Light Off-Roading: Manual vs Automatic? & Rear Locer vs Limited Slip Differential

bring your truck down to me... i'll find a way

 

You can turn ALSD off and TRAC off at the same time, wanna bet?

 

You can also turn off TRAC in 4hi. I know what the manual says, but just try it.

 

Wrong driver...lol

I know it's kicking my butt driving my new rig with the 6spd coming from my 08 Sentra 6spd. This clutch is a whole different animal, its true when they say each clutch has it's own personality.

 

Skill ...
My truck has no traction control, no locker, no LSD and it gets around just fine on the street and on the trails.

 

For light offroading?

You don't need anything other than a 4WD tacoma.

If you live in an area that gets snow - then I'd look for a used 05-08 model that has the MECHANICAL LSD. This will be more beneficial to the snow driving (on road).

If you don't have any snow - then the mechanical LSD is only beneficial to you while offroading. And if you're looking for offroading benefits only - then get the TRD Offroad package with the rear locker.

If you get an 09 model (with AUTO LSD), YES....you can install an mechanical LSD or even a locker in there (COSTLY!!!)
If you get an 05-08 model - you CAN NOT have a mechanical LSD and the Rear locker at the same time.

 

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I guess I will. (temporary)
I have a 09 TRD Off Road 4x4 Dbl Cab.. We were out in CO last week, I did some easy off road stuff (Alpine Loop, and another pass from Lake City over to Heart Lake) a lot of the time I was in 4-low, pretty steep and rocky. The switchbacks were wet and pretty steep.
Only once did I hit the dif lock button, steep hill, a little slick mud with rocks mixed in I was in 4 low and started spinning. Hit the locker and went right up.
The question is, on a couple of spots I'm hearing these "clicking" noises in slick spots, like traction control kicking in. I thought all that was off in 4-low. Is it? I finally hit a few of the buttons, some lights came on, on the dash, and the clicking stopped and I had better traction..
Which one of the buttons do I need to hit to make the traction control go away? and, or limited slip? The manual is difficult (at least for me.)
Thanks,
Jeff
(end hijack)

 

05-08 TRD Sport does not have TRAC/VSC/ Auto-LSD like all 09-10 models. Old school mech LSD, and no nannies.

I own the 6spd, and wouldnt trade for an auto, but same truck, 0-60 the auto will win. As chris4x4 said, check any test, auto wins by .3-.4 sec. Blame short gears (esp 1st) for towing and crawling not drag racing. Now 10-60mph I think you have a race.

 

Did you have the ATRAC button pressed in? It is kinda hidden, it's down under the A/C controls, by the cigerette lighter and aux plug. Just keep it pressed in all the time, it will only activate when you are in four low. It's a more aggressive ALSD for both the front and rear, with no throttle intervention. On the 09+ Tacomas it will still work the front when the locker engaged, also. At one time it would not in the FJs. You do hear and feel the brakes actuating when it kicks in, but it really works very well. If your slipping a little but still have some momentum and don't want the racket, just flip it off. You want to turn it off if your brakes are getting really hot, also. If you are in four hi, come to a complete stop and hold the VSC button down for 5-7 seconds. You will see the VSC off light come on, and TRAC will go off until you hit the button again. This is useful in sand and cutting up in the mud.

 

please post a video of you doing donuts in loose gravel with a 2009 Tacoma TRD Sport, without anything kicking in to stop you, and spinning the wheel at a good speed (i.e. like 30mph) (i.e. not some donuts on ice where you spin the wheel at 1mph) because the systems kicks back in after a certain speed.

I bet you won't make it, I've tried to slide my rear end on dirt roads and it's impossible, whatever I do with the buttons, it always kick back in after a certain speed

edit: I just saw you have an off road, might be different, but I bet you on a sport model you cannot send the tail sideways on dirt roads at a good speed, no matter what you press, hold, or do to the system, unless cutting some wires.

 

Maybe it's a Canuck thing. On yours, can you turn TRAC off so it doesn't come on when driving, no matter what speed?

 

I had the ATRAC button pressed in.. I'm just f'n clueless as to what it actually does.. I think I turned it off to make the noise go away. I was not on that tough of a trail and was not having that much trouble.
What exactly does a more aggressive ALSD mean?
Thanks..

 

this weekend I'll take a video.

I've tried everything in 2WD, holding the button, just pressing it, etc. At a certain speed it gets back in, and I can't slide it.

 

More or less, it applies brake pressure to the wheels in a manner to keep torque even all around and simulate a locked differential.

 

Yeah, what you heard and felt was the ATRAC. Basically, when it senses a wheel slipping it actuates the brake on that wheel to transfer some of the torque to the other wheel. In 4lo ATRAC does this on all four wheels. Acts somewhat like a limited slip diff, but in theory is able to supply close to 50% of the torque at the differential to each wheel, whether it is spinning or not. That's what I mean by more aggressive, it will flat lock a spinning wheel up sometimes. Pretty noisy, but effective. There are situations where you want it off. The down hill assist uses the same brake actuation, and is equally as noisy.

 

Best I can do right now. Next week I'm headed out our hunting property, so I can get a video of it. Here is TRAC off while doing over 50. It stays off at 80+ on the highway or with the ass end slinging around in the dirt and the speedo at whatever. With the ALSD on and TRAC off, it comes back on around 30.

 

doesn't VSC kick back in though?

like over 30 VSC off lights up, but over 30 VSC is back on (so no "VSC off" light.

 

No, TRAC and VSC are connected.
This is quoted directly, word for word, from page 186 of my manual:

Turning off TRAC and VSC

"Push and hold the button for more than 3 seconds while the vehicle is stopped to turn off both TRAC and VSC."

"If TRAC and VSC systems are turned off, the systems will not turn on, even when vehicle speed increases."

"With AUTO LSD mode, VSC OFF and AUTO LSD indicator lights turn on. The TRAC system will turn on when the vehicle speed increases."

Exactly the same thing I said.
One thing I did not know, and it makes sense is that:
"When the rear differential is locked:"
"The active traction control system (ATRAC) is activated only when the vehicle speed is less than 3 mph."

 

I was reading through and gonna say the same thing. Mine is the exact same way. No problem at all turning all the traction stuff off, and they do not come back on at a higher speed.