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Toyota Tacoma snow performance?

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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
I searched for something on this but didn't find anything.  I was wondering how these handled in the snow being they're a pickup.  I know some pickups fish tail really easy with a smaller cab and longer bed, I've watched a Silverado fishtail across the road before.  I have heard that the 2006 and older, toyota moved the weight more towards the center so it wasn't as light in the back and weight was evenly distributed.  I'm definitely getting 4x4 and probably the extended cab/4 door.  I was just wondering how they did in the snow.  I really prefer to know about pickups because I do a lot of mountain biking in the summer and pickups help a LOT for shuttling.  So I was just wondering how they handled in the snow if anyone knows or has any other suggestions (pickup preferable).  I will probably buy one used from Carmax.  Thanks for the input.
Nov 22 2008 12:09AM
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Coter
Posts: 659 - Karma: 31
4x4 with snow tires...defn no problem..
2x4..with snow tires...be cautious..
2x4..no wieight..no snow tires..ur in trouble haha but lots of fun enless ur highway driving haha

but 4x4 with snows man i think ur laffin bro..no worries..smooth on the gas...dont be stupid and u will defn make it through deep shit..and to the mtn and back home no problemoo
Nov 22 2008 12:15AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Okay well I live in Fresno, Ca.  So I'm only on the highway with snow on it maybe 24 hours a year.  It's a state highway so it's constantly plowed and I don't really have to drive through deep stuff.  I'm for sure going for 4x4.  My parents won't buy me a 2x4 because they want me to have 4x4.  So 4x4 for sure.  Can the snowtires drive on dry road for 95-98% of the time?  Otherwise I'd get something pretty knoby but withstands a lot of dry road usage.
Nov 22 2008 12:20AM
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Squirrel_Murphy
Posts: 2195 - Karma: 1,165
Tacomas fucking kick ass in the snow.  4x4 with all terrain or mud/snow  tires makes them unstoppable. 
Nov 22 2008 12:25AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Yeah my parents were totally worried about the truck fishtailing.  Sounds like it won't be a problem this is awesome!  All the toyotas that we have had last forever and never break down which is great!
Nov 22 2008 12:31AM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
dude thanks for asking this question, i need to get a new car over winter break. im obsessed with my audi, but it's bleeding me to death on repairs. im hoping to get a new one, but im betting i wont be able to get a big discount on one even in the current market. i figure, however, that i can def get a good deal on a tacoma right now, and theyre super sick. PLUS they never break...like, ever (see the top gear Hilux episode). so im kinda conflicted right now.
Nov 22 2008 12:32AM
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Squirrel_Murphy
Posts: 2195 - Karma: 1,165

I had an 86 4runner for yeeeeears my mom bought it brand new off the lot, got close to 300,000 miles on it.  I wish I would have kept it.  A Tacoma is my next rig for sure.

Nov 22 2008 12:35AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Good I was hoping someone else could get something out of this.  Yeah I've heard Audis cost lots of money to repair and they break down quite a bit.  I like Chevy but they are just too unreliable.  We've had Toyotas and Chevys and the Toyotas just blow them away!  So much cheaper, last forever, and don't cost a lot of money to repair.  Definitely check out carmax.com, they have them for a good price and they come with a warranty and no haggle price.  Carmax is super awesome! 
Nov 22 2008 12:43AM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
yah man honestly it's going to be hard to give up the audi just cause it drives like goddamn dream, but i might have to go back to a truck for a couple years to save my wallet until i have a good enough job to get back into the german market...i wouldnt mind a tacoma though, awesome reputation, just gotta throw a rack and a tint on that shit and ill be good to go
Nov 22 2008 12:46AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
I've checked out these two Goodyear tires.  What do you guys think of them and which one would you recommend:
http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyeartireselector/display_tire.jsp?prodline=Wrangler+SilentArmor&mrktarea=Light+Truck&size=P245%2F75R16&sidewall=OWL
and:
http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyeartireselector/display_tire.jsp?prodline=Fortera+TripleTred&mrktarea=Light+Truck&size=P245%2F75R16&sidewall=VSB

Sorry about my failure with the links.
Nov 22 2008 12:54AM
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niels043
Posts: 814 - Karma: 184

tacomas are nasty trucks, not the most fuel efficent jap motor but that 4.0 v6 makes good power and with low gears it's all you really need unless your towing sleds or a boat or something but still it has pleanty of power for that. also pay the extra money and get the TRD model, it's got a locking rear differential which turns the vehicle from a truck to a tractor with the push of a button, not to mention bilstein HD shocks.

as far as fishtailing goes, all you have to do is get some good tires, i think BFG all terrains were mentioned? in my opinion those are the single best truck tire ever built i have gone through a few sets and they are pricey but worth their weight in gold. among being stellar preformers off road, in snow and ice, on the highway and everywhere inbetween one thing they're renound for is how long it takes to wear them out, they last forever.

whether you get yourself a set of those or not, keep your 18 gallon tank full (144 lbs.) and keep 3 or 4 five gallon buckets full of salt/sand (~200lbs.) with snap tops on them so you don't spill salty sand all over your bed and skis and end up rusting it all straped inside your bed, now that's almost 350 lbs. of weight you can use in a pinch, stuck or pulling someone out. get yourself a chain or a heavy duty tow strap that is imperitive

what does all of this mean? it means properly equipt tacoma TRDs are arguably the most capible, well suited, winter going trucks on the market.

(most of these features are availible on other midsize trucks too, nissan makes the frontier with a similar setup [nismo model]. i have an 02 s10 ZR-2 and it's got a locker in the rear, bilsteins, BFG all terrains, bigger motor too, but i pay for it at the pump with 18 mpg... honestly i'm not sure how much better your milage will be in the tacoma they are not really known for being fuel sippers, namely the v6's)

Nov 22 2008 1:00AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
10/10.  That was great dude.  Yeah I'm buying a used one (much better value).  I will definitely keep an eye out for one with the TRD in it.  I appreciate all the info.  Thanks so much!
Nov 22 2008 1:07AM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
seconded, im now 80% sure this will be my next car
Nov 22 2008 1:10AM
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C.R.E.A.M
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 4,577
2 50 lb bags of sand in the back in the older models and your good, anything with 4x4 now adays (post 2000) has really addressed the weight distrobution and you wont know your in snow
be stoked your gonna love that truck
Nov 22 2008 1:23AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Yeah dude I'm gonna go 2006 and later.  I'm still 15 but my parents told me to really start searching around so I'm sure on what I want.
Nov 22 2008 1:25AM
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
I drive an 85' yota, throw 3 60 lb bags of sand in the back and I'm golden.  Luv my BFG Mud Terrains 33x12.50 about $1300 for the set, but by far the best off road tire ever made, handle any condition well.  Last a long time on road as well.  Plus they look mean.  I would say that if ur getting a 2000 or newer u should be good, as long as it dosen't have a rear locker.  If u by one w/ a locker, or put a locker in it for wheelin' I would most def weight the rear end.  I would never turn any one away from buying a yota pickup, best investment i ever made.  They're super safe as well for a small pickup, two of my buddies were going way to fast on an unpaved mountain road in an 04' tacoma, the driver lost control, slid sideways into a tree going, from what the cops say, about 55, on the passenger side, and they both lived to talk about it.
P.S. Get a stick, tranny will last way longer, esp. if you drive it hard, Plus way safer in the snow, controlling ur speed with gears rather than brakes.
Nov 22 2008 6:03AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
highly agree.
Nov 22 2008 6:12AM
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ANTHEM16
Posts: 80 - Karma: 17
I run the Cooper Discoverer STs on my xterra. Super grip in the snow, mud, and tarmac.
Nov 22 2008 10:16AM
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Hristo
Posts: 78 - Karma: 9
snow tires are meant to go on roads as well.the only thing you must be careful is that when it gets warmer the 10 C (don't whats that in F) you should change them with ones meant for summer
Nov 22 2008 10:30AM
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ANTHEM16
Posts: 80 - Karma: 17
If you get a lite truck all-terrain tire you will be fine all year round, depending on how aggressive  of a tread pattern you get.  A softer compound will grip better but wear down faster.
Nov 22 2008 10:46AM
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JayDope
Posts: 6842 - Karma: 408
my dad has an 05 sr5 tacoma, thing is dirty in the snow, althought the 2nd year he got it, we were driving up to VT for a weeekend, and he wrecked a deer casuing 5g's in damage
Nov 22 2008 1:38PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Thanks for all the positive feedback and you guys were very informative.  I'm confused on whether to get manual or automatic.  My parents say auto that way I can drink, eat, talk, etc. while driving.  I want a stick though because I'm sure I'll do some light offroad stuff all the time.  What do you guys think.  How long does it take to catch onto driving a stick?
Nov 22 2008 4:41PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
if youre good at driving stick you can do all that shit while you drive anyway...assuming your balls are big enough...

manual trucks are just kindve annoying though, at least compared to cars, i drive manual right now and ill probably get auto if i buy a tacoma
Nov 22 2008 4:58PM
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iggyskier
Posts: 10447 - Karma: 10,020
tacomas are definitely sick.

I am looking right now to sell my outback and get a tundra.  But I doubt it will happen for awhile.....
Nov 22 2008 5:47PM
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Corben
Posts: 710 - Karma: 49
Click for larger imageClick for larger image
Nov 22 2008 5:49PM
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Corben
Posts: 710 - Karma: 49
thats the jeep and subaru recovery vehicle up here in tahoe...

note, skiwineracks
Nov 22 2008 5:50PM
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rickn3499
Posts: 7 - Karma: 10
I have a tacoma v4 and it performs great in the snow here in VT
Nov 22 2008 5:59PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Yeah I'm all for it I just don't want to buy a truck that I don't enjoy and have to drive it for the next 7-8 years of my life.  How would auto trany do on like a rough fireroad, nothing super offroad (potholes, small rocks, pebbles) , just something that would challenge a stock TRD?  Would auto have like no difference, or would I be able to tell a huge difference between that and a stick?  I'm just worried about starting out on the car and not being good at driving a stick.  Is it hard to drive one, how long does it take to get used to.  I will be offroad at least twice a week over summer vacation and on snowy roads  a few times in the winter.
Nov 22 2008 6:23PM
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Carrphotography
Posts: 590 - Karma: 95
wow you seem confused
Nov 22 2008 6:37PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
BFG  AT K/O   are the best tires, they rock mileage wise, they grip anything. and they are by far the best tire for snow when looking at AT's
Nov 22 2008 6:59PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
yah you obviously dont really understand the differences between manual and auto from a "feel" standpoint, but that's cool, whatever, i didnt start driving manual til like 3 years ago.

bottom line, what manual does for you is it gives you a shitload more control over the way power is transferred from your engine to your wheels. you control the RPMs and the torque a whole lot better, and you just feel more connected to the car and more wired into what youre doing when youre behind the wheel. plus if youre driving a fast little car like mine, it makes you feel like jason bourne when youre hauling down cobblestone alleyways in DC on the weekends.

BUT

unless youre doing a shitload of off-roading, it really wont make a difference in a truck like a tacoma. even then, it'd be a huge bitch to be shifting a ton when youre bouncing along a dirt road. i had an automatic bronco in high school and went mudding with it all the time, it was totally fine. the main thing manual is awesome for is little cars like my audi with a short shifter and really tight mechanics and tuning where the car is meant to go a million miles an hour over any surface. so fun. but ive always found it really awkward to shift in trucks with super long shifters, like it's not as smooth and it feels weird and clunky. oh, and god forbid you get "3 on the tree," manual shifting on the steering column is gay as hell. if i get a tacoma im going auto. their auto trannies let you pick your gear if need be as well, as high as 3rd gear i think. that wont mean anything to you until you learn how to drive manual though, so it's up to you. id go auto with a truck though.
Nov 22 2008 7:05PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
yah that's sick, if i get one im gonna switch my ski rack over from my audi, but ill probably get some good tires like that eventually

i also like your brush guard, but i might just get a bull bar...i dont know if i need a whole brush guard except for killing deer before they kill me...wanna put something on the front to protect me if i slide into someone or hit a tree at someone's ranch though, plus i need someplace to mount a couple more hi-power lights for bad weather
Nov 22 2008 7:09PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
a brush guard wont do anything against a deer lol. unless its tied in and welded real well to the bumper.

 it looks like skiwineracks has an ARB front bumper. 3 inch lift with 33's?

 my cherokee has 5.5 rubicon express long arm lift and 33's, i want 35's  but id have to upgrade axles
Nov 22 2008 7:19PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
i dont think id want the lift, tacomas are already narrow enough, a lift would just make them way too roll prone

and dude, you dont weld or "tie" a brush guard to the bumper...in many cases it totally replaces the bumper...but at the very least, if you do it right you mount it to your truck's frame, so it aint goin anywhere if you cream some animal. ive see a guy nail a deer with a well built/mounted brush guard and it just blew the deer to pieces.
Nov 22 2008 7:25PM
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Corben
Posts: 710 - Karma: 49
The arb's hook up to your frame with crumple gaurds and shit.

i did some research before i bought it and itll take out pretty much anything and just fuck the crumple braces up. so burly

its an 03 taco with 33's, 3 inch susp lift and 3 inch body. ... im trying to fix the gap between my arb and body. the arb's dont do body lifts that well.
Nov 22 2008 7:32PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Remember I'm only fifteen so my parents want me to check around now so I'm totally positive on what to get when I start.  I understand the difference I just want to know how much it will affect me, I think I'll just go with the auto.  I'll be on the highway a bunch so I think I'll just get auto, can't go wrong with it, I won't be doing to wicked stuff in it though.  Sounds good?  Anymore suggestions?
Nov 22 2008 7:42PM
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SICKYGNARGNAR
Posts: 402 - Karma: 31
I used to own a 2002 Tacoma TRD with BF Goodrich All-Terrain KOs and it was pretty much unstoppable.

I drove it up a ski area cat track one early season with snow up to the mirrors in some places (night headlight assisted pow skiing is fun). No joke. I have only used the locker once to get unstuck on rollins pass, otherwise 4-high can pretty much handle anything.
Nov 22 2008 7:53PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
lol i know this man, i thought when you said brush guard one of those little dinky ones that bolt into the rad support with 4 bolts.  when i say brush guard welded to the bumper i mean a solid steel after market bumper like a rigidco, JCR off road, AJ's off road, or something of the such.  im getting a logans metal winch bumper with a small brush guard, pretty heavy duty bumper www.logansmetals4x4.com

 personally i dont like ARB or Warn, they are wayyy overpriced for their durability. my buddy has an ARB and its smashed, where as my other friend has a JCR bumper and we put that thing through more hell than the arb, and not even a scratch beside the rattle can paint chipping off.

 as for the lift on the tacoma, im sure if you got wide enough tires you could run a bit of a lift without loosing stability, or just get one ton axles and then you'll have a much wider wheelbase and wont have to worry at all.
Nov 22 2008 7:54PM
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gr4
Posts: 1499 - Karma: 945
I got an '08 tacoma about a year ago, 4 door trd offroad 4x4, and I have taken whiteout roads for hours with no problems. Its a nice truck and does fine with whatever you throw at it.
Nov 22 2008 7:56PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
damn, tacoma's have lockers stock?
Nov 22 2008 7:58PM
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gr4
Posts: 1499 - Karma: 945
um i dont know atleast the TRD tacos have them
Nov 22 2008 8:00PM
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SICKYGNARGNAR
Posts: 402 - Karma: 31
TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Off-Road packages have electronic lockers, skid plates, K&N intake kits, and a few other mods compared to a stock tacoma.
Nov 22 2008 8:01PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
yah i was thinking about getting wider tires later on, but i really just dont think i care enough to get a lift

honestly, if i could afford to just go all-out crazy, id build the same truck the guys from Top Gear used to drive to the north pole

Click for larger image
Nov 22 2008 8:02PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
^btw, only truck ever to reach the north pole, i think that says enough about "Toyota Tacoma snow performance"

watch that episode sometime, it's fucking absurd
Nov 22 2008 8:03PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
that ones like my favorite episode. i wish i had the money to build a tacoma like that. or just buy that one lol
Nov 22 2008 8:10PM
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Corben
Posts: 710 - Karma: 49
anybody got a link to the episode er watever i wanna see it

Nov 22 2008 9:30PM
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DrStrangelove
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3
http://www.clipser.com/watch_video/33751

eat your heart out

i used to know where to find it in one part, but i guess it's gone. that's in 7 parts...

or you can just search "top gear polar special" on google video and it'll bring them all up for you
Nov 22 2008 9:44PM
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mad_540_trix
Posts: 2452 - Karma: 14
Actually, the new ones go as high as 4... at least for the TRD models.  my dad has an 06 taco TRD and it's sick.... great for when the weather's nice too... pretty good sound system and plenty of power.  also, i'm 6'2" and it's got plenty of room for me in the front... most of the time i don't even drive with the seat all the way back (a rarity in most vehicles for sure).

get the tacoma TRD, and be prepared to blow the doors off of most other people's cars, especially if you buy the supercharger (2400 bucks).
Nov 22 2008 9:54PM
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troublemaker3
Posts: 1954 - Karma: 225
i have a 97 4runner which is pretty much the same thing as a tacoma, its friggin awesome in the snow. buy a toyota truck, they will never dissapoint you.
Nov 22 2008 10:02PM
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niels043
Posts: 814 - Karma: 184

don't be fooled. auto sucks, it's sketchey in the winter all you have to slow your car down is your brakes which will lock up on a hill in the wrong situation. with a 5 speed you can control resistance you are putting against the wheels (essentially using the engine and transmission to control your decents) all by downshifting. not to mention it is way more fun to drive because you actually feel like you are operating a machine not just pressing a pedal for going and stopping, and only using your hands to steer with... it just makes driving much more interactive, not to mention being way safer in incliment weather

5speeds are a rare breed, hard to find in good shape with low miles and no rust but if you find one, snatch it up QUICK

Nov 23 2008 12:08AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Dude with an auto you can use engine braking too.  I think on most of them they have Park, revers, neutral, drive, 4, 3, 2, and L which you can shift into and use engine braking just as efficiently as a manual.  Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure I'm right.
Nov 23 2008 1:01AM
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