I helped a 2WD pickup get unstuck from soft sand this weekend. An empty bed, slick all-season tires, and confusion about what his truck could handle conspired to mire this guy up to his rims in beach sand. I had a collapsible shovel and a set of MaxTrax in my Subaru, and we dug him out and got him on his way. Later that weekend, a friend in a 2WD van but with all-terrain tires and some knowledge of how his van operates in sand parked in the same spot and got out with no drama. With more people hitting the road for camping because of covid, we thought back to this primer on how to get way out there even without 4WD, a perfectly doable scenario, provided you have the right setup and a bit of know-how. -Ed.
“It’s not about the vehicle,” Overland Journal’s Chris Collard told us when asked recently about turning 2WD trucks into overland adventuring rigs. “It’s about the adventure.” He then directed my attention to It’s On the Meter, a blog written by three courageous guys who took a London taxi cab on an around the world expedition that covered some 43,000 miles. Sure enough, that black cab has seen more of this earth than about 95 percent of its residents ever will and it did all of that with only two drive wheels.
Let that cab serve as a great confidence booster for you 2WD truck owners who want to take your rig out into the messy outdoors but are concerned about not having the capabilities of a low-range 4WD. Maybe you found a great deal on a truck that made sacrificing 4WD worth it. Maybe the offroad bug didn’t bite until long after you’d been a 2WD truck owner. Whatever the reason for owning one, 2WD trucks are plenty capable of getting you to some gorgeous places. Just because you have just one differential doesn’t mean you’re limited to pavement and gravel roads.
We called Collard, figuring that if anybody knew how best to outfit a 2WD rig to make it as off-road capable as possible, it’d be the editor of Overland Journal, a publication dedicated to responsible, but still totally hardcore off-road action. Here’s what he says to focus on, if you want to make your 2WD más fuerte.
TIRES
“It’s Probably obvious, but you have to start with the tires,” Collard says. This is your first stop. You want chunky all-terrains that will handle a little bit of whatever you’ll be driving through. He recommends the BF Goodrich KO2s, the updated version of their classic KO all-terrains. We’ve run the Cooper Discoverer AT/3s on our vehicles and highly recommend them for their road manners and incredible grip in the dirt. Collard’s colleague Scott Brady, Overland’s publisher, likes the Coopers too. AJ’s Steve Casimiro went from KO2s to the Coopers to Toyo’s Open Country AT/3s and likes the Toyos best.
AIR COMPRESSOR
“One of the biggest things that affects traction is tire air pressure,” Collard says. “Lots of times you can air down to 5-7 psi to really increase the tread footprint; then you’ll really feel what kind of grip you can actually get out of the back end.” Collard then told me a story about a couple who’d gotten stuck offroading deep in the Australian outback, where they eventually died of exposure. Had they simply aired down their tires, they could have driven out of their predicament. Slap an air compressor on your rig to refill your tires or get a portable one and you can air down whenever you need to put a little more rubber to the dirt.
Ever been to Baja in a built-out 4WD, white-knuckling over a rocky hill only to be met by a rusted out, mid-90s sedan cruising up the other side, a friendly local waving at you, not a care in the world?
RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
“Get a set of Maxtrax,” Collard says (the plastic, studded ramps you put in front of your tires when stuck in the soft stuff.) “Those will get you out of lots of trouble.” He also recommends a kinetic recovery strap so that a buddy, or a total stranger, I guess, can pull you out of a bad situation, provided—and this is key—you know the safe attachment points on each vehicle. Collard also says he’s used a heavy duty come-along as a poor man’s winch back when he was strapped for cash and a winch was an out of reach luxury. An actual winch is of course even better, but that requires a heavy duty bumper too, and at this point, the cost becomes prohibitive enough that simply selling the 2WD and buying a 4WD starts to make better economic sense. Also—never head out into the dirt without a shovel. Don’t waste time on one of those dinky folding models—to move dirt and rocks you’re going to want a D-handled version like this Bond. The cheapest get-me-outta-here insurance you can buy.
LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL/LSD
Spend enough time on offroad discussion forums and you’re sure to read somebody claiming that a 2WD truck with a locker in the rear (a locker binds the real wheels so that they spin together) can do whatever a 4WD truck with open differentials can. Collard wouldn’t go that far, but he was pretty confident that most people could go wherever they’d want with a locking rear diff. “Sand, snow, mud, anywhere you get in a place with one tire losing grip and just spinning, the locker is a huge help.” 2WD Tacomas with the TRD package often have selectable electronic lockers. Many 2WD GM trucks sport the G80 automatic locking rear end. Either is a terrific upgrade over stock open diffs. Installing a locker in a 2WD truck is of course an option, but if you’re not mechanically-inclined enough to do it yourself, you’re staring down the barrel of a multiple-thousand-dollar mod. An ARB air compressor-powered locker will set you back around $2,500, including labor, for example. An awesome bit of trail kit, but again, I’d probably sell my 2WD and buy a 4WD before investing that kind of coin.
Mechanical limited-slip differentials, like Eaton’s Truetrac, are a much cheaper upgrade for a 2WD rig (install + parts run about $1,300 or so) and while they don’t give you quite the grip of a locked rear end, they’ll send plenty of power to the wheel that does have traction if you start to lose grip on a drive wheel.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Once you’ve built out your 2WD rig, take it out somewhere safe to to see what it—and you—can handle. You want a place where a friend can help pull you out of trouble if need be, before you have to figure it out in the backcountry somewhere. A mudded field, a patch of snow in a parking lot, maybe a grassy hill with nothing to slide into. If you haven’t done much offroading, you’ll likely be shocked at what a 2WD truck with ample ground clearance and a good set of tires can handle.
In good weather, as long as you aren’t trying to crawl over sand dunes or boulders, a 2WD truck will get you just about anywhere you’d possibly want to go. Ever been to Baja in a built-out 4WD, white-knuckling over a rocky hill only to be met by a rusted out, mid-90s sedan cruising up the other side, a friendly local waving at you, not a care in the world? It happens, trust us, and it only takes seeing that once to learn that driver skill and good sense are almost—almost—as valuable as 4WD in an overland vehicle.
Just ask the maniacs in that London cab.
Photo courtesy of El Tacorojo
Love this. Reminds me of a claim I heard somewhere of a guy who had a “2WD Vanagon with a Syncro attitude”.
Right, AWD attitude.
I currently have a mature (16 yr-old) Lexus AWD SUV.
Long time since my previous AWD cars. Those were two VW Beetles, spanning 22 years of driving. At heart, those Beetles, were AWD. Just all-season tires, no need for gnarly tires.
I LOVE my 2wd truck for traveling! I have proudly taken my 2wd all over the country in many beautiful and remote places. Cheaper to buy, drive, and maintain too. Thank you!
I’ve driven a 2wd with lsd for the past 25 years. I take it all over the farm and through the woods. I’ve never once been stuck, and I can keep up with any 4wd. Just put enough weight in the back and your good. I don’t go rock crawling, but for 95% of everything else I’m golden.
Hi Nate – mind if I ask what LSD you have? Stock? Aftermarket?
Sounds a bit like the black market kind 😉
Hi- Sharez. I’ve been where only 4×4 can go and had other 4×4 owners scratching their heads as to how I did those challenges better than that them with my Hilux
So i have a 2012 sr5 4runner as my fishing trip overlander what locked rear can i get
You could find the electronically locking rear diff from a junked TRD 4Runner, you could install an ARB locker, or you could try a true trac, a mechanical LSD that costs about $1000 with install and sends power to the wheel with traction if you start spinning the other one.
I went for the cheap route. I run a spartan locker (lunchbox type) in a 99 Tahoe 2wd with bfg muds. Does amazing offroad and isn’t a pain on the street.
My husband turned his 2wd Ranger into our off road vehicle and it’s just as capable as the 4wd we ride with. We usually don’t even tell the group it’s 2wd because then we just have to deal with judgement. We tell them at the end of the trail and enjoy watching the jaws drop.
I live in the mountains at 7000 ft. Its uphill from the valley floor to my driveway. I put a limited slip in my Ram 2wd and most of the time its worthless in the snow.Unless you know how it works, it wont help you a bit. I thought, just gas it, when 1 tire spins the unit locks up and away you go. Not quite. The trick is to apply the e brake and attempt to overcome it with the gas petal. That 2 tire resistance is when the two tires lock up. Now you can watch your truck move out.
LSD is not as reliable as Airlocker.
Damn good article. I agree… Drive what you got and don’t look back until it’s a good time to upgrade to a 4×4. No reason to go into more debt if you have a capable rig that can teach you a lot about driving on dirt with 2wd. I wrote up a similar article over at Dirt ‘N Smores about this every subject. Hope to see you guys on the trails!
Great Article. I have a TRD Sport Prerunner and was actually considering selling it for a 4×4. After reading this, I think I’ll just make my truck into an overlanding machine.
Question from a relative newbie: Would the same rules apply for crossover SUVs with AWD? I’m interested in upgrading my daily driver to an SUV but don’t have the money right now for a new-ish full-size with 4WD. Also, the article mentions “ample ground clearance”; is 8″ running clearance enough for most off-roading?
8 inches is pretty good. That’s probably about the minimum I’d be comfortable with. 2WD vs AWD is totally a matter of preference in terms of the sort of terrain you expect to deal with. A 2WD truck is often burlier than an AWD crossover and could handle more rugged trails, assuming they were dry. Once mud or snow or sand are part of the equation, AWD is much better. The only AWD vehicle I’d consider for anything remotely approaching off-roading would be a Subaru.
Ever drive your 4×4 in 2wd mode until you get stuck, then switch to 4wd to continue? Don’t try that in a 2wd.
While the “modern” 4wd overlanding has turned into a $$$ spend fest (albeit pretty cool), me and friends have been driving 3/4-1 ton full size 2 wheel drive trucks loaded with car topped aluminum boats, coolers, fishing and camping gear into very remote location in Baja for years. Airing down tires and choosing your route does the job 95+% of the time. A shovel, tow strap, and buddy vehicle can take care of those rare times things don’t go so well. You don’t have to have all the latest trendy gadgetry to get out there, just get a map and go.
“You don’t have to have all the latest trendy gadgetry to get out there, just get a map and go.”
and that folks is the best advice ever written
And a compass.
Great article! A good confidence builder (hope I don’t get myself in trouble). I’ve got an old 2wd with ~10” clearance stock, good weight distribution and good tires. It goes most places but I’d really like a low range for steep up / long downs… Are there any low range, ~non-transfer cases that can be added? Could a 4×4 transfer case be used (2002 Chevy Avalanche Z66 Auto) with just a new drive shaft?
This article has great advice. I went from a 2wd rig to a 4wd rig recently. All the comments about how 2wd is better, I never get stuck, etc sounds like the ish I used to spout. Since upgrading to a 4wd, I’ve tackled more trails and taken more chances than I ever would have thought of in my old 2wd. 4wd is superior period. The fact that you might never need the capability (or think you don’t need it) doesn’t make the 2wd as good. My old 2wd was heavily modified, my 4wd is stock. I’d choose 4wd any day. I’m all for cutting costs and going minimal/utilitarian, but human nature is to justify what you have versus admitting what you don’t…a more capable vehicle. You can still do tons, and more than most people really need, in a 2wd. 4wd you can do more.
Fact is, no matter how hard you try to believe 2we is capable, your gut will never ever let you believe it. Just get a used 4×4
A friend of mine is fond of saying you are not stuck if you can go backwards. With this in mind, what you need is a trailer hitch and an electric winch. You can get yourself out of all kinds of trouble this way and it also provides peace of mind to the 2wd off roader. Happy trails.
for a long time i considered to buy a 4wd van such as sportsmobile. talking to owners it turned out they are so heavy that you really need 4wd for the weight sake due to the 4wd equipment (+ bad fuel economy).
on my GMC g20 diesel i installed the biggest wheels/tires possible and a Powertrax (full,automatic) locker. in conjunction with airing down the tires i can go almost anywhere. i did some heavy off-roading in Baja, incl El Coyote to Mike’s Sky Ranch, without having to use my recovery gear (jet wire rope grip puller).
a full locker, big tires, good air compressor and ,just in case, a winch/wire rope grip replaces to a large extent a 4wd.
Driving a car for the first time in decades – 2009 Volvo S60. Four-inch clearance. Had to pick up two AZT hikers at night, 14 miles up Redington, which had not been graded in 2+ years. Due to lack of clearance, had to go off the dirt road a coupla times into a sorta desert meadow before the cattle fence line. I eventually made it to the hikers, crawling in a buncha spots. Had I not four-wheeled for lotsa years, I probably would not have been able to make the drive. But what can I say, I’m great. When I yawn, the whole world yawns with me. Are you yawning yet?
I drive my 2wd ram everywhere. I once drove it to Hawaii. I dont need people to know my magnificence because I live my life for me not the minions
a natural 2wd for overlanding (altho not for cargo capacity) are the old vw beetles. i had a 1971, manual transmission, and it handled loose sand, loose dirt and snow & ice quite well. many of them morphed in to the baja bug vehicles…..i’m currently using the roof rack from the bug as one of many firewood stacks…
Yes, they are great, except for lack of aftermarket overland accessories, an oil sump positioned to be ripped off by a rock, vapor-lock on a >90 degree day, as you said no cargo space and flat out poor power. Maybe during the war when they were the peoples car, but not today. a couple grand will get you something much more capable. I’ve owned many bugs, loved them all, and never thought, yeah, this would be a great camping rig. LOL
Yeah, but THIS one though: https://www.adventure-journal.com/2018/12/this-one-of-a-kind-vw-bug-was-built-for-the-dirt/
That thing is bada$$!!!…note the dollar signs. That kind of proves my point though, the guy had to fab almost everything and mod the motor to death to get a whopping 150 out of it. I love it, but you can take a lot of cars and fab and mod them to do what they were never originally good at. A baja bug is really a fun sand dune and dirt car. My last was a 72 and I loved that Bug. I put a 5 spd Berg in it at one point, but I never fooled myself it was a real drag car. If I was going to start fabbing up parts and tweaking the motor past it’s own real use, I’d start with something else as a platform. I hear a Suburban makes a great bass boat, you just have to mod up a few things to make it float and chop the top off so you can cast a rod. I’ll admit though I’ve been guilty of starting a project and throwing good money after bad in spite of the usefulness of my original plan.
i follow that guy on IG. that VW is awesome! he did some more work/mods on that bug very recently.
My Dad and his hunting buddies would drive all over the hills of Pacific Northwest in 2WD pickups, some even in cars back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Me, I’ll keep my Jeep Wrangler.