Rear Diff Question: Lock Only in 4LO?

benzy · Jul 21, 2023

gudujarlson said: ↑

There is no speed limit once it is locked. There is only a speed limit when trying to lock it. I personally haven’t had any trouble locking on an incline, but I have had trouble locking it while stationary. It’s best engaged before you get stuck. In my experience, there are very few cases where off-road traction control plus the locker is any better than off-road traction control alone. That might be partly due to the type of terrain we have in the Midwest (mud, snow, dirt, clay, loose rocks, where wheel spin is often unavoidable).
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Engages reliably and has been useful for me but my 06 doesn’t have traction control. I sometimes need it to get to my cabin or out of the driveway after a heavy storm. And agree no (reasonable) speed limit as far as I can tell. At least up to at least 25-30 mph.

GilbertOz · Jul 23, 2023

Marshall R said: ↑

As far as I know every other 4X4 will allow you to lock the diff in 2wd, 4hi, or 4lo. My F150 does. No reason why Toyota shouldn't.

No one, and I mean no manufacturer will let you go to low range in 2wd. And there is a reason for that. You can damage the drivetrain. Hopefully you'll only break a U-Joint. I see lots of guys here modifying their trucks to do this. My 1st few 4X4's had manual locking hubs and 3 sticks in the floor. It was easy to go to low range without being in 4X4. There were also warning labels in the truck advising that you not do so.

I've NEVER had the 1st problem getting INTO low range with my Tacoma or any other 4X4 vehicle. It is pretty common to have issues getting OUT of low range with all of them.
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What sort of drivetrain damage is possible or more-likely when using 2-LO (low range, 2-wheel drive, NO locker.)? I use the 2-LO mod on my 2nd gen 4x4 and haven't had any problems so far that I'm aware of. Why would the transfer case care if it's putting out LO but only to the rear wheels?

OpeCity · Jul 23, 2023

GilbertOz said: ↑

What sort of drivetrain damage is possible or more-likely when using 2-LO (low range, 2-wheel drive, NO locker.)? I use the 2-LO mod on my 2nd gen 4x4 and haven't had any problems so far that I'm aware of. Why would the transfer case care if it's putting out LO but only to the rear wheels?
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I guess more u-joint stress since only one side is taking the bow multiplied torque

LtDan12a · Jul 23, 2023

on my jeeps, I used to be able to get the inside front tire a couple feet off the ground if the rear was locked in 2wd and I was turning on pavement..... I'm gonna guess they're trying to prevent people from putting trucks on their lids...

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Rear Diff Question: Lock Only in 4LO?

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Rear Diff Question: Lock Only in 4LO?

#21 benzy Well-Known Member

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benzy Well-Known Member

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OpeCity Well-Known Member

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