Traction Control OFF??

[footdoc]

There's also a plug on the brake reservoir or master cylinder, somewhere around there that you can pull which will disable the nannies.

Personally I don't find they have ever put me in a spot which I felt endangered. If VSC kicked in when you were trying to pull onto a road, that's because you were too aggressive on the throttle.

Once I was driving on in the winter and hit a patch of ice so I tried to coast through it but the back end of the truck began to swing out. I was heading for the ditch with no control right when VSC kicked in, straightened me out and I proceed home to clean the brown spot of my seat . While at times it can be a pain (that's why I installed a VSC off button) it does have uses.

I have tried to change the driving style a bit, but I still can not get used to the nannies. I'm glad you haven't felt the panic or terror of power loss at a crucial moment. it is awful!

 

[eli_lilly]

I have tried to change the driving style a bit, but I still can not get used to the nannies. I'm glad you haven't felt the panic or terror of power loss at a crucial moment. it is awful!

I know what you mean. I was pulling out of a dirt road, making a left onto a paved road that has a big tilt towards the road I was coming out of. There's a small bridge to my right, visibility is very limited, and cars come fast. I was towing my boat. Everything looked good so I started to pull out and when I got halfway across the road, the damn safety crap kicked in and throttled back to near-nothing. Probably due to the mix of the weird incline, the bouncing of potholes, and I am sure a tire probably spun for a second (it always has with my old truck). In any case, it wasn't fun and could've caused an accident. When I'm there next time, I'll try it with the TRAC OFF button pressed, I think it's for cases like this.

-E

 

[The LandShark]

Not a fan of VSC

I've had a dozen or so times over the 7 years of owning my 03 where the vsc has turned me into a sitting duck with cars barreling down on me in the winter when making a left turn. I've had the truck in 4wd every time and the roads are patchy with little bits of snow and ice here and there and one of my tires slips just the slightest bit and next thing I know I'm stomping on the gas pedal screaming at the truck to go as traffic is coming at me and it's clicking and making noises but has taken ALL throttle control from me. When I initiated my left turn traffic was 3 or more blocks away so I had plenty of time to just make a normal left turn. I'm not going to lock the center diff when the roads are mainly dry cement/asphalt and risk binding it. I have wired in the VSC off mod which has helped things greatly but now I want to be able to turn off the traction control just for those times when I want to have some fun or when I need to spin the tires to clean the tread. I really like my 4Runner but the nannies are way to intrusive. I'm bummed out as it has been paid for for a few years now and I see that the newer FJ's have off buttons for some of these things but I a) don't want another monthly payment and b) think the FJ's are rather ugly stock. I have amassed a nice sized stash of coin and had a windfall add some more to the stash to build my Runner but I'm not to sure what I want to do due to the nannies. I've read to many posts with people screaming that if you disable these that you will instantly roll your truck or loose control and die a fiery death.

I find that with the VSC off now the only thing that pisses me of is that the traction control still kicks in and ruins the beginning of a fun power slide around a desolate corner, of which are a few on my way to and from work. I know its a truck but you can still coax quite a bit of fun out of them here and there. I had a 1 ton Cummins Ram single rear wheel short box with the manual trans and that truck, all 7-8000 pounds of it, could slide like no large ass truck should have been able to in the rain and snow. I extended the transfer case lever so I could stab the clutch and yank it in and out of 4wd when I wanted to go around tight turns. Approach turn in 4wd stab clutch grab 2wd side step clutch and initiate slide and as I got that big f'er pointed in the direction I was intending to go I stabbed the clutch yanked it back into 4wd sidestep clutch and all tires hooked and I was off in the new direction. I think I just talked myself into looking for another one of those to build. That thing had a timing box on the motor and a fuel rail pressure box bringing power up to about 450-475 horse and the best part was the 800-900 ft lbs of twist. 21 mpg running 70mph. The only nannies it had was abs. I prefer the size of the 4Runner but if I could find a clean 05 manual Cummins Ram I may jump ship.

Back to the original reason for the post though, sorry, I HATE the VSC on these trucks.

 

[TRDCal]

I extended the transfer case lever so I could stab the clutch and yank it in and out of 4wd when I wanted to go around tight turns. Approach turn in 4wd stab clutch grab 2wd side step clutch and initiate slide and as I got that big f'er pointed in the direction I was intending to go I stabbed the clutch yanked it back into 4wd sidestep clutch and all tires hooked and I was off in the new direction.

Wow, I wonder how your transfer case felt after all that . I think Cummin's make a great motor, we have a couple 4cyls at work that just keep trucking, I just think the trucks they put them in are ****.

 

[footdoc]

I've had a dozen or so times over the 7 years of owning my 03 where the vsc has turned me into a sitting duck with cars barreling down on me in the winter when making a left turn. I've had the truck in 4wd every time and the roads are patchy with little bits of snow and ice here and there and one of my tires slips just the slightest bit and next thing I know I'm stomping on the gas pedal screaming at the truck to go as traffic is coming at me and it's clicking and making noises but has taken ALL throttle control from me. When I initiated my left turn traffic was 3 or more blocks away so I had plenty of time to just make a normal left turn. I'm not going to lock the center diff when the roads are mainly dry cement/asphalt and risk binding it. I have wired in the VSC off mod which has helped things greatly but now I want to be able to turn off the traction control just for those times when I want to have some fun or when I need to spin the tires to clean the tread. I really like my 4Runner but the nannies are way to intrusive. I'm bummed out as it has been paid for for a few years now and I see that the newer FJ's have off buttons for some of these things but I a) don't want another monthly payment and b) think the FJ's are rather ugly stock. I have amassed a nice sized stash of coin and had a windfall add some more to the stash to build my Runner but I'm not to sure what I want to do due to the nannies. I've read to many posts with people screaming that if you disable these that you will instantly roll your truck or loose control and die a fiery death.

I find that with the VSC off now the only thing that pisses me of is that the traction control still kicks in and ruins the beginning of a fun power slide around a desolate corner, of which are a few on my way to and from work. I know its a truck but you can still coax quite a bit of fun out of them here and there. I had a 1 ton Cummins Ram single rear wheel short box with the manual trans and that truck, all 7-8000 pounds of it, could slide like no large ass truck should have been able to in the rain and snow. I extended the transfer case lever so I could stab the clutch and yank it in and out of 4wd when I wanted to go around tight turns. Approach turn in 4wd stab clutch grab 2wd side step clutch and initiate slide and as I got that big f'er pointed in the direction I was intending to go I stabbed the clutch yanked it back into 4wd sidestep clutch and all tires hooked and I was off in the new direction. I think I just talked myself into looking for another one of those to build. That thing had a timing box on the motor and a fuel rail pressure box bringing power up to about 450-475 horse and the best part was the 800-900 ft lbs of twist. 21 mpg running 70mph. The only nannies it had was abs. I prefer the size of the 4Runner but if I could find a clean 05 manual Cummins Ram I may jump ship.

Back to the original reason for the post though, sorry, I HATE the VSC on these trucks.

that is awesome! I am with you 100% in your first paragraph. I call a speed shop today and they said they are familiar with the mods and are happy to do it. Im going to have them make VSC and TRAC selectable, and keep the ABS (after much internal back and forth). Someone posted a pick of the switch they used which came out of an FJ. There are worse ways to die than in a fiery crash and burn. By that same token, this is the first SUV I have had with intrusions like this and i am still here, so i'm sure we'll be fine! Speed shop quoted me $80 for the mod. GLADLY in this 13 degree weather!! bye bye VSC and TRAC :50cal:

 

[TRDCal]

that is awesome! I am with you 100% in your first paragraph. I call a speed shop today and they said they are familiar with the mods and are happy to do it. Im going to have them make VSC and TRAC selectable, and keep the ABS (after much internal back and forth)

Interesting, I wonder what method they're going to use...What is a speed shop? Is that a franchise or something? Also did they say they've done it on a 4runner before or? Good luck with the work, modding is always fun. I'm sure the mod won't kill you either, just don't drive like a nut and you'll be fine.

 

[footdoc]

Interesting, I wonder what method they're going to use...What is a speed shop? Is that a franchise or something? Also did they say they've done it on a 4runner before or? Good luck with the work, modding is always fun. I'm sure the mod won't kill you either, just don't drive like a nut and you'll be fine.

Its a local performance and sound shop with speed shop in their name. I called them back and they said they have several times, but did not ask the method. Ill keep you all posted! maybe they have a cool work around of their own. Have also done it on Tundras he said. we'll see!

 

[The LandShark]

Wow, I wonder how your transfer case felt after all that . I think Cummin's make a great motor, we have a couple 4cyls at work that just keep trucking, I just think the trucks they put them in are ****.

I never had a problem with that truck in the 100,000 plus miles I put on it, regular maintenance and fluid changes. The interior was a hard plastic nightmare but I got it for that drivetrain. Sold the truck to my older brother who neglects the **** out of his rides and finally just a couple of weeks ago had the transfer case rebuilt at 275,000 miles. I would have people laughing their asses off pulling that ****, it was a lot of fun. That's another thing about the Runner I'm not to fond off is the twisty knob for selecting drive modes. Is it that f#$@king hard to pull a lever?

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Eh, I guess it is hard for people to pull a lever? Because pretty much every manufacturer has been doing electronic systems for a while now... Ford, Chry... I mean Fiat, GM, Honda, Nissan, ect ect have been running switches instead of mechanical linkage for a while on most of their SUVs and trucks for a while now.

Chances are if they're going to attempt to make VSC & TRAC "selectable" (Not entirely sure how they are gonna separate the two. This was detailed in another thread about Toyota's change in nomenclature over the years of the 4th gen.) they are going to try trick the SCM into thinking its in various 4WD /CDL conditions; though I'm not entirely sure how they'll maintain ABS. I'd be very interested to hear about their methodology.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Just food for thought, with the center diff unlocked and no traction control in the unlikely event that either both front tires or both rear tires lose traction, your vehicle essentially becomes 0 wheel drive. The Torsen style AWD is arguably the best AWD system for on road driving (ie Audi Quattro) but it has one Achilles heel and it's the fact that it works like an open differential.

 

[rebelbowtie]

I never had a problem with that truck in the 100,000 plus miles I put on it, regular maintenance and fluid changes. The interior was a hard plastic nightmare but I got it for that drivetrain. Sold the truck to my older brother who neglects the **** out of his rides and finally just a couple of weeks ago had the transfer case rebuilt at 275,000 miles. I would have people laughing their asses off pulling that ****, it was a lot of fun. That's another thing about the Runner I'm not to fond off is the twisty knob for selecting drive modes. Is it that f#$@king hard to pull a lever?

Lever or knob it's still an electric, vacuum or thermal actuator that engages the front diff. So IMO that argument is kinda invalid unless you just feel more manly pulling a lever.

 

[TRDCal]

Just food for thought, with the center diff unlocked and no traction control in the unlikely event that either both front tires or both rear tires lose traction, your vehicle essentially becomes 0 wheel drive. The Torsen style AWD is arguably the best AWD system for on road driving (ie Audi Quattro) but it has one Achilles heel and it's the fact that it works like an open differential.

I'm going to have to argue this one. Even unlocked, the center diff doesn't act like the front or rear diffs which are in fact open. The whole thing that makes the Torsen (Torque-Sensing) diff so good is that it applies power to the wheel (or diff in our case) that has more traction. It senses which output (front or rear) has more resistant (which translates to more traction) and sends power according. On the 4runner the MAX torque front/rear split is 60/40 or 30/70.

If you were to jack the front end of your 4runner of the ground and put it in gear, I guarantee it will drive off the jack. I'd say the Achilles heal of the 4runners 4x4 system when the Trac is disabled would be that a simple angled ditch crossing is impossible. If you get one wheel on each axle of the ground, your screwed.

This is copy and pasted right of the Torsen website (Torsen General Frequently Asked Questions page)
Okay, so tell me how the Torsen differential works in non-technical jargon!
This, by far, is the most commonly asked question. The Torsen differential is simply a torque multiplier that works through the use of friction generated by thrust forces from the internal gearing. It multiplies what torque is available from the wheel that is starting to spin-up or lose traction and sends that available torque, multiplied by the TBR, to the slower turning wheel with the better traction.

 

[JB.]

The Torsen style AWD....... has one Achilles heel and it's the fact that it works like an open differential.

It works like what it is - a limited slip differential.

It can behave like an open diff, just like it can be more like a locked one, depending on conditions.

 

[The LandShark]

Lever or knob it's still an electric, vacuum or thermal actuator that engages the front diff. So IMO that argument is kinda invalid unless you just feel more manly pulling a lever.

I'm not sure what was going on under there when I pulled that lever back and forth as I never had a problem with it but what I liked about that versus the rotary switch in my Runner and similar switches in all of these newer 4x4's was that it was instantaneous, no lag or waiting for the actuator to decide it was up to doing what it was asked to do. My 4Runnner has never been able to go in and out of 4wd anywhere as quick as the "old school" levers that were in my old Dodge and the one in my recently sold 91 3/4 ton Suburban. That lag is irritating, if I want 4wd it should engage as soon as I turn that stupid knob to 4wd. That old Suburban never failed me either, if I needed the front axle engaged it was pulling by the time I had let go of the lever after pulling it into the 4wd slot. My 4Runner is used in 4wd quite often but it takes way to much time for it to shift the transfer case. Maybe it needs an aftermarket transfer case.

I've said it before, I really like this truck but it has a few small issues/irritants that really ruin my experience with it. I've had the truck for 7-8 years now so I've been very tolerant of these niggles and the remainder of the truck has been stellar but I am VERY confused about sinking a bunch more coin into this truck to build it for getting even farther into remote areas pulling a small adventure/camper trailer for my wife and two dogs to go camping in.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Your dodge and suburban were SFA still so the 4wd system was a little different. Had your Suburban been IFS for that era of GM vehicle they had a thermal linear actuator in the front diff. That worked by using heat in the diff to push a lever over and engage the front diff, this can be exceptionally slow if you live in very cold regions. This is fully independent of whatever type of transfer case you had in your Chevy.

Sorry for going off topic and off brand

 

[The LandShark]

Sorry for drifting off topic as well OP , one last thing though, you could not give me an IFS Chevy after 1991. JUNK.

I have wired in the VSC off mod into my Runner, I think I will email that guy and see if he could maybe include shutting off the traction control when I hit my VSC off button. That would make me very happy. As I said, its now nice to be able to hang the tail out and not have the computer shut the truck down and send me to the naughty corner for trying to have too much fun but the traction control is still trying to pulse the brakes of the wheel(s) that are spinning back there allowing me to have some fun. I understand what it is trying to do but I want that to stop, if I want to spin the hell out of those tires than I damn well should be able to. I normally leave the VSC on when doing most of my normal driving 90+% of the time, but when i feel like horsing around I'd rather have the computer go to sleep or look the other way.

 

[rebelbowtie]

I accidentally turned off my VSC and TRAC with my Ultragauge, apparently if a scan tool or data logger tries to communicate with the 4Runner using 11 bit CAN it pings the #14 pin and erases the zero point data for the yaw and deceleration sensors. So I've been driving without any traction nannies for a few weeks now and I'm able to do AWD donuts with my v8 4Runner now!!!

 

[The LandShark]

Now that's what I'm talking about. Where is this #14 pin and what voltage would I need to hit it with or remove from it to shut that **** off? It would be nice to have a switch to initiate just what you have going on. I also don't want to have to shut my truck off and restart to go back to "normal".

I was on wet grass trying to go up a small hill around some trees and the VSC would not let me go anywhere. Nothing, clicks and whirs and zero throttle control. After that was when I ordered that circuit from Kliv in Russia. I should not have to lock the center diff just to do that. My buddy was laughing at me and I told him to get out of the truck as it is going to suddenly/mysteriously start on fire.

I am going to dig up Kilv's email and see if he has any thoughts on how he could modify the circuit he sent me or come up with another on for me to wire in.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Once the zero points are erased the traction control is inoperable until you set the zero points again by jumping a certain number of pins in sequence.

There is one member that wired up a relay to his brake booster pressure sensor and grounds it out with a switch when he wants to turn off VSC and TRAC but it also disables ABS I think.

 

[TRDCal]

It works like what it is - a limited slip differential.

It can behave like an open diff, just like it can be more like a locked one, depending on conditions.

Your half correct. The center diff is a limited slip when its unlocked and a locked diff when is locked, no exceptions. It will never send 100% power to one side or the other so it will never behave like an open diff unless it's malfunctioning.