Well my first time on real ice with the Aussie was an experience, similar to a cow on ice skates I'd imagine. I didn't hit anything but the back end was loose a couple times going around corners. Learning to drive with that thing on dry pavement was fun but driving on ice is something else. I guess all those years of driving in this stuff with an open diff spoiled me.

Ya'll be careful out there.

 

you must use 4wd.. but once that is done you should be alright.. i have a welded in the trail rig and 4wd is a must if any snow is on the grounf

 

*laugh* I didnt' want to use 4x on the street and look like a ding bat. I'll be sure and do so from now on when it ices over. I'd rather get chidded for being in 4x on the street than get laughed at when I roll my rig in town.

Thanks.

Oh and is there anything wrong with leaving the front hubs (manuals) locked in and the t-case in 2x? I can't imagine so since the auto hub guys are that way 24/7/365.

 

Lol aussies on ice... sounds like an ice show like disney on ice or something.

I'm not sure I wanna put an autolocker in mine living where it's icy 6-8 months a year. Especially because the rear of my p/u lets go without one it's too light.

Edit: no I don't think theres anything wrong with leaving hubs locked, just like the ADD guys have all the time.

 

yeah nothing wrong... when my dad was alive and had the 87 runner come winter he would leave them locked till spring... just like shift on the fly..
but yeah just put the 4wd on when there is a little snow so you can go then put is back in 2wd if you dont need it for a bit...

safety is a good thing!

 

This was my exact experience last year, this year I just put it in 4x with no worries, I'm locked f/r. When I hit a cleared road I kicked it into 2H but left hubs locked. They only cleared the main roads so 4x was going to get used sooner or later. Only had on really hairy incident and that was my doing.

 

So now what do you think of all the people who say "it's no problem in the winter, you just need to learn how to drive with it"?

 

I just need to learn how to drive with it.

 

x 1 000 000 000. Its a bit tail happy in 2wd, but once in 4wd, its very stable. When I'm on dry roads with icy patches, I leave it in 4wd, but pop it out, then in 4wd again every block or so. It never sticks, to there isn't much driveline bind.

 

I thought it an interesting reminder, as the tail end wanted to swing out with throttle. That driving in the ice ain't about how fast you can go but how well you stop. For all the accidents I saw that envolved open dif cars, I remembered its not my driving skills/nor truck that concern me

 

Snow and ice was also worrying me about installing a locker over the winter break, but thanks to global warming the 60*s we had today melted away all the snow lol. Just hope it stays this way.

 

Learn how to drive with it. My buddy has a welded rear in his Runner, he drives it as his daily. Not my thing and I HATE the way it drives, but then again id never weld/spool an on-road rig.

I've been driving around with the front locked for 2 wks, finaly unlocked it tonight since the roads are better.

I as I understand ADD, the front is always locked obviously but doesn't the diff disconnect... at the dif? not the t-case? I don't have ADD, nore known anyone personally with a rig that does so I've never taken the time to understand it. Just know from the diagrams all the vacum bs is at the dif.

so they behave different, as I'd never drive past 45 with the front locked. I can 'feel' the difference when the front is locked in, the truck has more drag and steering feels different.

 

yea every try turning around in 4wd your radius sucks!

 

Think your confusing hubs locking in or ADD with locker traction devices.

 

after looking at the fSM again... as i understand it, the Left hand side disconnects, which would leave the right engaged but the left unengaged? .... at the differential, both axles would still spin but thuss eliminating 4wd and eliminating the drag the differential causes.

As i get it, AWD use a viscous clutch eliminating any differntiating between the front and rear thus eliminating the front/rear equal drive. So you don't get any fighting between front and rear so the truck/car moves smoothly and easily.

4wd drives all wheels equally in a straight/level/equal friction situation. Throw in differentiating surfaces/friction and turning you get some kind of binding no matter what. Cuz not all 4wheels are under the same parameters.. which is why you dont see any 4wd all the time setups. Cant go very fast without something breaking or wearing out faster than it should

am i getting this right?

 

not sure what you mean?

I'm trying to clarify the difference between a setup w/out ADD and one with..and how they behave differently.

w/out ADD, your diff is differentiating speeds between left and right wheels. ADD as i get it, one side of the diff disconnects so its not longer differentiating, just spinning at whatever speed the right wheel is. While the left side is just, spinning. Thus eliminating drag that is caused by a differential.

Which is why you don't notice any drag/steering changes with ADD and can drive highway speeds fine. And you wouldn't drive 60 with a manual front locked in.

 

Sorry I must have miss understood you. I'm not very familiar with ADD except that the break and use vacuum lines. A locker as a traction device goes into the differential where both axle shaft are turn. It makes both turn at the same speed at a minimum and one side can go fast than the other but neither can go slower than the pinion gears input. A spool or weld make both turn as a unit no fast no slower. An open dif allows the inside tire in a turn spin slower.

 

LoL well yeah I understand how lockers/spools work =) and lockers can let one tire spin slower than the input. Lockers allow differentiation just not easily. Thus why you can drive them comfortably (figuratively) on-road, but in slick situations theres not enough friction to keep the slower tire from not moving as quick so you get the side drive effect you experience on snow/ice/mud that the OP was experiencing. Takes a lot of friction to keep one side from moving at the same speed as the other, usually dry pavement.

I had a buddy with a welded rear end in a chevy almost die on the freeway after his sheety welds broke and the whole rear end jammed. Which is why I think it's stupid to drive spooled/welded rigs on road, for both personal and other drivers safety =/

 

Agree about the welded thing on the road, Spool welll individual choice, no a locker won't let one wheel spin slower than input so the low friction thing causes the rear to act as spool. Open difs spin just as frequently on the ice but with only one tire spinning it won't fish tail as bad.

 

Welded/spool is a lot more predictable than a lunchbox locker ... you know it's never going to differentiate - not pop all of a sudden and jerk the rear end around.