New LC Differentials

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They talk about diff size a little more in this video for the Tacoma, starts at 14:05 mark.
Sheldon Brown claims hybrids get the larger diff (BD24), including the i-force max limited, which is full time 4wd like the LC250.
Why wouldn't the 250 get the larger diff then?
 
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turbo8 said:
They talk about diff size a little more in this video for the Tacoma, starts at 14:05 mark.
Sheldon Brown claims hybrids get the larger diff (BD24), including the i-force max limited, which is full time 4wd like the LC250.
Why wouldn't the 250 get the larger diff then?
Click to expand...


I may have missed it but is he talking about the truck (that frame) or the 4Runner?

I'm curious to see what the full-time 4WD Tacoma will have. I'll see if I have a chance to ask.


It's a miss for the 250 to not get the 8.2" imo. Sheldon and I discussed this at length, he's not on the engineering team for the LC250, he covers the Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia and partially 4Runner, it seems the 4Runner has more Japan engineering influence as it's coming out of Tahara with the LC250 & GX550. He couldn't say why they chose the 8.2" other than it could be production capacity related and/or related to the use of full-time. I need to circle back. He did send me some great info on the 9.5" vs. 9.7", I'll ask if I can share.
 
TWILLY said:
Thanks.
Click to expand...
turbo8 said:
They talk about diff size a little more in this video for the Tacoma, starts at 14:05 mark.
Sheldon Brown claims hybrids get the larger diff (BD24), including the i-force max limited, which is full time 4wd like the LC250.
Why wouldn't the 250 get the larger diff then?
Click to expand...

Interestingly, at the 14 min 20 second mark, it sounds like Sheldon Brown is saying ALL off-road versions (including non-hybrid TRD off-road) get the 9.5” rear diff.
Did I mis-understand that??
 
OGBeno said:
Might be worth watching this video.

This engineer designed the front and rear suspensions and axles for the LC.

Short story: everything they were tasked to do was based on cost/destination regulations/weight savings.

Click to expand...

So the LC Lite got nerfed not for US regulations, but rather probably (EU) regs due to more strict environmental standards there?

The premium fuel requirement and light duty diff seem like we got hosed in the US. Where the 4Runner will get both 87 Octane requirements and the bigger rear diff that’s sold in the same market.

Who would have thought the Land Cruiser would be pegged underneath the 4Runner… WTF Toyota
 
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That's an interesting video. As I understand the translation he said that they took an LC300 and wanted to make it better off-road so they shortened the overhangs, tucked in the corners, and went a bit crazy on weight reduction to drop weight from the LC300 platform. The part where he talks about changing the bolt on one bracket to save a single gram of weight over the LC300 is a bit extreme to me. (if I understand it correctly).

At the end of the day - it's still 5400lbs - the same as a Tahoe. It's super heavy. I'm not sure the effort really moved the needle on weight.
 
It’s all about the up-sell. The bottom tier product (1958) has enough pain points to entice buyers to buy up to a GX 550 OT
“You wanted a cheaper Landcruiser, so we made it …. but you may not like it”
 
McDuff123 said:
Interestingly, at the 14 min 20 second mark, it sounds like Sheldon Brown is saying ALL off-road versions (including non-hybrid TRD off-road) get the 9.5” rear diff.
Did I mis-understand that??
Click to expand...
I think he was saying that they all come with the e-locker, not the larger diff. But he did say that all the hybrids have the larger diff including limited (which is AWD).
 
OSS said:
It’s all about the up-sell. The bottom tier product (1958) has enough pain points to entice buyers to buy up to a GX 550 OT
“You wanted a cheaper Landcruiser, so we made it …. but you may not like it”
Click to expand...

"No! I wanted the decked out LC 300 series, but used, one that's 10 years old, over 150k miles, and I want it at 1/3rd the price of new .... and I want it now!"
 
Zill said:
So the LC Lite got nerfed not for US regulations, but rather probably (EU) regs due to more strict environmental standards there?

The premium fuel requirement and light duty diff seem like we got hosed in the US. Where the 4Runner will get both 87 Octane requirements and the bigger rear diff that’s sold in the same market.

Who would have thought the Land Cruiser would be pegged underneath the 4Runner… WTF Toyota
Click to expand...

Yep. It seems like the 250, a global platform, got neutered for non-US regulation, placing it mechanically beneath 4Runner, a US model. (Edit: To my knowledge the 9.5" diff is only verified in 4Runner prototypes, production unknown.)

What a mess. Just give us the low spec 300.
 
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Jetboy said:
That's an interesting video. As I understand the translation he said that they took an LC300 and wanted to make it better off-road so they shortened the overhangs, tucked in the corners, and went a bit crazy on weight reduction to drop weight from the LC300 platform. The part where he talks about changing the bolt on one bracket to save a single gram of weight over the LC300 is a bit extreme to me. (if I understand it correctly).

At the end of the day - it's still 5400lbs - the same as a Tahoe. It's super heavy. I'm not sure the effort really moved the needle on weight.
Click to expand...
Seems they cut more capacity than weight.
 
TWILLY said:
Seems they cut more capacity than weight.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I think they wasted a lot of effort without much to show for it. I mean - would it have been 6k lbs otherwise?

And - it's the same production line as the 4Runner that gets the 9.5. it wouldn't be a big effort or cost to drop the 9.5 under it instead for the USA market. The suspension tuning is done already fit the 4Runner. It can't be much different.

Maybe instead of cutting running gear they could have just used lithium batteries or a few aluminum panels.
 
aaaand gx550 for the win
 
The Hybrid AWD with 8.2 VS Hybrid RWD with 9.5 makes sense in on road conditions. Off road on steep climb this does not work as most of the weight shift to the rear. I would question the reliability of LC250 rear diff under hard off road use.

They do this kind of s*** on 120 series with V8 becaue they think AWD front diff would help. It's known to blow rear diff off road on this platform. Even 1GR powered are having same issue once they got a lot of miles.
 
Zill said:
Who would have thought the Land Cruiser would be pegged underneath the 4Runner… WTF Toyota
Click to expand...

Not exactly. And by what metric? Off road capability?

Only the 4Runner's TRD Pro, Trailhunter, (TRD Off Road?) trims get the 9.5, right? The ones that have the "OFF ROAD" connotations in their names?

Look at how they're optioned besides "just" a larger diff. Trailhunter gets 33" AT tires, custom off road suspension, it's lifted, bumper lighting, skid plates, sliders, onboard air, it has a snorkel.

Meanwhile, "First Edition" LC gets mud guards, sliders, a labeled skid plate (?), and larger tires, lol. NOTE: the absence of any LC "TRD" trims, which, also, were never offered on a 100, or a 200 (even though "TRD off road" has been around since the 1st gen tacoma). Maybe the broverlander LC trims are coming in future years? Or... maybe their absence is an intentional decision?

So, if your focus is heavy duty off road, (the type that is going to "supposedly" blow the 8.2 to bits), could Toyota be any more direct which model & trim is for you? It's right in front of your face.

Also, model/trim price/feature overlap has always been a thing across automobile manufacturer lineups. Your just not used to it with Land Cruiser, because as an American, the Land Cruiser you are used to for the past 25 years may as well have been a spaceship.

IMO what Toyota has done with LC 250 makes even more sense now - since the announcement of the new 4Runner & its trims offered.
 
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rexington14 said:
Not exactly. And by what metric? Off road capability?

Only the 4Runner's TRD Pro, Trailhunter, (TRD Off Road?) trims get the 9.5, right? The ones that have the "OFF ROAD" connotations in their names?

Look at how they're optioned besides "just" a larger diff. Trailhunter gets 33" AT tires, custom off road suspension, it's lifted, bumper lighting, skid plates, sliders, onboard air, it has a snorkel.

Meanwhile, "First Edition" LC gets mud guards, sliders, a labeled skid plate (?), and larger tires, lol. NOTE: the absence of any LC "TRD" trims, which, also, were never offered on a 100, or a 200 (even though "TRD off road" has been around since the 1st gen tacoma). Maybe the broverlander LC trims are coming in future years? Or... maybe their absence is an intentional decision?

So, if your focus is heavy duty off road, (the type that is going to "supposedly" blow the 8.2 to bits), could Toyota be any more direct which model & trim is for you? It's right in front of your face.

Also, model/trim price/feature overlap has always been a thing across automobile manufacturer lineups. Your just not used to it with Land Cruiser, because as an American, the Land Cruiser you are used to for the past 25 years may as well have been a spaceship.

IMO what Toyota has done with LC 250 makes even more sense now - since the announcement of the new 4Runner & its trims offered.
Click to expand...
You clearly do not know the history of the Land Cruiser being the king of overlanding, but I digress.

What you just said cemented the fact that the Land Cruiser name is being tarnished and may it rest in peace here in the States.

This should have been a return of the FJ Cruiser, not the legendary Land Cruiser. The small inadequate diffs breaking here would be an iconic throwback to the early FJ Cruiser days.
 
Such a brouhaha of outrage has been made about the smaller rear differential — yet nobody has even driven a vehicle that uses it.
For all we know they’ll never break. I think judgement needs to be reserved until we get lots of reports of broken diffs.
 
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