2016 TRD Off-Road

Incorrect explanation of ATRAC. ATRAC does not power the wheel and it certainly does not make it a all-wheel drive.

 

Well even if that's true then ATRAC would no longer be able to be used over 5mph then. The crawl control will supposedly drive the truck for you going between 1 - 5mph, so you only have to steer. If you hit the throttle or brake it will kick off crawl control automatically and then kick back on automatically when you leave off the gas or throttle again.

So basically even if it is included and hidden, we can't use ATRAC and control the throttle/braking ourselves at the same time anymore. If it even is still included.

Wouldn't be surprised if Toyota didn't have time to fully integrate it into the new computer system with the other new features, so put all the hardware on and will re-introduce the button in a 2020 revision or some crap like that. Hopefully that's not true, can only speculate at this point though as no definitive answers seem to be out there.

 

I think you are incorrect; ATRAC uses the hydraulic brake boosters to somehow turn the wheels (Not sure how this works). It is not all wheel drive, but if the front tire with power starts spinning it will brake that tire and turn the opposite tire.

David K does a pretty good job at explaining it in this thread:

www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/212057-09-tacoma-drive-modes-traction-controls-trac-auto-lsd-trac-rear-locker.html

"A-TRAC in L4 is a system that equalizes torque across the front and rear axles to keep the truck moving over severe off road surfaces or lack of surface (with only one tire of four on solid ground, A-TRAC can move the vehicle). Some slipping occurs to allow steering and adjust to the surface traction needs."

 

Well that is kind of making sense to me now. It seems the way you explain how ATRAC turns the other wheel by using the open diff, that it is included/integrated.

Doesn't seem like an improvment over having the separate button though. Now you can't use it over 5mph or control the throttle with it on. I'd prefer to have the button like we do now and like 4Runners have. Gives the driver more control.

 

LAWLS NO.


A-TRAC is simply ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL... hence its name. It provides an increased level of traction control through braking thanks to the electric boosted master cylinder.

It does not power the wheels what so ever.

It simply senses when one wheel slips and applies break pressure to the slipping wheel to "equalize torque" across the axle. If you know how an open differential works when you stop or slow one tire you can easily picture this.

Think of atrac as the autolsd function but much more active and stronger

 

Like I said ATRAC does not power the wheel, yes it uses hydralic booster but ATRAC merly fools the differential. THE BRAKE BOOSTER DOES NOT POWER THE WHEELS! Thats why i said your explanation is incorrect.
Have you ever been stuck in a old school truck? I have and I used the brake and gas at the same time to fool the open diff into sending power to the other wheel with traction except ATRAC does it 1000X faster then any human can.
Your using the word "somehow" which tells me you dont know how the system works but it just magically sends power to the wheel with traction. Please explain to me how a hydraulic brake booster is connected to the driveshaft sending power to the wheel???

 

I'm not sure if I was Toyota I'd hide ATRAC under the crawl settings. The most likely place to hide it is in the Multi-Terrain-Select. On the 4runner MTS has a "loose rock" setting for 4Lo which is exactly where you'd like to have ATRAC on typically.

Again, all rank speculation at this point, but they already have all the actuators installed that they need to implement 2nd gen ATRAC on the 3rd gen. ATRAC isn't magic, it is just using brakes to send power to the opposite wheel. I can completely understand they might implement either ATRAC, or something very like ATRAC, into any one or many of their "terrain select" modes.

I very much doubt the *function* of ATRAC has disappeared. Wouldn't be surprised at all if the direct *control* of ATRAC has disappeared.

DAC is gone, its functionality is folded into Crawl. If ATRAC is going its functionality is likely folded in someplace else.

Presumably sometime between now and June someone will talk to a Toyota rep who can explain it.

 

I understand now, thanks for the explanation

So it sounds like it is included, but we just can't control the throttle while using it anymore. Isn't that kind of a step backwards?

 

That grille

Might as well get rid of the bumper altogether and make it one big ugly fucking grille!!!!

Look like Lil John driving down the street. Everytime you honk yer horn the truck yells "YEAAAHHH"!!

Wish I could afford a 2015. I'd buy it and garage until my 05 went to shit.

 

I have never heard of crawl control until now(debut of 2016 Tacoma). Im not sure on that one.

 

I never thought it controlled throttle, I just didn't fully understand the concept of an open diff. I thought the brakes somehow turned the wheel outside of the throttle when it braked the opposite side, but obviously the open diff just allows the power to go to the wheel that's not spinning via the differential.

 

I said we can't control the throttle while using ATRAC anymore, because crawl control automatically kicks off if you touch the gas or brake peddle! So crawl control can only be used while the truck is driving itself. If ATRAC is actually integrated into the terrain select and not the crawl control, as DVexil has implied, then that might not be true though.

 

Crawl Control

 

not sure if anyone else noticed this, but it looks like theres a huge front lip on the limited edition. what is it for? aerodynamics for mpgs?

 

Yes... and much talked about.

 

The way the 4Runner guys explain the difference between ATRAC and Terrain Select, is that ATRAC does not allow any slippage and fully brakes the spinning wheel sending all power to the other wheel. While Terrain Select does the same thing but allows varying levels of slippage in the wheel being braked.

Their terrain select is a dial just like our crawl control, and as you turn the dial up or down it increases or decreases the wheel slippage allowed. But if they hit the ATRAC button then it fully locks the spinning wheel.

 

So why this vs. a limited slip diff?

 

Do you realize that in our 2nd gen trucks when the rear is locked that ATRAC is only active when your speed drops to under 3mph. So while you may have had ATRAC on, the fact that you had your rear locked was automatically turning ATRAC off when you went over 3mph. It says that in David K's 09+ ATRAC thread, as well as in our OR manual.

When the rear is not locked, then ATRAC remains on no matter what your speed while in 4LO.

 

Again this is misinformation. You can have your rear locked or not locked and ATRAC will still be "ON" as long as the truck is under 3 mph regardless locked or not and has to be in 4WD low

 

Apparently not for the TW members who have posted about being stuck in 4LO with the rear locked, and were able to get out on one wheel by hitting their ATRAC button.