blakjack23
New member
I would love one of these but they are out of my price range.
What other vehicles have as good of a 4WD system as the 4th Gen T4R?
- Thread starter blakjack23
- Start date
I would love one of these but they are out of my price range.
YotaDriver
New member
Say what you will about the nanny systems, but the reality is that they work. I wrote a post here about two years ago after my V6 pulled a 6x12 Uhaul trailer up an extremely steep and twisty hill during a full-blown snowstorm. Granted there were only a few inches of actual snow on the road when it did it, but the VSC worked exactly as it was supposed to and got me up that hill.
After initially losing momentum and basically coming to a stop in an extremely precarious spot on the road, the dash began flashing and beeping and I essentially lost throttle control. What I mean is that the "nanny" systems were controlling the throttle and also sending power to the wheel(s) with traction. It was a slow slog, but somehow it did it and saved me from having to do the impossible: back down that hill with a fully loaded trailer in a blizzard.
97BlackAckCL
Elite Member
I saw a guy at the grocery store with one last night, I was jealous of his side swinging rear door
Last edited:
blakjack23
New member
Sorry, I don't think my original post was as clear as I had hoped. I definitely didn't mean to put AWD in there.
I was wondering what other vehicles have multimode 4WD and are capable of running the same 5 choices available in the 4th Gen T4R. 2WD, 4H, 4L, and locked 4H and locked 4L.
* I edited my original post to try to clarify a little.
I was wondering what other vehicles have multimode 4WD and are capable of running the same 5 choices available in the 4th Gen T4R. 2WD, 4H, 4L, and locked 4H and locked 4L.
* I edited my original post to try to clarify a little.
Last edited:
blakjack23
New member
You're right, I think I was confusing full time and part time.
I was thinking that when my runner is in 4H (unlocked) that it was in "full time 4wd" mode since that is what they call that same mode on the Limited.
Last edited:
mikebontoft
New member
have you done front control arm bushings yet? haha.
sure I guess it does work.... but I HAVE driven the 4th gen in snow with good tires. when you floor it and it crawls along at 2mph becuause it's limiting wheel slip... that doesn't seem safe. You can spin and at least still be able to accelerate.
JB.
New member
It was perfectly clear, that's all that matters. Everyone knows what is meant by AWD mode in the context of our trucks.
Not many, but if you stipulate that the Torsen has to be in the center also, I'll bet there's not one.
JB.
New member
So your beef is that punching it in the snow can cause a problem? Have you considered any intermediate spots in the pedal?
In the desert, I don't get to live with the system on a daily basis in the snow, but I've tested it over and over and it has nearly always worked well. I even did some punch tests on packed snow both locked and unlocked and timed the acceleration rates. Locked felt faster, but guess what? The stopwatch didn't agree. Mostly, they were about equal with unlocked winning sometimes. There were occasions unlocked, however, when the system shut down engine power too much and the locked run was much faster. Never had that happen, though, when I applied throttle in a reasonable way.
I think the system that presents the biggest problem in the snow is the one responsible for fine motor control of the right foot.
Stuck CAPS
New member
Since when? Power is still being applied to the front wheels, just not a 50/50 split. AWD has no power unless traction is lost, right?
KingPrat
New member
The only other transfer case that I'm aware of that gives something close to that level of selectability is the NV242 in Jeeps. It had 2wd, 4 full time with open center diff, 4 part time with locked center, and 4Lo with locked center.
It was a mechanical linkage so there was no option to unlock in 4Lo. Very capable in its own right, and was in Jeeps for over 20 years in various applications.
It was a mechanical linkage so there was no option to unlock in 4Lo. Very capable in its own right, and was in Jeeps for over 20 years in various applications.
The '99-'00 4wd Limited 4Runner has the same ability. It also was frequently optioned with the rear diff lock.
The '01-'02 4wd 4Runners had the same ability, but didn't have the optional rear diff lock.
Last edited:
mikebontoft
New member
That actually is my problem with it. when you pull out in front of someone because you can't drive and it just moves along a 2mph... what do you do? floor it.
to be fair though I did try it slowly increasing throttle and it wouldn't let me accelerate any faster. I took an Audi A6 V8 out right after and floored it. THAT moved like it was dry pavement.
JB.
New member
Who knows.
Whenever I try to reconcile my own experience with VSC with some of the reports, the only conclusion I come to is that the sensitivity somehow varies among vehicles for whatever reason. Maybe it got more sensitive in later years or something.
What year was the one you drove?
28.
New member
This:lookout:
I still actually love driving my Runner in the snow. have rarely had to lock it and i've had it in some really bad stuff..
So much misinformation in this thread. I feel the need to clear this all up.
Snow traction comes down to these 4 things in this order:
1. Good tires: You need snow tires for snow grip, an all season is a compromise and will never be as good. Some all seasons have reasonable to good snow grip, but the majority have horrid snow grip and should never ever be used in snow. Running summer tires is just asking for an early death.
2. Limited slip differentials: A car with front, rear and center limited slip differentials always makes the best snow car, there's no question about it. Manually locked differentials don't work as well in snow as they prohibit slip during turns which can cause weird handling traits. E-LSDs which is really just the braking system acting on individual slipping wheels is also a compromise and are not as good as a limited slip as they cannot keep up the momentum, although it's still better than nothing. Another interesting note, a locked center differential vehicle (like a 4wd truck) tends to want to plow straight when given power during a turn on snow, which is also not as optimal.
3. Less weight: Yes, a car that weighs less can corner better and stop faster than a heavy car in snow, it's just the laws of momentum.
4. Clearance: If there isn't much snow this doesn't matter, but if you're going through deep stuff you will need clearance.
As for vehicles that have the best of this, off the top of my head are the Subaru STI, and 05+ Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. They are the only cars with awd, 3 LSDs stock, and are lightweight. All other AWD and 4wd vehicles have open diffs at one end or both, or use haldex/clutch systems which make them 2wd normally and engage the other 2 wheels when slip occurs.
As for tires to buy, do your homework at tirerack, consumer reports or around on forums. Doing your research pays off.
Snow traction comes down to these 4 things in this order:
1. Good tires: You need snow tires for snow grip, an all season is a compromise and will never be as good. Some all seasons have reasonable to good snow grip, but the majority have horrid snow grip and should never ever be used in snow. Running summer tires is just asking for an early death.
2. Limited slip differentials: A car with front, rear and center limited slip differentials always makes the best snow car, there's no question about it. Manually locked differentials don't work as well in snow as they prohibit slip during turns which can cause weird handling traits. E-LSDs which is really just the braking system acting on individual slipping wheels is also a compromise and are not as good as a limited slip as they cannot keep up the momentum, although it's still better than nothing. Another interesting note, a locked center differential vehicle (like a 4wd truck) tends to want to plow straight when given power during a turn on snow, which is also not as optimal.
3. Less weight: Yes, a car that weighs less can corner better and stop faster than a heavy car in snow, it's just the laws of momentum.
4. Clearance: If there isn't much snow this doesn't matter, but if you're going through deep stuff you will need clearance.
As for vehicles that have the best of this, off the top of my head are the Subaru STI, and 05+ Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. They are the only cars with awd, 3 LSDs stock, and are lightweight. All other AWD and 4wd vehicles have open diffs at one end or both, or use haldex/clutch systems which make them 2wd normally and engage the other 2 wheels when slip occurs.
As for tires to buy, do your homework at tirerack, consumer reports or around on forums. Doing your research pays off.
Last edited:
Altoidfishfins
New member
At the risk of sounding a bit crude, the best traction I've ever gotten is with a TJ Jeep Wrangler modified with Detroit Tru-Trac (now Eaton) limited slip differentials front and rear and BFG All terrain KOs. This is obviously an all mechanical system without the E-This and AWD that.
Most recently I pulled a heavily loaded 4x8 utility trailer with it through 6- 8" deep gooey mud that made the tires look like 4 brown racing slicks. The wheels on the trailer weren't even turning. As long as the foot was on the gas, the combination of truck and trailer moved under control, with responsive steering even when backing was necessary.
Haven't yet landed in the same circumstances with the 4th gen T4R having only recently purchased one, so can't honestly say it's better or worse.
Anyone I've known who has owned an Audi couldn't even keep the damn thing running, let alone taking something like that off-road.
Most recently I pulled a heavily loaded 4x8 utility trailer with it through 6- 8" deep gooey mud that made the tires look like 4 brown racing slicks. The wheels on the trailer weren't even turning. As long as the foot was on the gas, the combination of truck and trailer moved under control, with responsive steering even when backing was necessary.
Haven't yet landed in the same circumstances with the 4th gen T4R having only recently purchased one, so can't honestly say it's better or worse.
Anyone I've known who has owned an Audi couldn't even keep the damn thing running, let alone taking something like that off-road.
Last edited:
I've owned several 4wd vehicles over the past 40+ years of driving...and the 4runner is by far the BEST system I've ever used. AWD mode...and then you can lock the transfer case for true 4wd......and then you also have 4wd-low. Some newer vehicles with AWD you can lock into 4wd mode...but they don't have 4wd-low.
Similar threads
