Got a question for you pros at yotatech! Yeah I know there are tons of post about locker but this is a little different! Here is the story. I was out hunting/wheeling today! I was headed down what seemed like a well traveled road, but once I got to about the top the road turned into a 4wheeler trail! Well I thought the 4runner would do just fine! It made it up a few steep and ruted trails fine but when coming down it was a different story. When I was coming down this one hill it was super muddy and it just wanted to slide sidways even while on the gas. So i was wondering if I was to put a locker in it would it get rid of that problem or make it worse? Im talking about sliding sidways down a hill under throttle. Nothing like sliding sidways down a steep hill with a drop off on one side! Sorry for this being so long! Info would be nice!! oh and its a 1987 toyota 4runner with 22re And I was in 4 low

 

Locker wont help with what you are saying. Driving skill is what will help in that situation.

 

lol amen to that

 

well its kinda hard to keep it from doing that when you get sucked in by the ruts!

 

Right and with the proper driving skills the ruts will hold you as you ease down the hill. The locker will help you go up easier coming down is up o your skill level. I drive in red georgia clay,with no lockers and BFG A/Ts. Sure a locker will help go up hills and easiing along but coming down a locker wont help, Unless the ruts you talk about can swallow a truck whole then a locker may help you out of them.
Why were you in the throttle coming down the hill?

 

thats what i was wondering..... brakes and engine compression are your friends coming down hill.

 

If the truck was getting sideways, on the throttle was the right move!

Generally, lockers make the truck MORE susceptible to slipping sideways. With an open diff, the wheel that isn't spinning is providing lateral stability. Obviously, with a locker, boh wheels are spinning.

Lockers are incredibly useful when descending because at least one tire is always on the ground to provide the compression braking. With an open diff, when one side loses traction, you lose your compression braking too.

 

Long story short driver skill is the deciding factor. Every situation is different he may have started down the hill on the throttle thats the way i read it. Slow and easy and a throttle blip here and there to straighten up yeah. I have only been lucky enough to ave a locker in one vehicle and it didnt help me go down any hills. But like i said if the ruts going down the hill are big enough to swallow a small car then yeah it can be helpful.
Around here we have georgia red clay and its like driving on ice. Especially when you plow it up and it rains for a coupla o days.Driver skill keeps you off and out of the trees or down in a creek.

 

Gravity works......locker or not!
Bigblock

 

A locker will make that situation worse. You were right to get on the throttle if you were sliding. You need to keep the tires turning. Your best bet would have been to tackle it very very slowly and avoided sliding all together.

 

Well I was goind slow 4low first gear trying to use the brakes a little to not break the tires loose so I wouldnt slide. The reason I was using the gas was because after I slide sideways in the road I had to move some how to not slide all the way off the road!!!! I hate when you post something on here and you have that one guy that is a like my crap dont stink and you suck as a driver and the you have thoes other guys that are very helpfull and try to help me out! Thats the fine line between people here on yotatech! Its for help ,not for bashing on a guy that is just trying to learn the ropes of wheeling!

 

Nobody was bashing you from what i read. A locker wont make you a better driver. A 4wheel drive truck simply is only as good as its driver. If you are new at it thats how you learn. Ive been driving in the woods and trails since i was about 13. My rockcrawling experience not as much. You will learn with time how everything works and acts the more you do it. Have fun and dont break too much. I would get a locker tho but not for downhilling

 

Ok I will be locking the rear for now! Thanks for that advice to all of you guys! So far Im very impressed with the 4runner I bought last month!

 

Locker will make that situation worse. A locker will tend to break both wheels loose at the same time. Get a selectable, so you can choose as the situation demands it.

I don't think anyone can judge someone's driving skill by a post on the net.

Also, my poop doesn't stink at all.

 

I know the locker will make it worse! I was told that all ready in this tread!!

 

But in other situations, offroad, you cannot beat the locker.