Rear diff lock

Get better tires

 

Thank you very much.
The eaton diff might just solve the problem.
I will call them tomorrow as I use a lot of their hydraulic drives.
Didnt know they manufacture differentials that can be used in trucks.

Loading it in the back was the first thing I tried. I used two halves of a heavy railroad tie and it just dug in deeper when it got stuck.
Changed tires twice and it didnt help. '
But granted, I didnt use heavy duty canadian snow tires. Neither should I need that for such little snow as all my other cars have no problem with the exact same snow as I mentioned.

These photos are a recurrent scene of my beetle having to tow out my truck on the same trivial snow or if it rains with slight mud, in e.g. my driveway - sheesh!




The last link shows how it got stuck basically on a cleared driveway. The non-locked wheel was on gravel.
Clearly if I had a difflock there would not have been a problem.
This is annoying and as mentioned all of my other cars use the driveway without any trouble.

How much did the Detroit Truetrac cost you, if I may ask ?

 

OP if I were you I'd install an LSD instead of a locker.

 

Right you are. It sure looks like the way to go.
Easy enough to install too as this video shows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FUee1n3GzI

I will have the beetle towing it out the driveway for the rest of the winter when I need to use it and budget for an Eaton and have it installed before next winter.

Thanks a lot to taco_rhyno for the Eaton suggestion.
My problem as posted is basically solved and I am glad that I can keep this truck as it is reliable as hell.

 

Mine was $1,100/$1,200-ish installed a few years ago.

Looking at your pictures it totally solve your one wheel has no traction and then just spins problem. Good luck.

 

Thanks, that is a very reasonable price for the benefit you get.

 

I've driven my truck in snow lots, (like most of the winter) but very rarely in 2wd, and never in 2wd with the dif locked. So I did a little experiment this morning. I was on a snow packed road in an area I could safely mess around. I have several hundred pounds of gear in the back of my truck so there is some weight to help out.

On a slight uphill I stoped and put it in 2wd. Tried to gently start off. Just spun.

Locked the rear dif, but still in 2wd. Again spun, and didn't go forward, but the rear end did slide sideways.

Unlocked the dif and put it in 4wd. Set off easily. I even backed up and tried setting off somewhat abruptly, sill set off easy with no wheel spin.

Conclusion: these trucks are pretty helpless in the snow in 2wd, even with a dif lock and even with weight in the bed. These trucks are going machines in 4wd! I say don't waste your money on a dif lock or limited slip rear end, instead do a 4wd conversion. Some guys on here have done it, and I get the impression it's not too hard. @BartMaster1234 are you out there?

 

Yeah this is why lockers are not ideal in slick conditions esp snow/ice. I think an LSD would be better because limited slips don't send equal power to both wheels, just partial. Lockers are great for climbing rocks or getting through deep, rutted out portions of trails where tires lift off the ground. For better road traction/manners I would get a limited slip.

But yeah, def 4wd will be better all around

 

I didn't say limited slip wouldn't help, but it would only help a little. 4wd would be night and day difference. Bang for the buck, 4wd conversion would be waaaaay better.

 

Convert your truck to 4WD. It cost me ~$2,000 in parts, basic hand tools, and a few days of my time. It’s 99% bolt on except extending the VSS harness which is 3 wires.

 

i have 0 experience on snow. rednecks have no business on snow or ice period!
before i installed my truetrax, truck would get stuck on wet grass.... wouldn't even think about take'n it off pavement. lotta northerns run TT in their jeeps and trucks. after reading this thread and many others, lockers on snow or ice is a NO NO! TT is seamless don't even know its back there.. best upgrade i did on my truck!

 

Thanks for taking the time to run that experiment and share the details back. I hope the OP is more willing to listen to and entertain a 4wd option. 4wd Tacoma's are a force to be reckoned with in the snow.

 

OP should try a set of studded snow tires.