When to lock CDL

[ProjectDirector]

I would like to open up a can of worms here
Over the last 2 years I have been teaching my son nearly 18 to drive on road of course many camping/hunting trips off road.
I have been telling him all along to lock cdl when getting off the tar but the gravel road needs to be loose and not compacted.
We tend to have many gravel roads that are very compacted before we get on to tracks with loose surface, soft, wet etc. so I believe indiscriminate use of cdl can cause wind up and failure in drivetrain

What are your thoughts and experiences?

[AK83]

According to Dave Ashcroft, whenever there's a chance of any wheel slip.
So to me that means even wet tarmac!

I had a '79RRC, and I wore out 2 centre diffs on it back in the early 90's.
Thinking of Ashcrofts words and the amount of gravel roads driving I did with that '79, it was inevitable that both those diff failures happened.

[Bearman]

Even corrugated dirt roads will cause wheel spin so good idea to lock it unless it is a flat and well compacted road.

[rangieman]

As above and the best thing is if your on one of theses compacted dirt roads and come across a loose / muddy what ever part you can select CDL on the fly .

[ProjectDirector]

Even corrugated dirt roads will cause wheel spin so good idea to lock it unless it is a flat and well compacted road.

Agree, I always lock it on corrugated roads.
When I bought the defender, i was offered a half day training by MCL at a location in around Werribee and the instructor there insisted that when off the tarmac lock the CDL, mmm?? I was scratching my head and ignored it.

[trout1105]

I had my Transfer box/CDL rebuilt a couple of years ago, Since then I have locked the CDL every time I have left the bitumen.
I haven't had any issues with "Wind Up" on the dirt even though some of the roads are hard packed at times and given that the alternative to not engaging the cdl is to face another expensive repair bill I will continue to do this.
Besides with the CDL engaged the D2a handles better on the dirt than with it not engaged.

[rick130]

As usual, I'm the lone dissenting voice!

I hated the understeer a locked CDL gave on dirt in my 130, and I lived in the bush and drove dirt daily for over a decade with an unlocked CDL, and I drove it like I'd stole it, making the thing drift and slide most of the time.
My t/case didn't self destruct as a consequence.

The ultimate fix is an ATB replacing the open centre diff.
It improves dirt road performance significantly, eliminating the hunting you can sometimes get with an open diff as well as reducing the understeer you get with a locked diff.

[djam1]

I agree with Rick my earliest full time 4x4 Land Rover was an LT95 equiped 1974 Range Rover this was back in the early 80s
Since than I haven’t been one engage CDL because I drove on a dirt road (for years it would never of got out of CDL)
Never have I had a failure of a CDL have reshimmed a couple but never destroyed one.
There are certain corrugated circumstances that you should put it in CDL just like I put Land Cruisers in 4x4 these are extreme with the wheels cannon balling and the vehicle going no where. I have would doubt you would see this in the eastern states in the desert it was common.
The CDL is there to absorb slight differences use with a little common sense and they are quite durable.
With my Stage 1 I would spin the inside front wheel on bitumen quite regularly never had a failure.

[ProjectDirector]

As usual, I'm the lone dissenting voice!

I hated the understeer a locked CDL gave on dirt in my 130, and I lived in the bush and drove dirt daily for over a decade with an unlocked CDL, and I drove it like I'd stole it, making the thing drift and slide most of the time.
My t/case didn't self destruct as a consequence.

The ultimate fix is an ATB replacing the open centre diff.
It improves dirt road performance significantly, eliminating the hunting you can sometimes get with an open diff as well as reducing the understeer you get with a locked diff.

I dont disagree with you, but when the dirt road is compacted and smooth with no loose stones I dont lock it.

[cripesamighty]

I always found this video to be helpful. In the end it is your own choice, but it’s good in some situations and not others. Personally I’d love an ATB!

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