Traction control experiences ?

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Going from an un-aided 120 to my 150 i have never had a vehicle with Traction control before. I fitted onboard ARB air and mounted the air activation switch in the middle blank in anticipation for my front and rear lockers..... well after last weekends jaunt i dont reckon the lockers will be fitted just yet. The TC works really well for climbing loose or/and where you have 1 or 2 wheels off the ground, it brakes the spinning wheel and we just drive forward which with the 120 needed speed resulting in many smashed diff's when the spinning wheel hit the ground.

[hookedon4wding Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close hookedon4wding]

Check out the video "Part 3 - A Challenge" in the Walhalla 4wding post (about half way down) in my blog to see the difference traction control makes.

This was a bloody steep, loose hill with numerous rock steps. My mates heavily modded 120 without traction control took about 5 goes to get up with heaps of bouncing and wheel spin. My 150 with no lift, no bar, and less aggressive BFG AT's just walked up first go with the aid of traction control. He was a little disappointed to say the least :lol:

No way I would spend the coin on dual lockers. It'll take some seriously hardcore tracks to need them over the TC.

Cheers, Sam.

[gxllouie Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxllouie]

Check out the video "Part 3 - A Challenge" in the Walhalla 4wding post (about half way down) in my blog to see the difference traction control makes.

This was a bloody steep, loose hill with numerous rock steps. My mates heavily modded 120 without traction control took about 5 goes to get up with heaps of bouncing and wheel spin. My 150 with no lift, no bar, and less aggressive BFG AT's just walked up first go with the aid of traction control. He was a little disappointed to say the least :lol:

No way I would spend the coin on dual lockers. It'll take some seriously hardcore tracks to need them over the TC.

Cheers, Sam.

awesome blog sam!!

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

Sam

Considering your previous vehicle do you think the traction control in your current choice is very similar?? My suspicion is both would have easily walked up there?

Josh

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

Some ARB advertising for their air lockers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2wkW05Pc6c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNFacsKnswM

[hookedon4wding Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close hookedon4wding]

Josh, traction control in the Pajero was very good also. The difference with the Prado is the combination of wheel travel and TC. The Paj used to lift front wheels all the time and occasionally a rear one. I have no doubt the Prado is better offroad.

It's hard to tell from that video how steep this hill was. It was seriously steep. If you get a copy of the latest Camper Trailer Touring mag, the DVD that's included has this hill in it. Roothy calls it a "demon of a hill" and even thought Milo may find it interesting.

I reckon the Paj would have gone up it but there would have been a lot more wheel lofting and the traction control would've been working over time.

Bottom line is, the modern TC systems are so good, I'd be reluctant to fit diff locks.

Cheers, Sam.

All good fun.

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Awesome blog, ive never seen that before

I had a 120 and the 2 vehicles going up that hill is EXACTLY the way i used to get up and how i do now with my 150. Its was diff smashing speed needed on my 120 and now its controlled...though noisy wheel braking but not as noisy as DAC . I will not be fitting the lockers on this vehicle, im spending the cash elsewhere on other 150 bling.

[adamr7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adamr7]

Im still to fit mud tyres and a lift kit, but Ive had this thing everywhere, and have found the traction control great. Im still getting used to changing in to low range/traction control/DAC etc using switches and buttons, as opposed to levers like the 120, but overall pretty impressed.

[tassie tiger Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close tassie tiger]

It hurts to admit it but TC is the way of the future.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I have been told that the TC can cause a few issues in sand, what do you guys running TC in the 150's think about it performance in sand, particularly dunes?

Cheers Andrew

[beached Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beached]

very interesting and neat blog with great vid quality too !
I pick my 150 up next week and after not fitting a rear diff lock on my 120, I have it on the top of my todo list. ....However after seeing what the new 150 is capable of I don't know about fitting the diff locker now....bloody confused !

[hookedon4wding Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close hookedon4wding]

Thanks for the comments about the blog. Not much content in it yet but will be adding all our new adventures so stay tuned.

Re the TC in the sand, you can turn it off. If you hold down the stability control button for a few seconds, it turns traction control off aswell.

Cheers, Sam.

[Truckasaurus Rex Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Truckasaurus Rex]

ive got a bud i go off road with who has a ford ranger front and rear lockers and mud tyres and my VX always out performs his on hill climbs because of the traction control. no way would i spend the money on lockers. theres nothing the stock center locker and traction control hasnt got me out of so far.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I'm a big fan of TC in my 120 and I wouldn’t be without it. The 120 will go places where the 90 would cock a wheel, which would spin and progress came to a standstill. On sand I leave the TC alone but the Stability Control goes off when the centre diff is locked. First time I left the centre diff open (like I would in the 90) I nearly got stuck on an innocuous bit of sand track I have travelled 300 times. Almost very embarrassing in the nice shiny 120! The limitation of TC though is that it relies on braking to slow the unloaded wheel and ensure torque is transferred to the other wheel. This can be a downward spiral. If the TC is being used heavily the braking effect will be reduced because of the heat generated which will cause the brakes to be applied harder which will generate more heat and further reduce the braking capability and so on until the TC wont work anymore. I would hate to have that happen just before the top of a big rutted climb and it could be quite dangerous. So while TC is great be aware of its limitations. Obviously no such problems for locking diffs but they have their own suite of compromises.

[ponting Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ponting]

Check out the video "Part 3 - A Challenge" in the Walhalla 4wding post (about half way down) in my blog to see the difference traction control makes.

This was a bloody steep, loose hill with numerous rock steps. My mates heavily modded 120 without traction control took about 5 goes to get up with heaps of bouncing and wheel spin. My 150 with no lift, no bar, and less aggressive BFG AT's just walked up first go with the aid of traction control. He was a little disappointed to say the least :lol:


No way I would spend the coin on dual lockers. It'll take some seriously hardcore tracks to need them over the TC.

Cheers, Sam.

great pictures and videos dude. is it your own video or pictures.