Originally Posted by
ozscott
I will give it a crack. Driving in very powdery sand and towing heavy loads in same (like I noted above...) with a D2 for 16 years with traction control on and off on the same vehicle, same conditions etc and with CDL locked and unlocked. Forget the articles as they only relate to those vehicles (most but not D2) where the traction control cuts engine power robbing torque and power when the vehicle needs it most. I say again the D2 only brakes by pulsing the caliper on those wheels slipping (spinning) the most and leaves engine output alone. Simple and effective in sand.
I recall with fondness towing a 23 foot dual axle road van at Stradboke Island and the ETC ie what allowed me to steer into a camp site when speed was not an option. The boggy sand in was stopping a lot of vehicles without loads and you could feel the ETC working and allowing the D2 to pull through. Fantastic stuff. Onlookers remarked on the whole thing but also that they could see the ETC working. Dont compare D2 with any (even modern) Japanese 4wds...