Tacoma-1, Jeep-0. Stuck

I call that....Epic driver fail - not a jeep fail.

 

Jeeps QuadraDrive system is phenomenal. It's AWD with 40front/60rear to drive wheels. The Diff's transer power to the slipping wheels on side to side while the transfer case transfers power front to back when needed.

So no, the Tacoma does not have "Quadradrive" like the jeep has.

 

im interested to hear the long story of how the jeep got himself into the ditch. or the cliffs notes would be fine too

 

Right, however with TRAC & A-TRAC we Tacoma ('09 +) owners have power to any and all wheels with traction not just to ones that spin (as before). In previous models and any 'normal' 4WD system, if stuck... loss of traction... one wheel in front and one in the rear spins. The other two that may have traction, do nothing.

Now, ('09+) if a tire begins to spin, it is braked so drive power is transfered to the tire with traction. Like QuadraDrive, if just one tire has traction, you just might drive out of a 'stuck'.

If traction is minimal, and in normal 4WD (open differentials) you will stop moving and bog down. By pressing the A-TRAC button in L4, you could drive on out.

I did just that, last week in Baja. I was in H4, then turned off VSC/TRAC while driving in soft, dry sand and bogged down (tires fully inflated). I went into L4, still stuck... then pressed A-TRAC and RR Locker (for good measure) and slowly drove right out and stayed on top of the sand. As long as I was in TRAC in H4 or A-TRAC in L4, I didn't bog back down into the deep sand.... It was amazing.

All my other Tacomas and 4WDs have always required letting air out of the tires to about 10-15 psi to drive the deep sand.

 

From my understanding of the newer Tacomas - the VSC/TRAC is all 'brake' actuated to transer power. Unless I'm mis-informed.

The Jeep Quadradrive system doesn't utilize the brakes. It uses 'viscous' couplings in the diffs & transfer case that actually transfer the drive power (torque) to the slipping wheels.
http://www.jeep.com/en/4x4/how_systems_work/quadra_drive_2/

The Tacomas system is more electronic while the jeep system is more mechanical.

 

Yes, true in H4 (from what I know)... however, my point is the same function is achieved... basically that the tires with traction get power and tires that would not help and spin useless will get nothing. I am always trying to learn more about my new truck and appreciate details.

In H2, power is transfered/reduced in addition to the braking of the spinning wheel (call it 'limited slip lite'). If you push the button quickly in H2 you will turn off VSC (and TRAC) which turns on 'AUTO LDS' and that uses brakes without power reduction, to get unstuck in 2WD (ie. limited slip 'full flavor').

In H4 you are in automatically in limited slip 'full flavor' (TRAC and VSC). You can turn them off for open differentials by holding the button for 5 seconds while stopped, if you want to spin the tires.

In L4 you are automatically in open differntial mode unless a push of A-TRAC, then you are also in limited slip 'full flavor'. Just the opposite of H4.

I need to test the advatage of the RR Locker some more over just using A-TRAC in L4. My first tests in the desert seemed to show the same results with or without the RR Locker activated.

 

Good observation.
Wish we had 4wd as good as Jeep's
BTW, turn off the fog's!

 

Yes, the same functions might be achieved, but the way Jeep did it in the Quadradrive is mechanical which makes it more durable (in a sense) because it's mechanical inside the diffs/transfer case - not the braking system.

Jeep Quadradrive in AWD. On regular driving duty, it's something like 40% front & 60% rear.

 

Don't get me wrong guys, I love my truck but that's a really nasty position for any truck/car to be in. His only hope was to pull backward since there was a tree right in front of him. Reversing uphill on icy surface is challenging for any vehicle. The tacoma was able to pull it off because it was in a much better position for the tires. Just my opinion.

 

NAYo2002, let me take the opportunety here to thank you again for your research on the A-TRAC/AUTO LSD, etc. modes. It was you and Isahemi that helped me most figure out these drive mode operations before I had a chance to do some serious four wheeling. I would still like to see more factory produced info sheets on their operation. I have the two that have been posted on this forum. As you can see from my long signature, I also hope to help other new Tacoma owners understand the functions of the various modes they have. You have tested yours on ice and snow and I have tested mine on sand and rocks (so far). I was very, very impressed with TRAC and A-TRAC.

 

There are only two makes of 4x4's i would own, Toyota, and Jeep.

 

FTW

 

Yes, it is mechanical (as inside the differentials). You have got to wonder why Toyota (who we know to be a great truck builder) decided to do it with brakes insted?

Could it be that not changing the differentials kept costs lower... or better still, that Toyota believed using the brakes were better because a blown brake part might not leave you stranded in a bad place. A blown differential would! Can each Quadradrive differential change from limited slip to open (so those who want their tires to spin, can)?

I am a long time Jeep fan, and owned a 1975 Cherokee Chief with Quadra Trac (their first fulltime 4WD system). But, my Jeep was always in the shop with numerous breakdowns (I owned it from new to almost 3 years old). None of my 3 Tacomas (so far) have ever broken down or failed me... total of over over 9 years and 240,000 miles... much of them four wheeling in Baja and Anza-Borrego.

 

Toyota & Jeep are two totally different manufacturers & they do things differently. Dare I say that Jeep is probably more advanced in terms of 4WD than Toyota is? Afterall - I'm pretty sure that jeep was making military vehicles long before toyota had its first 4x4.

Depending on who you ask...the principle of the two concepts - in my oppinion, the mechanical transferring of power (via torque) is better than the transfer of power (via physics).

We're strictly talking about functionality - not reliability sake. That's a whole different ballgame.

If you're talking about repairs for both systems....On the jeep, you'd be replacing differentials & t-cases. But, in the Toyota system - you're talking about brake parts, any & all actuators that force the brake fluid from one place to the other, sensors, and ECU.

 

That was a long time ago... first 'jeep' was created by the American Bantam Car Company in Butler, PA in 1940. The military considered Bantam too small a company and awarded the contract to Willys & Ford. Poor Bantam made trailers for the Jeep in WWII.

Well, Willys-Overland who was the primary Jeep builder in WWII (along with Ford) and developed the Jeep for civilian use was bought by Kaiser in 1953, who was bought by American Motors in 1970, who was bought by Chrysler in '87 (I think)... who was bought by Fiat...

Toyota is still Toyota ever since it made their first Land Cruiser!

 

Thats what I like to see

 

Just a small hijack. Witnessed near my house this morning.

 

Makes you wonder why people without 4WD even bother to drive when it's icy???

 

I was in snowshoe wv last year driving a buddies 1500 4x4 we made a wrong turn so i turned off on a roundabout on the right to turn around couldn't make the turn and went off what looked like the left median it was a drainage ditch full of snow. We bottomed out with the whole passanger side in the ditch and the truck was on a very steep incline, thought it may flip. A nice guy came in an old chevy with chains and cynder blocks in the back and yanked us right out, I threw him a 20 and we were on our way.

Lesson learned stay on the road when it snows.

 

Pretty much. The Wife has a Grand Cherokee with the Quadra Trac II (Not quite the Quadra Drive) And she's only gotten stuck high centering it. I love her 4WD system. As it's been said before in other threads, the full time 4WD would be nice for Towing too. Extra traction to the front wheels, no driveline bind. Booya.

Don't ever come to Canada. Your fucking head will explode. I've driven my 91 FWD Corolla in conditions, on highways that would make San Diegos worst look like a summer day by comparison.

Needs must when the devil pisses in your kettle.