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Long vs Short Wheel base


Acerra

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Hey guys,

I'm still very new to all things 4x4. I have a 2013 dual cab long bed tacoma (6') and i was wondering if the longer wheel base will give me any restrictions to what trails I would be able to go on in the future. I see A LOT of tacoma builds online and most of them are the short bed (5') Tacoma. Wondering what your thoughts are and if ill struggel doing some trails. FYI, rock climbing is not really in the picture for me anyways, more so light trails to begin with then maybe something a little more tough as i get more gear and more comfortable.

Cheers,

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@ovrlndr is absolutely correct; however, with a Taco you're likely going to be a-ok on most of the trails the club will run.

Your long wheelbase (short bed or long bed is still "long") you might run into some of break over issues, but there are always options - different approaches, different routes, etc.

If I were running a pickup I'd be most concerned about departure angle - dragging your rear bumper when coming down from a ledge or when ascending a steep hill (the transition from flat to grade).

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Those are some strait forward answers! thanks guys.

26 minutes ago, autumnwalker said:

@ovrlndr is absolutely correct; however, with a Taco you're likely going to be a-ok on most of the trails the club will run.

Your long wheelbase (short bed or long bed is still "long") you might run into some of break over issues, but there are always options - different approaches, different routes, etc.

If I were running a pickup I'd be most concerned about departure angle - dragging your rear bumper when coming down from a ledge or when ascending a steep hill (the transition from flat to grade).

Seen a lot of the bumper dragging on vids online. I can start looking into some bumper protection when I get on a few more trials. Thanks for that its been a major concern for me for a while, bought the truck without overlanding in mind. looking forward to my first club run!

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1 hour ago, ovrlndr said:

how do you feel about pin-striping ?

This ... you will certainly alter your paint. At the very least you're going to get "pin stripes" in the clear coat from alder bushes, low branches, narrow track (tree branches on each side of the truck). The first few hurt ... then you don't even give it a second thought.

Check out "high clearance" bumper mods for the Taco. I have no idea what is out there. I did look into mods like this for the RAM. With the RAM you actually have to cut part of the bedsides (that the bumper wraps around). You can do it right on a body line so it isn't even something you'd realize unless you looked for it. It nets you close to an extra foot or so of ground clearance below the bumper. Not sure what the degree of departure increase is, but significant. 

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Iv only ever wheeled long box ext cab full size trucks, hasn't been a trail I haven't fit on yet, or wait.....does self clearancing the body panels between trees mean I don't fit?.... Anyway, your Toyota will be fine,  It's really not that long of a vehicle, and a great platform to start, and as you get more familiar with how it responds in certain situations , you can modify or improve its capaby accordinly, don't just throw a bunch of parts at it and expect to follow the built rigs, add each part or stage of the build one step at a time, so you can see what it does for you. 

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6 hours ago, Powerram said:

don't just throw a bunch of parts at it and expect to follow the built rigs, add each part or stage of the build one step at a time, so you can see what it does for you. 

Cannot overstate this. So much of wheeling is understanding your rig and honing your skill. You'd be surprised at how far the stock truck will get you. Tires help a lot. Lifts and other goodies get you further, but you can easily hide an issue with ability with an overbuilt rig (and underbilt skill).

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