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    Tacoma3G is a beginner-friendly 3rd Generation Toyota Tacoma (2016-2023 model-years) forum. We are a community of people who are focused on good information and good vibes.

Reference Ask a beginner question, get a serious answer!

Winch. Insurance in case you get stuck while exploring by yourself. No other mod I have done (on previous vehicles too) has allowed me to explore more places, all because I'm willing to take the risk of getting stuck because I can (almost) always get out.

I used cbi's hidden winch mount and smittybilt's 10k h2o winch. Will set you back about $850 and an afternoon installing.
B43C6E69-1AA9-4814-8669-6FD171F0B756.webp
 
gman081801 said:
Hello,

I have a 2018 TRD Sport and have wondered what a few good first mods would be for my truck to get into off-roading. Also if anyone knows of any spots to go in the North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota area?
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Welcome to T3G!!

First thing I would do is hit the dirt!! You'll quickly figure out what you actually need and what you don't. Some things that are always a good idea before spending money on crazy and unnecessary upgrades are safety items. A radio to call for help (I like the Baofeng UV5-R), a shovel, traction boards, a snatch strap (rated), and a hitch receiver shackle mount with a D-ring. It's a good idea to have 2 of the hitch shackle mounts, and 2 D-rings so you can hook up another truck. Basically you're anticipating that they wont have a way to connect to a snatch strap, so you bring the connections. Also the front mounting hook and loop on the Tacoma are not rated for recovery so DO NOT attach a strap to them. They can break off and kill someone.
 
gman081801 said:
Hello,

I have a 2018 TRD Sport and have wondered what a few good first mods would be for my truck to get into off-roading. Also if anyone knows of any spots to go in the North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota area?
Click to expand...

Oh man! I’d go balls deep.

First mod would be Nitro REM polished 529 gears. Then the fun would start.
  • CMC (cab mount chop). Eventually, you will need this, so start with it.
  • At least 33” tires
  • Suspension (I’d go King, but that’s just me). This includes UCA’s (I went with @TOTAL CHAOS, but that’s a personal choice
  • @ARCHIVE Hammer Hangers with cross bar. This is a must
  • At least Deaver U402 II’s leaf pack
  • And since you started with gears and went with the Sport model, I’d put a locker in the rear. If you’re feeling extra spicy, then add one up front.
  • Probably should move some armor up on the list. But as a bare minimum I’d go with sliders
I’m likely forgetting something, but this should cover the basics.

Oh, and some recovery gear is good to, but it is a Tacoma, so you know;)

Enjoy the build process.
 
H3llRid3r said:
Oh man! I’d go balls deep.

First mod would be Nitro REM polished 529 gears. Then the fun would start.
  • CMC (cab mount chop). Eventually, you will need this, so start with it.
  • At least 33” tires
  • Suspension (I’d go King, but that’s just me). This includes UCA’s (I went with @TOTAL CHAOS, but that’s a personal choice
  • @ARCHIVE Hammer Hangers with cross bar. This is a must
  • At least Deaver U402 II’s leaf pack
  • And since you started with gears and went with the Sport model, I’d put a locker in the rear. If you’re feeling extra spicy, then add one up front.
  • Probably should move some armor up on the list. But as a bare minimum I’d go with sliders
I’m likely forgetting something, but this should cover the basics.

Oh, and some recovery gear is good to, but it is a Tacoma, so you know;)

Enjoy the build process.
Click to expand...

Don't forget to add Magnuson's new Supercharger since he's going big right off the bat. 😈🤪
 
I am planning to purchase a few things this week and need help making sure I don’t buy cheap product or from a scam company. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!!!
My list:
- Tac Fender Flares
- Tacoma Lifestyle, Black Emblems and the TRD Pro Grille (i have the 2020 TRD Sport)
- Vinyl Graphics from Vinyl Status. I want to put custom text on the windshield.
 
Hubermr said:
If I have a cold air intake like a K&N do I need to tune the truck?
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No. If the intake was actually doing enough to require tuning, then it would throw a CEL. There is not an intake for the Tacoma on the market that will throw a CEL.
 
midnight20pro said:
@nickyreno @CaliRaisedLED raptor style blacked out led taillight
https://caliraisedled.com/collectio...6-2020-toyota-tacoma-raptor-style-tail-lights

Normally I'm the jerk that says "oh look this idiot made it harder to see his taillights in the daytime" but I figure the LED's backlighting it should be bright enough. I thought they looked cooler than the factory tails
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I hate the OEM pro tails. Too ricey imo.

Any trouble installing those? I’ve heard of people getting radio interference and hyperflash issues with those Winjets.
 
I am looking at purchasing a set of TRD Pro rims on 265/75/17 KO2's. I am lost on offsets and backspacing. All I want is the tires to sit flush or .5 to 1" outside the wheelwell.
 
Shaw720 said:
I am looking at purchasing a set of TRD Pro rims on 265/75/17 KO2's. I am lost on offsets and backspacing. All I want is the tires to sit flush or .5 to 1" outside the wheelwell.
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Offset is measured in millimeters. Generally, Positive means it's inside the wheel well more and negative means it'll poke.

For flush wheels you'll need roughly 0 offset and to stick out you'll need something negative offset

If you go with TRD Pro rims, you'll need to get hub-centric spacers to have them poke since the offset is positive.
 
knightacoma said:
Offset is measured in millimeters. Generally, Positive means it's inside the wheel well more and negative means it'll poke.

For flush wheels you'll need roughly 0 offset and to stick out you'll need something negative offset

If you go with TRD Pro rims, you'll need to get hub-centric spacers to have them poke since the offset is positive.
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But heads up on the front wheel spacers. Can't go a bit bigger than the 265's or you'll run into some rubbing at both the front and rear part of the front fenders.
 
Currently I've got an Icon Stage 4 kit, "17 Method 701s, CMC plates, a C4 hybrid front bumper, and a set of 285/75/17s sitting in my apartment almost ready to go on the truck. Would you recommend doing the CMC first or starting with the lift and identifying where the rubbing is prior to cutting and massaging plastic?
 
haas.evan said:
Currently I've got an Icon Stage 4 kit, "17 Method 701s, CMC plates, a C4 hybrid front bumper, and a set of 285/75/17s sitting in my apartment almost ready to go on the truck. Would you recommend doing the CMC first or starting with the lift and identifying where the rubbing is prior to cutting and massaging plastic?
Click to expand...

It's kind of a 6 one way, half a dozen the other kind of answer. You could easily tell your shop to give you an aggressive CMC in anticipation of your lift/tires, or you could install and then start trimming. Either way works and no matter which way you go, you'll likely be back under the truck running a bit more here and there as the truck flexes over time.
 
I am looking to purchase a 20/21 TRD Pro or TRD off-road 4 door Tacoma. I like the initial look of the Pro (of course) over the off-road.
1. Is it truly worth the cost of the TRD Pro over top of the off-road?
2. Also, what dealership seems to have the best pricing in the country? (I have a ton of miles and can fly anywhere to pickup)

thanks,
 
haas.evan said:
Currently I've got an Icon Stage 4 kit, "17 Method 701s, CMC plates, a C4 hybrid front bumper, and a set of 285/75/17s sitting in my apartment almost ready to go on the truck. Would you recommend doing the CMC first or starting with the lift and identifying where the rubbing is prior to cutting and massaging plastic?
Click to expand...

Don't forget to order the wrench for the coilvers if you don't have it already. There's the height Icon tells you it'll sit at once installed then there's the height it actually sits at. Most cases, you'll need to wrench a bit more height out of the default coilover setting up front at least if you've added some weight up there. Best of luck
 
haljordan said:
I am looking to purchase a 20/21 TRD Pro or TRD off-road 4 door Tacoma. I like the initial look of the Pro (of course) over the off-road.
1. Is it truly worth the cost of the TRD Pro over top of the off-road?
2. Also, what dealership seems to have the best pricing in the country? (I have a ton of miles and can fly anywhere to pickup)

thanks,
Click to expand...
It honestly depends on what aftermarket stuff you want on it. If you’re going to change skid plates and what not it might not be worth going with the pro.
 
haljordan said:
I am looking to purchase a 20/21 TRD Pro or TRD off-road 4 door Tacoma. I like the initial look of the Pro (of course) over the off-road.
1. Is it truly worth the cost of the TRD Pro over top of the off-road?
2. Also, what dealership seems to have the best pricing in the country? (I have a ton of miles and can fly anywhere to pickup)

thanks,
Click to expand...
I second the "what are you going to do with it" opinion. I liked having all the extra goodies (leather, power seats, sunroof, rear locker) in one package along with the suspension that is more than adequate for me at the moment.
However, you can get a trd off-road with those things, along with a locker, save about $6000, and dump that into aftermarket.

I have had a 2016 off-road and now a 2020 trd-pro. I like the pro better, very happy with my decision. And when I modify the suspension in the next few years, I'll still enjoy the leather and other parts of the package.
 
Guys with Rotopax, any advantages or disadvantages between getting multiple smaller Rotopax or just one large one in y'all's experience?
 
3cent.Taco said:
Guys with Rotopax, any advantages or disadvantages between getting multiple smaller Rotopax or just one large one in y'all's experience?
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I had one for a dirt bike and the issue I had with the gas is there isn’t a breather on it. So to swells up when full of gas due to the fumes in the gas.
 
Hubermr said:
I had one for a dirt bike and the issue I had with the gas is there isn’t a breather on it. So to swells up when full of gas due to the fumes in the gas.
Click to expand...

How long did it take to swell? Did you fill it in the morning and then just being closed off and in the sun it swelled throughout the same day?

Is the better alternative a metal can with breather?
 
Some great replies here. Have you made your decision? I'm from the frame of mind that the Pro is great if you just plan to keep the truck stock as it gives you the upgraded suspension components etc. I plan on doing a suspension lift so I opted to take the money I would have spent on a Pro and use it to do my own suspension upgrade. Also, although I'm paying cash for my truck, keep in mind that you can finance after market upgrades if you do it with your dealer.
 
midnight20pro said:
How long did it take to swell? Did you fill it in the morning and then just being closed off and in the sun it swelled throughout the same day?

Is the better alternative a metal can with breather?
Click to expand...
Filled it in the morning and it swelled over the day from the gas sloshing around in the drive to sitting in the sun. Personally I like the metal with breather but that is personal preference.
 
Thanks for the info. I bought the rotopax but haven't used them yet so that's good to know. Maybe I run them as emergency water supply instead and opt for a can with a breather. Thanks again!
 
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