I heard that in 2005 toyota is matching the jeep rubicon with an option package of coil over suspension, solid front axle, selectable lockers, and 5:1 t-case for the tacoma. Have any of you heard this, I really hope it is true.

 

Dunno about that one. Toyota has taken about everything desirable to the offroad crowd off their trucks. I'm more likely to believe full time awd with no low range, lowered suspension (damn NHTSA), plastic body panels and bumpers, and great off-road features like On-Star.

 

the last year in the us for the SFA was 85, overseas: 97. today, no toyota vehicle has SFA.

i highly doubt toyota will ever again produce a vehicle with a SFA

wheelers are definitely the minority. even jeep vehicles are becoming ifs (grand cherokee, cherokee-replaced with the liberty, which is ifs) simply because they ride better = they sell better for most pavement pounding soccer moms. im waiting for the day when 4x4 1-ton trucks are IFS and the jeep wrangler has IFS And IRS, like an H1

 

Independant Suspension= from me!

 

my truck with a solid axle rides better than my old pickup with ifs

and toyota does make solid axle trucks overseas, the landcruiser 70 series(very sweet)

i just have to say, if they ever came out with that tacoma mentioned above, i'd buy it in a heartbeat

 

My '83 rides like a lumber truck. You have no idea how pampered you are in a 3rd gen 4Runner until you drive 1,000+ miles in a SFA truck.

 

You forgot that they would have an in-cab hot tub, theatre system, and cotton-candy machine.

I thought the year would be 2006...but I could be mistaken...

Jim

 

Hi Alan! I imagine your old truck's suspension has not received any attention in a long time. I'd like to take a look at what you brought back from the rust belt sometime. Are your springs sagged out? Are your shocks less than 20 years old? Bench seat? It'll never be like your supercharged magic carpet-esque 4Runner but it wouldn't be hard to improve to tolerable comfort level. Sorry i've not been in touch my friend.

 

I totally forgot to address the topic. Sorry to hi-jack there.

Nope, haven't heard anything about it. I'm going out on a limb here but I think this might be one of those internet hoaxes on some level. If its too good to be true it usually is. What is the source of this alleged information?

 

I have not heard anything about it either, but if people piss and moan about wheeling a 3rd Gen that is 5 or so years old, I can't imagine how many people will freak and not wheel that.

 

that would be cool, but,

my question is-

Why would you spend $35,000.00 or more on a new truck to go out and thrash it? I'd have a hard time rock rashin' something with a $600.00 a month payment.

If you really want to play hard in the rocks, get a second gen for $3500.00, SAS it, lock it, dual case it, cage it, and beat it for about $10,000 total invested.

 

This is the right answer IMO. You can use your nice air conditioned 3rd gen to tow a real trail rig to where you can use it hard...

 

that, and now that i'm nearly WABO certified in stick welding, and i'm pretty adventurous with drivetrain stuff, i could see myself making quite cheap trail rigs out of nearly anything(a datsun 210 would make an interesting project ) only problem is finding axles suitable for the front without a lot of modification. as long as some jeeps have them, and fullsize fords and dodges have them, i see no problem at all(i'm sure there'll be a ton of super duty d60 fronts to pick from in 20 years!).

however, there's something about having a solid axle from the factory that just...makes it special

remember, all the best trucks are built, not bought!

 

I agree with you there.

I have a hard time watching even built up rigs scraping rocks! I just see all the work that went into building them up. To me, that's worth alot more than $35,000.
Jeep Rubicons are expensive and with mods are easily $35K. They take those to the rocks and play.

The best rigs ARE built not bought. All those custom modded rigs are much more valuable because of the time, care and thought that went into them.

It's not the money. If it is about the money, then it's too expensive for you. You know what I mean?

 

Just think though: Toyota doesn't offer a solid axle anymore in the US right? But if they did again, the dwindling supply of front axles would be replenished. I would gladly go out and thrash a new Taco. Its only sheet metal. The only thing I might do is sell off the lights, and maybe build a flat bed. I drive an 87, and Ive been through some tough stuff with no body damage anyways. Its just like the new mustangs. Why buy a new one, when you can build an old one for 1/4 the cost, and make it FASTER than the new ones? Its all about the love of the rig and design characteristics. PLUS, bragging rights! "Yeah, I went and played with those crappy CJ-7's in my new Taco and kept right up, with no trouble!!"

Do I seriously think they will introduce them? No. I know they wont. If solid axles were so popular, there would be a lot more FJ-80's with dual lockers on the road. And those even run soft-ride coils. However, those 'Cruisers are the most scarce on the road. I've only ever seen ONE, which happened to be on sale at a dealership, in the 2 years I've been working at my wrecking yard. We've never even had a locked Cruiser come though our gates!!

 

might've been because they cost 50 grand new

maybe some kind soul would bring in a shipment of overseas axles, they're exactly the same as an '83 solid axle. i'm sure there's a ton of them since they were available from '79-97 in most parts

 

Now I ask you, what good could ever come from a cotton candy machine in a REAL 4X4? That crap would be blowin' all over the cab, gettin' in your ears and eyes...... I think hot tubs and theater systems have a place in rock crawling, oh yes they do. Are they to be removeable? That would rock.

 

I dunno, the hot-tub would be risky...by the time you were done with the trail, there would be no water left to soak in...

Jim

 

There is absolutely no market for a solid front axle truck in the USA. It is not even considered a niche market, but more of a specialty vehicle.

The reality is if Toyota came out with a full solid axle truck, they would be destroyed in all the mainstream media reviews. Any make would. People would not buy it because of the harsh ride and handling.

I, too, wish they would make one but it isn't going to happen. Even the next FJ will be IFS.
It would be cool if they just took the FJ80's axles, electric lockers and 4R frame (shortened) and bolted the new FJ body on it. Is it going to happen? Nope.

No one is going to do it unless someone else comes out with a solid axle truck that sells like hotcakes. Even then, the pricepoint would have to be so low it won't make sense and people would STILL buy more IFS trucks so it's a no win situation for solid axles.

 

my only problem with this is that the supply of toyota axles is shrinking away. pretty soon, axles will run quite a bit of money. just wish there was some kind of supply line of them coming into the us(for example, getting a bunch imported from australia/europe/africa) for parts

let's compare a toyota axle with a dana 35 out of a jeep. the jeep axle will typically sell in stock form for as little as 50 bucks. a lot of places are trying to charge over 350 for a little yota axle

and about the above post, you're probably right. nobody wants anything but luxury any more, it's expected from the cheapest econo car to the heaviest truck nowadays. i'm already fearing the day that trucks start having IRS