It looks like I'm goign to have a little spending money sometime in the next couple of months and I want to take the next step with my truck.

It's going to be one of those all go and no show type mods - steve should be happy I want to really improve my trail capability while having as little affect on road manners as possible. I drive 180 miles each way to my wheeling spot (Paragon), so I need the best of both worlds.

I'm thinking dual selectable lockers (ARBs) and a crawler box (Marlin, duh). In theory, I should be able to run 2wd high just like normal on the highway with the locker disengaged and the truck shouldn't feel/drive any different than it does now, correct? Then I could drop it into 4lo/lo and engage the lockers and be good for almost anything, right?

Am I missing anything?

 

1. imagine how much more you can do with an open 4wd compared to an open 2wd.

2. you can do that much more double-locked than open - seriously.

i would DEFINITELY go with ARB Air Lockers with a re-gear to 4.56 or 4.88.

i love my ARB's and 4.56's on my auto. on long family trips, i usually drive about 75 on the interstate. that equates to about 2450 RPM and right at 18 MPG for me. that's on 305 MT/R's (about same size as your 33-12.50's). not bad at all...

for the best prices around, go over to either tacomaterritory or to pirate and PM username PORC (Alex at Performance Offroad Center). i got my gears from him and they were $501 shipped with two master install kits. he quoted me $649 for an ARB locker and $199 for the compressor back in april too. they're good people and are quick to ship and answer any questions you have.

 

would you regear or go with a crawler box? I have an auto, so the whole clutch/idle/stalling thing doesn't apply to me.

I was half thinking about regearing to 4.56s to get back some of the power I lost with the 33s (for road performance), but still going with the crawler box for trail performance. Might be overkill though...

 

i would regear since it's a streetable ride. you will gain power and MPG's that you wouldn't see with just a crawler.

the lockers, compressor, gears, master install kits, and labor will be:

RD23 Rear Locker = $650
RD90 Front Locker = $650
Compressor = $200
Gears = $300
MIK's = $200
Labor = $500 (and could be as high as $700 depending on how much you do and where you end up taking it)

add that up and it's already up to $2500.

do that and put anything left over into savings. after you wheel with it for a while, you'll know if you need a crawler. i would really only have one on this side of the country if it were on a dedicated trail rig. the desert southwest is a different story.

 

Cool - thanks. I've got a few other things on the mod list, but they aren't relevant to the discussion. I've gotta level out my front suspension, add a winch, and probably figure out some kind of on-board air setup.

 

you can also do what i did to same some $...

i picked up a SAS-dropped front diff and a rear thrid member. i then had the gears and lockers bench installed to save money. after they were installed in the chunks, i then installed the chunks on the runner.

also, do the compressor install yourself BEFORE you have the lockers installed. you'll want to plumb them up and try them out without waiting. all the shop needs to do is put the gears and lockers in the chunks and set them up. you can easily do the rest.

after you do the swap, you then sell the leftover front diff and rear third and get that money back. you'll end up saving a couple hundred on labor. i got my bench install for two lockers, gears, and master install kits for $300 and then on the resale of the parts i made about $100 more than i paid and i still have my stock 4.10's that i need to sell.

 

jackson I think you have a very good lookin truck so I'd definitely do something to increase mpg and overall driveability, instead of cosmetics, like Andy said. I think locker would be my first choice(eventhough I have one). They will change the capability of your truck.

 

Lockers and re-gear. IMO, since you have an auto a crawler is not really necessary. You will go anywhere you want to go (with sheet metal) with an auto, lockers and lower gears.

Git er done!~

 

Cool, that's what I wanted to know - thanks.

 

Lockers and regear for sure. You'll be amazed and know it's the best mod money that you've spent.

 

Another vote for the clear tail lights!

hehe

Right now all I want to do is regear and get some more low end power... Thats what I would recommend.

 

I agree that you should wait on the crawler...you have the 3.4 no? You regear your diffs, and get a second plus a 4.7 or even just a 4.7 single case, and you are going to be looking at trashing your other parts pretty quick, like front axles, and cvs...you've got a big engine, and an auto, you'll probably never need the lowered gearing in the tcase, but just MHO...guys like me with a 90hp 22re need lower tcase gears, esp if they have a 5speed...

 

My ARB's are transparent on road, it is the other stuff that makes it a pain.

I would never regear a 3rd Gen to 4.56.

I basically have a 2000 4Runner. I run those damn 5.29 gears with small tires and an auto. In the internet world it sucks, in the real world it is great.

Gears and lockers. It is not a trail truck until you add those.

I love the crawler with my auto except for the leaking part. Likely overkill for you.

 

my 4.56's on my auto with 305's get me 18 MPG on the highway. i drive it on at least one 1100 mile trip per month.

you may have crawl, but you need it out west. i don't need as much crawl here...

 

My final drive is 320 to 1. That is because of a couple cases.

I get ~20 mpg on the highway with too much gear and not enough tire.