2017 Off Road rear locker

interesting stuff
I hear ya on the do what feels right on the snow issues. Snow water content, old snow vs new snow all have factors. Ice layer under old snow.....
If a yeti peed in the track....

 

I have only had to use the locker a few times in 10 years, but A-trac often. Actually I engage it about once a month to keep it lubed.

 

That speed is for engaging the locker... to prevent damage or make it go in easier... I find that just barely moving while the steering wheel is turned to one direction works every time. I only need to roll a few feet and am going 1 mph, I would guess. Once the locker is engaged, then the only limit is the low range gearing... Just be mindful that you cannot steer easily when locked.

 

David, have you seen any extra wear on brake pads using A-trac? It might be undetectable. I haven't seen any issue.

 

Your experiences may differ, but for me if I'm going over something that's very steep or hairy, if I'm going straight the locker works way better than the MTS. If I'm doing something that requires sharp turning, the MTS wins.

 

good points!

 

No.
You may recall my Baja trip of October 2017 (TRIP #7), however... I was attempting the road between El Coyote and Mike's Sky Rancho, which no longer is maintained and badly eroded. I was advised at Rancho El Coyote that it was likely not passable. There was a short, steep grade on a granite boulder and I was in L4 (A-TRAC ON). I made it to the top and stopped to get a visual of where to place my tires. When I got back in, released the e-brake, the truck was still braked. I thought maybe the brake pads fused to the rotor. Giving it some gas, the truck moved but a bad noise and scraping sound followed. As it turned out, it was the rear/ left brake that failed and the shoes were loose when the mount broke. Now, what caused that to happen is a guess? Photos of the fail are in that post:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...tín-and-9-000-sierra-san-pedro-mártir.515492/

 

tried the steer all the way to one side to get locker to engage. Went right in. worked great on a wet sandy steep hill with MTS in Mud Sand mode.
thanks

 

For fun, anytime you use the locker, try the same climb with just MTS... Or use just MTS first and save the locker for after (or if the MTS fails to climb). Remember that traction control works differently than lockers so be patient but don't be afraid to heavy pedal to over-ride the throttle regulation.

 

Good ideas. You mean if in MTS you can give lotsa throttle and it will not brake the wheels as much? Also, I assume mud/sand mode is allowing more wheel slip?

 

Perhaps... but I have a 2010 with A-TRAC and can only relate to using it. I hope to go for a test ride in a 3rd Gen Off Road 4x4 to see how MTS works. When I was doing a steep climb in A-TRAC, there was a point where it would not go any further but I felt the truck could (backing down was not something I wanted to do). I stomped heavy on the gas and the truck "woke-up" as if over-riding the throttle (engine output) control and the truck finished the climb. This was recorded and on YouTube... called David K attacks One Tri Hill (or something like that). Let me see if I can find it...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG3KhKR0NJk

 

While with friends, the experienced friend told me to use the locker on a specific obstacle and said to turn the wheel slightly to force the wheels to turn differently so the locker would engage before I started up the obstacle. Otherwise I noticed it to a few seconds going back and forth to make it engage.

 

1) ALWAYS be in the traction setting BEFORE you need it... H4, or L4, or TRACTION CONTROL.
2) ALWAYS have MTS or A-TRAC ON IN LOW RANGE, ALWAYS.
3) The locker is only needed if #2 doesn't work, and that will be nearly never. You 4x4 friends who do not drive 2009 or newer Off Road 4x4 Tacomas will not know what A-TRAC is or does. So, their automatic answer to traction needs is to use a locker. Before my 2010 Tacoma, that is what I did, as well.

 

Well I've had both a 2017 TRD OR AT and now an 18 Pro MT and with the lower rear gears and Atrac the MT is much more tractable. Yesterday I took the Pro into the S Jemez Mtns where I've used the 17 many times. The MT with Atrac was better for me compared to the AT with MTS even though simpler. Just my experience.

 

You must steer side to side, or conversly have one wheel spin for the Elocker to engage. Unless you magically have the two halves of the differential lined up for the lock, this will always be the case and is normal.

The reason guys “testing” the Elocker complain about delayed engagement is they are typically driving straight ahead in a high traction environment.

Guys who need to use the Elocker offroad are in a situation where a wheel is already loosing traction or spinning, so engagement is almost immediate.

The Elocker cannot force one of the wheels to move until alignment is correct, nor do you want it to. It’s just a small electromagnet that engages the locking mechanism. You must do the work with the throttle to get the wheels aligned, which usually involves either a small amount of wheelspin, or driving left/right to force the differential to operate (wheel turning at different speeds).

Driving straight ahead will not allow the Elocker to engage if the locking components are not already aligned, as they stay in the same position in relation to each other (if you understand what I’m getting at).

 

Be in low range, press the button, steer to one direction, roll a few feet, and the rear is locked.
Since it is for emergency use only, you probably don't have the ability for all this other driving, steering, etc.
Just use the A-TRAC as soon as you are in low range and odds are the locker will never be needed.
Do test the locker and play with it as soon as soon as you are off road so you know your Tacoma and how to work it.

 

Good to know! I learned quite a lot from the sticky thread spreadsheet on here about all the extra modes and experimented with how to turn everything on and off safely before we went camping. The locker seemed like a last resort. I had ATRAC on about half the time on the trail which took us about an hour to get to a campsite. Whenever there was lots of loose rock on a steep hill or it looked like I would get a wheel airborne I used ATRAC. Pretty sweet system!

 

I might have went Overkill on finding soft ground to periodically use my locker on when I had some down time. But for the most part now I can get my locker to engage no problem.

And I had A-trac work great for me on a hill in VT on a recent trip. Worked the balls until I accidentally let the wheel snap. Whoops. I got the high five half way up the run though. Haha . After the snap of course.


So not much to add except a personal account. And I too use the s turn method.

Also, had to do a rock stack under a wheel one time because there was no option to weave. Also worked.

 

Again, I will stress to simply turn on A-TRAC when you first use low range... it will (or should) remain on every time you go into L4 after that (unless you push the button again to cancel it). There is 0 reason to not have traction improved in low range. Spinning wheels do no good. Lockers and A-TRAC prevent spinning and make the tires work in pairs to move you.