Deep sand

I have a 2018 sr5 and will be driving in deep soft sand coming up. I've searched hundreds of post and haven't found any about the sr5 specifically. Any help would he greatly appreciated. Should I use 4h or 4l. I will be airing down to about 17 psi. LSD on or off? Trac? Thanks yall.

 

This thread should help you out: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tips-and-must-haves-for-beach-driving.542463/

 

I've just done some deep sand in Utah. I liked 4 Lo, and less is more with the gas. Airing down is smart, make sure you aren't using street tires, as I did find a stuck hyundai and they were not having fun. Bring a proper shovel, and traction boards if you have them.

 

Start at 20psi and give it a whack in 4hi. Prolly gonna do you proper but if not dont spin tires and put in 2lo. Slowly drive straight out. If you are still stuck dont spin tires EVER and start lowering air at 5psi intervals. 10-12psi is the least you should go. I drive washes and beaches 400 miles south into Baja and only needed 2lo once when I got into clam shells full of watery sand at the high tide line. Waves were 10’ away but my wife digging out with a shovel and me deflating simultaneously saved the year on my 2003 Tundra 650 miles south of the border. You have a pump to reinflate, yeah? YMMV

 

Yup I got pump, quick inflators, traction boards and all the straps. I just feel like my truck bogged down in the sand for some reason and I'm thinking it might have been the settings I was using..just trying to avoid this again because I don't want to hold the line up this weekend at the Toyota bash on the beach.lol

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-traction-control-modes-explained.530695/

Generally in 4hi, and especially 4lo, traction control won’t mess with you, but in 2hi you’ll likely want to do the long push on the traction control button to disable the Nannie’s. YMMV, in 4hi. If it’s giving you fits, disable the Nannie’s with the long push.

If you are on low traction surface and your top speed is not going to be over 30mph, there’s no reason not to be in 4lo. Use it or lose it.

Enjoy!

 

Air down (start at 20psi) and 4hi. Thats it. Don't overthink it.

 

Turn off trac with long press. Go to 12 psi. 4hi is fine for traction, but 4lo gets more rpm for the same speed which helps with cooling engine and power steering when driving a long time.

 

It takes a lot more HP to drive thru sand. Give her the gas man.

 

Appreciate all the replies and suggestions. Thank you all

 

But did you go out and drive and try any of the suggestions yet? We all want to hear which advice did you the most good!

 

Momentum is your friend.

Airing down alone helps more than you would think. We took our bone stock T4R Limited with highway tires on the beach a couple weeks ago and a lot was soft sand. Aired down to 20psi and I didn’t have any trouble in 4Hi. Make wide turns so you don’t pop your tire off the bead.

Also, always remember, you got to have mentum before you can have mo’ mentum!

 

Gear and upgrades are nice, but I think experience is the best teacher when it comes to sand. You'll just have to get a feel for it, so don't worry too much about the truck, your SR5 will likely handle it just fine if you do your part.

-If 4L is engaged, then traction control is automatically turned off (at least it is in my manual OR, I can't remember in the SR5, been a few years). Use your best judgment but 4H will usually be fine until you get to a patch that's seriously sketchy.

-Air down, keep the momentum up and you'll stay on the surface.

-If you feel the wheels spin or feel "floaty" don't rev too high or you'll dig in. On the same note, if you get stuck, just get out and dig. You'll probably just high center if you try to power out of the rut.

-Traction boards are expensive but they're worth every penny. I like to carry 2 pairs if possible. They can also double as a shovel if needed. looking for seaweed, branches and garbage to throw under the wheels gets really old, really fast. Trust me.

 

Because there is no significant mechanical difference in any Tacoma model of the same generation with the same driveline.

 

Air down, air down, air down. Don't jack rabbit from a dead stop. Ease off the throttle if the vehicle start bouncing from gaining and losing traction. It breaks stuff FAST. 15 PSI is a good place to start, I ran 10 rear, 12 front for DECADES at Silver lake. Never rolled a bead. [I started back when tubed Armstrong tru tracs were THE tire to use. 5 and 7 PSI. ]

But the most important of all is ''let the OTHER guy go first.''

 

Ty for the response. Greatly appreciated

 

Ok, thanks man appreciate it

 

Air down to 15 and go 4L. These trucks are too weak to do much in the sand in 4H unless it's very course, like a wash. In fine sand like on some beaches and most dunes, you will bog in 4H, even with a manual. Never park facing uphill. I've driven many vehicles in the sand and Tacomas don't shine there due to weight and a lack of power.