LImited Slip equipped
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CJ3Flyr
Super Moderator
You don't have a mechanical limited-slip differential as is being referred to with the 30k fluid change reference. You do have limited-slip functionality via the A-Trac ( a brake activated limited-slip system).
Changing diff fluid at 30k is a good idea if tow or off-road even though you don't have an internal mechanical limited-slip mechanism.
What is LSD (Limited Slip Differential)? It's a mechanism that allows power to be transferred from the wheel that is spinning to the wheel that has traction. It can be done in a few different ways inside the differential, some work better than others. The Toyota uses a computer controlled system that pinches the brake disc on the wheel that's spinning. This forces the power to be tranferred to the wheel with the grip.
Changing diff fluid at 30k is a good idea if tow or off-road even though you don't have an internal mechanical limited-slip mechanism.
What is LSD (Limited Slip Differential)? It's a mechanism that allows power to be transferred from the wheel that is spinning to the wheel that has traction. It can be done in a few different ways inside the differential, some work better than others. The Toyota uses a computer controlled system that pinches the brake disc on the wheel that's spinning. This forces the power to be tranferred to the wheel with the grip.
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magnumfan
New member
Excellent description of how the ATRAC works
Good on you dude. For what ever reason a lot of T4R owners simply dont get it. Ive owned about half a dozen 4X4s and it took me ages to get my head around how this worked, simply because its anti-intuitive, using brakes to apply torque back into the system to lock the system up.
I love mine, Ive taken it places I would be hessitant about with my previous Nissans or Chevys or Fords...
have a great 08
Joe
CJ3Flyr said:
Good on you dude. For what ever reason a lot of T4R owners simply dont get it. Ive owned about half a dozen 4X4s and it took me ages to get my head around how this worked, simply because its anti-intuitive, using brakes to apply torque back into the system to lock the system up.
I love mine, Ive taken it places I would be hessitant about with my previous Nissans or Chevys or Fords...
have a great 08
Joe
The ATRAC works very well , I would say more like a type of locker than limited slip or combination of both. It works really well , and Ive gone through so many situations and its quite a peace of mind have tru 4wd with all 4 wheels being able to spin and drive .
There was a video here with truck going through some of the same stuff with a locker vs the ATRAC and it was pretty impressive.
There was a video here with truck going through some of the same stuff with a locker vs the ATRAC and it was pretty impressive.
magnumfan
New member
Hey Falls
I am also very impressed with what Toyota has done with the ATRAC. I grew up with the old school kit, lockers and LSDs, military trucks and the like and then onto Toyotas, Nissans, Chevys and Fords
I wish Toyota would put more effort into explaining how the ATRAC works, and all of the parts like the VSC and ABS and their relationships. I actually think Toyota has done themselves a dis-service, in how they teach their sales folks about it. I got into quite the arguement with a sales guy and a service guy about putting an LSD into mine, because I did not understand how/what the ATRAC was. And I almost spent the money to put an aftermarket LSD or the ARB airlocker system into it, untill I played and played with the ATRAC in mud, rocks, snow etc to figure out how it works.
I used to be a big airlocker fan, and I guess if I owned a normal 4x4 thats what I would do, but with ATRAC, its no money honey. No need to upgrade and Im a happy boy.
Im looking forward to this snow dump starting tomorrow night, going to go and play in it over the next few days
Joe
Falls said:
I am also very impressed with what Toyota has done with the ATRAC. I grew up with the old school kit, lockers and LSDs, military trucks and the like and then onto Toyotas, Nissans, Chevys and Fords
I wish Toyota would put more effort into explaining how the ATRAC works, and all of the parts like the VSC and ABS and their relationships. I actually think Toyota has done themselves a dis-service, in how they teach their sales folks about it. I got into quite the arguement with a sales guy and a service guy about putting an LSD into mine, because I did not understand how/what the ATRAC was. And I almost spent the money to put an aftermarket LSD or the ARB airlocker system into it, untill I played and played with the ATRAC in mud, rocks, snow etc to figure out how it works.
I used to be a big airlocker fan, and I guess if I owned a normal 4x4 thats what I would do, but with ATRAC, its no money honey. No need to upgrade and Im a happy boy.
Im looking forward to this snow dump starting tomorrow night, going to go and play in it over the next few days
Joe
magnumfan
New member
Re: Hey Falls
I forgot to mention, and I dont have a pic (cannot find that camera - Im guessing Ive lost it), so no pic, so take this for what its worth, I climbed an icy slope on Tuesday in mine and I think only 1 wheel had contact with anything like traction, the 4R kept slewing sideways as it climbed, it was only like 8 or 10 feet, but it did it. I stopped at the top and took a look and there was only one tire track that looked like it was in dirt, the rest were clearly in snow with what looked like ice underneath.
1 one wheel pulling 4x4, now thats a system that is working very well
joe
magnumfan said:
I forgot to mention, and I dont have a pic (cannot find that camera - Im guessing Ive lost it), so no pic, so take this for what its worth, I climbed an icy slope on Tuesday in mine and I think only 1 wheel had contact with anything like traction, the 4R kept slewing sideways as it climbed, it was only like 8 or 10 feet, but it did it. I stopped at the top and took a look and there was only one tire track that looked like it was in dirt, the rest were clearly in snow with what looked like ice underneath.
1 one wheel pulling 4x4, now thats a system that is working very well
joe
CJ3Flyr said:
Actually, don't forget that in addition to the ATRAC system the 4WD 4Runner also has an innovative Torsen limited-slip CENTER differential with locking feature that can vary power front to rear. Thai posted lots of good technical detail on its function on page 2 of this thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=12&perpage=15&pagenumber=2
CJ3Flyr
Super Moderator
A-Trac is cool and in this case it's executed very well. My Nissan Titan had a similar system but the combo of less than ideal programming, marginal rear brakes (in terms of size and pad compound) and a big, torquey V8 lead to less than stellar results. The ALBS, as Nissan called it, was far better than a straight open diff but if the brakes were slightly wet or you applied a decent amount of throttle the ALBS simply wasn
Thai
Elite Member
Here is a thread on ATRAC:http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5036
Its quite a cool feature and a fantastic traction aide. Its done great in all my wheeling circumstances.
I do agree the locker or being able to lock front and rears would be the cats a$$ , but I'm more than happy with it .
At what RPM does the Atrac works its best , anyone know on the 4R , I would guess to much or to little throttle would change the way it operates > wrong or right ?
I do agree the locker or being able to lock front and rears would be the cats a$$ , but I'm more than happy with it .
At what RPM does the Atrac works its best , anyone know on the 4R , I would guess to much or to little throttle would change the way it operates > wrong or right ?
Mike07SE
New member
So can anybody convince me then, as good or great as the A-Trac system is, why I couldn't also put in a limited slip such as the Detroit TrueTrac? I agree that the system works very well and something like this would only help it out even further. I work on new M-B's for a living, and one thing that is apparent are the normal cars vs. the AMG's that are equiped with an LSD on top of the computer's traction control system. LSD mechanically couples both drive wheels together- the wheels are always coupled, which doubles the effective contact patch to the road. This increases the threshold at which the wheels will start to spin dramatically. Unlike the OE solution, the wheels may never spin and VSC will not intervene, I see this as an active approach to limiting wheel spin. Now with the LSD and the VSC working in conjuction, I can see this being a very kick-ass combination.
magnumfan
New member
adding an LSD or AirLocker to a 4Gen T4R
Hey Mike, absolutely you can.
I costed it out, if you went with an ARB AirLocker, the parts are about $800 and the work is like $800, so $1600 out the door, an Alison LSD is a bit cheaper.
I seriously considered it - but took a few weekends away playing with my T4R in various situations, creeks, mud, snow, dirt, loose gravel and I have pretty much changed my mind. Hell its a free country, if you want to upgrade, you will have an almost unstoppable 4R.
Go for it, or not.
all the best
joe
Mike07SE said:
Hey Mike, absolutely you can.
I costed it out, if you went with an ARB AirLocker, the parts are about $800 and the work is like $800, so $1600 out the door, an Alison LSD is a bit cheaper.
I seriously considered it - but took a few weekends away playing with my T4R in various situations, creeks, mud, snow, dirt, loose gravel and I have pretty much changed my mind. Hell its a free country, if you want to upgrade, you will have an almost unstoppable 4R.
Go for it, or not.
all the best
joe
Baba Booey
New member
Doesn't the 2WD 4Runner come with an LSD in the rear? Perhaps that is what the maintenance schedule is referring to.
