Hi everyone! I have just received a '95 Toyota Pickup and I am hoping to do a little off-roading. Since the pickup is stock, what should my first step be? Any help would be appreciated!

Best mod for offroading is a locking rear differential.

Then get more aggressive tires, then maybe a mild lift

Thanks a lot! About the locking rear differential. From your experience, what would I want to be spending for one? Also, are there any brands I should pay attention to?

I have an explanation on what I put in my rear end and why on my site

http://home.4x4wire.com/adamf/88/elocker.htm


That should sum things up for you. Basically you can get a manual selectable locker for $400-600 or a full time for $200-400. Manual you can be fully unlocked for a stock ride on the street, and a full time can have some poor handling characteristics such as tire squealing, clicking, and ratcheting noises.

Thanks again for replying.

I see that the people in those articles using the Toyota Electronic Locker seem to have to modify the axle housing. Is this for most years of Toyota trucks or just a few?

you have to modify all the housings, unless you swap the whole axle, if thats even possible...something i need to look into myself, thats one of my 'on the list' mods. tires are pretty important too, if its an off road only truck, get the most aggressive/best suited to your terrain. mine drives me to work every day, so i run 31" BFG A/T KO's on my truck. They work for the mild to medium trails/sand and some mud that my truck sees as long as i air them down. the first thing you should do is think about what you are gonna use the truck for, i.e. how much street time/how hardcore the trails are and how much you wanna spend. its been said often on this board, 4x4 in uppercase is $X$..good luck

I have a Toyota E locker in my truck and we had to cut a notch in the differential mounting surface for the locking mechanism, lay welding material around the notch and grind it flat for a sealing surface, tap for studs, and hope it all seals. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> It really isn't that bad. and it works great. The V-6 carrier is much stronger.

If you're looking for cheap, I suggest a locrite. It automatically locks with a mechanical system that uses centripital force. I had one. Works great, but isn't selectable.

I actually have 31"(I think) Mud Terrains on there now. Brand new. It will probably be 2/3 on the road and 1/3 off. Though I want to be able to get around most trails, I am not planning on rock climbing or super advanced trails. I just want it to get me where I want to go.

I think I will plan on getting the Toyota E Locker. Could someone maybe explain what exactly locking the differential does? Is it just to lock the axle, making it impossible to roll? It is essential for off roading am I right?

A locker eliminates the differential action making both wheels drive instead of just one. Four-wheel drive is really only two-wheel drive on vehicles that do not have lockers, one wheel in front and one wheel in the rear when the t-case is locked into four-wheel drive.

The reason being that in turns the inside wheel turns slower then the outside wheel. If they were locked all the time they would turn the same amount which increases tire wear, decreases handling and make your inside tire squeal.

Do a Google search on differentials and you will learn more.

Not quite correct. If all 4 wheels have sufficient traction, power is divided to all 4 wheels equally & you have 4WD.

It's only when one wheel on an axle loses traction that most of the power to that axle goes to the wheel that can use it least.

If one wheel on both axles experience a loss of traction, then yes, you effectively have 2WD, but in reality, might as well be *no* wheel drive, because you ain't going nowhere <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Dave