Increasing Tacoma's GVWR

[DaveInDenver]

I don't want a larger truck. With a little work, I've re-engineered my Tacoma to do everything I want it to do, it does it better than when it left the dealership, and it isn't overweight. I'd have preferred buying it with a better suspension, but Toyota has children to feed, too.

The stock suspension on my 1991 was soft and sagging, too. It rode rough because it was sitting on the overloads at 10 years old just like my Taco was. I think we tend to get a distorted memory of what really was. The frame walls were thicker and it was more rigid, though. That's the only frustration I really have, the Taco wasn't ever built to deal with decades of poor roads in low range because that isn't the U.S. and not the majority of buyers. Most small truck buyers want a decent ride to the office 5 days and be able to get to a MTB or motorcycle trail head from pavement or some graded dirt on the weekend. The sales numbers don't lie, Toyota knows what they're doing.

 

[DaveInDenver]

My Expedition in lousy short kid hauling around town does 18mpg tank averages. Our two day ski trip was 21mpg average. Its impressive what full sized rigs do now. None of my Toyotas 25yrs worth got good mileage the worst was my J80. Probably my biggest issue with my J80 was the horrendous mileage and mehhh power. The Sequoia was much better in that regard.

If the new Ranger existed on the used market 5 years ago I'd probably have gone that way over a Tacoma. In 5 or 10 years I might still, I dunno. But lack of stick shifts ruled out a lot of options even in 2015 (when I bought my Tacoma) and in 2020 lack of one in most Tacomas is just another reason I feel no ongoing loyalty. I get it, I'm not their core market and they won't miss me.

 

[shade]

The stock suspension on my 1991 was soft and sagging, too. It rode rough because it was sitting on the overloads at 10 years old just like my Taco was. I think we tend to get a distorted memory of what really was. The frame walls were thicker and it was more rigid, though. That's the only frustration I really have, the Taco wasn't ever built to deal with decades of poor roads in low range because that isn't the U.S. and not the majority of buyers. Most small truck buyers want a decent ride to the office 5 days and be able to get to a MTB or motorcycle trail head from pavement or some graded dirt on the weekend. The sales numbers don't lie, Toyota knows what they're doing.

I don't doubt that Toyota is letting their market research drive design decisions, and I'm not faulting them much - the Tacoma's rear springs are pretty all-around awful. I agree that a more robust frame would make a better foundation for people like us, but we're in the minority, and that's the simple truth.

Though it would be nice if Toyota offered a truck with a high end suspension, I doubt I would've bought it considering how much it would've cost compared to doing it myself. In that, you're right that I wasn't being fair.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Though it would be nice if Toyota offered a truck with a high end suspension

The TRD Pro FOX suspension is pretty high end, isn't it?

 

[billiebob]

no
[/QUOTE
This , well said and to the point, no there is no legal way to increase a Tacomas weight rating and keep the warranty.

 

[shade]

The TRD Pro FOX suspension is pretty high end, isn't it?

View attachment 562091

Not really, but certainly nicer than what they offered in 2012, and better than most on the road. I hope the rear springs and bump stops have seen a similar improvement.

I have Fox 2.5" coilovers in front, Fox 2" in rear, all with remote reservoirs. I also have OME rear springs and Timbren SES bump stop replacements. None of that is particularly exotic or high end, yet few OEMs offer something like that today - in 2012, I think that list was limited to the Ford Raptor.

I don't huck my truck, but being able to comfortably drive at 30 mph indefinitely over rough terrain justified the costs for me. Toyota and others are slowly bringing more capable suspensions to market, and I'm happy to see that happen. I may never buy one of those fully tricked out OEM packages because I'm a cheap bastid and would rather get more for my money, but not everyone wants to go through the trouble, and would rather buy & drive. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

 

[billiebob]

Great suggestion. You'd go from 1,000lb payload in the Taco to a whopping 1,200lb.

Well then go for any 2500 series pickup with a gas engine. If you need payload, you need a 3/4 ton pickup.

 

[phsycle]

Huh. I just did some poking around a saw a a few Crewmax's that the owners are saying the door sticker is around 1,300. That's nuts! My door sticker I believe says 1,800. I would have thought a Tundra would have been similar. They were a contender to replace my current truck. But, not at that payload. See what the redesigned truck offers when it comes out I guess.

Typically, there is another smaller sticker that accounts for accessories and further reduces the payload.

 

[shade]

Typically, there is another smaller sticker that accounts for accessories and further reduces the payload.

My Tacoma has a load reduction due to the flexier springs used with the Off-Road Package, and possibly some other doodads.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Not really, but certainly nicer than what they offered in 2012, and better than most on the road. I hope the rear springs and bump stops have seen a similar improvement.

I have Fox 2.5" coilovers in front, Fox 2" in rear, all with remote reservoirs. I also have OME rear springs and Timbren SES bump stop replacements. None of that is particularly exotic or high end, yet few OEMs offer something like that today - in 2012, I think that list was limited to the Ford Raptor.

I don't huck my truck, but being able to comfortably drive at 30 mph indefinitely over rough terrain justified the costs for me. Toyota and others are slowly bringing more capable suspensions to market, and I'm happy to see that happen. I may never buy one of those fully tricked out OEM packages because I'm a cheap bastid and would rather get more for my money, but not everyone wants to go through the trouble, and would rather buy & drive. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

Seems like we have a different idea of high end and exotic then. Trucks like Raptor, ZR2, TRD Pro would have a decade ago been borderline competition prepared trucks. If you're suggesting that those should be how an SR5 is equipped then I just don't agree. Not in a average buyer requirement nor a justifies the cost perspective. I have FOX shocks and I know I don't really need them, OME would have been more than enough. But at least I use my truck in some anger. You read TacomaWorld. How many Icon/FOX/King/Radflo trucks are used even 1/4 as hard as I assume you do? It's a small percentage I'm sure. Such a waste just for the sake of vanity.

 

[Dalko43]

Look at the door jamb sticker. Crewmax 4wd’s are all around 1,200lbs. You can’t just go by the brochures.
Then again, from someone that touts a lot of regurgitated info on diesels, frame strength, towing advice without real life experience....guess this is to be expected.

The Toyota brochures are actually fairly accurate. If you get a basic 4wd CrewMax SR5, you're at ~1.5klbs, and about the same for 1794 or platinum model...if you get everything fully optioned, yes the payload goes down a bit but that applies for every truck and brand.

Extended cabs 4wd start at around 1.6k lbs payload.

Point is, if you want a Toyota truck that can carry 1.6k lbs of payload...you can get one.

 

[billiebob]

My Tacoma has a load reduction due to the flexier springs used with the Off-Road Package, and possibly some other doodads.

This is like the Ram 2500 Hemi, payload of 2350#..
vs the PowerWagon 2500 Hemi, payload of 1466#.

 

[shade]

Seems like we have a different idea of high end and exotic then. Trucks like Raptor, ZR2, TRD Pro would have a decade ago been borderline competition prepared trucks. If you're suggesting that those should be how an SR5 is equipped then I just don't agree. Not in a average buyer requirement nor a justifies the cost perspective. I have FOX shocks and I know I don't really need them, OME would have been more than enough. But at least I use my truck in some anger. You read TacomaWorld. How many Icon/FOX/King/Radflo trucks are used even 1/4 as hard as I assume you do? It's a small percentage I'm sure. Such a waste just for the sake of vanity.

All I'm suggesting is that a truck prepared as mine is could be whatever Toyota declares as their top of the line, which would put it roughly on par with a Raptor as far as the suspension goes.

The TRD Pro Fox suspension is probably pretty close to that, so good enough - it appears to be a dramatic improvement over what Toyota offered in 2012. If tried to drive the OEM suspension that came with my Off-Road (top of the suspension heap in that model year) half as hard as I easily drive my truck now, I'd rattle my teeth out at about the same moment the shocks blew themselves apart, and I'd be smacking the rear bump stops most of the time. Those days are gone, so good on Toyota for aiming higher.

When I think of high end or exotic, I'm setting the bar higher, but I don't expect OEMs to offer long travel geometry, with triple bypass shocks and hydro bumps. I agree that there are plenty of people dumping money into their suspensions so they can say they dumped plenty of money in their suspensions. I don't get it, but it keeps the For Sale threads interesting.

 

[DaveInDenver]

@shade, did you ever own a Toyota truck prior to the TRD OR you have now?

I absolutely agree that the stock TRD OR suspension on my truck left a lot to be desired on washboard. Basically undriveable with any speed. But in total it was much better than the stock KYB and torsion bars on my 1991. I bet the SR and SR5 basic Bilsteins are pretty decent in the grand scheme.

I honestly don't love my FOX on rocks, the rebound needs more taming but it rides absolutely great on washboard and that was my tuning goal. So I kind of need bypass shocks to really dial it in and I'm betting the FOX TRD Pro might actually be better than my plain IFP non-reservoir FOXes just due to that.

 

[shade]

@shade, did you ever own a Toyota truck prior to the TRD OR you have now?

I absolutely agree that the stock TRD OR suspension on my truck left a lot to be desired on washboard. Basically undriveable with any speed. But in total it was much better than the stock KYB and torsion bars on my 1991. I bet the SR and SR5 basic Bilsteins are pretty decent in the grand scheme.

I honestly don't love my FOX on rocks, the rebound needs more taming but it rides absolutely great on washboard and that was my tuning goal. So I kind of need bypass shocks to really dial it in and I'm betting the FOX TRD Pro might actually be better than my plain IFP non-reservoir FOXes just due to that.

I had a '93 Pickup. It was a work truck on OEM suspension. It was almost always loaded, and the suspension did well at that job. I doubt it would've been happy on extended washboard runs.

I'm sure the TRD Fox shocks are tuned well. It wouldn't cost Toyota more to use one valving setup over another. I haven't priced that package. I suspect it costs more than $3000 over the Off-Road package, but maybe not. Do they also upgrade the rear springs and bump stops?