down payment on a new vehicle with a warranty through a tent and a cooler in the bed and go explore .

Basic repairs on the road are doable, but I’d be shocked if even the most experienced off-roader could swap a transmission on the side of the road. Also when paying $28k and being told it’s good to go by someone who was seemingly honest and trustworthy and who had a long-standing presence on TW and Expo and who had recent receipts to validate regular maintenance and replacement of parts like wheel bearings etc. I obviously did not expect to have to replace them 20k later - you can dismiss me as being inexperienced or naive but those should not have gone so quickly.

 

[Christian P.]

Basic repairs on the road are doable, but I’d be shocked if even the most experienced off-roader could swap a transmission on the side of the road. Also when paying $28k and being told it’s good to go by someone who was seemingly honest and trustworthy and who had a long-standing presence on TW and Expo and who had recent receipts to validate regular maintenance and replacement of parts like wheel bearings etc. I obviously did not expect to have to replace them 20k later - you can dismiss me as being inexperienced or naive but those should not have gone so quickly.

Ziro,

I bought a 4Runner unseen in Santiago de Chile with 260000 miles on from a fellow overlander and I had no issue with it.
So it really all depends - it sounds like you really may have just been unlucky.

i think the reason why you are getting some "stronger" comments is because of the title you choose from this thread. The term "Lemon" may resonate a bit too much for a vehicle with that much mileage.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Basic repairs on the road are doable, but I’d be shocked if even the most experienced off-roader could swap a transmission on the side of the road. Also when paying $28k and being told it’s good to go by someone who was seemingly honest and trustworthy and who had a long-standing presence on TW and Expo and who had recent receipts to validate regular maintenance and replacement of parts like wheel bearings etc. I obviously did not expect to have to replace them 20k later - you can dismiss me as being inexperienced or naive but those should not have gone so quickly.

I'm neither defending Chris or attacking you, but in this case the truck is a lot overload (at least 20% to 25% over GVWR) and well used. Rear axles and diffs on Tacoma are not an unusual issue and the transmission failure probably was the misdiagnosis, those are not generally known to be a problem. It sucks but we all live and learn. It's the dichotomy of 4wd owners. We expect every truck we look to buy to be completely stock and only driven to church on Sundays but get offended when we sell a truck and the shopper low balls us because we beat the crap out of it.