So I got an 01 Taco 2wd 2.4L auto and the rear end is a 3.73. I have the stock tire size, would regearing help with payload ? Was thinking 4.88’s. In the sense that it wont feel as sluggish, carry around 800-1000lbs in the bed for work. I ask ‘cus as far as I know people onky regear for Tires.

 

I have a ‘99 4Runner with the V6, automatic, 4wd, and 4.30 gears. The heaviest I weighed in at the landfill was about 8000# for me, the truck, the trailer, and my payload. She was not happy pulling that from a stop or up hill. Stopping was manageable with Tundra Brakes. I think it would have been more tolerable with a 5speed. The Auto only has 4 gears to choose from and couldn’t figure out what to do about locking up the torque converter.

I have messed with gearing ratios a lot when I raced motorcycles in my younger years. Changing ratios for big tracks vs. small tracks or technical tracks vs. flowing fast tracks. I can tell you that any gearing choice you make will be a compromise. More low end grunt takes away from highway cruising and fuel mileage (Hahahaha). Taller gearing for economy means terrible slow acceleration.

800-1000 pounds may be too much for the 4cyl. Take a couple friends out to dinner and offer to drive, that’ll add a few hundred pounds temporarily and give you a taste of how your truck will manage.

;tl/dr
I think shortening your gearing will impact your highway comfort and stress that you probably just want more horsepower through either performance work on your 4cyl or upgrading to the v6 instead of regearing.

 

Payload has nothing to do with gearing. Obviously gearing will help you move heavy loads, but the payload limit on your truck is based on the weight the suspension, axles, brakes and wheel bearings can handle. The payload on a Tacoma is just over 1,000 pounds, and that doesn't account for passengers, a full tank of gas, a topper, bedliner etc. By the time most of us account for ourselves, gas and what we carry in our beds, our remaining payload is in the low hundreds. 800-1,000lbs is well over your payload limit. Doesn't mean you can't do it, just know you need to go slow, leave plenty of room for braking, and expect squirrely handling.

I tow a trailer, in addition to having a plastic bedliner, fiberglass topper and lots of crap in the back of my truck. For towing, I have rear airbags and new HD leaf springs. That still doesn't increase my payload, but it does keep my truck from resting on the bump stops when I tow...

 

A sure-fire indication the truck is slightly overloaded, is when the front wheels no longer touch the ground. You see that, you can be certain you have just a bit too much of a load in it.

Have fun!
Pat☺

 

If your Truck lives with this kind of Weight 24/7 x7 it might be time to get a bigger full size truck.

the 2.4 Automatic is not a good heavy payload mix

Then just how far do you travel a few miles or 100 miles plus

I have the 3.4 /5 Speed I haul that kind of weight all the time slow and easy gets the job done

Also the location of weight down low or up high in a rack like lumber always effects handling .