pkt1213

iTrader: (1)

I just realized that too. I was mainly thinking it'd be nice to to have the AWD for being in town when it get's nasty out.

cackalak han

I admit that when I had my 02 Sport, it was nice to just leave it in AWD around town. But my Tacoma did just fine either left in 2WD or in 4WD. Just have to pay a little more attention is all. Get some good tires and you'll be okay.

apalmer1

forgive me for not reading all of the above posts, but to shed some light.

The center diff is most likely a viscous coupling, this means that when in awd on the road power can transfer freely from front to back so that there is no damage to the drivetrain. Because all 4 wheels are always on pavement this means that to a degree all of them will still receive at least some power.

When wheeling, having a viscous coupling that does not lock and split the power equally is essentially the same thing as not having a locker in a drive axle. If the front two wheels of your truck are in mud, and the back two are in rocks, the ones in the mud are going to get all the power, with no traction. This is the reason for the locking center diff.

pkt1213

iTrader: (1)

I totally understand the locking center. I just want to know if there is a way to get the adjustable feature on my manual?

BigBluePile

iTrader: (3)

wow almost 6 YEARS later, the thread LIVES AGAIN!!! AAAAHAHHAHAHA!!!(crazy scientist laugh...)

nickr9287

sorry to hijack this thread which is pretty old but this is a related question...
i have a 2002 4runner SR5 and i seem to be a little confused in regards to the CLD/VSC/4WD/AWD
i get that when i put it into 4wd and lock the center diff that means that it is truly in 4wd but if i don't lock the center diff and the 4wd button is engaged does this mean it is technically considered AWD in this mode?

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

wow, this is an oldie...but a goodie.


I doubt it. Plus, it would not be worth it if you did. Read below...




^ you got it.

-Only 4wd button depressed = 4HI. Although, many refer to this mode as "AWD"...it is technically 4HI. It is commonly referred to as AWD, b/c you are able to drive on dry pavement without the risk of binding the 4wd system. Locking the center diff was designed to increase traction in 4HI. However, some owners have found that offroading with the CD unlocked has greater results than with the CD locked. It may vary between off road conditions, thus you should try both and see what works best for you situation. (BTW, TRAC is disabled w/ the CD locked, but VSC is still active). Also, the vehicle should not be driven on dry pavement w/ the CD locked.

-With only the 4wd button depressed and the transfer case shifted to L4 = 4LO. Greater traction, slower speed. Lock the CD while in L4 and disable TRAC. Again, VSC is still active. You should not be driving on pavment in either L4 CD unlocked or L4 CD locked.

You can also do the Andy Mod as mentioned earlier: Click Me. This will disable VSC, TRAC & ABS w/ just a flip of the switch. Works great IMO as I use it all the time.

BTW, I drive around town on occasion in 4HI unlocked (better known as AWD) just to keep the 4wd system operating smoothly. Having the andy mod installed, I also flip the switch to disable TRAC/VSC/ABS at the same time I'm in 4HI unlocked. Reason being, driving around town in 4HI unlocked without the andy mod, VSC is still active...and that's a HUGE problem: VSC was a good idea in theory for these vehicles, but it’s pure junk while in 4HI on pavement. IMO, VSC will greatly increase your risk of injury while in 4HI on the road. I’m told the VSC system in 4th gens has greatly been improved upon.

Example of VSC at its worst while in 4HI:
You're on a 4 lane highway and you pull into the median to make a left hand turn in front of oncoming traffic. As you accelerate to turn, the computer senses the slightest bit of wheel spin (one you do not detect) and activates VSC. It, in turn de-throttles your engine to a super low crawl speed b/c it thinks you're spinning out of control. After what feels like an eternity moving at a snail's pace, VSC assumes it has corrected your wheel spin and deactivates. You immeadiately regain full throttle response and now have to floor the accelerator to avoid being hit by the oncoming traffic bearing down on you.

If you have not experienced the above situation first hand, it is truly a nightmare. I personally have come very close to being hit by traffic on a few separate occasions because of this system flaw. Now, if I choose to drive on dry (or wet) pavement in 4HI unlocked, I ALWAYS disable VSC & TRAC first.

The Andy Mod...Don't Leave Home Without It!

Lumpy

12345

Lumpy

I have run into this with my 01LS and it's not a fun experience!!! It will really make your heart jump and your tummy go upside down. I don't like how it works in slipper situations either. I have had my car stuck a time or two cuz it will not let the wheels spin and you can't turn it off while moving. Had to stop and turn it off, then spin the heck out of it to get it going.

With that said I have not driven a AWD or a 4x4 with traction control. I don't think I'd like it in the mud, I would not want it to throttle down when I want power to spin and get out. I'd use the CD locker...Just me though and my thoughts on this...

okie81

Thanks for the good info on an already great thread Rock Slide! I'll post the link that's mentioned earlier in the thread:

http://www.toyota120.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25

Lots of good information here.

mikkeydee

if there 's no center locked differential, once ONE of the four wheels gets on a slippery sliding, 100% of the torque is transmitted to that sliding wheel and all other 3 wheels gets no torque at all.

a center differential at least serves in this situation. though it still sux when there is one sliding on each axle simontaneusly -- all of these two sliding wheels will continue to slide and the other two on solid surface will stay still

pat161

No, I don't think you quite have the right idea here, as many others seem not to. This post being 5 years old I was not going to respond, but I would say a full page of new threads makes this a new/old topic.

As a disclaimer I drive an 02 4wd Sport 4Runner. When you are in 4hi center diff unlocked you still have 2 open diffs at your axles, when you lock the center diff, big surprise here, you still have 2 open diffs at your axles. The center diff serves one purpose, to allow slippage between the front and rear axle at the driveshaft, locking it eliminates its ability to allow this slippage. There is no viscous coupling involved, its electronic, we are not talking Subarus here. If you have the center unlocked you can still be in 4wd and have one front tire and one rear tire spinning, saying losing traction to one removes traction to the other 3 is not true. Also saying that VSC is engaged when the center is locked is also false, with the center locked VSC is off, thus the orange VSC Off light on the dash, but TRAC is still fully operational and short of pulling a fuse or doing the "Andy" Mod TRAC can not be turned off on a 3rd gen. VSC is the only feature on a 3rd gen that can dethrottle your engine, thus the reason it turns off when you lock the diff, sometimes you need to rev the engine to get out of a situation. The only thing TRAC can do is apply your brakes to force power to the opposite side of a differential, much like a limited slip but using the brakes and not clutch packs internal to the diff. All of this also holds true in 4lo, the only difference being you have an extra gear reduction at the transfer case. Personally I find the term AWD misleading, I prefer to call it Full Time 4WD. A true AWD car does utilize some type of viscous coupling generally, and will not have a lo range. The center diff expands the capabilities of your 4Runner by allowing you to run it in 4wd anytime under any condition, but for any type of off roading it is advisable to lock the center diff. And from my research the system works the same on 4th gens, they just started using a Torsen center diff instead of an Aisin.

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

the center diff on the 3rd gen is actually made up of planetary gears..

SharpStick

Bump, just because it had good info.

I'm trying to sort out if I can adapt the later-model ('99) e-locking center diff as a switchable center locker on my'97. It's like an adventure...

STICK

SharpStick

Ooooh, wait, what's this?

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/9...96-98-a-77426/

So much 411.

STICK

SharpStick

More detail about e-locked center duffs on the gen-three 4Runner, but still no solid answers.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/c...-tacoma-16672/

STICK