Thread: Traction Control broke my front Diff (I think)

Originally Posted by Staggers

Been driving my 2002 Defender since new, and I treat it with a reasonable degree of respect (my series 3 taught me how to change gears smoothly). That is until I get it in the sand at which point the traction control almost never stops - and I eventually pull the ABS/TC fuse. Quite often I could hear the front axle shaking with the pulsing of the T/C - I thought it was the steering rods clanking slightly on the bent steering protector. Turns out it was the front diff centre gradually being shocked looser and looser. Eventually it sploded. See photo where the axle holding the 2 (spider) cogs has worked a hole about twice its original size.

Has anyone got a more elegant way of switching T/C off than pulling the fuse?

The guys at Trans-diff in Bayswater did a great job finding a second hand unit for the front, but I'm now thinking I should put a ARB locker in there to equal the toughness of salisbury on the rear axle? Any opinions?

I'm also thinking about sending a letter to Land Rover explaining how having a T/C off button could save transmissions that get driven a lot in sand.

I roughly quote the VY series Commodore owners manual:

"A button on the gear selector is supplied to disable traction control; this might be advantageous in situations where the vehicle is bogged in mud, snow or grass."

But then again Holden recognise the Australian need to do a so called "burn-out". I'm sure LR would have a rationale for not supplying a button (that is above and beyond the costs).

Somoene else will remember better then me and a search will problaby find it but I odn't have the time at this second. But to turn it off it is something along the lines of when vehicle is on accessory but not running you depress the brake pedal 10 times within 20 seconds and then start it and it should be off. Then once you turn the vehicle on and off it is back to normal.

I'm sure this is not correct but it is very similar.

Xav

Thanks! found it here turning off the traction!.

Putting in a locker may help, but you are going to want to permanently remove the fuse or its going to give you drama's with the locker switched on!!

I'm pretty sure that if you engage CDL while the engine is running, then turn it off and re start with CDL still engaged, it disables TC, well that's what i've been told on my Disco anyway...happy to sit corrected though.

Ray

You shouldn't need to play around with traction control if it is working as designed, it should just do it's thing. I've travelled hundreds of ks fully laden on sand without any issues. The TC algorithm used in the Defender is slightly different to the Discovery, however the desired result is the same - to minimise wheel slip. Fitting a locker will reduce the amount of work the TC has to do.

Originally Posted by Rayngie

I'm pretty sure that if you engage CDL while the engine is running, then turn it off and re start with CDL still engaged, it disables TC, well that's what i've been told on my Disco anyway...happy to sit corrected though.

Ray

That's only because the driver of your Disco wasn't supposed to be able to lock the CDL. This cannot be done on later Discos that were made with the CDL (my03+) operational.

Originally Posted by LOVEMYRANGIE

Putting in a locker may help, but you are going to want to permanently remove the fuse or its going to give you drama's with the locker switched on!!

Why? Sorry do not understand.

TC only works when the computer detects one of the wheels in an axle set turning faster than the other (within the programming paramenters). With a diff lock on, both wheels on an axle set turn at the same speed so the TC computer does not activate the TC.

Garry