Any workarounds to get full time 4WD in a 5th gen SR5

[tbr]

So I went to test drive a 2013 Trail Edition -- beautiful truck, love everything about it -- except it has no center diff. Basically, this means no full time 4WD, and this means it ain't functional for me. We live in Chicago, and all winter long we're slogging through unplowed streets, making tight turns in alleys and into our garage, sometimes there's dry pavement and then a moment later there's not. Parallel parking from a dry street into six inches of snow is a regular thing for me. Being able to unlock the center diff in the 4th gen 4H is critical for easy driving, especially for my wife who has no interest in shifting in and out of 4H/2H every time conditions change. I took the '13 to a partly icy, partly dry parking lot and it was binding up a lot on tight turns, same as my old Tacoma did. Huge disappointment that a formerly standard feature is now gone.

Okay so I know this has been discussed over and over and I've read the forums, but before I give up and go to a f***ing Jeep dealership, can somebody out there tell me that there's NO WAY around this? I just want a newer version of my 4th gen SR5...doesn't seem too much to ask. They make a full-time 4WD FJ MT, why not the 4Runner?

*I contacted three dealers and Toyota corporate (client of mine knows their CTO) about doing a special order, no dice.

*I know I can buy a Limited, but there's issues there too -- price aside, they're bloated, no 2WD, carry a lot of ugly chrome, and I hate that they have to run on those 20" wheels. Apparently the mpg goes to hell if you trade down to 17" with any tread...

 

[Rushca01]

Did you drive the black TE at Elgin Toyota?

I'm in the same boat (live in IN). May have to consider a JGC...

 

[Ducmonsta]

I'm curious as to what you mean by "bloated". And then you want full time 4wd but you complain that the limited doesn't have the 2wd option. I'm sure I'm misinterpreting your info. How is fuel economy affected with a different size wheel? Assuming similar weights and circumference of a tire.

And again, correct me if I'm wrong, but your wife turns the center diff lock on and off whilst in 4H in your current sr5? I haven't been in a 4th in awhile so I don't remember what the features of 4wd were/are.

 

[jam23r1]

:roadkill:

 

[O2VW1.8T]

There is a guy on Tundra forums who made his tundra AWD. It wasn't bad but you need the buy a limited transfer case and lock the front ADD switch hook up a few things and thats it. But it would probably be cheaper to buy a limited and put trail edition body parts on it.

 

[eddiebx]

I'm curious as to what you mean by "bloated". And then you want full time 4wd but you complain that the limited doesn't have the 2wd option. I'm sure I'm misinterpreting your info. How is fuel economy affected with a different size wheel? Assuming similar weights and circumference of a tire.

And again, correct me if I'm wrong, but your wife turns the center diff lock on and off whilst in 4H in your current sr5? I haven't been in a 4th in awhile so I don't remember what the features of 4wd were/are.

I think I recall my friends v6 4th gen have a 2wd mode in addition to full-time 4wd (separate from the center diff lock), that's probably what OP is talking about?

 

[mace.]

Buy snow tires and stay in 2wd

 

[1engineer]

The gas mileage does not go to hell putting 17's on a LE. At most is a few tenths if that. It sounds like all you need is a Highlander for your urban needs. It handles better, rides better and has an idiot proof four wheel drive system and gets better mpg!
I have a TE and just this evening I went from 4HI to 2WD at least a half dozen times between grocery store parking lots, picking my wife up from the hospital and then the winter wonderland on Walton mountain where I live. It took no time, effort or thought to shift. Believe it or not 2WD and good tires, combined with VSC and TRAC let's the 4Runner go just fine until you get into the deep stuff.

 

[Titanpat57]

The gas mileage does not go to hell putting 17's on a LE. At most is a few tenths if that. It sounds like all you need is a Highlander for your urban needs. It handles better, rides better and has an idiot proof four wheel drive system and gets better mpg!
I have a TE and just this evening I went from 4HI to 2WD at least a half dozen times between grocery store parking lots, picking my wife up from the hospital and then the winter wonderland on Walton mountain where I live. It took no time, effort or thought to shift. Believe it or not 2WD and good tires, combined with VSC and TRAC let's the 4Runner go just fine until you get into the deep stuff.

I know how exhasting it can be pulling that lever back and forth...

it's almost as much work as changing the volume on the steering wheels controls, and not having to reaching waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy over to the stereo to turn it up...




you know you're getting old when nobody remembers 'lockout hubs"....and what a pleasure they were to deal with..

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

:roadkill:

No shit! He should go get the f'n JGC. Problem solved (for us at least).

 

[1engineer]

I know how exhasting it can be pulling that lever back and forth...

it's almost as much work as changing the volume on the steering wheels controls, and not having to reaching waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy over to the stereo to turn it up...




you know you're getting old when nobody remembers 'lockout hubs"....and what a pleasure they were to deal with..

And Vice Grips when those hubs needed turned at below zero temps. Oh I have not forgotten.

 

[Jeremy556]

So, buy a 4th gen. :hello:

If you only read this forum, you would think the only vehicles that work at all in snow have a center diff. In reality, center diffs are pretty new, and still pretty rare in 4WD trucks.

 

[Jeremy556]

And Vice Grips when those hubs needed turned at below zero temps. Oh I have not forgotten.

LOL, I can't even imagine the vagina ache that would be expressed here if you not only had to push a button (or pull a lever), but get out and potentially break a nail engaging manual hubs.

I prefer slidelock pliers, they are a bit quicker and easier to use with gloves on.

 

[Jhalko]

If you want a 4runner, get a limited and swap the wheels and tires. I didn't see any mileage drop when I ditched the stock 20's and got the SR5 wheels and goodyears. I didn't want my wife to have to hassle with shifting to 4wd either, if I let her drive my truck, haha.

If you want a jeep and all the maintenance headaches so you can get a few bells and whistles go ahead. FYI, I traded my grand Cherokee for my 4runner and it's one of the smartest car decisions I've ever made.

 

[bimrunner]

^This. Also, I did find a way to get rid of all the chrome you speak of. The bloated side... seems I did add to that, but I really don't care! If you are buying the SR5, TE or LE for mileage, I think you may be missing something... These are no Prius, but then again, a Prius doesn't have 4wd or AWD. Note, my biggest MPG loss was the lift plus KM2s When I was running 17s and 265/70/17 nittos, I didn't lose any MPGs and still could get 20 on the road.

 

[tamerunner]

Believe it or not 2WD and good tires, combined with VSC and TRAC let's the 4Runner go just fine until you get into the deep stuff.[/QUOTE]

This. A couple months after we got the runner we went boarding in the mountains. Snowed 5" through the night so we were out playing in it. This was the first chance I had to really try out the runner. So I was playing in the parking lots and driving around trying different combos of things. When going back to the place we were staying there was an upper lot we could park in but was quite a steep entrance. So I had her in 4x turned the traction off and up I went. Some of the way. Backed up and put her in two and left the nannies on. Went up almost all the way. Then 4x with the nannies and it was nothing. This was all with the stock tires. These things are far more capable than 95% of the sissy people that own them for urban running will ever use. Honestly for what your talking about "needing" the 4x center diff for;2x, the nannies and good tires you could do anything your talking about.

 

[tbr]

Did you drive the black TE at Elgin Toyota?

I'm in the same boat (live in IN). May have to consider a JGC...

Yep, that's the one I drove. Nice vehicle, somebody needs to pick that up...

 

[tbr]

I think I recall my friends v6 4th gen have a 2wd mode in addition to full-time 4wd (separate from the center diff lock), that's probably what OP is talking about?

Exactly. I have it on my 4th gen, I'm used to it, and I use it all the time. I understand there's other ways to get the job done, but this one works, so if I can stick with it, I will.

 

[tbr]

The gas mileage does not go to hell putting 17's on a LE. At most is a few tenths if that. It sounds like all you need is a Highlander for your urban needs. It handles better, rides better and has an idiot proof four wheel drive system and gets better mpg!
I have a TE and just this evening I went from 4HI to 2WD at least a half dozen times between grocery store parking lots, picking my wife up from the hospital and then the winter wonderland on Walton mountain where I live. It took no time, effort or thought to shift. Believe it or not 2WD and good tires, combined with VSC and TRAC let's the 4Runner go just fine until you get into the deep stuff.

OK, good to hear. I read a review where the author described how the drivetrain of the Limited was built around the 20" and he suggested it was a bad idea to swap them. But I'll take your experience as superior to that review.

I don't have much of a problem for myself having to swap in and out of 2/4, though the specific chaos of our part of Chicago -- narrow, shitty streets and crazy turns into the garage -- aren't ideal. I'm pretty sure my otherwise intelligent wife is going to forget and get into trouble. We had that situation on our '06 Tacoma and it's the reason we swapped for the 4Runner.

 

[Lenny33]

Yeah, I find this the easiest thing in the world to switch between 2wd and 4wd - I cannot fathom why this is tough for people. HOWEVER, my wife somehow sees this as a complicated process and hates to do it. Her vehicles have all been easy cheesy AWD cars - Passat and Subies. She doesn't want to think about it - she just wants to know the traction is there when she needs it without lifting a finger.