Do I understand 4x4 wrong?

2wd going, going... stuck
4wd going, going, going, going... stuck much worse !

 

Just enjoy the Tacoma 4x4 and let the ALSD sensors do their thang

 

Be like…

 

I wonder what kind of situation the OP plans on getting himself into where all of this in depth knowledge of 4WD is going to save his ass?

 

If he is making torque calculations while the truck is sliding sideways off the muddy trail down the 100 ft hill ... well ...

 

Will not end well for the OP

 

You need to *know* how to handle situations, shifting into or out of rear lock, 4Lo, when to give it gas and when to let it roll slowly. If one must stop and make calculations you will eventually need to be pulled-out or full-on-rescuced,

 

If you don't eventually need to recover or right yourself you're not pushing yourself and your equipment hard enough. ZERO shame in needing to be winched or recovered.

And if you're at that level of fun, it's a great idea to fundamentally understand the systems you're using, pushing, troubleshooting, repairing, modifying, replacing, and upgrading.

To each his own. We all should remember that once in a while.

 

Literal tears

 

It was once described to me as "4x4 enables you to go just beyond the reach of a tow truck."

 

https://youtu.be/ZN6xHc7Nz-E?si=v3oQsUdVjis9ULsh

 

This right here is the easiest, best way to describe it in its most basic form.

To get a true 4 wheel drive with equal power spread to all 4 wheels at the same time regardless of traction/ feedback form the terrain requires both front & rear lockers and a locking center diff.

Seems like most of the argument is centered around open diffs. How I understand open diffs -- power coming into the diff is constant (whatever you apply), meaning out the back of the trans into the rear diff or out the front of the transfer case to the front axle. Where it fluctuates is in the delivery of the power based on the feedback from the terrain. More of the supplied power will always flow down the easiest path, ie no traction, wheel in the air. So the open diff will freely allow the power to flow on its own. As we all know, it's perfectly fine on road, terrible off road. Lockers spread the flow evenly at the diff. how I see it, it's not a 50/50 split. It's 100/100 minus some parasitic loss.