1stDeuce
Explorer
I'd second the wait on front diff thing. The brake-traction control in the 2011 GM and Ford HD's is pretty dang good at keeping all fours spinning. Or that was my goal anyway, and I was the traction control calibrator for both those trucks. (Previous job)
Offroad, if you're in High Range, you'll want to disable engine torque reductions with a push of the TC button, or push and hold to get rid of stability control too. When one tire on an axle starts spinning faster than the other, Brake-Traction will come in and squeeze the brake on the spinning tire to apply torque to the opposite tire which has better traction. (You can't shut brake-Traction control off, but it won't keep you from spinning the tires as fast as you want, it'll just try to make sure all four spin at roughly the same speed.) The effect is moderate in high range, but VERY aggressive in low range, particularly in 1st and 2nd gear on the GM trucks, and in 2nd gear on the Fords (Their preference, my judgement on execution...) Brake TC phases out at higher speeds. (15-20mph)
While not as effective as a true locker, if you find yourself in a sticky situation, drop to low range and go easy on the throttle, applying more as the brake pressure on the spinning wheel ramps up. It will cinch down the spinning front tire and the tire with traction will drag the truck if it can. I had the trucks doing cross-ditches uphill with only minimal wheel spin in 1st and 2nd gear low range, so you may be surprised at the capability of your truck even without lockers engaged!
As far as sand goes, I have rarely seen much benefit from lockers on a vehicle with tires aired down to the proper pressures, and without airing down, you'll be lucky to get 10' farther with lockers than without!
YMMV, but likely not by much if I did my job right!
Please no flames... Realize that above all else, the traction control is there to keep you safe when driving on slippery roads, and we had to work within guidelines provided by the manufacturers.
Also, if you run High range in mud and sand, lock it in 1st gear manually. I encountered a lot of conditions where the truck would spin/rev fast enough to do a 1-2 shift, but during the shift the tires stop spinning and when it hits second, it just bogs out. Lock it in 1st and that problem goes away. When you're through whatever you're in, let it into higher gears again!
C
Offroad, if you're in High Range, you'll want to disable engine torque reductions with a push of the TC button, or push and hold to get rid of stability control too. When one tire on an axle starts spinning faster than the other, Brake-Traction will come in and squeeze the brake on the spinning tire to apply torque to the opposite tire which has better traction. (You can't shut brake-Traction control off, but it won't keep you from spinning the tires as fast as you want, it'll just try to make sure all four spin at roughly the same speed.) The effect is moderate in high range, but VERY aggressive in low range, particularly in 1st and 2nd gear on the GM trucks, and in 2nd gear on the Fords (Their preference, my judgement on execution...) Brake TC phases out at higher speeds. (15-20mph)
While not as effective as a true locker, if you find yourself in a sticky situation, drop to low range and go easy on the throttle, applying more as the brake pressure on the spinning wheel ramps up. It will cinch down the spinning front tire and the tire with traction will drag the truck if it can. I had the trucks doing cross-ditches uphill with only minimal wheel spin in 1st and 2nd gear low range, so you may be surprised at the capability of your truck even without lockers engaged!
As far as sand goes, I have rarely seen much benefit from lockers on a vehicle with tires aired down to the proper pressures, and without airing down, you'll be lucky to get 10' farther with lockers than without!
YMMV, but likely not by much if I did my job right!
Please no flames... Realize that above all else, the traction control is there to keep you safe when driving on slippery roads, and we had to work within guidelines provided by the manufacturers.
Also, if you run High range in mud and sand, lock it in 1st gear manually. I encountered a lot of conditions where the truck would spin/rev fast enough to do a 1-2 shift, but during the shift the tires stop spinning and when it hits second, it just bogs out. Lock it in 1st and that problem goes away. When you're through whatever you're in, let it into higher gears again!
C
Last edited:
