A-trac vs Front + Rear Lockers (2 Viewers)

[shanester]

Conditions & Obstacle:
Mud + rain | Small Hill

Truck:
2002 Land Cruiser

Equipment:
BFG K02's
TJM Pro Lockers

Test 1 (straight line, small muddy hill)
4 Low, Center Diff Lock, Front + Rear Lockers engaged, FAIL.

Test 2 (same straight line, small muddy hill)
4 Low, Center Diff Lock, A-trac, SUCCESS.

I ran the same test multiple times and the result was the same. A-trac is a winner in mud folks.

What's funny is I thought I'd be invincible with a triple locked 100. Turns out I was more than capable with out the lockers. Now I'm sure there are instances where the lockers would save my ass but the bottom line is that A-trac wins in a slippery hill climb. It just does.

I created this thread for discussion

 

[Hayes]

Inadequate sample size to draw a general conclusion.

 

[DarkPharf]

What was your speed?

I have considered going for triple lock myself just to get rid of the buzzers and chimes of the skid control.

 

[Hayes]

Also, center diff locked, rear locked, front open?

 

[shanester]

Inadequate sample size to draw a general conclusion.

You're right, this test won't be winning a Nobel prize anytime soon

I did run center and rear locked with front open but at a different section, so I can't include those results.

Speed was very slow. The test was started mid hill so momentum wasn't a factor. I held atrac at around 2,000rpm or so.

 

[shanester]

To clarify on speed, the hill was very small so from mid hill to the top was about 30 feet. I doubt I went over 5 mph.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Atrac works much better than non-Atrac with lockers on snow covered roads for the ladies.

 

[shanester]

Atrac works much better than non-Atrac with lockers on snow covered roads for the ladies.

I feel like that was a dig... and I'm not mad about it at all.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I feel like that was a dig... and I'm not mad about it at all.

No dig at all, the truth because ladies let the Atrac work and Atrac does work much better than locker on snowy roads.

 

[Hayes]

No dig at all, the truth because ladies let the Atrac work and Atrac does work much better than locker on snowy roads.

Yes.
And the dudes just can't help trying to do it better and messing everything up.

 

[Muddy Bean]

So I'm confused, were you or were you not actually TRIPLE locked for the test run? If you left your front open then I guess that doesn't sound like you triple locked to me but maybe I missed something

 

[Ramathorn15]

So I'm confused, were you or were you not actually TRIPLE locked for the test run? If you left your front open then I guess that doesn't sound like you triple locked to me but maybe I missed something

He was triple locked. Said he did rear + center locked and front open on a different section so he couldn't compare it to the others.

 

[abuck99]

Lockers are not the end all for every traction situation. In fact they can create more problems in some scenarios if you aren't clear what will happen in advance.

one example
1-) off camber slope -forward motion: depending on the surface condition, if wet & slippery a locked rig with both wheels on the axle are turning can tend to walk the rig sideways down the slope, where a open ATRAC rig (or similar 4wd system) will drive to the non-slipping wheel(s) - which is generally the weighted up-slope side which will keep you tracking in a more straight direction.

 

[Muddy Bean]

Lockers are not the end all for every traction situation. In fact they can create more problems in some scenarios if you aren't clear what will happen in advance.

one example
1-) off camber slope -forward motion: depending on the surface condition, if wet & slippery a locked rig with both wheels on the axle are turning can tend to walk the rig sideways down the slope, where a open ATRAC rig (or similar 4wd system) will drive to the non-slipping wheel(s) - which is generally the weighted up-slope side which will keep you tracking in a more straight direction.

Exact situation I found myself in at windrock. First time I honestly thought I'd roll the truck. Should never have locked the rear in that particular situation.

 

[KYLandy]

This confirms what I have seen in the ATRAC videos posted on here. If you let it work, it will get you through in most cases. I have no direct experience other than the one time I went to DTOR and was amazed at how well it performed, even with stock A/S tires. This means that ATRAC is smarter than I am and I'm okay with that.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

For me A-trac gives my part time LX470 ghetto rear posi by not locking the hubs and selecting center diff lock.