First off roading experience -

Well, my 2 cents. I have about 2" lift, the wheel/tire size you mentioned, and some skid plates and sliders. For "easy-to-moderate" exploring, it's a good setup. From personal experience, sliders and at least a front skid plate are totally worth the price. I'm not out trying to test myself on technical trails. Mostly I'm just trying to find cool, remote camping spots to drink or fish. Or drink and fish. I've never crunched my bumpers (except occasionally my hitch will hit things on steep departure angles), but my front skid plate and the sliders have taken some good hits for me. The 2" lift doesn't do a lot for clearance, but it really helps for the approach angles

 

Sounds like we are starting a NC club - I will give a shout out to y'all when I'm going - it will be my second attempt - going to take off the steps and I I am thinking some tougher 265/75R16 ATs.

 

These are very easy (rated 1) - not really off roading.
https://www.onxmaps.com/offroad/beginner-offroad-trails-near-me/morehead-city-nc

Yeah - I think MT tires dig into the sand. I air down to 15psi on the beach. I carry a shovel and some cheap traction boards - I have used them helping others more than myself but I wouldn't go on the beach without them.

 

Nice looking forward to it where are you based out of? i have 265/75/16 cooper at3 4s on the truck now only been on for about 8k great tire but switching to a smidge smaller 235/85/16 same height just an 1'' less wide . I have a 2.7 so all the extra power i can try to retain, if youre looking for a good deal let me know will be throwing them on local marketplace after i get them swapped.

 

Hey Gents!

Here’s a shot of my 2022 TRD OR at Uwharrie. Totally agree with swapping out the skid plate. I got a Lonestar TRD knockoff from Amazon and it works great! It totally saves time on oil changes too.

I did scrub a bit in the center on the ditches and turnouts, especially on the exhaust by the transfer case.

Considering a little taller tire or maybe a slight lift. I don’t want to go crazy since I use my truck for work. 33’s max if there’s a way to do it without scrubbing. Like Bill said above.

Wilmington has couple spots to drive on the beach too. Mainly fishing though.

If you don’t mind some company, I’d love to join you at Uwharrie sometime!

 

255/75r17s and sliders are all that’s needed for most wheeling with these trucks imo.

 

Definitely welcome - It looks like we have a handful of folks from NC that are up for some off roading at Uwharrie.

I have the same truck a 2022 TRD OR so I am curious what you ran with Uwharrie. is your truck lifted and what tire size.
I removed the predator steps - I was going to sell them but my wife suggested keeping them and putting them back on if I ever sell the truck - seems like a good idea. I am considering lifting my truck enough to get 33s (but at least 265/75R16s) on it but don't want to get into a lot of modifications (new UCA cutting the cab mount etc.)

Anyway I am ready to go give it another try with my stock truck as soon as there is some nice weather - this Sat looks like rain again but if the following Sat looks good I'm in for meeting up at the Eldorado (0900, 1000 whatever works best for everyone) and going out as a group. Since I only really have beach experience I would appreciate going on the trail with some experience off roaders.

 

Or 255/80/17

 

I did pretty much every trail without a “D” in it.
So no Daniel, Dutch John, Dickie Bell, etc.
I picked my lines really carefully and didn’t do anything very aggressive. I’ve got a good bit of experience off-roading, but that is in my old Scout which I don’t mind dinging up. I’m a lot more cautious in my new Tacoma, which is understandable.

No lift, 265/70/R16. No sliders. Just the TRD knockoff Lonestar Skid Plate.

 

OK good - I need to follow you down the trails - let me know when you plan to go again and I will do the same - there are a few other NC people on here that want to link up as well - so we can let them know too. But we basically have the same truck so that is good to know that I should be OK. The only concern for me is lack of experience other than on the beach which really isn't the same kind of off roading.

One other question: what psi do you air down to? I did 15psi because that's what I do for the beach but maybe that is too low.

 

20psi. It was a decently dry day and I took it slow. I’ll hit you up next time I’m heading that way!

 

My 2cents. In collage, my broke ass lifted a 4Runner and almost rolled the thing. Left a mark in my mind. Also, I like seen places and not “hardcore” wheeling.

I wheel my 2020 OR DCLB taco with stock height and stock wheels until I have issues. I like being low, to mitigate rollover potential. Make sure you are cognizant of your belly pans, unsiderside components, and tires. I inspect them after each wheeling event.

After second wheeling trip in the taco, I was convinced I needed to upgrade skid plate. When I took it off, it was a joke. Bent the stock skid plate in half with my hands. Thing was dented to shit and back, and probably should have been upgraded sooner.



At around 35k, the tires started loosing pieces of lugs towards the center of the tire and decided it was time. Upgraded to 265/85-16 general grabbers.

If you are learning to wheel, wheel stock and add armor. Maybe I’m getting old, but it will keep you out of trouble and force you to learn better lines. As others have said, better lines will take you almost as far as a lift.

 

In 2007 with 265/75-16 tires, no lift, no problem (using the rear locker here on the Widowmaker in Baja): https://vivabaja.com/msm/




My previous Tacoma ('01 Off Road 4x4) also did in stock mode... https://vivabaja.com/p403/



My current ('10) Tacoma also drove it using A-TRAC instead of the locker, and with the stock 265/70-16 tires (when I went to Mission Santa María, when my truck was just 5 months old): https://vivabaja.com/msm2010/


Fellow Tacoma World member, HB Murphy joined our group, May 2010. See my back bumper? Yep, poor departure angle and bad selection of where to drive down a very steep pitch had the bumper hang up on the ledge and it got pulled away from the body!

As for tire pressure, those trips were all at 32 psi and no issues but since then, I have learned that 20 psi is a smarter pressure off pavement and will resist sharp rock tire punctures. On the deep sand beaches of Baja, 15 psi is the typical go to pressure but 3-ply sidewall tires need to be dropped to 10 psi to float. My current tires are the excellent Hankook Dynapro ATM and they float on sand at 18 psi.



Good luck with your discoveries and thanks for asking for advice... it is good to hear what works for others!
David www.vivabaja.com

 

On the spur of the moment I headed out to Uwharrie today for my second time and did the Wolf Den trail. I was just itching to go and Saturday is supposed be 68% chance of rain.

Taking off the Predator steps made all the difference - it seems so obvious now but I suppose that's part of being new and maybe not being the sharpest knife in the drawer. I put her in 4Lo and stayed in 2 and she did it just fine. I did notice hearing barely audible what sounded like scraping but could not be sure if it was branches or actual scraping the humps (upon inspection I could not see anything scraping underneath the truck) - but nothing like the grinding I felt with the steps. When I got back there was a guy with a Tundra who was 4 wheeling with a buddy on those little OVH 4 wheelers who suggested a 3" lift and 33s. I think I will look into going that route. I have gotten several recommendations as to what is most important:
Rock Sliders
265/75R16
Lift 2" or 3" and 33s
Skid Plates
High-Lift jack points (see Rock Sliders)
Even Front Locker

I would love to do it all to include front and rear bumpers but I'm not made of $$$ so it would take quite a while before I could get all that done.

 

Just a heads up to those near the Uwharrie - I am heading out this Saturday 3 June to give the Wolf Den another shot. Plan to be at the Eldorado Outpost at 1000 just in case anyone shows up and would like to join in the fun - I'm an old guy with a black Taco with the X-trek grill in by avatar.

 

Based in Wilmington and am out at Fort Fisher regularly - it really all depends on the day, if it is really hot and dry it is a mess out there as the sand turns to silt. I can happily say I've never been stuck though on aired-down 33s, honestly just think the Taco is generally light enough to float on the sand.

Here for a Uwharrie trip - I believe it is about 3 hours but have been itching to get back out there and do some camping/4 wheeling. Happy to see some eastern NC activity on here - that thread has been pretty dead.

 

Most important thing for any truck is the driver. Wise to start at a place you’re comfortable and build your rig as you see fit. I started replacing bumpers and skids when they got beat to hell, and there was always something that kept limiting me. Needed a locker to get over gaps where I’d get an opposite front and rear tire off the ground and still find myself wishing for a front locker, needed a winch when it was too late lol. When going out alone, just make sure you do your research and remember trail conditions change all the time- after the snow melts or the washes shift in sandy canyons or rocks/trees come down in storms

 

I have the Body Armor rock sliders on - had some help getting those on. Installed the LFD Off Road front (steel) skid plate myself - that was actually pretty easy. I spent more time (two days) prepping, priming and painting it when I guess just cleaning it and a few coats of rattle can would do . . Oh well it looks nice. Went with 265/75R16 KO2s (yeah I know . . . you either love em or you hate em).

I have been hitting Uhwarrie a couple of times a month so far. When I learn how to edit video I will post a short video. I borrowed a GoPro but mounted to to low or too high so half the dash and hood make up half the frame. My grand-daughter went with me this week and her iPhone videos are much better so maybe I can edit one of those.

The one thing that caught my attention was looking at a ground level shot that she took of the truck coming up over a hump was how the rear diff is really low hanging fruit so to speak. I was thinking my next protection piece would be a trans skid plate but it looks to me the rear diff really should be next.

Oh . . . and the shackle hanging off the hitch receiver shackle mount - yeah, that's inside the truck with the other recovery stuff. The flopping and banging was just annoying.

 

Good choice! It bangs up the shackles and makes them more prone to damage anyways. They're an important recovery tool and should be treated as such.

 

Yeah, driving around with shackles on looks cool to some, but they bang around and make noise or can just fall off. Better to keep them safe in your recovery gear so they are there when you need them.

And KO2s are good tires. Good choice, ignore the haters. Mine have been great, have stayed balanced, wear evenly, and deal with varied terrain very well.

The rear diff is always something to think about when choosing a line through rocks. Not much you can do to raise it other than taller tires, which opens up a whole additional level of mods to accommodate. Just go slow and adjust your line if needed and you will be fine.