Which Diff is Best for Soft Sand?

Which rear differential is best for off roading on soft sand? LSD or Lockers?

I just bought a used 1998 2.7L 4x4, reg cab, dark red, 129,000 miles, for $5,900. I am thinking of putting either an LSD or Locker on the rear, maybe on the front, too, depends on what I learn from this thread. Also, I have 265/75/R15 on there right now. Seems a bit too big for the truck.

 

My guess would be lockers.

 

locker ftw....

 

Keeping your speed up FTW!

No but really, I would also think a locker would be best combined with low air pressure in the tires.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a locker better for most all offroad conditions and LSD is better for street? My locker works wonders offroad, can't see an LSD being nearly as useful and vice versa for on road a locker is stupid.

 

Yep, pretty much

 

An LSD is better than an open diff.

I've never wheeled in sand, but I would tend to think.....a locker will get you into trouble (while in sand) - like, digging yourself deeper and deeper into the sand if you come to a stop or slow down.

 

Neh. I'm not saying that's impossible because once you're stuck, you're stuck. Either way your going to bury yourself down to your axle and stop. However, more traction will never get you more stuck. The locker will help you not start digging in the first place.

Yes, a LSD is definitely better than an open diff in all situations where one needs traction to get started though. The only place LSD is better than a locker is on wet/snowy/icy roads. However, if you're the owner of a selectable locker, which most of us are, unless you're a fool, you'd never have your locker engaged on these roads. You'd have it set to open which works just as good a LSD on icy roads (Once you're moving anyway).

 

Maybe its because I'm used to using lockers on the rocks & hard packed dirt in situations where you can't get the job done with the 4WD and open diff.

But its hard for me to imagine having 'traction' on a movable surface (such as sand).

LSD is a 'best of both worlds' for those who daily drive their vehicles in snow/ice AND want to offroad moderately. But for sand? Is a locker truely that beneficial?

 

I was thinking the same thing. For hard packed surface the locker will be the best. But for thick soft sand, it seems like it might dig a little. But I have never used a locker so I cant say. Just seems like it would. But keeping your speed up I would say will get you through the most (in sand).

 

If there was no 'traction' on this movable surface, nobody would be able to drive on it at all, yet many, including myself, drive successfully in sand on a regular basis. More tires pushing is always better when accelerating from a stopped position.

 

i have run lsd front and rear in sand.. open diffs frt. rear. in sand. and full locker frt. rear in sand. and most of the varivbles. the only combination that i have run and never been stuck in sand was locked front and rear. my personal choice in sand is lsd front and rear though. but that just dont suit me for the rest of my offroad use. besides once you go locker you dont go back. but being locked up from a standstill tends to dig more than open or lsd in sugar sand imho.

 

On new Tacomas, soft sand is best crossed in H4 with TRAC (LSD front and rear) or on pre-'09 Tacomas (with normal open differentials or LSD) by deflating the tries to 15 psi or less.

The rear locker only works in L4, and low range will bury you in soft sand unless you deflate your tires... just too much torque, and the trick is to float on the sand without digging in.