Using AHC Off Road help... (1 Viewer)

[Julian Stead]

I am a total novice to off road driving so I am after some advice on what settings to use, after finishing base lining my truck I decided to take my truck over a rough mountain road today, it had deep ruts, soft mud, loose stones and some steepish inclines/declines. I got around fine but was confused as to what settings I should use.

When I approached the trail I put it in 4lo and set the AHC to high, I used D when going uphill and on the flats and L when going downhill, not sure if this is right.

Should I turn active height control off as the truck is always at a obscure angle, do you set it to comfort or sport, when to use rear diff lock(I don't think mine works but will fix it).

How do others use there 4wd system and AHC off-road?

 

[Ramathorn15]

I am a total novice to off road driving so I am after some advice on what settings to use, after finishing base lining my truck I decided to take my truck over a rough mountain road today, it had deep ruts, soft mud, loose stones and some steepish inclines/declines. I got around fine but was confused as to what settings I should use.

When I approached the trail I put it in 4lo and set the AHC to high, I used D when going uphill and on the flats and L when going downhill, not sure if this is right.

Should I turn active height control off as the truck is always at a obscure angle, do you set it to comfort or sport, when to use rear diff lock(I don't think mine works but will fix it).

How do others use there 4wd system and AHC off-road?

mostly level dirt roads = suspension in the normal setting I use on road (AHC to N mode, no center diff lock, 4wheel high, drive on tranny, and comfort/sport to whatever feels the best). This is probably 90% of what people do offroad.

Ruts, mud, or climbs = AHC in N mode unless ruts are deep enough to need H mode to keep from dragging. 4wheel low, center diff locked, and L on tranny for steep climbs and declines.

I only adjust the AHC height as needed. If there is a large rock or ruts I will go to H until the obstacle is cleared. These are just my preferences. I suggest you learn what each setting does, specifically the center and rear diff lock and make your judgment based on knowledge of the equipment when on the trail.

You should use your rear locking diff when you know you will loose traction to one of the rear wheels. Don't use it if your just driving down flat dirt roads and turning a lot.

 

[Julian Stead]

Thanks, that will give me a bit more confidence next time. I will give it some more practice next weekend and try out these settings and also get used to what the ground clearance is, I think I was a bit over cautious today. Is the AHC off button ever used for anything, wasn't sure if I was to knock it off when in the ruts to stop it trying to make corrections all the time.

 

[yotasavg]

So you've got AHC and a rear diff lock?

 

[Julian Stead]

Yes, it's a 98 uk spec land cruiser.

 

[Julian Stead]

Taking it off road today has given me a whole new level of respect for this truck, so comfortable on road and so capable off, would be much more capable in skilled hands I must admit. I just couldn't believe how calm and comfortable it was when driving over the stoney sections.

 

[Ramathorn15]

They are very capable. I'm an ex-jeep guy who has worked/built 2-1/2 ton mud bog and rock crawling rigs worth over $100k and the 100 impresses me each time I take it out. Its only real weakness is the large size but I haven't had an issue in the open spaces of NM. Back in the woods of WV, it would be more harder/impossible to navigate some of the super narrow trails my old wrangler excelled at. At the same time though, I could never carry all the gear and people I wanted.

This is a pretty steep and slick rock climb from a few weekends ago. It might give you an idea of what the 100 is really capable of.



Thats with the stock AHC in the N position, center diff locked, and 4low and L gear. I have the ATRAC system as opposed to locker(s). This is a climb you would want to engage your rear locker on.

 

[wildsmith]

Leave the AHC on and keep experimenting with the settings, what works best does depend what you're driving over and how fast.

 

[Julian Stead]

Nice truck Ramathorn, you make it look easy. I can see your ATRAC working, it is keeping your lifted front wheel under control. Is this the kind of move that would kill my weedy front diff.

Thanks Wildsmith, will leave it on.

 

[Ramathorn15]

Nice truck Ramathorn, you make it look easy. I can see your ATRAC working, it is keeping your lifted front wheel under control. Is this the kind of move that would kill my weedy front diff.

Thanks Wildsmith, will leave it on.

I don't have experience with the 2 pin diff that you have, but I cant imagine it blowing doing something like that. The key to off-roading is slow and steady. Drive train parts start blowing when you have a heavy, inconsistent foot. Think of it as a strategy game vs. a game of muscle. If you cant get it the first attempt when going slow, adjust your positioning and find a line that might be easier.

 

[Ramathorn15]

Ohh and if you're dealing with mud, ensure that you have lots of recovery gear. Never panic and floor it to get it out. Try rocking back and forth but ensure you allow enough time for D and R to fully engage before applying the gas. Generally you can use a little bit more gas than when you're on rocks. The idea is that rocks provide lots of traction, so if you start slipping on rocks, then floor it, when the tire regains traction, it binds the hell out of the drivetrain. mud doesnt have as much of a risk of going from low traction to jolts of lots of traction.

If that all fails, use recovery gear. I would much rather burn up a winch or break a strap than put a bunch of strain and binding on my drivetrain.

 

[unfast]

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[Ramathorn15]

Do you mean L as in low height setting or L as in 4 wheel low? Mine only goes into the H setting when I put it there manually.

 

[unfast]

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[Julian Stead]

I don't have experience with the 2 pin diff that you have, but I cant imagine it blowing doing something like that. The key to off-roading is slow and steady. Drive train parts start blowing when you have a heavy, inconsistent foot. Think of it as a strategy game vs. a game of muscle. If you cant get it the first attempt when going slow, adjust your positioning and find a line that might be easier.

Ohh and if you're dealing with mud, ensure that you have lots of recovery gear. Never panic and floor it to get it out. Try rocking back and forth but ensure you allow enough time for D and R to fully engage before applying the gas. Generally you can use a little bit more gas than when you're on rocks. The idea is that rocks provide lots of traction, so if you start slipping on rocks, then floor it, when the tire regains traction, it binds the hell out of the drivetrain. mud doesnt have as much of a risk of going from low traction to jolts of lots of traction.

If that all fails, use recovery gear. I would much rather burn up a winch or break a strap than put a bunch of strain and binding on my drivetrain.

Good advise, recovery gear is on my shopping list. No winch though, will have to rely on getting towed out if it gets stuck.

 

[Knox_Overland]

Ohh and if you're dealing with mud, ensure that you have lots of recovery gear. Never panic and floor it to get it out. Try rocking back and forth but ensure you allow enough time for D and R to fully engage before applying the gas. Generally you can use a little bit more gas than when you're on rocks. The idea is that rocks provide lots of traction, so if you start slipping on rocks, then floor it, when the tire regains traction, it binds the hell out of the drivetrain. mud doesnt have as much of a risk of going from low traction to jolts of lots of traction.

If that all fails, use recovery gear. I would much rather burn up a winch or break a strap than put a bunch of strain and binding on my drivetrain.

Well said!!