Overheating in 4H? Why 4L is Better for Slow Trails in 4th Gen Tacomas

rustytaco · 2025-09-08T00:19:26+00:00

The 4th Gen has proven itself to be a solid truck. At least to me, haha. I know a lot of people are still skeptical. But I have two main issues that are a bit frustrating. 1. The rocker panels hang much lower than previous generations of Toyota trucks/SUVs. The difference is super noticeable. I would guess that a 4G Tacoma next to a 2G/3G Tacoma (running the same lift and tires) has a difference of around 5 inches in clearance from the body between the wheels (under the doors). This is a bummer because you get hung up more often than you should over uneven terrain. 2. The belly/frame between the wheels is also lower. There's a lot less ground clearance. So again, when you're doing more technical off-roading, you find yourself catching the frame rails and center skids/underbelly more often. It's not the end of the world, but the whole idea behind wheeling your truck is to have as much as possible. Funny enough, the front didn't give me any issues. I didn't touch my front skid at all, and barely tapped the LCA skids. Higher clearance rock sliders are a must, in my opinion. That means an angled version vs. a flat one. At least for how I like to use my truck. The Cali Raised Trail Edition have worked well within the body's limitations, since they sit pretty tucked to the body. The rear lower link mounts also drag, but that's something that can't really be avoided with the new rear suspension design. I need to add some more skids to the back end and replace my lower links. Adding some more lift should help a little bit with some clearance issues, but not all. Keep in mind, this is all with ~2" of lift, and 37" Arroyo Tamarock RT tires.

Rico's4G

Member

Aug 29, 2025

Has anyone ever wondered what the solution is for maintaining normal transmission fluid temperatures when driving in 4WD High at speeds below 15 mph?

I know someone who manually downshifts to S1, but this does not prevent the temperature from rising.

For those who might want to know, 4H is for Baja racing, while 4L is for trails and crawling. If you're going slow, it's best to just use 4L.

In contrast, though, using 4WD Low does not cause temperature issues, although it requires some adjustment to drive in the lower gears.

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