Does traction control have a use offroad?

Hey, I'm not trying to troll here, I promise, but I do suspect I'm kicking a hornet's nest. My bad.

So here's my question: Have any of you ever been cruising along in 4Lo without aids, got to a point where you couldn't progress, just tires spinning, engaged multi terrain select and been able to make headway?

Here's my situation. I'm an offroad newb. This is my 4th pickup, all half-tons before this, and my first with any driving aids. I'm on vacation in Truckee (Just north of Tahoe), cruising down a forest road (so says my GPS, I'm just aiming for the big gaps in the trees) just after a 12" powder dump, I'm in 4Lo, making fresh tracks, having a great time and loving my highly capable truck. The state map says the forest road comes to an out-and-back end, but google maps clearly shows the road continuing past the forest boundary and meeting up with a normal residential street. So. When I come to a steep descent, I think about it (really, I do), but then decide to gamble and hope that google isn't lying about the outlet. I make the descent, wind through the forest some more and then, of course, I come across no trespassing signs.

Well, I'm a good tread-light steward (plenty of dirtbiking in my history, I know it's better to play nice if we want to keep our access), so I decide I'll respect the signs and try to get back the way I came. I start to reverse (no room to 8 point it, plus I figure I want my weighted wheels downhill anyway) and, just to avoid digging myself in I engage MTS mud/sand as I hit the incline. And thus begins my 90 minutes of shoveling snow, digging in traction boards, applying (and breaking) chains, and flipping every switch from lockers to crawl control to every level of MTS on the dial. Every now and then I break through, gain about 20 feet and then lose momentum and begin the quest for traction anew.

So. Eventually, it's starting to get dark, I've got a family back at the cabin to get to, and I'm effing over it. I start making peace with dealing with the property owner, and just for fun I decide to turn off all the aids for one last shot. Still in 4Lo, I turn all the nannies off, and the truck just walks up the hill, barely a wheel-slip in sight.

You can imagine how I felt.

I get to the top, 8 point myself around, put it in 4Hi and gun it home, having the time of my life sliding around in the forest, wishing I'd never heard of traction control.

That's my story. It's specific to snow and it's only one experience, so I'd love to hear some other experiences. Is traction control a joke?

Discuss.

 

Just like anything else, (think ABS, VSC, PS, etc), it depends on the situation. Sometimes it helps. Other times, not. Just chalk it up to lesson learned and use it to your advantage next time.

 

I hate traction control off road. It has gotten me stuck so may times going up hills in loose terrain. It kicks in when you start to slip and then you loose all momentum. I keep it off at all times when off road.

 

I tried climbing a slippery muddy hill this weekend at my cabin and my truck was having none of it. No CC mode, MTS, locked diff anything was getting me up the hill. But, I think at a certain point "Fuck this shit" takes over and much like when a mother lifts a car of her newborn, crazy trail magic can happen as in your case. In my case I slid down the hill off the trail, half in the ditch, 6" from a tree on my passenger side, and about 2' from a 6' drop into a creek. I also flat out backed over a 15' tall tree about 3" in diameter. Your magic was you made it, my magic was I didn't roll my truck into a creek killing myself or my son. Both success stories IMO.
Next time, just give it hell from the start I guess.

 

Well that’s kinda what this thread is about I guess: I’m looking for stories about when it’s helped and when I can use it to my advantage

I hear ya, Lt. glad you made it through

 

You did it backwards. Seriously.
Start in 4HI nothing pushed. If you can't go, try 4LO. Again, nothing pushed. If you can't go, start with the MTS. You need to understand it before you use it though.

Always try to keep an arrow in your quiver so to speak.

 

I was just up there this weekend. Nice fresh powder. I think it all depends on the situation, but I had mind turned off while plowing through the snow

 

Glad this wasn’t another death by GPS story, it seemed to be starting out that way.

 

You didn't mention tire pressure. Letting air out of the tires will almost always have significantly more effect than traction control, MTS and friends.

 

Ha, yeah, well I can see that now. In my defense, I'd exhausted 4HI on some earlier, similar terrain, felt pretty confident that wasn't going to do the trick. But clearly my desire to avoid digging ruts by skipping to MTS was my downfall. A learning experience to be sure. 'Understand it before you use it' is exactly what this thread is about for me though, hoping to hear from some folks who went down the process you're describing and met success at the MTS stage, so I can learn where it is and isn't helpful.

No kidding. I don't know how literally to take your phrase, but I hear you. I'd looked it up on two maps and I was fully prepared to hike out, but yeah, all things considered, I was fortunate that all ended well.

You're right, I didn't mention, but I was down 12 PSI all around. An excellent point.

 

I think Mark Twain probably summed it up best when he said, "“Good judgment is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgment.”

If you live through the learning process you'll be good at it one of these days. My first 4 wheel drive was a really old Dodge Power Wagon pickup. It had straight axels, a power take off wench, no power steering, no power brakes, no radio; actually the list of what it didn't have would be very long. But me and that old truck could go just about anywhere.

It did have a button on the floorboard to switch between high and low beams. I've always missed those floor board switches on old vehicles. Maybe MesoJdm could help me figure out something really cool to put on a floorboard switch.

Anyway, you just have to learn what the truck will do, and won't do. Sometimes when you've lost 90% of your traction the remaining 10%, and a lot of spinning and slinging and swerving will get you through. Sometimes it will just bury you deeper.

I've been amazed how well all the gadgets work in the right circumstances. It makes me feel like I'm cheating. Just get out there and get some experience. Try to give yourself a little leeway when learning and don't bet the bank on your judgment until you get some experience under your belt. You should know how you're going to get through the obstacle before you start and be able to switch modes on the fly without thinking because it's never like you thought it was going to be.

Have fun and remember, If you're gonna be stupid you gotta be tough.

 

" Still in 4Lo, I turn all the nannies off". I thought the TRD in 4Lo defaults to open differentials, and no traction control either, am I wrong?

 

I'd avoid excessive wheel spin with these trucks if you are in a situation where you're stuck...wheel spin + sudden traction can make your differential and/or CVs go boom. I'm sure older solid axle rigs can handle it better, but spinning the tires hoping they'll grab something is a big gamble. If I start to spin the tires I immediately let off the gas, hold the brake (maybe roll backward a bit) and re-evaluate my approach.

 

I believe you are correct. I had turned them on as I approached what I thought would be a grade i’d need them on.

 

Well noted, solid advice