Trucks.

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Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Word.

Peeps have no idea how much difference a locker makes. Ford started putting them on their trucks and I can't tell you how many times it's saved my ass.

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I can't say for certain how many times the locker has saved me, because I normally turn it on just before I think I'll need it.

The e-lockers in the Toyota's can be a little finicky, sometimes you have to back up and roll forward a couple of times to get it to engage.

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Originally Posted by lifelinksplit

For me the only real upgrade is the rear locker. I know some people like crawl control and whatever electronic "assistance" feature they have but I hate them. If the TRD package is gonna cost 3 to 4k more I'd go with the sr5 or whatever. You can also price out a rear locker compared to that difference if you're going enough places that need it. I do like off roading though because it's fun and it gets me to sweet fishing camping spots.

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I'm in this camp, I don't need a bunch of electronic BS but a factory elocker is pretty damn nice to have. I don't know the toyota packages well, but if the TRD has better suspension it still may be a moot point; if you're looking at a 2-5yr old truck you'll need to replace struts/shocks at some point and you can easily upgrade to Fox or Bilstein at that point.

I know an Eaton e locker complete third member ready to bolt in for an 80 series cruiser is $2k. IMHO Setting up a third is best left to pros.
The install of the third can be done @home.

Agree with the value of a locker and would consider the lowest trim that offers it in the described use case. No way would I deal with an aftermarket locker when there is an OEM option.

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Originally Posted by EWG

Ok I’m sure this has been covered but not finding it in a search. My kid is buying a Tacoma. Looking for a 2020-2022. He’s stretching his budget pretty hard, which is normal for everyone of course.

He’s trying to decide if he needs should get the TRD Off-road or an SR5. Off road is about 3-4K more. He mtn bikes, skis a ton, will drive it places like White Rim etc, but he’s not an off roader as a primary activity. The off road stuff is just to get to the other activities.

Any Taco owners able to give some advice on this one? TRD a must or not really?

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If the White Rim is the top end of the difficulty rating he will get himself into a locker is not necessary and I would save the 3-4K.

When we bought Mrs C's Tacoma way back when, I was very into Jeeps and offroading, and had dumped goofy amount of time and money into suspension and aftermarket lockers in various Jeeps. I insisted we get the TRD package, which IIRC at the time (a 2005 model) was Bilstein shocks, the rear E-locker, and a sticker on the bed sides. I think over the entire time of owning that truck we used that rear locker once.

Maybe ask mini-EWG what a locker or locking differential is -- and if he doesn't know, then he doesn't need it.

Can't think of a time when I would've used a locker on any of my rigs for ski/bike approaches over the past decade. The use case for an approach vehicle is super limited IME. At a certain point, if your goal is to bike or ski it's more time efficient to park and start pedaling/walking.

another 100 ft further ^^ up the trail before you get stuck

kid will be borrowing to the max and not have money for anything except maybe the TRD sticker

Yeah, my very experienced off-road buddies are telling me I don't even need a locker in my 80 to do the Rubicon with them.
I did it in a 40 series and did hit the locker once climbing Cadillac hill but that was because a mistake in line choice (that lead to an absolute pucker moment)

For better or worse, most of the time I've found the locker to be a life saver has involved snow and ice. Pulling out stuck vehicles or getting my truck out of a ditch type thing. Take that for what it's worth.

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Originally Posted by North

Can't think of a time when I would've used a locker on any of my rigs for ski/bike approaches over the past decade. The use case for an approach vehicle is super limited IME. At a certain point, if your goal is to bike or ski it's more time efficient to park and start pedaling/walking.

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I have used the locker to cross short muddy/steep/off camber sections that guarded several more miles of decent road after. Doesn't seem all that uncommon in Southern Idaho and Utah but they are some pretty out of the way trailheads.

I think there is a lot to be said for running open diffs for a good long while before jumping into the locked up game where shit starts really breaking.

Great comments all around. His mom is a decent off road driver with a fairly capable rig so he has a pretty good sense of what it's like driving with and without the locker. I also agree that most of what he would use it for would be snow and ice. Which is nice but not critical.

I'm tending toward it not being not super important, and to save the money if he can get a TRD Sport or an SR5 cheaper without it. He could always add it. Fewer miles and a newer year would be better things to spend his money on I think.

I have a TRD sticker he can have. It has mountains on it. I was drunk when i bought it and thought it would look cool. Never put it on

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Originally Posted by heckacali

Yeah, my very experienced off-road buddies are telling me I don't even need a locker in my 80 to do the Rubicon with them.
I did it in a 40 series and did hit the locker once climbing Cadillac hill but that was because a mistake in line choice (that lead to an absolute pucker moment)

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I had to back up Cadillac Hill in my unlocked 1960 Willys. It got high centered and as it came off the rock the tranny pulled away from the motor and it dumped most of the tranny fluid so I couldn't get it into first but could get it into reverse. That was fun :)

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Originally Posted by EWG

Great comments all around. His mom is a decent off road driver with a fairly capable rig so he has a pretty good sense of what it's like driving with and without the locker. I also agree that most of what he would use it for would be snow and ice. Which is nice but not critical.

I'm tending toward it not being not super important, and to save the money if he can get a TRD Sport or an SR5 cheaper without it. He could always add it. Fewer miles and a newer year would be better things to spend his money on I think.

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A locker is not useful in snow or ice. It just makes that axle go downhill sideways. If you (or he) us thinking that in deep snow you would want to lock the rear axle and drive on snow covered pavement, that is not going to end well.

Lockers are strictly off road use, like when you have one wheel off the ground and need to put power to the other wheel on that axle. That's it. Very useful in that situation, but really it's just for 4-wheeling, tough trail use.

The white rim trail does not require lockers anywhere. It's all driveable in 2WD with high clearance.

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Originally Posted by Name Redacted

I have a TRD sticker he can have. It has mountains on it. I was drunk when i bought it and thought it would look cool. Never put it on

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If he doesn't want it, can I have it? The "4X4" sticker fell off one side of my GMC. I'll happily TRD-ify that side.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I have used the locker to cross short muddy/steep/off camber sections that guarded several more miles of decent road after. Doesn't seem all that uncommon in Southern Idaho and Utah but they are some pretty out of the way trailheads.

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+1 on this.

Also, for when you decide "ok, I shouldn't go any further" a smidge too late and the rear wheels drop into something soft as you try to park. I ended up shoveling in said case, but I'm pretty sure the locker saved me from a decent additional chunk of such work.

I'd also note that being nearly 40 by the time I got a truck equipped like I wanted one as a teenager (locker and winch in particular), I have now accumulated enough experience that my needs for such things are drastically reduced. Twenty-something me would've used a locker far more often.

Boat ramp. Wet grass. Not kidding. There are other use cases for a locker.

Burnouts.

This place is not as kewl with out Mr Stainless.

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Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

A locker is not useful in snow or ice. It just makes that axle go downhill sideways. If you (or he) us thinking that in deep snow you would want to lock the rear axle and drive on snow covered pavement, that is not going to end well.

Lockers are strictly off road use, like when you have one wheel off the ground and need to put power to the other wheel on that axle. That's it. Very useful in that situation, but really it's just for 4-wheeling, tough trail use.

The white rim trail does not require lockers anywhere. It's all driveable in 2WD with high clearance.

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I'm not gonna argue but a locker(s) are absolutely useful, almost mandatory, when doing the type of snow wheeling we do in Montana but I understand my use type isn't what 95% of people's use case is. I mean you can lots of places in a stock 1985 toyota pickup..

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Originally Posted by Mazderati

Boat ramp. Wet grass. Not kidding. There are other use cases for a locker.

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Also the one that's probably most applicable for mini-EWG: getting out of an LCC parking spot after it dumps all day. I've definitely used my rear locker to get out of the plow drift a few times. Its definitely saved me significant shoveling. Its also got me closer to being *really* stuck, so I guess there's that too.

Let’s confuse things more, where do limited slip differentials fall. Probably the best of both worlds


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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

Let’s confuse things more, where do limited slip differentials fall. Probably the best of both worlds


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IMHO factory limited slip diffs are generally worthless.

I still maintain lockers are for wheeling. Boat ramps, grass, and parking lots?