whats a prerunner and does the 3rd gen have one

new to tacomas whats a prerunner? because my pops has a 11 trd sport and has the prerunner badge, i have a 16 trd sport but does not have the prerunner badges, both are dclb, thanks in advance

 

every era had some differences but in essence, a PreRunner was toyota's 2wd versions (pickups and some early suv's i believe) with 4x4 cosmetics and some offroad protective parts. there's threads and the google for exact differences but that's the general explanation in my head.

 

thanks does the 16 tacoma come in prerunner option?

 

yes i have a 16 OR 4x2 and its considered a prerunner

 

don't know.

toyotausa.com would.

but, the evolving aftermarket can essentially turn an SR or SR+ into one. wheels, skid plates etc...

 

PreRunner= 2wd truck that has a suspension/height of a 4x4 (or close to it), therefore larger tires from factory and more ground clearance. 2016 Does not have a prerunner option as all 2wd's seem to be 4x4 height to begin with.

*edit- anything others have added- skidplates, etc all apply.

 

or this...

 

I heard that the "Prerunner" concept came from the Baha off road races.... IE: the higher lift...bigger tires...longer shocks...etc.
Seems like the 4x2 guys wanted something similar to their big brothers...the 4X4's...

I don't really know for sure...just throwing that out there....!!

 

Toyota started Tacoma Prerunner in 1998 using 4WD version suspension components in 2WD configuration.
2015 they deleted Regular cab Tacomas and 2016 deleted the 5 lug version Tacoma.
That leaves us with Access cab or higher 6 lug Tacoma 2016 and up.

 

I believe 2016+ are all six lugs and all ride on the same height regardless of model differences or engine size. The only suspension differences would be the shocks and possibly spring firmness but height wise should all be the same.

 

^yup

 

ALL 2016 are considered prerunners now.

 

I miss my SI but sure do like the GT replacement

 

Prerunner concept came from the 2WD trucks that are used to scout courses like Baja ahead of the races. They're essentially a 4WD truck without the transfer case, front diff and CV joints, or they're 2WD trucks with 6-lug wheels and the taller suspension of the 4WD models (a little more than just the "4WD cosmetics" IMO since ride height and wheel travel are functional attributes as much as they are for appearance when leaving pavement). Some of the Prerunners were made with TRD packages (Off Road or Sport) and included whatever additional components made sense for the 2WD power train.

My 2010 TRD Off Road PreRunner came with the e-locker on the rear diff and some factory skid plates (engine/oil pan and gas tank).

In the 1st and 2nd generations, there were also 2WD "five-lug" versions which had lower sitting suspension which possibly included different upper/lower control arms in the front end. From what I've heard, but can't confirm definitively, Toyota has discontinued the "5-lug" truck in the 3rd Gen, so now they just have "2WD" and "4WD" in the 2016 model year (all with the same stock suspension/ride height/wheel travel) and the "PreRunner" designation has been dropped since there's no longer another 2WD truck version differentiate from (unless they kept the "X-Runner" around, but that differentiates itself by being a special sub-model anyway).

 

Yeah, it's sort of related to the whole "trophy truck" thing.

Baja off road races are a different sort of animal. The surfaces are usually hard packed and dry so, 4wd isn't really all that necessary, and then especially when it comes to catching insane amounts of air, 4wd becomes a liability.

Suspension travel like this:

tends to be a little bit abusive to CV joints.

Toyota saw a sweet marketing opportunity in there to give people 2wd with the 4wd "look"- and it took off so much that apparently they just axed the idea of lower 2wd trucks altogether for the 3rd gen.

 

Not true... Only the 4x2 models are Prerunners now. The 4X4 models are not Prerunners.

 

Take yer 4x2 down to Dick's Offroad, add a light bar and some aftermarket tires, maybe a shitty block & spacer lift. Throw a few Off Road stickers on there You got yerself a "Pre Runner"!

 

There is no such thing as a "prerunner" for 2016. The prerunner previously was for 4x2 only and was defined to give the same look as the 4x4 without actually being a 4x4.

All 2016 have the same body and height give or take a few cosmetic changes such as fender flares, grille, etc where as the Gen 2 SR was a lower vehicle compared to the prerunners.

 

thanks for the input, because i tried to copy my pops green 11 trd sport dclb just noticed mine white 16 trd sport dclb didnt come badged up with prerunner, any inout on why his 2011 green wasnt an option on the 2016 i like it only because there aint to many