2000, horrible 2wd traction common?

[SeanC]

First post, I apologize for being a noob and rather ignorant of motor vehicles...

My 2000 4R fishtails all the time and generally seems to have horrible traction in 2wd...we've had it since it was new, and it doesn't seem like it was always like this. Any little acceleration around a turn on a wet road causes the rear end to slide out! Seems dangerous. Also, have to put in hi-4 just to get up a steep but paved hill near our house when wet. Have great tires and a 60lb bag of sand.

Anyone know ifthere might be something wrong?

 

[Jon]

What tires are you running (size and brand name)? How much pressure in the rears? The tread can look pretty but compound density has a large roll as well, and air pressure is huge! Softer the tire=bigger footprint and more traction.

Maybe you just need to keep your foot out of the floor Earnhardt!:jk:

 

[JohnsD90]

Sounds like you need better tire, i.e. BFG AT's, Nitto's, Durratrac's...

Or just lay off the throttle round a corner, or learn how to control it, and 100+lbs helps too, 60 isn't too much.

 

[SeanC]

Thanks for the responses; I'll take a good hard look at the tires again.

This forum is great, can't believe I just discovered it! We love our truck

 

[Pikeman]

This is the second or third time I have seen this brought up. I am very surprised since I can't get mine to step out at all. Wet conditions really standing on it around corners etc. That being said I agree 100% with tire tread/rubber compound/pressure being a primary cause.

 

[twitchee2]

either your tires are shot or you like the skinny pedal . I know for me i have to turn vsc off and i actually have to try to get it to slide around, the tires barely slip when when i throw the hammer down at a red light in the rain.

 

[theizzardking]

That being said I agree 100% with tire tread/rubber compound/pressure being a primary cause.

think about it people, the only part of your truck that actually touches the ground are your tires, if they suck everything else you do for your truck is worthless, getting good rubber should be a top prioirty for us all, as we all know what happens when you use cheap rubbers, first you get fu**** then you pay for it for a long long time.....

 

[Satter]

Wow. And I thought I was the only one. This happens to me quite a bit too when the roads are slick. I've got Goodyear Wranglers all around. Not sure of the exact size. But my '98 4Runner is a Ltd 4WD model, and I use the all terrian Wrangers. I have about 34 psi on all 4 tires. Inside the door it says 32 psi. But, that just looks a bit too low IMO.

 

[004Gunner]

If you paid less than $150 per tire, you probably went too cheap. The tire pressure sounds about right, but you can look at the tire for tread wear indicators too.

Just an FYI, Goodyear makes tires for all kinds of budgets, which means they make some cheap ones along with premium ones. The Wrangler name is used in multiple tire models and doesn't really mean much. I use Michelins myself and after 75K + miles on one set, it's one of the few brands I'll consider using.

There is absolutely no way that the rear should slide out the way you're describing it, so you're tires are almost certainly toast.

 

[JohnsD90]

There is absolutely no way that the rear should slide out the way you're describing it, so you're tires are almost certainly toast.

Actually mine does it in the rain around a corner in 2nd gear, i forgot about it one day and got near completley sideways. I know what he is talking about, and i have decent tires, nothing great though.

 

[cordrayj1]

happens to me too...its usually worst right when it starts rainin...i guess the the oil hasnt washed off the roads yet.

 

[004Gunner]

Actually mine does it in the rain around a corner in 2nd gear, i forgot about it one day and got near completley sideways. I know what he is talking about, and i have decent tires, nothing great though.

happens to me too...its usually worst right when it starts rainin...i guess the the oil hasnt washed off the roads yet.

Both 5 speeds though. Is the OP a 5 speed too? I still say that should not happen at all and would blame speed first, tires second. It never happened to me even when I was running Dunflops.

 

[XJeepguy]

Do you have a factory locker in that ? If so and it's on , permanent posi will kick out the back end all the time in the rain , if your putting your foot into it .

 

[theizzardking]

Do you have a factory locker in that ? If so and it's on , permanent posi will kick out the back end all the time in the rain , if your putting your foot into it .

LOL, Are you spooled as well? might be the problem when your doing 70 mph and your spooled front and rear, lol

doubt he's locked man, even if it's stock you have to cut a few wires to get it to engage over 5 mph's

 

[XJeepguy]

doubt he's locked man, even if it's stock you have to cut a few wires to get it to engage over 5 mph's

You sure ? On mine I have to be BELOW 5 MPH to engage the locker but it will stay engaged after that , at all speeds .

 

[theizzardking]

You sure ? On mine I have to be BELOW 5 MPH to engage the locker but it will stay engaged after that , at all speeds .

yeah either or, point is i don't think every time this guy gets in his ride he hits the diff lock button and tears out down the road, lol

i just really think it's this guys tires, a locked rear diff would do that but unless it's stuck on i don't see that happening and i think he'd be having alot more issues then this if it was stuck in the locked position and the only way I've heard of these failing is being stuck in the open position, like 1-500 chance it's his locking diff, but that's just my logic on it, it very well could be his locked diff if he even has that option, i think really though he needs to check his tires for dates and tread depth

 

[Crit Rat]

I can hardly get mine to step out in 2wd even when there is snow on the ground and that is all due to my tires. Nitto TerraGrapplers and they are great, even with 20k on them they have great traction.

 

[XJeepguy]

For sure , I was just tossing it out there . My neighbor ladies switch failed and lord knows how many months she ran with it in lock . No indication at all on the dash , not until she came over and asked me to look at it and I knew as soon as I pulled out of her driveway , it was locked in . First one I've seen like that .

yeah either or, point is i don't think every time this guy gets in his ride he hits the diff lock button and tears out down the road, lol

i just really think it's this guys tires, a locked rear diff would do that but unless it's stuck on i don't see that happening and i think he'd be having alot more issues then this if it was stuck in the locked position and the only way I've heard of these failing is being stuck in the open position, like 1-500 chance it's his locking diff, but that's just my logic on it, it very well could be his locked diff if he even has that option, i think really though he needs to check his tires for dates and tread depth

 

[Satter]

There is absolutely no way that the rear should slide out the way you're describing it, so you're tires are almost certainly toast.

I'm not sure if you were directly responding to my post, but my tires have a good amount of tread on them and my transmission is an automatic, and I have no RR Diff Lock feature. The thing is that this was happening from the very beginning. So, I ended taking it real easy around wet corners when the roads are slick. It sucks because I see much older cars whipping around corners on wet roads with ease.

 

[theizzardking]

I'm not sure if you were directly responding to my post, but my tires have a good amount of tread on them and my transmission is an automatic, and I have no RR Diff Lock feature. The thing is that this was happening from the very beginning. So, I ended taking it real easy around wet corners when the roads are slick. It sucks because I see much older cars whipping around corners on wet roads with ease.

you know i don't know what to tell you, from living in seattle i can say that the 4runner handles just fine in the rain no matter what type/condition, so it's either your tires some suspension problem your not accurately telling us what the symptoms are or you just shouldn't be on the roads when they are wet.

have you come from a car or other low CG vehicle? how does it track on dry flat roads? have you checked your tie rods for play?

either start checking your suspension for flaws,get new tires, or slow down.....:boxer:

lol, sorry man can't help more then that without more information.
i can't figure out what would be different on yours opposed to everyone else besides the tires from the info you posted up.