Trucks here in bama are ######ed expensive, people are awfully proud of their trucks here. 4x4 is only needed for hunting since it was 79* here today
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Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
I have a Chevy truck with the "automatic" G-80 locking rear diff. Piece of crap... never works when you need it. The selectable locking diff blows it out of the water. You can get this with Ford and the Toyota Tacoma.
you know the G-80 or Eaton Gov Lock has been used in Chev trucks since the late 60's - for the application that the are used in, they are a great posi unit - as soon as you start putting on 35" tires, thats when they give up the ghost -
The diff will act as an open diff until a one tire starts to spin faster than the other, this will cause the governer wheel to turn and engage the posi clutches - if a person simply allows the posi to engage before hammering throttle, these things will last forever -
The Lockers you're talking about are nice, no doubt, until the air compressor fails, or until the electric solenoid fails (dependant upon which vintage) - or if ripping thru the last hole or snow drift rips out your air line - then they arent so great after that.
For the street application I would take the tried and tru G-80 over the factory jeep air locker any day.....
you know the G-80 or Eaton Gov Lock has been used in Chev trucks since the late 60's - for the application that the are used in, they are a great posi unit - as soon as you start putting on 35" tires, thats when they give up the ghost -
The diff will act as an open diff until a one tire starts to spin faster than the other, this will cause the governer wheel to turn and engage the posi clutches - if a person simply allows the posi to engage before hammering throttle, these things will last forever -
The Lockers you're talking about are nice, no doubt, until the air compressor fails, or until the electric solenoid fails (dependant upon which vintage) - or if ripping thru the last hole or snow drift rips out your air line - then they arent so great after that.
For the street application I would take the tried and tru G-80 over the factory jeep air locker any day.....
For a street application, 99% of the time, you don't need a locker. The problem is when you get into trouble (as in you're in the ditch or stuck in a big snow drift). With a selectable locker you push a button and wham... your wheels are locked.... non of this spinning the wheels and hoping the G80 kicks in.
There's a reason Ford and Toyota don't use the G80 and for the life of me I don't understand why Chev hasn't switched over years ago. There are just better systems out there.
I have a truck with the G80 and a Jeep with the Selectable locker and in my opinion, the G80 is next to useless most times when I need it.... and you will be hard pressed to find anybody who would replace their selectable locker with a G80.
Rerun, you're talking about a feature that only .000001% of the 4x4-driving population would ever use, if that. It may have been worth pointing out once, but it's definitely not the must-have feature in a 4x4. And it's especially not worth having if it means you have to drive a penalty box aka a Jeep.
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Rerun, you're talking about a feature that only .000001% of the 4x4-driving population would ever use, if that. It may have been worth pointing out once, but it's definitely not the must-have feature in a 4x4. And it's especially not worth having if it means you have to drive a penalty box aka a Jeep.
As I pointed out previously, you don't need to buy a jeep to get a selectable locker. ... and if you are going to all the expense of buying a 4x4 truck you may as well get one the works well in difficult conditions.
It won't cost you anymore to get a 4x4 Ford (with the selectable RDL) or the Taco with its locker, than it would if you went with the 4x4 Chev (with the G80).
That's just my opinion and advice (take it or leave it) but I do have a lot of 4x4 experience (off and on road) behind me.
What I'm saying though, is that heavy deep snow is just about the most difficult condition (other than mud) to drive through and a locking diff might be the difference between being stuck there for hours or being able to drive on out of it.
If you're going to get a 4x4 truck, spend the little extra on that selectable locker. You won't regret it.
I'm in my 4th winter with my 2010 Chev. 3 of these 4 have been winters with record snow fall, and I have gotten stuck all of once (Due to me being a dumbass. Imagine that scene from Austin Powers where he gets the golf cart thing wedged north/south in an east/west running hallway. Now imagine it's a back alley with 2-3 ft of snow).
My truck doesn't get babied either. I live in a town of 1000 people that seldom has it's streets plowed, I travel 60 miles of sh***y SK highway per day for work, and I take my dog for runs in the country where I drive thru fields while he runs beside me.
Most "typical" 4x4 trucks don't have full lockers because, much like most Rubicon drivers, they aren't capable of getting into situations where lockers will make a difference. Lockers are also only available in 4-lo, since most people (particularly in the the OPs situation) are in 4-hi a vast majority of the time, you're running open diff instead some type of lsd like "typical" 4x4s. He's navigating city streets not the Darien Gap.
But what do I know, I took the $6000 I saved by not taking the Rubicon package and built up everything below the frame with better components for less money. I get both lockers and LSD, perfect world since lsd is going to better for on road purposes.
I don't know anything about trucks and I drive one...kinda. I have a 2001 Tacoma PreRunner double cab WITHOUT 4x4 (basically a raised car) and it is a death trap in the winter time. A combination of rear wheel drive and being very light makes it very hard to drive in slippery conditions. Yes I am that guy that can't make the advanced green because I can't get traction. Yes I have good tires.
I'm a cautious driver, I don't speed, and I have done winter driving courses through work for many years and I am terrified to drive this thing during the winter. I don't want to be terrified anymore.
Other than it being terrible in the winter I love it and want to buy another one soon. I am seeing a lot of recommendations for Tacomas in here. Are the newer Tacomas better in the winter than my old PreRunner? Are they heavier or is it the 4WD that makes the difference? Remember I drive a truck but don't know anything about them...why aren't those who are recommending the Tacoma for winter driving having the same issues I am?
I don't know anything about trucks and I drive one...kinda. I have a 2001 Tacoma PreRunner double cab WITHOUT 4x4 (basically a raised car) and it is a death trap in the winter time. A combination of rear wheel drive and being very light makes it very hard to drive in slippery conditions. Yes I am that guy that can't make the advanced green because I can't get traction. Yes I have good tires.
I'm a cautious driver, I don't speed, and I have done winter driving courses through work for many years and I am terrified to drive this thing during the winter. I don't want to be terrified anymore.
Other than it being terrible in the winter I love it and want to buy another one soon. I am seeing a lot of recommendations for Tacomas in here. Are the newer Tacomas better in the winter than my old PreRunner? Are they heavier or is it the 4WD that makes the difference? Remember I drive a truck but don't know anything about them...why aren't those who are recommending the Tacoma for winter driving having the same issues I am?
Good tires and winter tires are two very different things. If you don't have winter tires, you should change your name to 'struggler' because it's incredibly rude to hold up a few dozen/hundred/thousand people from getting home from work on time because you're the only one making it through a green light. Also, what do you have for weight in the box? If nothing, that's driving a RWD truck lesson #1...weight the box in the winter. Sandbags, bales of hay, concrete pavers, whatevs.
Any 4x4/AWD vehicle with winter tires is going to be great in the winter. Car, SUV, truck, anything. A Tacoma with winter tires will have incredible traction in the winter. So would a 1997 Geo Tracker.
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I don't know anything about trucks and I drive one...kinda. I have a 2001 Tacoma PreRunner double cab WITHOUT 4x4 (basically a raised car) and it is a death trap in the winter time. A combination of rear wheel drive and being very light makes it very hard to drive in slippery conditions. Yes I am that guy that can't make the advanced green because I can't get traction. Yes I have good tires.
I'm a cautious driver, I don't speed, and I have done winter driving courses through work for many years and I am terrified to drive this thing during the winter. I don't want to be terrified anymore.
Other than it being terrible in the winter I love it and want to buy another one soon. I am seeing a lot of recommendations for Tacomas in here. Are the newer Tacomas better in the winter than my old PreRunner? Are they heavier or is it the 4WD that makes the difference? Remember I drive a truck but don't know anything about them...why aren't those who are recommending the Tacoma for winter driving having the same issues I am?
2wd trucks are terrible in the winter. Sandbags would help considerably I imagine. Get 4 sandbags and put them directly over the rear axle, if you have good tires the difference should be night and day. Anyone recommending a Tacoma for winter driving is recommending a 4x4. The weight of the engine/transmission/transfer case on the front axle is where the traction is gained.
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As cool as your Rubicon is, and they are cool, they are garbage for a family vehicle. They suck to tow with, suck for storage, and I have been in chuck wagons with more refined rides. All that being said we have one sitting on our lot right now with a 6 speed, that I might replace my Tiguan with. But I am single, with a dog.
Unlimited Wranglers get traded in for 1 reason and one reason only. People realize after owning the thing for 6 months they are not a suitable family car. Also people complain huge about the fuel economy.
The main reason on am considering this, is I want to do the pickup conversion, which is ridiculously cool:
Hah, I posted this before, but I bought one a couple years ago. Picked it up on a Saturday, took it to work one day, realized how god-fracking awful it is, and took it back to the dealer on Tuesday. I paid them $1000 or something (can't remember the exact amount now) as a peace offering for being such a flake, gave my salesman a few bucks for his trouble, and hopped back in my 300c. It's easy to romanticize how fun it would be to bomb around in a Jeep, but owning one wasn't for me.
We test drove a 2DR heap Rubicon a couple years back because my wife wanted one. After struggling to merge with the 3.8L minivan motor and experiencing the amazing ride and handling we said forget it. The two door was such a slug I can't imagine how anyone could drive the Unlimited. One of the great automotive mysteries to me is why they retain their value better than any other domestic.
hahaha. what the crap were they thinking when they released this? Even lesbians wouldn't be caught dead in this car.
I always secretly wish we take one of those on trade, and then I can low ball the used car manager for how ugly it is, then drive it for the rest of my life.
I think they are cool, in a very not-cool way.
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