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MitchMan
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Locking Rear Differential?
Is a locking rear differential a necessity for driving or pulling a boat and trailer on sandy beaches in baja?
Does anybody know what years Toyota 4x4s (4 cyl) pickups or 4x4 (4 cyl) Tacomas started having a locking rear differential as a stock feature (if at
all)?
Same question for 6 cyl 4x4s Toyota pickups and Tacomas?
[Edited on 4-14-2010 by MitchMan]
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Neal Johns
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Not stock, my V6 Manual '99 Tacoma had a full electric in the rear with the 4x4 TRD package as does my '93.
Beach sand? Well if one wheel hits a spot with more traction (likely) it will help.
Solution: Become an Aridologist and camp in the interior! 
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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tripledigitken
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Mitch,
I had a 1991 SR5 4 by 4 auto, the locking diff's were not available that year.
Ken
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DonBaja
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IMO having a locked up diff is not the most important thing. Airing down your tires is the most important when driving or towing in the sand. A
regular not locked up 4x4 with the tires aired down to 8 lbs will go places that you wouldn't think possible.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DonBaja
IMO having a locked up diff is not the most important thing. Airing down your tires is the most important when driving or towing in the sand. A
regular not locked up 4x4 with the tires aired down to 8 lbs will go places that you wouldn't think possible. |
This is good advice on Baja beach sand (Cortez side) where the sand is mixed with ground shells and coral... bottomless.
With lockers both front and rear, or traction control (limited slip), you may not need to air down, but on my '01 and '05 Tacomas (with the rear
locker) I had to air down for the beach.
The rear locker only works in low range, and that low torque can bury you very easily.
I found 4WD high range, and 10-15 psi to work great in deep sand.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My '10 Tacoma with TRAC (limited slip all 4 tires) in H4 (and A-TRAC in L4) did not need the tires to be deflated on my first beach run last New Years
at Bahia Santa Maria... It was amazing.
Photos taken by BajaRob in front of his home.
I turned off the TRAC to see how the old 4WD (open differentials) did with tires at 32 psi, and I soon became stuck. By turning the traction control
(A-TRAC) back on, I drove right out without any digging or deflating the tires... a truely amazing feature! 
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Jaybo
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There are also locking differential kits to put in the truck you already own - ARB air lockers are a really nice unit and work great.
http://www.arbusa.com/Products/Air-Lockers/10.aspx
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Maderita
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| Quote: | | Is a locking rear differential a necessity for driving or pulling a boat and trailer on sandy beaches in baja? |
MitchMan,
There are a number of variables which make your question difficult to answer.
I can say that a rear locking differential will increase your truck's advantage, and by a significant amount. Adding another locking diff to the front
will further increase the advantage. That advantage could be a necessity given certain conditions: very soft sand, slow speed, starting from a dead
stop, backing up, going uphill, tight turns, etc.
If you have a light boat and trailer, such as <2,000 lbs, then you should be able to tow over flat beach sand, without a locking diff. Ideally, you
would maintain a speed of 15+ mph and not stop while on soft sand. If you have to stop, try to plan it so that you are pointing slightly downhill,
giving room to get your speed up when restarting. Plan ahead, even if that means getting out and walking to preview the route.
As mentioned, tire pressure is a huge factor. So is tire size and engine power/torque. 8 psi is pushing the envelope for a 4,000 lb. vehicle. Unless
you have beadlock wheels, you risk popping a tire off the bead, and losing all air pressure. That is no fun to deal with in the sand and requires
knowledge, tools and air to fix. 8 psi might also result in "rim cut" damage to the tires as the sidewall collapses and folds on itself.
Some tires bulge/mushroom better than others (desireable). Some tires tend to fold/crease when deflated too much. 10 to 12 psi would be a safer bet.
If stuck, decreasing to 8 psi for a short distance might get you unstuck. Think of that 2 to 4 psi as your last "insurance policy" to get unstuck.
Remember to air down the trailer tires as it will decrease the rolling resistance of the trailer.
Driving technique is as important as the equipment/vehicle.
My preference when driving sand is to be in a lower gear, turning 3,000+ rpm. That's where you have the power and throttle response should you start
to sink into the soft stuff. Along those same lines, I would choose low range, where the torque to the wheels is multiplied. If you start off in a
gear that is too high (manual transmission) and have to downshift, then you will lose momentum rapidly.
Turning your front wheels at slow speed in the sand is like throwing out an anchor. If the tires start to dig in, make sure to straighten out the
front wheels. If starting from a stop, always point the wheels straight ahead.
If forward momentum stops, get off the throttle immediately. So often I see drivers bury the vehicle to the axles, making extraction more difficult.
Unless you have a Jeep club with you, a good rule is to stay above the high tide line. Don't be tempted to drive on the benign looking tidal flats
near San Felipe.
Buenas suerte.
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durrelllrobert
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Locking Rear Differential?
I'm sure that's what my ex-wife had
Bob Durrell
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Barry A.
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Maderita------------All excellent advice, and completely covered, I am thinking. Welcome to the board--------
Barry
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Maderita
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Thanks Barry.
MitchMan,
Another tip: radial tires on your boat trailer will "float" on top of the sand with less rolling resistance than bias ply tires, which tend to dig in.
Chosing a wider tread section will give an advantage too.
Look for a wider size, such as, ST225/75R. The ST designates Special Trailer tire, the 225 is the section width in mm, the 75 is the profile or aspect
ratio (sidewall height to section width), the "R" designates radial ply. Hopefully, you have 14" or 15" diameter wheels on the trailer. You don't want
skinny "pizza cutter" tires for the sand.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Is a locking rear differential a necessity for driving or pulling a boat and trailer on sandy beaches in baja?
|
well, some beaches are better than others. if you don't know how to judge strength/support of beach sediment, then I suggest you do your trailer
launching at beaches where you see others doing launching, and follow examples of others.
you probably don't need lockers on a good beach, if you drive wisely.
if you are going to a poor beach where you are going to push things to limit,... well, you risk getting stuck, so bring an anchor and winch so you can
pull yourself out before next high tide
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Barry A.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Is a locking rear differential a necessity for driving or pulling a boat and trailer on sandy beaches in baja?
|
well, some beaches are better than others. if you don't know how to judge strength/support of beach sediment, then I suggest you do your trailer
launching at beaches where you see others doing launching, and follow examples of others.
you probably don't need lockers on a good beach, if you drive wisely.
if you are going to a poor beach where you are going to push things to limit,... well, you risk getting stuck, so bring an anchor and winch so you can
pull yourself out before next high tide |
--------On all 3 of my 4x4's I always carry a trailer-hitch WARN winch (1 winch works on all 3 vehicles) which you can use both in front and in back
from installed 2" receivers, and also a PULL PAL (anchor-like implement)------these are my insurance policies in case of the obvious-------getting
stuck which happens rather often). This allows me to really get away from "the crowds" and camp in very remote areas and beaches. (or at least it
used to--- I don't go anymore)/
Mr. Goat-------can you explain how you evaluate the "strength/support" characteristics of any given beach? That would be valuable for sure, but I
never could master it. Maybe you can help me??
Barry
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
Mr. Goat-------can you explain how you evaluate the "strength/support" characteristics of any given beach? That would be valuable for sure, but I
never could master it. Maybe you can help me??
Barry |
well, doing geotech/soil engineering for a living taught me
simple layman explanation: learn to see clues about grain size, grain angularity/rounding, cohesion, and water content.
For example, moist fine grain beaches with some amount of cohesion between grains are great for driving on. Driving on saturated sediment often
difficult, can liquify (turn to unsupporting mud) beneath wheels or feet, and driving on really coarse beaches with no cohesion between grains is
difficult (imagine driving thru rounded gravel/cobble beach where even your feet sink and gives your calf a workout).
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Barry A.
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Ah ha--------thanks, Goat. That would explain why the course grain beaches of Baja tend to swallow tires, and the beaches of say, Coronado (fine
grain), are like race-tracks most of the time. I always wondered about that.
Appreciate the explanation.
Barry
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MitchMan
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There has been some really great advice given here. Much appreciated. It does sound like alot of elements and variables are involved in driving over
sand.
To some it up, some of the techniques and utilities for driving on sand are to certainly have a 4x4 vehicle, consider deflating tires down to 12 -15
lbs (lower to 8 lbs with great caution only if absolutely necessary) and have an electric pump to reflate the tires, using radial tires 2 or 3 ply
(use of wider tread is advisabe) and avoiding nobby, heavy treaded all terrain stiff sidewall type tires, employing positraction or limited slip rear
differential can certainly help as can a rear locking differential, adding front locking differential can also be useful, maintaining momentum and a
consistent moderate speed, if stopping on sand, try to stop on a downward grade, carry several 8 ft x 1 ft carpet strips, a shovel, towing straps or
rope, and finally having a trailer hitch winch and a Pull Pal is good insurance.
I intend to do most if not all of these items (accept for the items that may be mutually exclusive).
Last August I took my son on a fishing excursion to fish Ceralvo island in La Paz and we got stuck and lost about a mile away from where we should
have been on very soft sand with my 2.8L V6 S10 4x4 Chevy Blazer. We were there in 95 degree weather from 6 am to about 2pm without air conditioning.
Not fun. Luckily I had good cell phone service. I called everyone I knew and the Los Planes police finally found us and pulled us out with his 4
banger 1985 4x4 Toyota pickup.
I am serious about doing everything necessary in the circumstances to properly deal with driving over sand. My Blazer had a fatal electrical problem
and is being sent to the wrecking yard. I will be buying a Toyota 4 banger 4x4 within the next 30 days a year-model somewhere between 1986 to 1999
and will make sure that it will have front and back lockers.
[Edited on 4-17-2010 by MitchMan]
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David K
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Right... you would only drop to 8 psi if 10 psi didn't work... and the high tide was closing in or you were late for dinner! The rear locker will most
likely NOT be needed or used for the beach... as I mentioned before, it (the stock one) only works in low range... and that may dig you in worse.
I see you are getting advice over on the Tacoma forum, too...
Different beaches, different sand... The Cortez side is much harder to drive than the Pacific... which is almost like pavement once you are across any
soft stuff getting to the tidal zone.
Good luck... and maybe practice your sand driving before pulling a boat over it.
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MitchMan
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Good words, DavidK. Thanks all.
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David K
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Let me know if you need anything else... I would seriously think about the V-6 over the 4 if pulling a boat is a focus of the truck... and of course,
I love the newer, bigger, traction control gizmo'd Tacomas!
My first was a 2001, an extra cab, 2 door 4WD Off Road TRD and it was awesome... no problems... go go go. They got bigger in 2005 when a swapped up,
plus I went from the extra cab to a 4 door double cab that year, so I appreciated the new 4.0 litre, 236 HP engine... swapped to a 2010 nearly
identical to the '05 truck lst December, and have been blown away by the limited slip TRAC system and Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) system that
became available in the 2009 Off Road TRD 4WD Tacoma.
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durrelllrobert
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Last August I took my son on a fishing excursion to fish Ceralvo island in La Paz and we got stuck and lost about a mile away from where we should
have been on very soft sand with my 2.8L V6 S10 4x4 Chevy Blazer. We were there in 95 degree weather from 6 am to about 2pm without air conditioning.
Not fun. Luckily I had good cell phone service. I called everyone I knew and the Los Planes police finally found us and pulled us out with his 4
banger 1985 4x4 Toyota pickup.
[Edited on 4-17-2010 by MitchMan] |
I posted this before but in a real emergency you can use your starter motor to pull you out of sand when you are stuck. Just pull your spark plugs to
eliminate compression(I always carry the wrench), put it in low gear and engage the starter. The large ratio between the starter gear and the teeth on
the fly wheel (about 30 to 1) will pull you out and then you just reinstall the plugs and drive off.
Bob Durrell
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Barry A.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Last August I took my son on a fishing excursion to fish Ceralvo island in La Paz and we got stuck and lost about a mile away from where we should
have been on very soft sand with my 2.8L V6 S10 4x4 Chevy Blazer. We were there in 95 degree weather from 6 am to about 2pm without air conditioning.
Not fun. Luckily I had good cell phone service. I called everyone I knew and the Los Planes police finally found us and pulled us out with his 4
banger 1985 4x4 Toyota pickup.
[Edited on 4-17-2010 by MitchMan] |
I posted this before but in a real emergency you can use your starter motor to pull you out of sand when you are stuck. Just pull your spark plugs to
eliminate compression(I always carry the wrench), put it in low gear and engage the starter. The large ratio between the starter gear and the teeth on
the fly wheel (about 30 to 1) will pull you out and then you just reinstall the plugs and drive off. |
Great idea, but this only works with a stick-shift veh., not an automatic-tranny veh., I believe .
I also use my winch (in the past) for pulling my loaded boat trailer back up the beach from the water to firm land when no other way is feasible.
Barry
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