Handling truck?

My daily driver is a Toyota Tacoma S-Runner. Its got a mild lowering job and lightweight rims and came from the factory w/ big swaybars. As a daily driver I'm annoyed by its less than controlled handling and creak-n-shake ride. Its also pretty useless in corners without an LSD. I thought It'd be more tossable and fun to drive, but its not too exciting at all. I do love its looks and as I've heard many people before me say, "I don't know how i could have lived without a pickup truck before." Lotsa trips carrying my cycles, scooters, and towing my Omni that all would have been much more annoying without a truck.

I've been toying w/ the idea of getting some Konis or equivalent and ditching the air-shocks as I don't carry anything heavier than my sportbike. An LSD would be awesome, but they're so expensive I'm not sure I'll ever justify the expense.

If your Hardbody is going to be mostly an autox toy, it could be a lot of fun. Stiffen the hell out of it and get an LSD, maybe a cage to control the frame flex? But as a daily driver, you may be annoyed by the NVH.

Once you go pickup, you never go back

NVH doesn't bother me, heck, when one isn't rattling or humming or something, that's why I hate my mom's new car.

Now if only I could talk my wife into learning to drive stick, I could give her the sentra, and I'd start on me a truck, 'cause I really miss having a pickup.

Anyone know how easily a DE head swaps onto the stock motor, or would I be better off swapping entire engines?

One bench racing formula I haven't been able to get out my head is a "DNA Splice" between the mid 90's Thunderbird (4.6 V8, IRS, good front suspension) and a similar vintage Ranger.

Extra points if the engine is set back, the radiator and battery are in the bed, and the fuel is behind the rear suspension to give the ranger something close to a viable front/rear weight balance.

famous wrote: One bench racing formula I haven't been able to get out my head is a "DNA Splice" between the mid 90's Thunderbird (4.6 V8, IRS, good front suspension) and a similar vintage Ranger.

that's what theyre building on spiketv's Trucks! show, except its' got a marauder 32v 4.6L

In reply to problemaddict:

Why get an LSD when you can get a NSD? (N means No!) I put a $300 lock-right in the back of my 2wd Sonoma, and now it is a serious performance machine. It takes a really, really steep gravel road to stop it now, whereas before it would get stuck on level ground if one of the rear tires happened to be parked on a wet leaf. It's also super fun to hamfistedly (hamfootedly?) stab at the gasamapedal mid-corner on wet pavement. It still understeers catastrophically on dry pavement, but it's hard to get it going that fast anyway. Ice/snow? This will be my first winter with it, so I'm just itching to find out.

Raze wrote: Once you go pickup, you never go back

[rant] I grew up with trucks and I'll never drive another pickup if I can help it. Slow, more expensive to buy and run, bad handling, bad brakes, un-fun, less safe.

Actually, if I needed a utility vehicle again, I would probably get a big van and avoid the fashion tax pickups, especially big 4X4s, have. [/rant]

Where were we again?

There is no LSD for the wee axle in the 2WD 4cyl Hardbody that I know of. Thankfully, the engine really lacks enough power to make a difference if you're really pushing it in the dry. WOT for the WIN.

I wouldn't bother doing a DE head swap unless my engine pooched and I found a DE to replace it. It doesn't seem like enough gain for the work involved. Just buy a Frontier that has one already in it.

Boost or a V8 swap (more power than you can use, and about the same fuel economy) would give a greater reward for the work involved.

Mmmkay, so, I've got a lead on a 1991 V6 5 speed 2wd S10. I don't know which six it has, but I'd probably do a 5.3 truck swap anyway.

I know I've been asking about Nissans, but sqare S trucks are #2 on my list. I know these things can be made to handle, and they share alot of G body parts. The guy says it's a "nice truck" but his and mine definition of nice are usually two completely different things.

Anyone care to link me to an S10 forum that isn't all about minitrucks?

Thanks again.

The S10 has a much, much MUCH greater aftermarket than the Hardbody. It would likely be the best route, regardless of what your intended outcome is.

In reply to BowtieBandit:

There is s10forum.com, which isn't all about minitrucks (just mostly), and there is dezertdimes.com which is about trucks that live in very dry climates.