Silly Question re center diff lock on 2016 200

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J

JayTortugaTee

Joined
Aug 21, 2018
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Location
Lynn Ranch CA
Hey Guys....silly question for you all re the factory center diff lock on my 2016.

By engaging this, does it deliver equal and locked power to all wheels?

The manual says it only changes the front to rear power ratio from 40/60 to 50/50 and i assumed that leaves the axle diffs unlocked.

Used it today on some steep loose climbs and it felt unstoppable.
And in watching back some the video my son took, there was never a time where all 4 wheels weren’t turning in sync, both axle to axle and right to left.

Is this a coincidence or does this function lock all diffs?
 
No.

What a differential does is take power via an input shaft, then route that power to two output shafts, while allowing those shafts to turn at different speeds.

With an open differential, if one output shaft has no resistance (for example, the tire is on ice) then all the power will go to that shaft and the other won’t turn at all.

Limited slip differentials try to send some power to both output axles, but how well they do if one tire has no grip depends upon the type of differential - some limited slips are better than others.

Traction control systems try to emulate a limited slip diff by applying braking to the wheel that is spinning faster, trying to send some torque to the other wheel.

Finally, we get to locking differentials. When you lock a differential, then both output shafts turn at the same speed.

The 200 has three differentials — front, center, and rear. The front and rear diffs are open. The center diff is a lockable, limited slip Torsen diff.

When you lock the center diff, all it does is ensure that the front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speeds. The front and rear diffs are still open diffs. The only thing you have to apportion power side to side is the traction control system using the brakes.
 
@M1911 - thanks for the detailed info. Seems like that is above my paygrade. ;-)

So is it safe to say that people dont put lockers on the front and rear of 200’s since there is somewhat of a virtual locking created through the center and traction control?
 
Well if you wheel your LC in places where you need lockers then you should get them. They’re not needed for Costco runs. Or even fire roads. But if you plan to do a lot of crawling, then it’d be worthwhile to look into lockers and learning how to use them.
 
JayTortugaTee said:
@M1911 - thanks for the detailed info. Seems like that is above my paygrade. ;-)

So is it safe to say that people dont put lockers on the front and rear of 200’s since there is somewhat of a virtual locking created through the center and traction control?
Click to expand...

First, the locking central diff isn’t virtual. When it is locked, the front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speed, just like a part-time 4wd system. Second, if you add locking front and rear diffs, locking those diffs results in their respective left and right half shafts turning at the same speed. Traction control systems slow the speed of the faster rotating half shaft, but they can’t force the two half shafts to turn at the same speed.

ARB and Eaton offer front and rear locking diffs for the 200. They are pretty spendy. Locking diffs allow you to traverse an obstacle slowly, reducing the chance of damage. They are pretty popular in places like Australia.

The 200s traction control system is pretty good as those systems go, but I don’t think it is as good as a locking diff.

I’d love to get locking diffs, but I think they are overkill for what I do, and a lift and bumpers are higher priority for me.
 
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Exactly.
And as we get bolder with where we go and obstacles we approach, its the kind of thing that Id rather have and not need vs needing and not having.
 
JayTortugaTee said:
Exactly.
And as we get bolder with where we go and obstacles we approach, its the kind of thing that Id rather have and not need vs needing and not having.
Click to expand...

Funny, I feel the same way about money. :)

In all seriousness, lockers are yet another tool, for extreme crawling. ATRAC, the "virtual" locker, has proven very competent, and will let you traverse 90% of what a locker will do. Another great tool is Crawl Control. Each has pros and cons and may be better for particular situations. A locker, when used on a very off camber or slippery situation, may not be preferred over something like ATRAC as it can cause more sideways slippage by forcing all wheels to turn and losing lateral grip.
 
Cool and thanks.
Appreciate the feedback.
 
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