I am hoping that someone can tell me what might be wrong with my 94 4 runner v6 4wd . I live in Montana and lately the roads are iced over. Sometimes when I take off in and my rear tires start to spin, my drivers rear tire locks up. I don't know much about rear ends or transmissions. I am wondering if it could be something to do with the limited slip differential. Does this sound correct. It is my logic that when the rear passenger side tire starts to spin it somehow engages the drivers side tire and thus allows more traction. I really need to find out what is causing this. It is super dangerous, especially living here in MT. So please don't be shy, let me know what you think.


Thanks

 

What do you mean "locks up?"
Do you mean it doesn't spin, only the right rear spins?
If so, that can be normal for an open diff. Depends on available traction, but an open diff is only one wheel drive - the right rear.
Do you mean the right starts to spin then the left catches and spins too. That too can be normal on poor traction surfaces such as ice, for either an open diff or a posi/limited slip type diff.

The trick is to learn to be more gentle with gas pedal and try not to spin em.

Or, do you mean it actually locks up, as if the brake were applied to that wheel? IF so, get it looked at. That isn't right, no matter what diff you might have.

 

the right wheel spins, and the left one does not turn and the truck slides sideways to some degree. Does that sound normal. I usually put it in 4h to straighten up and get some traction. Maybe it is normal, just might need to take it easy.

 

Sounds normal to me. As Dr. Ruth says - be gentle and go slow.

 

Any time you are getting wheelspin (except in deep mud where you WANT wheelspin) just back away from that gas pedal, it's just that simple.

Tips 4 2 day:

First - be gentle. Strive to be smoooooth always, in all things 4wheeling. It's the best skill you can master, and it's not as easy as it sounds.

Second - Try this trick to get more traction from an open diff:
Any time you are in a low traction situation where the left rear wheel isn't helping or you are getting lots of wheelspin - apply a little brake with your left foot. Just a little brake slows the wheelspin on one side and force the other side to do some work. Experiment with it. Works great in mud, and hill climbing too. If you can master the left-foot-brake technique you can do a lot more than you think with an open diff. Later if you ever find yourself owning some sort of limited slip device, the same left foot technique will help you get the most out of it.

By the way, in 4WD if you nail the gas you will find the Right Front doesn't spin either. With open diffs 4wd is really 2wd, sort of.