Mail - Off-Road

January, 2007

By Kevin Blumer

Editor's Note: If you have anything you'd like to say to us or ask us, please feel free to write to:
OFF-ROAD Magazine, Off-Road Mail,
2400 E. Katella Ave., 7th Floor
Anaheim, CA 92806.
You can e-mail us at kevin.blumer@sourceinterlink.com.

2x4 to 4x4?
I just wanted to know if you could point me in the right direction on a 2WD-to-4WD conversion on an '02 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner double cab. I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me.
Charles Bonn,
via e-mail

Charles,Basically, you'll need a new transmission (that bolts to your existing engine) with a transfer case, a front driveshaft, front differential, knuckles (2WD knuckles aren't the same as 4WD), hubs, and CV shafts. If your transmission is electronically controlled, you may run into some issues there too, so be sure to find out. Your best bet may be finding a complete truck in a wrecking yard and pulling all the stuff you'll need from that truck. TAP Recycling (www.taprecycling.com) is a major Toyota wrecking yard that probably can supply what you'll need.

This swap is far from impossible. If you can find the parts for the right price, it doesn't have to be expensive.

For more information, check out www.offroadsolutions.com as well as www.marlincrawler.com.Good luck.

Project F-150 Feedback
I just read the Project F-150 tech series by Phil Howell online and am very excited. I just purchased my first truck (which is also my first 4x4) three weeks ago: a new '05 F-150 Lariat. How OFF-ROAD intends to use the Project F-150 is very similar to how I intend to use mine, so I'm really interested in incorporating some of the modifications you've made to the truck. However, I have a couple of quick questions for you guys.

My truck came with LT275/65R18 Goodyear Wrangler AT/S tires, which, if I read the article correctly, OFF-ROAD thought were a good tire for this application. I don't want to go to 20-inch tires, but I do want to go with the King shocks. Can I keep my current 18-inch wheels/tires and use the King shocks, or won't they combine well? In the article about installing the shocks, you indicated one could adjust the amount of lift they produced in the front up to 2 inches. With 18-inch wheels, should I go for the 2-inch lift or a lower amount? Lastly, I assume that with these shocks the on-road performance of the truck will be at least as good as it was with the stock shocks. Is that correct?

With regard to the differentials, I wasn't sure from the article whether your stock truck came from Ford with a limited-slip differential. Mine has it. Is it still worth an upgrade to the Detroit units OFF-ROAD used? How much of an increase in off-road performance do you think I would realize if I swapped in the Detroit units? While I don't think I will go with the supercharger, I am curious: What do you think your mpg are with the supercharger? Finally, it sounds like the Auburn Gear ECTED limited-slip/locker combo differential would be great in this application. Do you agree? Have you guys reviewed this unit yet? Do you know if it is available for our F-150s?

One last question: If one were to put a winch on this truck, what do you think of the Warn Semi-Hidden Kit and 9000 winch?

Thanks for such a great magazine!
Todd Marshall, via e-mail

Todd,,
We're glad you liked our Project F-150. It worked out very well, with only a couple of things we'd do differently.

Now to answer your questions. First, our tires measured 34 inches in diameter. If you keep the size you mentioned, since they're only 32 inches in diameter, you'll have NO problem clearing everything. We tried to talk ourselves into the 20-inch rims, but we applaud your decision to stay with the 18-inch wheels. The tires that go on the 18s will work better off-road by affording more flotation. If you want different wheels, we suggest keeping the factory backspace, which is 6 inches. The size of the tire on the rim, not wheel diameter, dictates suspension height. With the 275s, you'll be able to run your Kings from 0 to 2 inches, depending on the look you like. Performance is the same at any height adjustment. The Kings will work with any wheel diameter that fits on the F-150. They also work much better than stock, on- or off-road.

Our truck came with the stock limited-slip, which was worthless. The addition of the Detroit Truetrac in the rear (or front and rear as we did) will make a giant difference in off-road performance. We haven't tried the Auburn yet and therefore can't comment on its performance (although it looks like a great differential).

We first thought our mileage was pretty good at 14 to 15 mpg with the supercharger, but after driving for a longer period, we find we're getting about 10 to 11 mpg, a loss of about 25 to 30 percent from stock. This may not be the supercharger's fault though; because it's so fun, it forces us to bury our foot on the accelerator whenever possible.

Finally, the Warn winch mount system for the F-150 is top-notch. We would probably go with at least a 9.5xp winch though.

We know you're going to enjoy your F-150. Good luck with your project!

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