Center Differential
- Thread starter Lexington
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progress4m
Member
Limited only -for 5th (current) generation 4Runner that is.
2021nightshade4x4
New member
Lexington
Member
Ok thanks. I knew the limited had it for sure but I wasn’t sure about the SR5.
Captain Planet
Member
I'd rather have a transfer case.
Whippersnapper02
Senior Member
You still have one but with a full time 4wd (AWD) option. I'd like AWD and would have liked it in my supercharged Tacoma.
Captain Planet
Member
You don't have a transfer case in a Limited.
You have a center diff that can lock.
2021nightshade4x4
New member
The Limited has a differential which is lockable, in it's Aisin full-time 4wd transfer Case.
The SR5 and TRD models, have a part-time Aisin transfer case with no differential. When you shift those into 4wd, the front and rear output shafts turn at the same speed, with no differentiation.
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2021nightshade4x4
New member
I was initially a Jeep/Dodge guy and owned vehicles with both an NV242 and NV249.
The Jeep with the 249 is great, never “had” to use low range to get unstuck. Just keep it in full time.
Durango with SelecTrac is great to have all those options (and 2WD is one less light on the dash, LOL) but I like the “set it and forget it”.
Yes it’s fun to geek out with the 2WD - N - 4FT - 4PT - 4LO.
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The Jeep with the 249 is great, never “had” to use low range to get unstuck. Just keep it in full time.
Durango with SelecTrac is great to have all those options (and 2WD is one less light on the dash, LOL) but I like the “set it and forget it”.
Yes it’s fun to geek out with the 2WD - N - 4FT - 4PT - 4LO.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
downshift
New member
Yes
The Limited has a center diff with these options:
4H (full time AWD) with diff unlocked
4H with diff locked
4L with diff locked
Other models, with a transfer case, have these options:
2H
4H (no option but locked because it's a transfer case, not a diff)
4L (no option but locked because it's a transfer case, not a diff)
The advantage of a center diff is that you have the 4H with diff unlocked mode. You don't have this option with a transfer case. 4H with diff unlocked is probably best for the off roading that most of us do. If you're into intense gnarly rock crawling, a transfer case might be better. On snow and ice, a center diff is better. On your average dirt road, even if it's pretty rough with ruts, rocks and loose stuff, a center diff is better most of the time. You don't have to force one tire to drag in a tight turn.
Some people might say you get better mileage in 2H than you do in full time AWD, but in the real world, this is really really minimal. Toyota does not list different mileage numbers for the different models.
There seems to be some confusion as to what a transfer case is. The Limited has a differential which is lockable IN it's Aisin transfer case.
The Limited most certainly has a transfer case. The Aisin VF4BM, to be exact.
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Whippersnapper02
Senior Member
If you really think about it, the non Limiteds are an open diff until you lock it.
Thank you. This is correct.
Limited = Front Diff, Transfer Case, Center Diff, Rear Diff
All others with 4WD = Front Diff, Transfer Case, Rear Diff
All others without 4WD = Rear Diff only
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DAW89446
Member
Happy to have found this thread. Cleared up a lot for me, as a friend (Wrangler) and I were having a discussion whether there was a center differential or not on 4WD’s. I’ve heard of some brands and models with them. Otherwise it was my understanding that a transfer case was basically open in 4HI and locking only in 4LO.
Doubling down, when you’re clearly wrong. Nice.
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downshift
New member
Think of it like this. The rear differential has an input shaft and two output shafts. Because it is a differential, the two output shafts (left and right) can turn at different speeds. If you lock your rear differential, it's still a diff, it's just temporarily locked.
Same thing with the center diff: it has an input shaft (from the engine/trans) and two output shafts (one to the front and one to the rear). Because it's a differential, the two output shafts can turn at different speeds. Locking a center differential doesn't change it into a transfer case, it's just temporarily locked.
A transfer case has an input shaft (again, from the engine) and two output shafts (again, to the front and rear). Because it is not a differential, the two output shafts must always turn at the same speed.
If the two output shafts can turn at different speeds, it's a differential. If they can't, it's a transfer case.
Same thing with the center diff: it has an input shaft (from the engine/trans) and two output shafts (one to the front and one to the rear). Because it's a differential, the two output shafts can turn at different speeds. Locking a center differential doesn't change it into a transfer case, it's just temporarily locked.
A transfer case has an input shaft (again, from the engine) and two output shafts (again, to the front and rear). Because it is not a differential, the two output shafts must always turn at the same speed.
If the two output shafts can turn at different speeds, it's a differential. If they can't, it's a transfer case.
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One more time. The Limited has a transfer case. The Aisin VF4BM. Inside the Aisin VF4BM, there is a differential, which allows the front and rear output shafts to turn at different speeds, thus avoiding drivetrain binding. This is full-time 4wd.
When the Limited transfer case is locked in 4hi or 4lo, it locks the differential in the transfer case, and front and rear output shafts turn at the same speed with no differentiation.
When the Limited transfer case is locked, it behaves exactly like the part-time transfer cases in the SR5 and TRD models.
Lexington
Member
Before I owned a Isuzu Trooper. It was very similar to the limited in that it had a center diff. You pushed a button and it was in 4WD. When you were in snow you pushed another button and it had a 4LO gear too. I was simple to use but it was still very capable off road.
