A-Trac vs. Multi-Terrain Select

[Narkhelek]

As far as I understand it both a-trac and MTS will break a spinning wheel to force torque to the grounded wheel. However, I'm not clear on why you would use one feature over the other. In what circumstance would it be better to use a-trac vs. MTS? Can anyone share some insight as to what feature to use for various situations? Thanks!

 

[SeattleMike]

As far as I understand it both a-trac and MTS will break a spinning wheel to force torque to the grounded wheel. However, I'm not clear on why you would use one feature over the other. In what circumstance would it be better to use a-trac vs. MTS? Can anyone share some insight as to what feature to use for various situations? Thanks!

MTS allows for some (or none) wheelspin based on the setting selected. A-Trac is either on or off, the driver has no other control over it.

 

[Narkhelek]

MTS allows for some (or none) wheelspin based on the setting selected. A-Trac is either on or off, the driver has no other control over it.

That's pretty much what I figured. I guess what I'm not understanding is why have a-trac at all if it's duplicated by MTS?

 

[1000MPH]

Atrac got me out of a jam when my 2 rears had zero traction (with diff lock on) and the front right was digging a hole. MTS: I'm not so sure how it works but it seems to give a softer ride in the Mogul position. Probably my imagination.

 

[mgrande]

Lets say youre in mud (not stuck), you wouldnt want necessarily want atrac on because it it brakes so hard it could kill your momentum. Same with sand. The multi select gives you varying degrees of brake engagement depending on the situation.Now if you're crawling in rocks or stuck atrac is what you want.

 

[Narkhelek]

So in decreasing order of wheel slippage would this be accurate?

mud, sand, dirt -> loose rock -> mogul -> rock -> a-trac

 

[renau001]

Resurrecting a thread here. I've read all the threads I could find on this with no real clear answers. I still don't fully understand the differences between/when to use or not use MTS and A-TRAC. Is it accurate to say that A-TRAC affects starting/accelerating more and MTS affects braking/stopping more? Meaning that if I'm worried about stopping using MTS is more important and if worried about staying moving A-TRAC is more important? Hopefully this makes sense.

 

[Antman]

Resurrecting a thread here. I've read all the threads I could find on this with no real clear answers. I still don't fully understand the differences between/when to use or not use MTS and A-TRAC. Is it accurate to say that A-TRAC affects starting/accelerating more and MTS affects braking/stopping more? Meaning that if I'm worried about stopping using MTS is more important and if worried about staying moving A-TRAC is more important? Hopefully this makes sense.

ATRAC is off-road traction control. MTS is basically ATRAC tuned in to work better under specific conditions.

 

[Land_Shark]

Resurrecting a thread here. I've read all the threads I could find on this with no real clear answers. I still don't fully understand the differences between/when to use or not use MTS and A-TRAC. Is it accurate to say that A-TRAC affects starting/accelerating more and MTS affects braking/stopping more? Meaning that if I'm worried about stopping using MTS is more important and if worried about staying moving A-TRAC is more important? Hopefully this makes sense.

Think of MTS as ATRAC, but you get to select the level of intrusiveness. MTS level 1 will allow much more wheel spin, but it will eventually apply ABS to that spinning wheel. If you set MTS to the highest setting (rock?) then it would brake that spinning wheel quicker. That's all. ATRAC is is basically the high setting of MTS or close to it give or take (I think it's a bit quicker to stop wheel spin). I really wish they didn't call it MTS and instead named it ATRAC Levels 1-4.

 

[renau001]

That makes sense, thanks! Just a couple follow-ups. Sorry, I know I just need to get out and play around with this stuff soon. If you have MTS on in 4Lo, do you guys notice any difference if you switch A-TRAC on or off? That is, does it change the effect of each different MTS level or just override MTS and go to full-on A-TRAC? And somewhat unrelated, do you guys run the rear locker and A-TRAC/MTS at the same time? The manual talks about a bunch of ABS and brake assist stuff disabling when the rear is locked which seems like it would reduce the impact A-TRAC could have on the fronts.

 

[Land_Shark]

That makes sense, thanks! Just a couple follow-ups. Sorry, I know I just need to get out and play around with this stuff soon. If you have MTS on in 4Lo, do you guys notice any difference if you switch A-TRAC on or off? That is, does it change the effect of each different MTS level or just override MTS and go to full-on A-TRAC? And somewhat unrelated, do you guys run the rear locker and A-TRAC/MTS at the same time? The manual talks about a bunch of ABS and brake assist stuff disabling when the rear is locked which seems like it would reduce the impact A-TRAC could have on the fronts.

You definitely have to get out and try this stuff on your own, including crawl control. Best way is to visit some gnarly forest roads or even better, an off-road park and take your time learning it with a buddy in a second vehicle. This way you don't feel rushed and can learn at your speed. That time invested earlier on will make future adventures with your truck more enjoyable and you'll have a better shot at using these features correctly to reduce chance for damage, etc. This is exactly what I did and it made much more sense in the field.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think ATRAC over-rides MTS since they both utilize the ABS system to function. Having both on at the same time (assuming it's possible, honestly I forget) is useless. I will run the rear locker and ATRAC only on very technical rock terrain, where I want basically zero wheel spin. That said, just using ATRAC and a good spotter usually does the trick. I think I've only used both the locker and ATRAC at the same time once. I believe ATRAC still functions on the front axles, just not the rear, since it's locked.

Good luck and go mess with it on some slippery trails, that'll show you pretty quickly how it all works.

 

[4Rager]

That's pretty much what I figured. I guess what I'm not understanding is why have a-trac at all if it's duplicated by MTS?

I think that that's why the new Tacoma simply has MTS, but not an A-TRAC button like 4Runners. From my experience, any time I've used it I just pressed the A-TRAC button instead of using MTS and it worked just fine. I used it this weekend when even the locker wasn't getting me up a steep rutted hill. At first I was thinking it wasn't going to make it, but then I noticed it seems to work better if you turn the wheels another direction other than straight up the hill until it's finds traction and crawls up. I would be curious to see how it would have done done if I simply used Crawl Control instead of A-TRAC and my own foot.

 

[renau001]

I think that that's why the new Tacoma simply has MTS, but not an A-TRAC button like 4Runners. From my experience, any time I've used it I just pressed the A-TRAC button instead of using MTS and it worked just fine. I used it this weekend when even the locker wasn't getting me up a steep rutted hill. At first I wasn't thinking it wasn't going to make it, but then I noticed it seems to work better if you turn the wheels another direction other than straight up the hill until it's finds traction and crawls up. I would be curious to see how it would have done done if I simply used Crawl Control instead of A-TRAC and my own foot.

If I remember right, the Tacoma has MTS/CC for automatics and A-TRAC for manuals. It's obvious why CC is only for automatics, but not intuitively obvious why they chose MTS exclusively for autos and A-TRAC for manuals. Oh well, I guess none of this matters all that much, just get out and figure out what works.

 

[johnbt]

I'll never learn the options, I'm too lazy to read the directions. (I'm fine in sand fwiw and off to a week in Nags Head and Hatteras tomorrow.)

I few weeks ago I pulled my heavy 1648 jon boat through a mile or so of woods to get to a private lake with no ramp. We just wanted to do some bass fishing. Backing down the steep hay field hill went well and I got the trailer out into the water. The edge of the lake was soggy and my rear wheels pretty much slowly sank to the hubs. Dang it.

My boat has decks, 3 60-pound batteries, two trolling motors and bunch of stuff. So there I sat pointed uphill. What to do? Read the directions on the passenger-side visor? Get the manual out? Play with the pretty buttons? Cuss?

Nah. I broke out the 30' ARB recovery strap and had an old Trooper pull my tires out of the holes. It was quick and easy.

 

[On Point]

I'll never learn the options, I'm too lazy to read the directions. (I'm fine in sand fwiw and off to a week in Nags Head and Hatteras tomorrow.)

I few weeks ago I pulled my heavy 1648 jon boat through a mile or so of woods to get to a private lake with no ramp. We just wanted to do some bass fishing. Backing down the steep hay field hill went well and I got the trailer out into the water. The edge of the lake was soggy and my rear wheels pretty much slowly sank to the hubs. Dang it.

My boat has decks, 3 60-pound batteries, two trolling motors and bunch of stuff. So there I sat pointed uphill. What to do? Read the directions on the passenger-side visor? Get the manual out? Play with the pretty buttons? Cuss?

Nah. I broke out the 30' ARB recovery strap and had an old Trooper pull my tires out of the holes. It was quick and easy.

Revived a 2 year old thread just to show the world your laziness...?

 

[johnbt]

That's how it goes when you're doing google searches while you're watching tv and not paying attention.

And packing to go to the beach tomorrow to do a little fishing.

And helping your fiancee book flights and a hotel room in Florida because her 70-year-old brother had brain surgery for a massive tumor and has maybe a year to live at the most.

 

[1996_Valencia_Owen]

There's another aspect oF MTS. Think of it letting you both set how intrusive you want ATRAC to be, but also think of it as having a Pedal Commander-style effect on throttle mapping.

Meaning, it softens how much the gas pedal impacts engine revving. ie, you wouldn't want any wheelspin on moguls or boulders, so it softens the gas pedal a ton so you can more easily feather it over the bumps.

And in mud you want tons of wheelspins to power through so it ramps the throttle way up so it basically can do burnouts thru the mud. And it tells ATRAC to scale way back cuz the wheelspin is ok until you get out of the mud.

Once out of the mud, you switch back to Sand or whatever again, and if the conditions allow you to go faster than low range, you turn off ATRAC (it's 4LO only), leave MTS on, and accelerate down the trail til the next rough spot where you need ATRAC again.

 

[Crocket]

So MTS can be used in 4-Hi mode, while A-Trac is 4-Low mode only, correct?

 

[e60ral]

Correct, A-TRAC is 4Lo only :rtfm: section 4-5

Mud & Sand can be used in 4hi or 4lo, other MTS settings are 4lo only. Section 4-5 also has a table for which MTS setting is recommended for various terrains