Toyota's 4wd vs my Tahoe?

[Rdfish1]

My new 2015 Limited 4wd 4runner is in route to the dealership but i just read something that makes me think the 4wd system on it will be inferior to my current Tahoe 4wd which has a Eaton locking rear end, it locks when a slight amt of wheel slippage is detected and i find it works very well. It appears the locking system on the 4runner is electronic but it does not come on the Limited, it is a feature of the Trail. Will my limited have an inferior 4wd system to my tahoe's 4wd by cirtue of not having the rear locker? Im sure it will be fine either way but i navigate mud, water and deep slippery mudruts in Florida.

 

[txbonds]

If it's a full time 4x4 model, it will have a locking center differential. You could then come back and add aftermarket front and rear lockers if you feel they are needed but I bet you will find the 4runner 4x4 more than adequate.

 

[Orc]

The limited or any runner for that matter won't be better than a z71. Chevy has a great auto locker and an extremely good 4x4 system.

My 14 runner is the first Toyota 4x4 that actually works half way right as in the 4x4 kicks in as fast as I turn the knob, no waiting or blinking of the lights when going on or off.

My 2007 would grind and take a long time to engage, my 2003 was a gear lever, I hated it and was not sure if it had actually engaged when using it.

Every chevy has worked flawlessly and the locker is nice since it kicks in on its own. My brief ownership of a 2015 duramax was the best yet.

 

[KidVermicious]

This thread is going to get good.

 

[Jetboy]

The Eaton trac lock is generally called a "trash lock" for a good reason. They really really really suck. It was a way for GM to claim they have a "locking differential" at the lowest possible cost - since it uses all the same axle assembly other than the differential internals and is never really noticeable on the highway like a detroit type locker. The trashloc require something like 10mph wheel speed difference to engage, which makes them all but useless in 99% of offroad type situations. The only place that they help is somewhere like a wet boat ramp. I know. I have one in my GM 2500. Totally worthless. I actually thought they must have forgotten to install it (i special ordered the truck) when I first took it out in some snow.

Even without a true locking differential, ATRAC is much better. It's not even close. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.

 

[Marcocopuffs]

Use your atrac

 

[USMCRUNNER]

You will be very happy with the Runners system and center diff lock. Toyota has a little bit of a clue when designing 4 wheel drive systems. It's no z71 :hail: but they do ok haha.

 

[IAmTodd]

Even without a true locking differential, ATRAC is much better. It's not even close. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.

I've been testing mine out with TCS on and off and TCS makes a huge difference keeping me moving. It doesn't cut much like my previous cars but it does a good job balancing the power on the rear wheels when in 2wd. In 4wd it hardly ever kicks in.

For street driving I think you'll be very pleased with the 4Runner.

 

[JayceeP]

I'm not a huge fan of how the full-time 4wd system grabs for traction when slipping. Once you lock the centre diff (turn a button) it is a completely different story.

 

[KidVermicious]

My 14 runner is the first Toyota 4x4 that actually works half way right

my 2003 was a gear lever, I hated it and was not sure if it had actually engaged when using it.

Every chevy has worked flawlessly

My brief ownership of a 2015 duramax was the best yet.

You could tell me the sun rises in the east right now and I'd still go outside to check.

 

[wfo9]

My new 2015 Limited 4wd 4runner is in route to the dealership but i just read something that makes me think the 4wd system on it will be inferior to my current Tahoe 4wd which has a Eaton locking rear end, it locks when a slight amt of wheel slippage is detected and i find it works very well. It appears the locking system on the 4runner is electronic but it does not come on the Limited, it is a feature of the Trail. Will my limited have an inferior 4wd system to my tahoe's 4wd by cirtue of not having the rear locker? Im sure it will be fine either way but i navigate mud, water and deep slippery mudruts in Florida.

Your Tahoe probably had a g80 rear in it. They work fine when used properly (as a low speed traction device), but they can have a slight delay before lock (100rpm slip is required). It is a purely mechanical auto locker system. Note: this only works on the rear drive. The front was most likely an open diff.


The limited T4R will have open diffs front and rear. However, if you are in 4LO you can activate the electronic traction control system called ATRAC. ATRAC works both front and rear. When it detects one wheels speed being greater than the other on a given axle, it uses the ABS system to apply some brake to the higher speed wheel so that power is distributed to the other. It works surprisingly well. Its not quite as good as being mechanically locked, but it works pretty darn good. Since it is front and rear it should provide you with more capability to keep moving than the Tahoe. It does heat the brakes a bit. so I'm not sure how effective it is in deep extended mud sections. It works great in rock crawling or most typical low speed offroading situations.

Even though my 4runner has selectable mechanical lockers front and rear, I often still use ATRAC. It has the advantage of keeping the vehicle from crabbing from side to side in extremely slick off camber situations. Both wheels spinning with a really low friction coefficient will cause the vehicle to walk side to side looking for traction (this can be very bad in tight situations)..... The ATRAC can still cause the same effect, but since it is not a fixed linked between the axles, the crabbing is greatly reduced. Another advantage of ATRAC is that steering is not degraded.

Mechanical lockers are still better for many situations, but ATRAC is almost always good enough to keep you moving. It's just not always graceful or super smooth.

Overall, I think you will be quite happy with the offroad traction when in 4LO with ATRAC engaged.

Don't listen to the Chevy haters here... We are not all that close minded I own both brands and have worked on all types of Chevys. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Here is a goofy Toyota video explaining how to use ATRAC. (they target a rather clueless demographic)

 

[gm350reratliff]

So if your mud bogging in the ruts why did you buy a limited?

Honestly, changing the tires will net you the most difference. If your tahoe was able to conquer Florida mud, your 4runner should be able to as well.

While the G80 GM locker is fully automatic and mechanical, they are very prone to failure. Its that 100 rpm difference that over time, takes its toll on them. I have busted a couple over the years. Also, all three acted very different from each other. One would lock all the time which would chirp the inside rear tire on tight turns and make driving on ice a little sketchy. Another one seemed to almost never lock up and needed much more wheel speed difference to lock (which is why I believe it failed so quick). The last one was just about right.

Watch the video and see how ATRAC works. In the rough stuff, it is about good as a locker and sometimes even better.

 

[Antman]

You could tell me the sun rises in the east right now and I'd still go outside to check.

That's some funny shit right there.

 

[3wbdriver]

Also, all three acted very different from each other. One would lock all the time which would chirp the inside rear tire on tight turns and make driving on ice a little sketchy. Another one seemed to almost never lock up and needed much more wheel speed difference to lock (which is why I believe it failed so quick). The last one was just about right.

Goldilocks? Is that you? :hiding:

 

[Canon_Bob]

My new 2015 Limited 4wd 4runner is in route to the dealership but i just read something that makes me think the 4wd system on it will be inferior to my current Tahoe 4wd which has a Eaton locking rear end, it locks when a slight amt of wheel slippage is detected and i find it works very well. It appears the locking system on the 4runner is electronic but it does not come on the Limited, it is a feature of the Trail. Will my limited have an inferior 4wd system to my tahoe's 4wd by cirtue of not having the rear locker? Im sure it will be fine either way but i navigate mud, water and deep slippery mudruts in Florida.

I'm in Florida too, and even though I have the Trail Edition, I've never had to even use my rear locker to get into any of my shooting locations as a wildlife photographer. In fact, the ONLY time I've even enabled the rear locker was to pull out some guy in a Chevy who had been stuck in the mud overnight. You'll be fine in your limited unless you try to go into places you probably don't belong in stock vehicle. Enjoy.

 

[Socalrugger]

You could tell me the sun rises in the east right now and I'd still go outside to check.

is that you Stifler? :clap2:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

One thing I have noticed about Domestic 4WD systems over the years is that Toyota's seems to be much better balanced; i.e. on-road they are much better than most Domestic systems and off-road they seem to work just as good if not a bit better, where as most Domestics are decent/good off-road but very poor on-road.

 

[gm350reratliff]

Goldilocks? Is that you? :hiding:

:spy:

 

[adam2562]

for the record.. the 4runner would OWN a tahoe or any z71 or anything similar.. just saying..

 

[CatskillsRunner]

To the OP, don't discount the fact that you are getting what I consider to be a far superior vehicle in every way, not just the 4x4 system.

I never had a Tahoe, but I am on my 4th GM truck. My husband is on his second. They normally sit in the driveway unless they are pulling a trailer, but I have had my fair share of issues despite the fact that I have not racked up the miles. The first one, a 1500 Silverado right out of college~transmission went as soon as I was over the warranty limit, the second one~shut itself off randomly, scaring the shit out of me. At speed. No one could solve that issue, and before I threw in the towel it refused to start at an endurance race 6 hours from our house. Finally it did, but I stopped using it. The shops we took it to never did figure out what was wrong with it. Before we traded it that transmission was also on its way out. Traded for a 2009 2500, which was trouble free, and currently have a 2009 3500 dually which is also trouble free. My husband had to have his 2007 2500's transmission replaced at 27k. Has had good luck with this truck. My husband won't consider Dodge, and we test drove a Ford that he hated. So that's that.

So that's 6 Silveradoes, 3 bad transmissions, and other issues that werent nearly as big a deal, but made me not trust them, or at least the ones we traded. No, the 4x4 systems did not go, but that makes little difference if everything falls to pieces around it. I would take the 4runner in a heartbeat over a Chevy, no pun intended. They are just solid.

My husband had to move the 4runner to plow the driveway the other night: called it a "snow buggy."