Crawl Control... is it all it’s cracked up to be???

Ive had to use a few times in the snow off road. It didn’t work any of the times I needed it to. Although I do have KO2’s and they get pretty useless when the tread packs with snow. Either way this was always on a trail in deep snow and I wound up getting pulled out. Once the truck is sitting on top of a few inches of compacted snow and the tread is full of packed snow, it just sits there spinning all four tires.

 

This x1000!

 

No. Computers cannot drive off road better than a well-experienced individual. That's just ridiculous.

 

Proof?

 

I cut my 4-wheelin' teeth, so to speak, in a 1973 IH Scout II. 304 v8/automatic, 33x12.50.15 gumbo mudders, rear locker. It was pretty much unstoppable, but I did know her limits. This was back in the early to mid 80s. Back before camera phones and such. Some of the places we went are pretty unbelievable. What I wouldn't give to go back with a video camera, it would definitely make us "internet famous".......

 

i chose to put in dual air lockers over crawl control and super glad i did. crawl works, but it's robotic and therefore not much fun. I like to feel like a driver not a passenger on autopilot. Also the lack of speed is an issue when an obstacle requires more momentum.

 

Seriously? Show me your proof that it's better. Show me any competitive rock crawler or Ultra4 car that uses computer controls to the same extent (aside from engine management). With the competitiveness of events like KOH or the Baja 1000, if there were an edge to be gained via computer controls, don't you think it would have happened? Besides that, what happens when you're off road and your computer-controlled gadgetry fails (along the lines of the Mexico example shared above) and you have to rely on knowledge and skill, yet you're dependent on "superior" computer-controlled features?

Look, I'll be the first to admit that I'm skeptical of features like CC and that I'm arguing from that point of view, but CC will never replace driver skill.

 

I like CC for steep down hill descents where my shitty stock wranglers would slip down the muddy trail. I was going down a slippery muddy hill and I could feel the truck sliding even with brakes applied. Turned on CC and it controlled the wheel slippage and allowed me to get down with ease.
I also used it on a snowy mountain trail that had drop offs on both sides. I could handle it on my own, however CC did make it easier and I could just relax and let the truck climb the trail without worrying about sliding around.

 

Your experience with the muddy hill descent is a great example, one that I'll bear in mind.

 

This has never been marketed as a replacement for the Baja 1000 or KOH.


But, if you think those trucks aren’t packed with computers, you aren’t really in tune with the sport. Hell.... they 100% rely on computers to follow the course.

 

Not sure about crawl control. But I'm MT and pick my lines and gear(s) I'll use ahead of time.

But in regards to computer aids, in lack of a front locker on my 3rd gen for now, my A-trac has been useful a handful of times already.

Once was silt from a Brook at the bottom of a mtn and just sinking. The others have been breaking over a high point with 1 of the front wheels in the air and the rear locked, normally somewhere that momentum or letting the tires eat isn't ideal.

 

One other thing I don't like on the tacos, and this is with both 2nd and 3rd gen TRDOR's, is how the traction system randomly just cuts power when in sand on the beach at speed. It senses something and you want to power out of it but instead it just cuts the throttle all-together. Freaked the hell out of me first time that happened, but then it kept happening to all the tacos in my group so figured it was normal.

 

Just turn the traction control off: have to hold down the trac off button for like 3-5 seconds then BOTH the stability control AND traction control are turned off.... always do this before attempting donuts or power slides

 

Thats what the system is supposed to do!

 

It's just weird when I have the gas pedal to the floor and it chooses to slow down instead. Too many electronic nannies to keep in mind. Like Jaque8 said, I'll just turn it off completely next time.
Except for there won't be a next time as I switched to a Rubicon for most offroad, and could not be happier. The truck is just for around town now...

 

If the Tacoma is now just gonna be a pavement princess I don't mind taking some of those sweet offroad goodies off your hands

 

Just got to learn your gadgets.

I am used to always getting in the vehicle and turning off traction control. This tacoma is the first vehicle that I dont.

 

OH! Bummer! Thanks for the heads up.

So, um, recreating a Toyota commercial???

-Kirk Out

 

I mostly agree, but there are situations where CC/Atrac will shine over a front locker. Loose, off-camber sections come to mind.

 

Sorry by "commercial" I meant the promo video Toyota made that everyone has seen. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19BNRvuNLWE) - yeah, don't do that or if you break something Toyota will tell you it was used in a way not intended...