Confused about the locking rear diff and crawl

So I took my truck off-road yesterday for first time since I had my mods done (icon stage 3 lift, 285x70x17 BF Goodrich M/T. I got stuck and had to get towed out.... (Very embarrassing cause my buddy with a Ram 1500 got thru)

So when I got stuck I put the truck in 4 low and locked the rear diff. The back tires spun together. Then I put it in crawl mode and tried low thru high and the front driver and rear would spin but the front passenger would not (had that spun I might have been able to get out). Shouldn't all wheels spin together when in crawl mode? I ended up getting my frame on the ground is why I had to get towed out.

So I have seen things on lockers. Do I need a front locker if it has crawl mode? Or is crawl mode bullshit? I am considering now doing a winch bumper and adding a 12k winch so I can get out without having to wait hours for a tow. I was so deep and a sticky kind of mud that two trucks pulling couldn't get me out and I had to have the tow with a 20,000lb winch pull me and he had to push the bed on to the ground cause it was moving his truck.

What did I do wrong here or was it just to much mud? Sorry still a noobie and I searched a couple different ways and could not find my answer so if this is a double post I apologize in advance.

Pictures are to show how deep it was but if you look the driver side wasn't as deep. so I thought if they all spun together it should have came out?

 

I don't think you did anything wrong it just looks like you took to some terrain that your truck isn't suited to dealing with. That mud looks like you need super swamper tires lol.

 

You don’t need a Tacoma, you need an airboat...

 

I'd have been in 4wd BEFORE hitting that shit. lol

Poor Tacoma.

 

Once you're up to your axle and definitely by the time you hit frame, game over. You'll be supporting enough weight that you're not getting enough traction to get out with the mud suck. Only solo chance here is some Maxtrax or other devices to get you enough traction to get moving but in that mess, it will only move you the 42" length of the board before you get stuck again.

 

Use 4WD before you need it, not after. You also should read up and watch some videos on how the systems work. You shouldn’t be trying to learn how things work when you’re already stuck.

Slapping a winch is a dangerous bandaid fix that isn’t going to solve the problem of inexperience. Winches are a lot more dangerous than people seem to think and requires a lot of knowledge to properly use.

Learning when to turn around or find a different route instead of blunder through stuff you could get stuck in is a lot more valuable than a winch.

 

Whoa....why, just why?....Lol

 

No amount of technology is going to defy physics. As mentioned, if stuck up to frame, you've lost your traction, increased massive amounts of friction, and most likely don't have the tires to paddle that kind of mud.

 

Speed is your friend in that stuff. Slower u go, the faster you'll sink.

 

I was in 4H when I was driving around this community then that is when I got stuck. I didn't look that deep at first then I sank.

Thank you for the advice on the winch. I have watched all the videos but was curious why the front passenger wheel didn't spin before I was that deep.

 

Another word of advice when it comes to mud/water: check it before driving through it. Grab a stick and see how far down you can push it or something. As you’ve found out some stuff can be really deceptive on how deep they really are.

It also helps to play around with them after watching the videos to physically experience how they work.

 

IN regard to your question, does this generation of Tacoma have a front locker? If not, then I do not think all 4 of your wheels will be turning. With the rear locker, you'll have three turning. I won't address the issues of the mud, tires and winch, but they do call a winch, a fifth wheel. But, one of the postings earlier mentioned that you should know how to use one and the dangers that are inherent with a winch...especially if used improperly!
Finally, there is a mantra that is rigorously adhered to in the SCUBA diving world. It states that you never go diving alone. Make that your motto as well in regard to wheeling. Many go out alone and many get stuck by themselves. Don't be one of those!

 

Your buddy with the Ram might have hit it a little faster and maybe some to the left and that's why he made it .

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Much appreciated!

 

Maybe just maybe if you used MTS ( multi terrain select ) . It’s like having front locker . Transfers power to wheel with traction .

 

I believe it was Clint Eastwood who said
"a man's got to know his limitations!"
I do believe you found them

 

where in NC you at?