How deep in water can a TRD OR safely drive?

I live in an area that floods. And I mean... a lot. At least once or twice a year a creek next to my neighborhood fills up and literally the entire subdivision is under water. In fact, when it gets really bad, most of the town floods. And it happens REALLY fast due to other streams flowing into it. How high can standing water be where the Tacoma can drive through it without damage?

This is a pic of us leaving the subdivision just when it started to fill up. At some point there was no visible grass and the water was in the garages.

 

Rule of thumb is center of the hub. As you get higher the first issue is the rear diff breather. If you extend that next in line can be the 4wd actuator on the transfer case. Not a great solution there. Next up is starter and alternator that you can run into issues with.

 

27 inches max.

I'd drain and fill all the fluids though if I was in deep water for more then a very short time.

 

Center of hub is good rule.

Max is wheel submerged, but you cannot stop, you have to push the water and ford through. If you stop, turn off the engine.

 

What they said.


I use rule of thumb as 1st asking how badly do I really need to go this way right now and 2nd is to not stop in the water if i do go through. Get all the way through then stop if needed. Flowrate and depth can change very quickly to create better or worse conditions.

Having pavement under the water is not so bad as a river crossing with holes and rocks and gravel washing out under tires but you can still get hit by skateboards, logs, or whatever else the water is pushing at you.

 

I remember I got stuck in a river, I was proud of my tacoma and happily pushed the locker button to show off to my buddy.

WUMP!

Dug down harder into the rock bed.

Inertia got me out eventually.

 

Well, Toyota markets the Hilux at this depth. The Tacoma as mentioned, sounds like the center of the hub.

 

Time for a 6” lift

 

I cannot help but laugh when Subaru has pictures of their "heavy-duty off-road" driving on a flat gravelly road or snow, and Toyota gives us these pictures.

 

Paint it pink while you are modding.

 

I've always wanted one of these after watching one of the greatest travel movies ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW1ZcON7kHU

 

I'd move.
Far away.

 

I’m surprised the subdivision hasn’t been condemned. Insurance claims will eventually be denied.

 

If its deep enough to get your socks wet, than it isn't safe.

I do follow the center of hub rule, but I also walk every section that goes over the soles of my shoes. In my teenage years I totalled my first car because a puddle in a grocery store parking lot was hiding a brand new sinkhole. The hole was only about knee deep, but it was enough to relocate the transaxle housing about 8 inches aft.

In my early adult years I lived in Houston, which flooded on the regular. I was replacing wheel bearings annually. Also in those years, I would go wheel on the beach. At every water crossing, I'd stop, get out, and wade it. Then I would pick my line, walk that line back to the truck (if the water was murky I would walk both wheel-tracks), and then I would cross. After a long day and 20 something crossings that gets really tiresome. There was one I rolled up on right at sunset (and I still had a two hour drive remaining to get home), it was wide, but there was a guy in the middle sitting in the water and enjoying the view, and the water was barely getting his butt wet. I was about to say screw it, I'm tired, I'll just roll through, but instead miraculously I stuck to my plan and decided to get out and wade it. I walked to the edge and was scoping out the best point of entry when the guy in the middle called out "Hey, don't do it." I looked up, and noticed in the dying of the light that he wasn't sitting in the channel like what I thought I saw from the driver's seat. He was sitting on the roof of his jeep.


I wonder what stories I would have to tell if I hadn't stopped to check.




Alternatively, I spent 15 minutes walking this crossing and shuffling my feet across the gravel to try to guess how much I was going to dig in. The fiancee was on the hiking bridge waiting to take a super kewl social media video of the crossing. She got impatient, started chasing butterflies, and I got this photo instead. Eh, no regrets.

 

I would definitely recommend looking into extending the Differential Breather. It is a very simple and inexpensive mod. There are several forums on here that show you how to do it. This will prevent water getting into your differentials in the event you get to deep.

 

Agreed. What shit hole is this?

 

Rule of thumb is if the water is up to the center of your wheels (hubs) you are at risk for dunking the rear diff up to the vent. Sure: the front diff and transfer case vents on a Tacoma are mounted in the engine compartment. But if you are running through water up to the bumper and creating a wave/wake, there's a good chance they will take a dip under water. Do you really want to trust a "two-way" $6.00 vent to protect your diffs and transfer case? What is the asking price for a replacement for these three pieces? $1,000 each plus labor? (your insurance company will not cover it: they'll just laugh, hang up the phone, and cancel your policy. ("Mr. Mayhem")

If the water is up to your rockers, you risk the vehicle becoming buoyant and floating away out of control: about 12" for the average vehicle. (And all the electrical connectors under there are taking a swim: water -resistant-, NOT waterproof.)

The whitewater raft ride you always wanted.

 

Rule of thumb. If it's going in your interior, it's too deep....

 

Tell that to the 4WD 24/7 Aussie guys, they open their doors after a crossing to let the fish out haha.