Hop, Skip, & a Jump

While running my Taco in areas where it starts to slip and slide (deep snow/ mud etc), the truck will start jumping/hopping. Whereas other vehicles I have had (Sequoia gen 1, Taco gen 2 & 2018 TRD Pro) have not.

To be more precise. Wheels start sliding in deep snow, I accelerate and at a certain point the truck starts jumping so much that if I were to continue it feels I could damage the drivetrain. So I stop. Reversing and going forward, it continues to jump and skip. This happens in 4X4 high and low. This behavior prevents me from getting the truck moving again under its own power. I stop the truck and use the winch.

I travel to Michigan U.P., for years the Sequoia (stock with AT's) would make it back to camp this time of year only occasionally using the winch. But the Taco is constantly needing the winch and I feel if it would stop the jumping it could free itself and not need the winch.

Is this normal because it is a light truck? Is there something I can do to stop the jumping?

My truck is stock SR dbl cab 4X4 with Hankook Dynapro AT2.

 

Can you turn traction control off? I ask cause I'm not sure on the SR model.

 

What kind of traction settings are you using? Only difference between the TRD Pro and the SR are the suspension and the brake boosting/traction systems. Could be either of those. Maybe the TRD Pro suspension keeps the axles more under control.

 

washboard effect? Pretty normal with no weight in the back and the sweet leaf springs that you didn't have on your Sequoia. Shocked you didn't have it with your other tacomas. Mine all do it.

 

I have not experienced this condition with my truck. Try turning off traction control. The system might be cutting power and making brake applications to reduce wheel slip.

Edit: Just noticed you mentioned it does it in 4lo, the traction control shuts off in 4lo. Try airing down the tires for more traction.

 

Yes, the traction control can be turned off.

I was using all the different settings and the truck behaves the same.

Thank you! I am glad it is not just my truck. I had the other Tacoma's in AK. And only for short stints. The part of AK I lived in the snow falls very fine and generally packed itself, the terrain was mostly flat, put a lot of miles on the frozen river roads. I do not recall having to drive the AK Taco's thru 12 inches of fluffy snow. The Sequoia I had in MI.

Thank you all for the responses.

 

Describe your process for turning it off.

 

Lt, Describe turning off traction control? There is a button to the right of the visor that has a small pic of a car & underneath that car are squiggly lines. I press the button until the dash light comes on that says "Track off (or something similar)."

 

Try holding the button down while stopped for about 10 seconds. Simply pressing it doesn't actually turn it off. This catches everyone off guard.

 

Will do. Thank you!

 

Looks like page 320 of your manual describes it better. Hold for 3 seconds while stopped turns it off.

https://ownersman.com/manuals/2018-Toyota-Tacoma-owners-manual

 

It's spring wrap. You have leaf springs in the tacoma as opposed to the coils in the sequoia. When under extreme torque the leaves twist rotationally until the wheel slips and unloads... then the process repeats. It's annoying.
I addressed it on an older pickup with lift springs from Alcan...I think the spring packs had 9 leaves and they really resisted that torsion wrap. They rode really nice too.