J-Shifter on stock 1st Gen? Is this normal?

I’m buying a first gen soon (2003), and noticed that it had a J shifter, with H2 on the top left and L4 on the top right, and H4 below H2 and N somewhere in there

Meanwhile: my cousins 1st gen has a button on the 4x4 shifter (on the left side) and only has L4>N>H.

Did they make 4x4 Tacomas in both of these configurations? Or is the one I’m interested in buying modified perhaps?

 

Nah they made them with both shifters, I don't remember why one truck would have the button and the other a J, but someone else will know.

 

The switch to ADD (automatic front diff engagement) happened in 2001 I think.

J-shift if fully manual, and the truck should have front manual locking hubs, where the other should not.

 

Can you expand a bit on this? When we shifted to H4, the light on the dash came on for the 4x4 but we didn’t have to manually go outside and change anytjing. Presumably it just went into 4x4 by shifting the J shifter to 4H

it’s a 2003 truck. So could it have a J shifter AND ADD?

 

Yeah not to be contrarian but I have an 02 with a J shifter and ADD. Never had to get out and lock the hubs in

 

This is not accurate.

They sold plenty of trucks with a j-shift and ADD.

 

heres mine

 

Not all of them. My 2001 is ADD and has the J shifter.

 

I wonder if there’s any rhyme or reason for this.

 

Might depend on the trim level. Personally I would choose the J shifter over the 4wd button.

 

No, Toyota was on drugs at this point and 1st gens are all over the place with different options and configurations

 

Facts!

 

As mentioned, you are incorrect. 95.5 to 00 had both ADD that were vacuum control diff actuator and j tcase with manual locking hub option. Manual locking hub got discontinued in 2000. In 2001-2004, all tacoma were sold with H/L push button 4wd or J shift tcase. Both had electric control diff actuator. No 01-04 had manual locking hub from factory.

 

The vast majority of first gen Tacomas were j shift no button, far more uncommon to see the button

 

Not sure if it translates into the Taco world, but for the 3rd gen 4Runner (mine is an 01), it has a push button and is referred to as the "multi-mode" 4WD. My Dad's Tacoma (03, 5-sp 4WD, e-locker) has the same setup. From my understanding the j-style was the older version and the push button (multi-mode) was the newer version. I don't know the specifics between the two so I'm not gonna touch on that point.

 

My truck is a 2003 4x4 SR5 and has the J shifter

 

Tacoma's never came with multimode.

 

Gotcha. His has the push button on his 4WD shifter.

 

Yeah it's just a 4wd (real 4wd not AWD like with multimode) and the lever goes forward or backward for L or H.

 

So that would be the same as my truck then or different?