best deal tacoma

[RN37DD]

I need a little more room and plan to get an extra cab. think I'll start looking at a few Taco's. Might look at a 4x4 98 extra cab with a 3rz and 5 speed  soon. Any years, models, types that make good rigs as is, and are easy to mod for a little more? I'll use it a lot going to work, but when i need to go off road, i need a rig that well get me there and back again. 

[86turboyota]

Anything with a TRD elocker makes for a solid base to build from.  Make sure it actually has the elocker and not just the TRD sticker though.

[-Matt-]

     heres some info that will help you make your decision.
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Toyota_Tacoma#1.
     as far as i know Toyota made it to where 98 and never xtra cabs only came with a 3.4. also if you are talking about having the best vehicle for on and off road being stock, your gonna want to get one that has 4x4 with a trd package (rear electric locker) which only came in a 3.4 truck. in other words if you want space, and take it off road your gonna be looking at a 3.4 xtra cab...now depending on whether you want a locker of not.. that will also determine the years you will be looking for. i think they also made a 3.4 prerunner with a trd package, but it only came in an automatic.

Whats your budget??

as far as converting something later... i don't know whether you mean sas or not but nothing you pick should really matter...ideally it would be nice to already have 4wd, so you don't have to convert it. also its nice to not have abs. give you less hassle for other sas brake options and more room in the engine bay.

[RN37DD]

Thanks for the info. as for future mods i'm thinking mild suspension lift. Fenders, roll bar, or cage.  lockers, rear at least. and maybe some diff work. well the old 8 inch 3rds work in the tacoma? I've been told you can use taco elocker in the older toys. I don't think i'd go sas but i might change the gear ratio. Is the front diff hard to work on?

[-Matt-]

iv never heard of anyone using an older 8in in a Tacoma housing (kinda ass backwards). im sure it could be done you would have to change a few things on the 3rd bolt pattern..i believe. but the Tacoma will have to have an 8in already in it. (e locker series) the other ones have the 8.4in. and that's only talking about the rear axle. both the ifs front on a Tacoma and Toyota pickup are 7.5in. so maybe you could use the same gears...? not sure. i would guess the carrier and all that would be different though.

gears aren't that expensive and it would be better just to buy the correct gears for what you already have. would be way less work and wouldn't be much money. especially if you already have some older geared thirds that you could sell.

i have never geared an ifs front end. assuming the older generations are similar to tacomas from what i have heard its easy.

if you do the labor yourself and re-use the original bearings and just get mini install kits, you should be able to gear it front and rear for around 500$.

[thegoofster21]

both the ifs front on a Tacoma and Toyota pickup are 7.5in. so maybe you could use the same gears...? not sure. i would guess the carrier and all that would be different though.

just called my gears guy old ifs fronts and tacoma ifs fronts are not the same

[-Matt-]

ya that's what i thought

[RN37DD]

From what i hear the older ifs and the Tacoma ifs diff are different in that the Tacoma is a high diff with reverse cut gears, both have 7.5 gears. The carrier is the same size and lockers can be interchanged. And with a little research, from what i understand the taco locker well pretty much interchange with the older 8 inch diffs. The non locker taco diff has different mounting bolt holes to the axle housing and is it's own creature. so with that, it sounds like more $ to change R&P or install a locker on the non locker Tacoma.

[RN37DD]

I looked at a 98 extra cab.. 4x4.. 2.7.. 5 speed with tow package. all stock 31x15 10.50 tires. I asked what the axle ratio was and they didn't know. What is the most common 3rz 4x4 extra cab axle ratio? how would i find it? they were saying it was in the VIN. My 79 has the code under the hood on the firewall.

[-Matt-]

its all right here http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=41449.0 its not the vin you are looking for... look for a "A/TM" then it will give you a few letters/numbers. then all you have to do is go by the chart and it will tell you exactly what you have

[RN37DD]

Thanks, I'll bring a paper and write down the numbers. I was told that almost all tacoma's were 3.58. Then i was also told that the 3rz 4x4 had lower gearing than the 3.4 model. so if that's the case then maybe 4.10 or 4.11. Also when i was looking at aftermarket R&P the 4.11 ratio cost big $, and the 4.56 and 4.88 was pretty normal in price. Whats up with that?

[86turboyota]

Thanks, I'll bring a paper and write down the numbers. I was told that almost all tacoma's were 3.58. Then i was also told that the 3rz 4x4 had lower gearing than the 3.4 model. so if that's the case then maybe 4.10 or 4.11. Also when i was looking at aftermarket R&P the 4.11 ratio cost big $, and the 4.56 and 4.88 was pretty normal in price. Whats up with that?

Im pretty sure that all the tacos with the TRD package or the Tow package had 4.10s, at least mine does, and i know of alot of others that do.