Best cheap used pickup truck?

[NM_Shooter]

I'm going to put my two cents worth in hear

If you like working on stuff buy a Dodge,Chevy or Ford I myself have enough things to do.
So I use toyota. Have friends that own the full sizes but I like my little 04 tacoma V-6, 4X4, 3/4 ton, 25 miles gal.
90,000 miles and have never done anything to it but change the fluids and tires.
I use a trailer a lot for the bigger stuff.

No matter what you buy make sure it is four wheel drive you will need it sooner or later.


O.K. let the bashings begin,W

If Toyota sold a diesel p/u in the U.S. I would have bought one!

I have a '97 4Runner that looks like hell, but runs unbelievably great.  140k miles and still tight.  No major problems in the 9 years that we have owned it.  One alternator, a couple of batteries, that was it.   

[Whitlock]

What I find fascinating is the angle of the chimney on the building behind it.   

Everybody liked that one Don Took the wood stove out and I let it hang were it ended up.
I don't know how it didn't leak

[Wolfer]

Ok Ill stay Objective here....... Ford, Gm, Or Dodge will handle the Work Ya call for  Id Go gas Unless you consider goin Bio Later down the road.
STick to an Automatic with a good aftermarket cooler. Big reason for this Its called 3 footing If you arent real familiar with off roading in slick conditions Or steep terrain with a stick youll Be trien to hit the clutch, break and throttle at the same time automatic Prevents this action.
As for tires Ya down Have to get real agressive Stay away from extra wife tires My favorite is a 10.50 to a 12 inch wide tire for Snow and Mud a self cleaning tread is a must but any good Mud and snow will work

Now if ya wanna Get DOWN and DIRTY throw the Big 3 Out DONT  even Consider a Jeep Go with TOYOTA

[MountainDon]

Impressive articulation, Wolfer. But at the point reached by those Toyotas it does not matter what you began with, IMO. They are like comparing a NASCAR Ford to a NASCAR Toyota or whatever, to the car in your neighbor's driveway.

Your reasons for preferring the automatic over a manual transmission are among the reasons I prefer an automatic, I just didn't go into as much detail. In situations as pictured only a manual with extreme low gearing would stand a chance.

I haven't built in that much articulation, but I do enjoy moderate rock trails... This didn't require much travel, just traction and lockers. And the automatic makes it possible to stop part way up and then proceed without a third foot, racing engines, slipping clutches, tire spin, etc.

[CREATIVE1]

Reading these posts with much interest.  A little more info about "aftermarket coolers" for automatic transmissions?

[glenn kangiser]

There are probably quite a few aftermarket coolers - some with fans.

I put a transmission temp gauge on mine due to a recommendation from Gus @ Farmboy's Diesel.  My factory torque converter was going out due to heavy loads - 12000 lbs gross, but it was already on it's way out before I got it.  The torque converter lockup clutch can slip when in lock generating tons of heat and burning the fluid.  I serviced mine before buying the new torque converter and valve body but the fluid burned in less than a month again. 

A TC going out is characterized by a shuddering feeling on acceleration especially when transitioning to high gear lockup.  Those who know consider the factory torque converter and valve body in any brand truck to be good for mama to go to the store to get a sack of groceries but not a lot else.  It can be OK for light work use.

Temperatures are tied directly to the engine through a heat exchanger on the right rear of the engine above the oil pan.  The rear inlet of the heat exchanger contains a fitting with a check ball incorporated into it to prevent draining of the fluid of the torque converter on shutdown allowing an immediate start. 

Removal of this ball greatly increases flow to the standard oil cooler in the radiator also, but requires a 30 second or so warm up of the engine to get fluid into the torque converter.  This is also a benefit as it prevents damage to the turbocharger of the engine by allowing it to warm up before takeoff.

The Suncoast valve body allows pumping of fluid even when in park unlike the standard factory valve body which only pumps in neutral therefore only cooling in neutral.

Heating mainly occurs when the oil in the torque converter is unlocked, therefore getting into lock is the best way to keep the transmission cool, so on mild hills, take the overdrive off to allow lockup in 3rd.  On steeper grades pull it down into second or first gear as needed.  These two gears will not lockup, but will provide less shearing of the oil in the TC keeping heat down and more efficiently applying power to the road rather than burning up the oil by overheating it in the TC.  Temps should be kept below 250 degrees but usual on the flats is around 180f.

All this is to say that in most cases, you don't need the aftermarket cooler.  I added a Magtec deep pan to mine which adds some cooling and an extra quart of oil.  My truck is never under 11000 lbs - usually 12000 and my engine is around 300 HP. 

I highly recommend the Trans temp gauge addition on the automatic so you can alter your driving style to prevent the damage to your trans rather than remove the heat after the damage is done. 

The temp gauge sensor on a '94/02 Dodge w/ a Cummins, goes to the rear 1/2 inch OD tube before it enters the heat exchanger and right below where you remove the check ball..  That is the exit line directly from the TC and will show you the highest temperatures attained by the oil which is the information you need to know.

An aftermarket cooler would be attached and returned at the same location.

[MountainDon]

I suggested an aftermarket cooler for the A/T because the number one killer of automatics is the oil getting too hot. When that happens, well that's bad news. Most folks probably don't need an additional cooler/radiator as the manufacturer has taken this into account for average use. Hauling heavy loads, either in the truck or on a trailer, causes more heat to be generated as Glenn explained. Even the extremely slow going crawling over rocks as with my Jeep, generates lots of heat.


To get an idea of how quickly things can heat up, try this. Start with a stone cold vehicle. Locate the two steel lines from the transmission to the radiator. One is the line for the fluid going out of the transmission to the rad, the other is the fluid going back to the transmission. Set the parking brake, block the wheels, anchor it so it can not move, have another person sit in the drivers seat with the foot brakes applied fully. Be safe... get the drift? Have them start the engine and place the transmission into gear. Touch the two lines. This also must be done safely, more than likely from underneath. Remember where the rotating fan, belts and pulleys are. (Where are the lawyers who write disclaimer when you need one?) One of the two lines will immediately get warm, then warmer and warmer and then hot. More so if the engine is sped up a slightly.

So pulling heavy loads up a rough trail/road generates lots of heat from the transmission torque converter. The heavier the load the more heat. A simple add on cooler dissipates that heat better and prolongs the transmission life.

[MountainDon]

They look like these and sit in front of the radiator and the A/C coils as a rule.



Because they sit in front of everything else and pour out heat their could make the A/C not work as well (under heavy transmission heat output) or even cause the engine coolant temperature to rise.

[cordwood]

And for us old gear jammin washouts. http://www.lilbigrig.com/Home_Page.php ....I smell smoke!

[MountainDon]

Too  !!!  The one in the middle