Lockers or Truetrac for Unpaved Deep Snow?

Yea, I read it. I strongly believe that a an actual selectable rear locker is much better for pushing through deep snow and your stated use than any LSD. That isn't the case for your front differential though for the reasons I pointed out earlier. There you want a helical gear LSD. We do a lot of mountain deep snow wheelimg here and literally nobody selects LSD over selectable lockers. As a matter of fact there are a lot of trailered trucks and jeeps primarily built for deep snow and they are all locked both front and rear.

 

AWESOME! Thanks for that feedback. I think that sums it up pretty well. I think my best option would be the OR with an LSD at the front and the factory e-locker at the back.

 

OR with chains and weight in the bed does great in the snow. I'm running the ST Maxx's.

 

No problem. I'm not an automotive engineer, off-road vehicle fabricator, or anything like that. Im just a guy that grew up in the mountains that has driven for almost 40 years in snow and bad weather. It's just an amateur opinion based on experience and observation.

 

Oh, one more thing. The way the OR traction controls work you might not even need the front LSD. The electronics control front wheel spin in 4lo so it does a pretty good impression of of a locked/LSD diff. I would really read up on exactly how it works before dropping coin on LSD. Life and saving money are both hard. No sense making either more difficult.

 

2009 sr5 on 33s. Swapping 3.73 to 4.30 in the next week. Was going to put a TrueTrac in the rear, but was dissuaded by some of the comments about the "squirrely" characteristics that they can cause on snow and ice. One example that stuck out was from someone that suggested that, at highway speeds, the TT would lock up if one tire encountered an icy patch and it would kick the back out. That doesn't sound great. In Canada, we have snow and ice for much of the year. I do have dedicated snow tires and mostly drive city streets, but everywhere is a highway drive away here. We are really spread out. Being ignorant of how differentials react in these conditions (and not wanting to do a deep dive into it), I thought I'd ask for first hand experience. From what I gather, if one wheel slips, the TT locks up and gives traction to both. If cornering on ice, you must be careful not to add to much throttle as not to have the TT kick in and slide the rear out. If you find yourself on the side of the road in snow or on ice, the TT tends to slide towards the ditch more than a open diff, as one tire stay as a guide and keeps traction by NOT slipping. I don't do any off-roading, other than deep snow fun and some camping/mountain driving. No crawling or heavy trails. In your opinion, would the TT offer any benefits for day to day snow/ice driving? Thanks so much!!

Barrett

 

The TrueTrac doesn't "lock up", so there are no sudden surprises of having it 'kick-in" like an auto-locker. It does make both rear tires always turn in the same direction, meaning it eliminates the open diff one-wheel spin. The Trueurac is a torque biasing LSD, meaning it seamlessly applies varied toque to the wheel with traction based on the slipping wheel spin, it is not an "on/off" operation like some others can be. This helps the behavior to be more predictable. In ice conditions, if power is applied to both rear wheels and both slip it will slide to the side more than an open diff where only one wheel slips because both tires may loose traction vs only one. In deep snow, having two wheels drive the rear end is far more advantageous than just one, as you essentially have double the traction. In any off camber situation where both rear tires break free in snow/ice, the rear will slide down hill more than an open diff where only one wheel may break free due to the 2nd wheel not helping. I believe the auto-LSD was introduced in 2009, so you may already have some minor snow effects of the LSD from the Tacomas traction control system, though not to the same level as a Trueurac.

The TrueTrac will nearly double traction of the rear, which I personally prefer. I did end up installing it in my boosted 2nd Gen. However, in situations like ice where tires loose traction almost completely, if both tires lose traction because both are being used to power/drive the rear wheels (vs just one) it will cause the rear to fishtail more. It isn't on/off and doesn't ever 'lock-up', so the behavior is progressive and predictable. In snow situations, having double the traction can be very beneficial but in complete loss of traction situations it is more prone to sliding out to the sides.

 

Thanks so much! This is exactly what I was looking for! I'm going to put the TT in. I appreciate your thoughtful and thorough response. Yes, my 2009 does have auto-LSD. Am I correct that the TT will be installed as a mechanical piece in the diff and the auto-LSD is electronically based and they won't interfere with each other? Or will anything electronic need to be disabled? Or, will they work together? Take good care, Barrett

 

Correct the TT is mechanical, the auto LSD uses the ABS braking system to react once wheel spin occurred. The two actually compliment each other nicely. Since the TT is always managing slip the wheel speed difference between the rear wheels is rarely ever great enough for the ABS LSD system to engage. The TT transfers torque to the wheel with most traction based on the friction of the spinning wheel. If that spinning wheel is airborne, or on near friction free perfect ice, the TT cannot use it to apply torque to the wheel with traction. It is the weakness of an LSD. But in an auto LSD truck, the ABS engages on the free spinning wheel thus providing the resistance for the TT to transfer torque to the wheel with traction. It is a pretty awesome combo.

 

SUUUUU-WEEEEEETT!!!!! I just ordered one. Thanks again for all the great advice and technical info! Parts should be in this week and then need to book in to shop. Take care! Be safe! Barrett