4th gen. off road issues/?'s

[Falls]

The 4R was great last nite for snow wheeling and general street hiway driving.

I was trying to climb some snow covered hills with 12" of snow on them. Basically ( I have a V8 full time 4x4) and could not make the hill in standard drive mode because it would not let me pet power to the groung ( VSC kicking in I think). When I locked the center diff. I could hear alot of clicking which I assume was Atrac , but still could not move forward. ( I was half way up the hill and stopped to play with the 4x4 system). Once I hammered into the gas pedal (hard) it was like I was roosting snow like crazy and it took off up the hill. I was kind of a night where I was experimenting with the 4x4 system.

How comfortable are you all with the electronic stuff which controls the 4R off road , and getting out of sticky situations, like a muddy hill , a mud hole or snow hill , ect...... ???

by the way I was playing between 4x4hi and 4x4hi w/diff. locked. I also was in 12"+ of snow & drifts with 265/70/17 Revos so I know I was dragging the undercarriage .

 

[OUTRNNR]

I wanna see videos!! :awais:

:corn:

 

[gizmopt2002]

Me too!! I'm pretty comfortable with the system, though others want the systems that were all manual and with out nannies. Did you use 4LO?

 

[*wishlist*]

did you first lock the center diff while you were still moving? if you did, it probably was not yet locked.

 

[JB.]

Once I hammered into the gas pedal (hard) it was like I was roosting snow like crazy and it took off up the hill. I was kind of a night where I was experimenting with the 4x4 system..

..by the way I was playing between 4x4hi and 4x4hi w/diff. locked.

Okay, you're signed up to be the snow tester.:clap: ATRAC works in different ways in low-range depending on throttle, rpm, etc. I assume a similar situation exists in high range but have never been able to test it. In high range snow is the perfect test medium but I don't get to see a lot of it...but that's okay 'cause we have YOU. It sounds like you confirmed that ATRAC diminishes or turns off in high range if you mash the pedal (center locked), but don't let that stop you from further testing. Matter of fact, stop readin' and get out there and test some more!! :biggrin2:

 

[Falls]

It shut down with the diff. NOT locked. I was stopped on the hill , I pressed the button for the lock and lightly feathered the throttle until the light stayed on and was locked in , then when mashing I could hear the clicking which I think was the Atrac on then it flew. I could see snow flying from the front on both sides.

 

[JB.]

It shut down with the diff. NOT locked. I was stopped on the hill , I pressed the button for the lock and lightly feathered the throttle until the light stayed on and was locked in , then when mashing I could hear the clicking which I think was the Atrac on then it flew. I could see snow flying from the front on both sides.

I'm talking about ATRAC shutting off when a certain threshold of torque is reached to the wheels, center diff locked. So, since you've formally signed up for testing duty, try the following: 1st gear high, diff locked, uphill on snow would be ideal. I want to know if ATRAC turns off/diminishes and lets the wheels spin when power to the wheels reaches a certain level. Put the pedal to metal, Good Buddy.:driving:

 

[Falls]

JB, How can I tell that ?

Is it torque oriented if it works or not ? I've have heard that it does not kick in until 2000 rpm , maybe I'm wrong but I thought that is what I read.

 

[Northof49]

I'm talking about ATRAC shutting off when a certain threshold of torque is reached to the wheels, center diff locked. So, since you've formally signed up for testing duty, try the following: 1st gear high, diff locked, uphill on snow would be ideal. I want to know if ATRAC turns off/diminishes and lets the wheels spin when power to the wheels reaches a certain level. Put the pedal to metal, Good Buddy.:driving:

That situation with the diff locked it will spin em....not quite like a vehicle with no nannies, but it will spin them pretty damn hard

 

[JB.]

JB, How can I tell that ?

Is it torque oriented if it works or not ? I've have heard that it does not kick in until 2000 rpm , maybe I'm wrong but I thought that is what I read.

I'm no expert, but I have seemed to notice -- and it's been backed up by other accounts -- that wheel spin (diff locked) can be minimized in low range by gentle throttle. More throttle/torque/rpm equals ATRAC allowing more wheel spin. Maybe it's just a traction issue and ATRAC is not doing what I think. Anyway, I don't know how far it goes, say, to the point of ATRAC turning off completely, but the difference seems noticeable. So I've often wondered how it acts in high range. Does ATRAC (diff locked) noticeably allow more wheel spin with more throttle/torque/rpm? Does it ever shut off completely and let the wheels spin freely? Kind of hard and dangerous to test in dirt. But uphill, on the right snowy, low traction surface where you don't have to worry about a wheel grabbing traction abruptly, that would seem ideal. Hard to test here in the desert, though.

Just kidding about pushing you to test, but if you do, I'd be interested in any observations you make.

 

[N8G]

Hey Falls, glad to hear you were having fun in the snow. I was one of only 3 people to make it into our office in Tosa on Friday morning. It is fun plowing your way to work through 12 inches of virgin snow in your 4Runner, just like being the first on fresh powder when skiing.

Anyway, I didn't hit anything that gave me any trouble last weekend, but last spring I did think I got it stuck in the mud in the county grounds before the construction.

Basically, I got completely stopped in normal 4Hi, so I locked the center diff and put it in 4Lo. Once everything stopped beeping and clicking, I eased on the throttle. Didn't move at first so I kept giving it more gas and started moving at just a crawl. Once I got going a bit I got on the throttle all four tires were spinning as I saw mud shooting up from all four sides and had the splatter marks all up the sides to prove it.

Best part was when I came out and got back on the pavement, mud was shooting everywhere off my tires and truck. Gave some other cars a nice unexpected mud bath. So anyway, my experience was much like yours except I was in 4Lo and mud.

 

[gizmopt2002]

Sorry I don't mean to hijack the thread at all, but yesterday I went to an empty parking lot that was half-plowed. I toyed around with the whole system, BTW I have bald dunflops on. On 2HI in 8" of snow I was stuck. Popped it into 4HI and went off. Then popped it into 4LO once I got to a snow hill that was like 5 or so feet high and locked the center diff and it got a little better, but I knew I wasn't going anywhere because of my tires. Once I got done doing that i had some fun. I did donughts, but that damn clicking/beeping sound was annoying. Then I did the thing they do in movies. Put it into reverse, floored it, turned the wheel so i would turn around and then back into D. (Don't worry I was stopped.) It was fun. Played around some more and then went back home. Overall I was REALLY impressed with the overall system compared to my friends S10 truck and my other friend For Exploder. Sorry no vids or pics. I will do it again sometime with a video camera and tripod.

 

[Falls]

Hey Falls, glad to hear you were having fun in the snow. I was one of only 3 people to make it into our office in Tosa on Friday morning. It is fun plowing your way to work through 12 inches of virgin snow in your 4Runner, just like being the first on fresh powder when skiing.

Anyway, I didn't hit anything that gave me any trouble last weekend, but last spring I did think I got it stuck in the mud in the county grounds before the construction.

Basically, I got completely stopped in normal 4Hi, so I locked the center diff and put it in 4Lo. Once everything stopped beeping and clicking, I eased on the throttle. Didn't move at first so I kept giving it more gas and started moving at just a crawl. Once I got going a bit I got on the throttle all four tires were spinning as I saw mud shooting up from all four sides and had the splatter marks all up the sides to prove it.

Best part was when I came out and got back on the pavement, mud was shooting everywhere off my tires and truck. Gave some other cars a nice unexpected mud bath. So anyway, my experience was much like yours except I was in 4Lo and mud.

There were some fun trails back in there , and alot of dirts roads for being in the city , pretty cool spot..... but all gone now .


JB , just admit it , you want me to beat my truck :biggrin2:

 

[JB.]

That situation with the diff locked it will spin em....not quite like a vehicle with no nannies, but it will spin them pretty damn hard

Interesting. Guess I'm going to have to find a place to play around this winter.

 

[JB.]

JB , just admit it , you want me to beat my truck :biggrin2:

Well, yeah, but nothin' I'm not willing to do,..unless I can get somebody to go first.

 

[Baba Booey]

It may be worth mentioning (although I am sure most of you know this) that a good set of snow chains can make a HUGE difference when the need arises to travel through deep snow. Like night and day!

I understand that the intent here is to see what the 4Runner can do in the snow without chains, which would really kill the fun factor unless of course you were just doing some trail riding through deep snow.

It's too bad Toyota didn't design the 4Runner so that chains could be used up front, as well as on the rear wheels. Does anyone know whether some of the newer cable-type chains would clear the front suspension?

 

[Falls]

Well, yeah, but nothin' I'm not willing to do,..unless I can get somebody to go first.

LOL.... :biggrin2: