I have a 2017 Taco V6 4x4 Off-Road with a 6 speed manual.
The Problem:
It is a fine machine. It does everything I need except that when pulling a load close to the tow rating and stopping on a steep uphill incline - it's tough to get moving again w/o clutch smoke because it doesn't make a lot of torque under 2200rpms. Clutches are not something I want to change everytime a light on a steep hill turns red so I want a feature inexplicably absent from my new truck. The obvious answer is to use Lo range which works fine except it is only available in $WD which binds up the whole shebang if you try to turn that E36 M3 on a non-slip surface so it's only good for the boat ramp - not traffic. Back in the days of all manual systems with levers and knobs the easy solution to this was not to lock the front hubs and put the xfer case in Lo to make a 2Lo option. My trusty old Nissan Hardbody with an anemic 4 cylinder used this trick to great effect pulling things well in excess of it's stated ability. With the new truck that is not possible because the electronic switch has only 3 setings - 2WD, 4WD and 4WD Lo. Electronic demons carry out these orders via pneumatic and electronic solenoids and verify their success with sensors. The Taco has no locking hubs. It has an interlock to engage the left front axle in the diff and one to engage the driveshaft in the xfer case.
My 1st idea:
To get the truck into a 2Lo I should just have to stop it from engaging the front diff part and let it think it's in 4Lo. That will pull in the driveshaft engagement but with the axle unlocked it will only try to drive the right front... and act as an open diff with the left wheel unhooked - and just spin without binding the driveline effectively driving only the rear wheels. For short distances where this is desired I don't think that would be a problem. The trick is telling the truck the 4x4 engage operation was successful without actually locking the front axle. I'm not sure how to go about trying this or if I'll upset the computer and cause codes I can't clear or reset but this should be a very cheap option if I can figure that out.
My 2nd idea:
Find the right combination of Toyota hard parts from the bin to add manual locking hubs to the front end and just let the front freewheel in 4WD like it was 1990 all over again.
The Questions:
Does anyone here know how the cheap option #1 can be accomplished? Is this a CANBUS messaging hack or just jumping out a switch on the diff at the same time I disconnect the locking mechanism? Will the CPU lose it's berkeleying mind and shut me down? Will a standard OBDII Scanner clear codes or allow resetting anything I hose on a 4x4 system or do I need something more Toyota specific - or nothing at all?
Does anyone know what parts would be required for option #2? I expect the cost new to be prohibitive but if I could scavenge what I need from a junkyard list of old OE Toyota parts from different or older models it might be cheap enough.
Finally, am I missing an obvious, easy method to use Lo Range in 2WD like an Off Road tuner company that sells a CPU hack for this? Google is failing me.
