Thread: Quick Centre Diff Lock question..

Thanks everyone! I do admit to taking a 'boys look' to find the answer But your answers have cleared it up for me..

and I think Debruiser that traction control is present even when the diff is unlocked.. (if I am wrong someone should be along shortly to correct me on this)..

Originally Posted by Sue

I am just curious as to what is the fastest you can drive when using the centre diff lock..?

As fast as you want to. It is a difflock, not a speed limiting device.

Originally Posted by debruiser

Sorry Sue I'm going to ambush your thread....

Is traction control active with the diff unlocked? OR does it just activate when the diff is locked?

Obviously I realise that the traction control will not be able to give the same results as a locked diff, but shouldn't it activate during gravel/dirt road driving and help improve drivability?

Traction control is always active but I have never had it activate at speed I am not sure if there is a maximum speed for it to work. Traction control works by applying the brake to the wheel which has lost traction which I would expect is not ideal at 80km/h on gravel.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

As fast as you dare...

...just don't use it on sealed roads.

M

We did some testing on the dirt roads around Alice Springs that demonstrated that in a (older leaf spring all round) Toyota Troop Carrier braking distances were significantly shortened if you were driving in 4wd. I can't remember the actual distances, but I do remember it was an emergency stop from 100km/h. In the Defender having the centre diff locked did not make any difference to braking distances which were comparable to the Toyota with 4wd engaged.

Apart from that - drive as fast as conditions & experience allow, and having the diff engaged does seem to make the back end less twitchy on loose gravel. This will especially be the case with a short wheel base.

Originally Posted by Westie

We did some testing on the dirt roads around Alice Springs that demonstrated that in a (older leaf spring all round) Toyota Troop Carrier braking distances were significantly shortened if you were driving in 4wd. I can't remember the actual distances, but I do remember it was an emergency stop from 100km/h. In the Defender having the centre diff locked did not make any difference to braking distances which were comparable to the Toyota with 4wd engaged.

Apart from that - drive as fast as conditions & experience allow, and having the diff engaged does seem to make the back end less twitchy on loose gravel. This will especially be the case with a short wheel base.

Excellent.... I feel a lot better about it now!

Thanks..

Originally Posted by Westie

We did some testing on the dirt roads around Alice Springs that demonstrated that in a (older leaf spring all round) Toyota Troop Carrier braking distances were significantly shortened if you were driving in 4wd. I can't remember the actual distances, but I do remember it was an emergency stop from 100km/h. In the Defender having the centre diff locked did not make any difference to braking distances which were comparable to the Toyota with 4wd engaged.

Apart from that - drive as fast as conditions & experience allow, and having the diff engaged does seem to make the back end less twitchy on loose gravel. This will especially be the case with a short wheel base.

Well it wouldn't would it.
An AWD with it's Center Diff Locked is the same driveline configuration as a Part Time 4WD with hubs Locked and 4WD selected through the transfer case.

Originally Posted by Hymie

Well it wouldn't would it.
An AWD with it's Center Diff Locked is the same driveline configuration as a Part Time 4WD with hubs Locked and 4WD selected through the transfer case.

I probably wasn't clear enough.

One of the points I was trying to make that was (kind of) related to the post was that engaging the centre diff lock in the Land Rover didn't make a significant difference to braking distance. I was surprised by this as I assumed that braking distance when not having the centre diff locked would be somewhere between the Toyota's 2wd and 4wd braking distance for the reasons you suggest.