Snowy Freeway Mountain Pass - VSC vs Center Diff Lock

[MuseChaser]

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The stability control uses the brakes to try and prevent a skid, it does not work, all you get is beeping and flashing warning lighs on the dash. You’re skidding because you lost traction, using the brakes to try and gain traction does not work. You’re not missing anything.

If the stability control works like it did/does in our MLs, it works by applying light braking to only the wheels that have lost traction and are spinning, thereby transfering power to the wheels that have grip. It's a very smart system and in this case, through computer controlled application of independent braking to each of the four wheels individually, braking does indeed work. Human braking of all four wheels will not restore traction, of course, but that's very different. ABS helps retain some steerability if you mash on the brakes, but I still lightly pump... old habit, but still a good one. Can't bring myself to trust ABS over good driving technique.

 

[Spike555]

Spike555, another question I hope you can help with. You stated you can drive at any speed with the cdl engaged (not dry roads). My previous vehicle was a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. The owners manual said I could shift into 4 high at speeds below 50mph. I've searched for a similar speed restriction for engaging the LC center diff lock but found nothing. Are you aware of any speed restrictions on the LC for engaging the cdl? Also, is shifting a 4x4 into 4 high the equivalent of engaging the cdl on the LC? And thank you for sharing knowledge with folks like me who are still new to this.

I have no idea about any speed restrictions on ENGAGING the CDL on the Cruiser. However, once engaged you can drive any speed you want. All it does is engage another gear set inside the transfer case.
I have engaged my CDL at 30mph-ish but never faster than that, only because I try and do my best to plan for the road ahead. But there have been times where I was in the dunes and needed to engage it to increase traction.
If the road is super snowy I engage it at a stop light or before getting on the expressway, like on the on ramp.

 

[Spike555]

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[Spike555]

If the stability control works like it did/does in our MLs, it works by applying light braking to only the wheels that have lost traction and are spinning, thereby transfering power to the wheels that have grip. It's a very smart system and in this case, through computer controlled application of independent braking to each of the four wheels individually, braking does indeed work. Human braking of all four wheels will not restore traction, of course, but that's very different. ABS helps retain some steerability if you mash on the brakes, but I still lightly pump... old habit, but still a good one. Can't bring myself to trust ABS over good driving technique.

I don’t know exactly how it works on the Cruiser, all I know is that everytime I’ve throw it into a skid for fun it goes bonkers and doesn’t help. Just makes noise and a pretty green flashig light.

 

[MuseChaser]

I don’t know exactly how it works on the Cruiser, all I know is that everytime I’ve throw it into a skid for fun it goes bonkers and doesn’t help. Just makes noise and a pretty green flashig light.

I bet it's helping a lot and preventing your skid from turning into a very uncontrollable mega-donut. The thing is, you can't switch it off to see what your skid would REALLY feel like without it..

 

[Spike555]

I bet it's helping a lot and preventing your skid from turning into a very uncontrollable mega-donut. The thing is, you can't switch it off to see what your skid would REALLY feel like without it..

It would be nice to be able to turn it off.
I’ve done enough mega donuts to know what they feel like, the stability control does not help.
The Cruiser feels exactly the same as my Discovery which didn’t have stability control or ABS.
But you are right, it would be nice to be able to turn it off.

 

[RedHeadedStepChild]

@Qtonic I think what this thread shows is often the advise you get is worth what you pay for it. There's a tremendous amount of valuable information in forums, and there's an equal amount of ummmm..... opinion.
A good friend of mine and I4WDTA instructor (@Izzyandsue ) has a great saying. "First tighten the nut behind the wheel". Fundamentally, to be the best driver you can be, you need to understand your systems, how they are engineered to work, and how you can best interface with them. For a very good explanation of the various 4WD/AWD/4Matic/Quatro/yadda yadda yadda systems out there, I'd recommend Tom Sheppard's Four-by-four Driving (ISBN 978-0-9532324). I see you're in Eastern TN. The late Scott Fields had a fantastic school called the Uhwarrie Offroad Training Center adjacent to the Uhwarrie National Forrest in NC. That school was recently purchased by OEX and is still in operation. I have done a good deal of training with the school when it was still the UORTC, and can't say enough good about it.
On these forums, anyone can make any claim they want - A Domino's delivery guy is in fact a professional driver. To get the most out of your equipment from a performance and longevity standpoint, learn from actual professionals. Start with the books, they're the cheapest way to gain a quick understanding, and then schedule a class. You will quickly see that many people you encounter here on forums, out on the roads, and on the trails have very strong, very wrong, and often dangerous opinions on how things should be done.
And since your down in the South East, grab a copy of Overlanding in the Southeastern United States GA,SC,NC,TN, and Southern VA.

 

[izzyandsue]

Ok I'm out.

Oh, man, reading through this thread gave me a headache! So, on snow an ice, turn on every locker. Just dont forget a few blankets, food, heater, recovery equipment. Some people might be able to do it without problem, thats great for you.

MuseChaser, not sure what part of Upstate NY you are, but I have the same exact experience in the Rochester/Finger Lakes, and Adirondack regions for 15 years. My Volvo 240 on Nokia snow tires worked as good as a tracked vehicle. RWD allows the power delivery on the rear and not to compromise steering in front, exactly right. Only used chains once in a place where it snows from October to May.

CDL? Perfect example was last weekend at the Overland Expo, the mud+torrential rain+mud+rain+traffic created a situation like ice and snow, and then the 20F temperature made it a nice and frosty muck. The volunteer/instructors day parking area was a complete clusterfox, an off-camber slight hill climb into the parking area. That morning, I saw a lot of vehicles practically crabbing sideways, cant climb the hill. Moving sideways more than forward and about to hit other parked vehicles. My co-instructor was coming in so I went to wait at the entrance, and overheard the volunteer helping people park tell everyone to use all lockers to get up the hill. Aha! poor people had no chance to turn up the hill and let the differentials do the differentiating. So I told him, turn lockers off, let them turn into the hill. He mentioned he was from "out west", and never driven in this type of mess.

Anyways, with lockers off, magically vehicles began to make it up the hill by allowing the outer tires the needed differential distance to travel and not preventing the turn. This was a slight turn, but lockers, any kind of them, will work against you in ice, snow, or icesnowy mud. As one of those pesky mechanical engineers for over 30 years, I know physics doesn't care what you like or dislike, believe or not, it is the ultimate non-discriminator.

 

[Spike555]

@Qtonic I think what this thread shows is often the advise you get is worth what you pay for it. There's a tremendous amount of valuable information in forums, and there's an equal amount of ummmm..... opinion.
A good friend of mine and I4WDTA instructor (@Izzyandsue ) has a great saying. "First tighten the nut behind the wheel". Fundamentally, to be the best driver you can be, you need to understand your systems, how they are engineered to work, and how you can best interface with them. For a very good explanation of the various 4WD/AWD/4Matic/Quatro/yadda yadda yadda systems out there, I'd recommend Tom Sheppard's Four-by-four Driving (ISBN 978-0-9532324). I see you're in Eastern TN. The late Scott Fields had a fantastic school called the Uhwarrie Offroad Training Center adjacent to the Uhwarrie National Forrest in NC. That school was recently purchased by OEX and is still in operation. I have done a good deal of training with the school when it was still the UORTC, and can't say enough good about it.
On these forums, anyone can make any claim they want - A Domino's delivery guy is in fact a professional driver. To get the most out of your equipment from a performance and longevity standpoint, learn from actual professionals. Start with the books, they're the cheapest way to gain a quick understanding, and then schedule a class. You will quickly see that many people you encounter here on forums, out on the roads, and on the trails have very strong, very wrong, and often dangerous opinions on how things should be done.
And since your down in the South East, grab a copy of Overlanding in the Southeastern United States GA,SC,NC,TN, and Southern VA.

Exactly. As for me, 26 years driving everything from tanker truck to HAZMAT to passenger bus to everything in between.

My favorite though was cement mixer truck, 8x8, all diffs locked including the transfer case, you couldn’t turn an inch if you had to with everything locked.
100,000 top heavy pounds bouncing across a construction site with the Big Cam Cummin’s puffing black smoke like a steam locomotive. Getting paid to go off road was fun. Sinking to your axles was more fun, a bull dozer pulling you out is even better.

26 years so far, 100,000 miles per year on average in all kinds of weather with zero accidents equals a lot of pizzas delivered.