SR5 Vs Trail Off Road Capability

[codyaustin5]

I have lived in CO my whole life and have had plenty of Toyota's and I have never used the center diff, rear diff and all the other crap. I do a ton of mtn driving, camping and moderate trails. I don't do any rock climbing or anything like that but never got myself in a situation where I even thought about those things. Used 4lo to get out of stuff but still fairly easy. Maybe I have been lucky?

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Yep, I enjoyed turining TC off in the snow this past weekend

What is snow. 80 degrees in Arizona today.

 

[SigSense]

What is snow. 80 degrees in Arizona today.

Not up in Flagstaff, it will be 20 degrees there tonight.... snow this weekend is possible!

 

[sdguyman]

I highly recommend that you take a look at the videos sticky on this site. You will note some very capable SR5's doing some rock crawling.

 

[Hawkdog21]

No one is saying the SR5 isn't capable. Very capable. But if you have ever done any REAL 4wheeling, i am not talking driving over curbs in mall parking lots, you will know how important lockers are. Straight up stock vs. stock, the trail obviously has a huge advantage mechanically. Now when you start talking about thousands of dollars worth of mods, this thread becomes useless.

 

[BFLAN]

No one is saying the SR5 isn't capable. Very capable. But if you have ever done any REAL 4wheeling, i am not talking driving over curbs in mall parking lots, you will know how important lockers are. Straight up stock vs. stock, the trail obviously has a huge advantage mechanically. Now when you start talking about thousands of dollars worth of mods, this thread becomes useless.

Could not have said it better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thebwlife]

No one is saying the SR5 isn't capable. Very capable. But if you have ever done any REAL 4wheeling, i am not talking driving over curbs in mall parking lots, you will know how important lockers are. Straight up stock vs. stock, the trail obviously has a huge advantage mechanically. Now when you start talking about thousands of dollars worth of mods, this thread becomes useless.

Straight up money vs money the SR5 wins, you can do like 4K of lockers, armor, lift, tires and still have enough money to buy that gas station burrito.

 

[JB.]

So exciting to have someone in the house whose done REAL 4wheeling.......it's just like so rugged and everything!

 

[Hawkdog21]

Straight up money vs money the SR5 wins, you can do like 4K of lockers, armor, lift, tires and still have enough money to buy that gas station burrito.

And you could buy a one thousand dollar FJ40, and drop a vortec, 5.0 atlas II, pro rock 60s, 18" fox coilvers, and 39" red labels. We can play this game all day boss

The guy asked to compare the two stock, not one stock and one with 4 grand worth of mods (which will not get you as far as you say in your post, this isn't 1996 anymore buddy)

 

[Shnarf1]

i wanted the TE but needed the third row of seats

 

[homeyclaus]

I think in the hands of a capable driver, they're about equal off-road.

There are times when a locking rear diff is useful. The extra skid plating is nice to have.

I agree with SeattleMike and others about the TE's better on-road handling with KDSS, and that was my primary reason. The gauges are nicer too.

My other reasons:

1. Our kid's other name is Mr. Spill-it. Any kind of fabric that doesn't let liquids through is good thing.

2. I have bad luck with painted plastic fenders, and as such, don't think they're worth the $400.00 paint job they have. Black is fine, and it comes shipped that way - buy it and clip it on whenever it breaks.

3. The off-road gizmos are actually pretty useful for people who have never driven off-road, like my wife. She knows what the buttons do, follows the instructions on the center console, and lets the computer help her. I can't drive the thing all the time, so it was a nice bonus with the better handling.

Also, the sand/mud mode, I have discovered, makes driving on miles and miles of sand seriously less tiring - you don't have to watch the throttle as much because it won't let you dig the truck in as easily. I was kind of surprised at this finding.

 

[KCcarguy]

If you have an inclination to buy a TE, do it. I rationalized my decision to buy an sr-5 because I don't do any rock-crawling, etc. But, I still lust after the TE's every time I'm on the forum. I'll admit it's mostly aesthetics for me but, if I could do it over again, I would spend the extra money on a TE with aftermarket leather rather than an sr-5 w/ premium pkg.

 

[blademan]

Well, I wouldn't call myself an off-road expert by any means. And I don't do the "Rubicon" on weekends - but I have used all the features of the TE and done so recently on some pretty hairy roads in the southern Appalacians. Here is my impressions:

1. The accent/decent speed control has some limited use - mostly on steeper uphill climbs over rocky terrain. I have used it on roads that approache 40+ degs with large rocks in the track. It climbed up effortlessly and I didn't have to worry about bouncing around into a tree from gouging the gas inadvertantly. The down-hill use of this feature is less useful IMO. It works much like the old DAC on my '07 but with variable speeds. I tried it just to say I did but frankly it was too fast, even on the slowest speed, and allowed for too much suspension bounce and travel when going over the big rocks. Thought once I had crimped my rocker panel - then I realized I aint got one :thumb3:

2. The multi-terrain I have not had the best opportunity to test. It seemed to do it's thing well in the rocks and when I've gotten in in mud- it worked there too.

3. A-trac is the $&!t :thumb3: ...but you get that either way...

4. Rear diff lock is better than the $&!t. I intentionally got myself into a tight spot last week on a slightly slick and particularly steep portion of the road. I stopped in the middle of the incline and then tried to crawl out. I went from 4lo only, then turned on the rock mode, then went A-trac on (which almost did the trick) then finally I stopped - locked the Rdiff- and she crawled out with very little wheel spin. :guitar3:

If I had had a SR5 in that situation, I could have gotten out of course, but I would have had to back down, get up some momentum and hit at a different course and probably spun some mud on my ride - not that that wouldn't have been fun too.

 

[ahe_ca]

Does 2011 SR5 4x4 drop the lock differential

I am planning to buy a 4runner for serious off-road, mostly hunting trips.

I want to get the TE, for it has the rear lock diff, 33/26 app/dep angle vs 27/25 on SR5 and limited. However, it is very difficult to find a TE in southern california.

Then I looked SR5 4x4, and noticed that they have no lock diff. In the broucher, TE offers read diff lock, and limited offers center diff lock, but nothing on SR5.

Does this compromise the off-road capability? What make SR5 4x4 different from an AWD, like Highlander?

Allen

 

[Quentin]

I am planning to buy a 4runner for serious off-road, mostly hunting trips.

I want to get the TE, for it has the rear lock diff, 33/26 app/dep angle vs 27/25 on SR5 and limited. However, it is very difficult to find a TE in southern california.

Then I looked SR5 4x4, and noticed that they have no lock diff. In the broucher, TE offers read diff lock, and limited offers center diff lock, but nothing on SR5.

Does this compromise the off-road capability? What make SR5 4x4 different from an AWD, like Highlander?

Allen

SR5 and TE have center diff "lock" by default. They are a part time 4WD system with no center diff. Basically, when you put it in 4WD, the front and rear prop shafts are locked together, always at the same speed. A center diff will allow the front and rear prop shafts to go at different speeds which is why the full time 4WD limited needs a center diff lock feature. A highlander is a "slip and pray" type 4WD. You need to meet a certain number of conditions to ensure that power is going to the rear wheels. The SR5 and TE are always sending power to the front and rear wheels when you are in 4WD.

The SR5, especially with standard ATRAC, is very capable offroad. The TE is more capable for the reasons mentioned (Locking rear diff, better approach angles), but the SR5 should handle anything you throw at it on your hunting trips.

 

[Dlak]

I am planning to buy a 4runner for serious off-road, mostly hunting trips.

I want to get the TE, for it has the rear lock diff, 33/26 app/dep angle vs 27/25 on SR5 and limited. However, it is very difficult to find a TE in southern california.

Then I looked SR5 4x4, and noticed that they have no lock diff. In the broucher, TE offers read diff lock, and limited offers center diff lock, but nothing on SR5.

Does this compromise the off-road capability? What make SR5 4x4 different from an AWD, like Highlander?

Allen

Have you checked with Longo Toyota? They has atleast 10 of them when I bought my truck.

 

[ahe_ca]

SR5 and TE have center diff "lock" by default. They are a part time 4WD system with no center diff. Basically, when you put it in 4WD, the front and rear prop shafts are locked together, always at the same speed. A center diff will allow the front and rear prop shafts to go at different speeds which is why the full time 4WD limited needs a center diff lock feature. A highlander is a "slip and pray" type 4WD. You need to meet a certain number of conditions to ensure that power is going to the rear wheels. The SR5 and TE are always sending power to the front and rear wheels when you are in 4WD.

The SR5, especially with standard ATRAC, is very capable offroad. The TE is more capable for the reasons mentioned (Locking rear diff, better approach angles), but the SR5 should handle anything you throw at it on your hunting trips.

Thank you so much for explaining this! If I understand what you said correctly, by putting a part-time 4wd on, it will force both front and rear wheels moving at the same speed, however, the left and right wheels can move at different speed, (i.e., front left =rear left, front right = rear right, but rear left < or = or > rear right), and that is why TE has an extra rear diff lock feature forcing left and right moving together. Am I right?

I really have no previous experience on 4x4, please allow me a ask another silly question: why there are H4(High speed) and L4 (low speed) on part-time 4WD system? what happens to the shaft when switching between them?

 

[ahe_ca]

I checked Longgo yesterday and they have none! No one is even taking order due to the earthquake in Japan.

 

[harper7]

I am planning to buy a 4runner for serious off-road, mostly hunting trips.

I want to get the TE, for it has the rear lock diff, 33/26 app/dep angle vs 27/25 on SR5 and limited. However, it is very difficult to find a TE in southern california.

Then I looked SR5 4x4, and noticed that they have no lock diff. In the broucher, TE offers read diff lock, and limited offers center diff lock, but nothing on SR5.

Does this compromise the off-road capability? What make SR5 4x4 different from an AWD, like Highlander?

Allen

The approach/departure angles of all 3 model are the exact same if you take off the plastic spoiler pieces off the front bumpers of the Limited/SR5 like alot have done. The actual metal bumpers underneath the plastic covers and spoiler pieces are all the same.

The 25 degree of the rear departure of the Limited/SR5 had to have been measured with the chrome tailpipe on IMO because the hitch receiver is the lowest point without it on and the hitch receiver is the same on all 3 models.

The rear e-locker of the TE would definitely be great to have!!ARB makes a rear air locker for the SR5/Limiteds but I don't think anyone has installed one yet.

 

[Quentin]

Thank you so much for explaining this! If I understand what you said correctly, by putting a part-time 4wd on, it will force both front and rear wheels moving at the same speed, however, the left and right wheels can move at different speed, (i.e., front left =rear left, front right = rear right, but rear left < or = or > rear right), and that is why TE has an extra rear diff lock feature forcing left and right moving together. Am I right?

Yup, that is spot on.

I really have no previous experience on 4x4, please allow me a ask another silly question: why there are H4(High speed) and L4 (low speed) on part-time 4WD system? what happens to the shaft when switching between them?

Going into low just changes between an 1:1 ratio in the transfer case to a 2:1 (IIRC). Basically, it is a torque multiplier. If you are in a situation where you want lower speed and higher torque than 1st gear normally offers, low range will get you that. It is good for getting moving in a situation where traction isn't the best and normal application of the gas would be setting the traction control off.

Here is a picture of a 3rd gen transfer case. Best I can find for you.

The approach/departure angles of all 3 model are the exact same if you take off the plastic spoiler pieces off the front bumpers of the Limited/SR5 like alot have done. The actual metal bumpers underneath the plastic covers and spoiler pieces are all the same.

The 25 degree of the rear departure of the Limited/SR5 had to have been measured with the chrome tailpipe on IMO because the hitch receiver is the lowest point without it on and the hitch receiver is the same on all 3 models.

The rear e-locker of the TE would definitely be great to have!!ARB makes a rear air locker for the SR5/Limiteds but I don't think anyone has installed one yet.

We're all waiting on you to get one first!