What's needed to off-road in a 2wd SR5

Honestly a higher extending bottle jack is underrated in an off road vehicle.

 

I carry a 14" piece of a 6 X 6 pressure treated wood block put the stock jack on top never had an issue with the bottle neck! Perhaps one day?

 

Believe it or not the people that get stuck are mostly the ones who overestimate their ability or their rig.

As someone else suggested, go with someone who knows the trail and can guide you.

 

There's probably truth to this!

 

Ever heard the expression, "in snow, 4x4 will just get you stuck deeper". I hope to never find out if it's true.

 

That works!

 

Just took a 4x2 sr5 offroad today no problem. Just don't do crazy stuff

 

A couple versions of that I've heard:

4WD just means it's twice as far to hike home.

or

4WD is mostly good for getting you out of the reach of your winch line.


Anyone who thinks that 2WD has no off-road capability might want to look into the origin of the "PreRunner" line. I know that nameplate doesn't exist since Toyota got rid of the "5-lug" 2WD configuration in the 3rd gen (good thing the 1980s pickups that all the indie lawn crews love so much in L.A. will still be running in another 20 years...)

 

Be smart and be prepared if you get stuck. I offroad my 2wd, but mostly to get to cool campsites. Occasionally I go with a group on off-road day trips. Worst is if you're a 2wd with shitty tires and don't have a way to get yourself unstuck, or absolute worse - don't have your own strap to get pulled out by someone else.

I went through this topic over at my site.

https://dirtnsmores.com/overland-2wd-offroad-truck/

 

I was gonna be a smart ass and say you need 4WD. =P

But of course you can wheel in 2WD with some limitations.

I wheel out in the Ocala National Forest, a lot, I mostly stay in 2WD as it more fun. But lately I have found myself needing my 4WD more often than 2WD.

This is the crux and the limitation of a 2WD vehicle off road. If you get stuck in 2WD well..... you're stuck. You don't have an option B (unless you have a winch) which I suspect would get a lot of use. I personally would never wheel alone on sandy or muddy tracks with a 2WD vehicle. My 4WD in 2wd has been stopped cold by a large root on a uphill sandy 2 track. Had I not had 4WD I would have had to reverse a half mile to try and turn around. Turning around on a sandy 2 track in 2WD ugh.

just my 2 cents.

 

I completely agree with you, but I know my 4x4 can go places your pre runner will get stuck. It's just a fact. I know this because I get stuck in 2WD ALOT!.

When I am off-roading I am always in 2WD. Always. Until I need 4WD. If I get stuck in 4WD then it's time for the Maxtrax's or call for help.

I don't think anyone is saying that 2WD vehicles can't have fun off road. Of course they can. Just don't expect them to preform like a 4X4.

 

Get these folks on speed dial then go for it.

 

I like to say my 2.7L 2wd SR5 thinks it’s an OR. But just don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with and you’ll be fine. Learn what your truck is capable of a little more each time you’re out there. Don’t over exert yourself because then you’ll find out real quick what your truck is not capable of.

 

Having some experience with going off-road with a 2wd truck...some good tires, and a winch is a good place to start.

 

Don't get me wrong, I know my 2WD truck has its limits, and there are definitely cases where power to the front wheels is very important (although with enough gear and a strong winch, you could get a RWD vehicle up a lot of those with a lot of work). I'm currently building up a 2008 T4R to be a "trail rig" because there are trails I want to do that I know my Tacoma can't really handle, and if I'm going to have a dedicated vehicle for trails I'd rather do it on a 20" shorter wheel base.

Lots of people over estimate what portion of "4WD Only" trails actually need high clearance and terrain tires, and what portion really need power to both axles, though.

 

That's a great idea. I see too many people build up their daily driver spending a ton on gas only to take the truck out to play every few months. I may end up going the same route you are with a dedicated trail rig eventually. For now I'm still enjoying my Prerunner

 

I can't claim to be smarter than that. My PreRunner is my daily driver for the last 10 years but I have a 2" spring lift, 32" tires and a US Offroad partial front bumper to mount a winch and I used a ding on the factory hitch I got in Moab (in 2016) as an excuse to swap to a high-clearance Trail Gear bumper in the back. I get about 14 mpg around town, but can get close to 20 on road trips. I do live 2 miles from work and usually get 3-4 weeks from a tank of gas (it's possible that part of the low mileage has to do with the fact that I'm usually shutting off the engine right after it warms up properly).

Also, since my trail rig is a AWD with a locking center diff, I don't think I can flat tow it with the Tacoma (besides which, it's the V8 and would be more effective towing my pickup if I were going to take both on a trip). I just finally got off my ass and did the re-fi on my mortgage that I'd been putting off for a few years which gave me the money to both get going on fixing up the place and use a bit for the T4R build.

 

I watched some 2WD trucks try and negotiate a soft sand trap in the Ocala national Forest a few years ago. One was a older model Nissan Frontier the other was a Older Ford Ranger. Both had a moderate lift and AT tires. The Nissan to it's credit almost made it as he took a really good line and took it slow, he was pulled out by the 4WD's.

The Ford Ranger on the other hand went full send and hit a series of sand whoops and bounced so hard it set off his air bags. He bottomed out his front suspension so bad that it destroyed his upper control arms and his shocks smashed through his upper mounting plate. He had to be towed home lol.