Best trim for dirt roads and snow

you are right. it might be just a button and the vehicle might not have a center diff. You win..

 

A specific vehicle having it or not is not the same thing as it being physically impossible for that to exist.

It’s absolutely possible have it. I’m personally not going to claim what the 4th Gen did or did not have because quite honestly, I don’t know or care.

 

If you know what vehicle it was specifically, pull the owners manual from Toyota’s site and read how it works.

 

This topic should not have wasted all this posts. I just wish it was available in 5Gen. Would have make my turns soo much easy in winter when I'm in 4WD. Why I prefer to take Limited in snowy days.

 

You said “a part time 4wd with a center diff lock, that is physically impossible.”

That’s not physically impossible… You could make a system full time 4WD with a lockable center diff that still has disconnects on the front did hubs which would make it RWD. Again that’s not really a logically reason to do that, but it’s certainly possible to build that system.

 

Guys - I think all this is over confusion between a locking "center" differential and a locking "rear" differential. The Limiteds have a center differential so that when driving in full time 4WD the front wheels can turn at a different rate than the rear wheels to prevent the driveline from binding. All the other 4Runners with part time 4WD do not have a "center" differential - and when they are in 4H or 4L the front and rear wheels have to turn at the same rate - which is why you don't want to drive around on dry pavement in part time 4WD. If you are on snow, mud, sand, dirt, etc... the wheels can slip and you don't get driveline binding. However, all the 4Runners have front and rear differentials so that the wheels on the drivers side and passenger side of the vehicle can turn at different rates (when you turn in an arc the wheels on the outside of the turn have to turn faster than the wheels on the inside). Some 4Runner trims (Off Road and Pro I think) have a mechanically lockable rear differential - when locked both wheels get power and spin. If the rear differential is not locked and one wheel can spin freely - i.e. it is on very smooth ice or not in contact with the ground the differential will send all the power to the freely spinning wheel - which is not good if you are stuck - you want power going to the wheel with traction. I think most of the trim levels without a mechanically locking rear differential have ATRAC - which uses the brakes to stop the freely spinning wheel so that the differential sends power to the wheel that has traction. Locking the center differential on a Limited means that the same amount of power is going to both the front and rear wheels and that the front and rear wheels are turning at the same rate. However, with the center differential locked - the front and rear differentials will allow the driver side wheels and passenger side wheels to turn at a different rate. There is no rear (or front) locker on a Limited - they do have ATRAC though - and when activated in L4L the brakes will stop a freely spinning wheel to allow power to go to the wheels with traction.

 

I didn't explicitly say it in the above post - but I think that button that is circled in the picture several posts above is for locking the "rear" differential. I would agree that the picture on the button may look like it is for a center differential - but that vehicle (2006 4Runner SR5 w/ part time 4WD) does not have a center differential.

 

Actually - you know what - I think I am incorrect about the center diff on that vehicle. I think the 4th gen 4Runners did have a Torsen center diff. Who knew? Learn something every day.

 

Right. I think (hope) most people here understand all that. I'm still confused about what kmeeg was trying to get at, though I gather it may have been a desire to have a system that can operate in either RWD, AWD or locked 4WD. As I noted in a post above, that might be cool but it's not an option on any 5th Gen 4Runner trim. You either get the option of RWD or locked 4WD, or the option of AWD or locked 4WD.

As you note, ATRAC is Toyota's solution for conditions where you'd like to lock the two wheels of a given axle together but no actual locker is present. This system is why, BTW, I think the lack of a rear locker on the Limited is mostly a non issue. I mean, I too generally prefer mechanical solutions to electronic ones, but it seems ATRAC is still effective at the task.

 

Yep. So you can be in 2H. Isn't that a nice system to have on 5th Gens?
I don't really care for some people wasting some of the useful topics. But its what it is..

 

Well - everything I posted is correct for the current gen 4Runners - but both the 4th gen 4Runners with 4WD (V6 and V8) had the Torsen center differential. The V8 models were similar to the current Limited 4WD system - you were always in 4WD - but you could lock the center diff and go into 4 High locked and 4 Low locked. The V6 model was different - you could be in 2WD, 4WD free with unlocked center diff (meaning you could drive in 4WD free on dry pavement) or you could lock the center differential and be in 4 High locked or 4 Low locked - which you would not want to do on dry pavement. Kmeeg was correct about that specific vehicle he was talking about.

 

Yeah - with the 4th gen 4WD 4Runners you had a center differential and could also be in 2WD Hi. Not sure why Toyota went away from that. Then again, with the current Limiteds - if driving in 2WD Hi has no benefit over driving in H4F (4WD with open center diff) why would you need 2WD? If you don't get any better gas mileage in 2H vs. H4F, or any other benefit, - why use it? There are times when you could unexpectedly need to go into 4WD quickly - rain turning to freezing rain, paved roadway suddenly turns to dirt/mud, etc... If no benefit to driving in 2H - I'd rather just drive around in H4F. I also don't know enough about how that center diff in the 4th gen 4Runners worked. To be in 2H there would have to be a way to stop the center diff from sending power to the front wheels. The center diff in the current Limited does not do this - there is always some power going to the front/rear wheels - never 100% to the front or rear. Maybe it was a more complicated/more expensive center differential and they figured there was not much benefit in being able to drive around in 2H or 4HF - so they got rid of the 2H. Dunno? Would be interesting to know why.

 

That system would have been really really useful on my TRD. I drive my kiddo to school daily and there is a U turn that I need to take to enter to the school drop off / pick up lane. (The regular left turn is closed during school hours.) So on snowy days its a pain doing that U turn in 4H on my TRD not having that center diff.
I was trying to find some info why Toyota stopped that multi mode 4wd system. No idea why. Def Toyota won't tell why unless owners tell if it was problematic or any other concerns.

 

kmeeg, I'm confused by "so you can be in 2H." All cars moving in 2WD are in "High" unless there's the option of a low gear. Is that what you mean, that you'd like to have a RWD vehicle that can be shifted into a low gear? Like the kind of gear you'd use for rock crawling?

To be extra clear here, every current 4Runner but the Limited is in "2H" mode all the time until 4WD is engaged.

 

I think what he liked about his 4th gen is he could be in 4 HI FREE (open central diff) so he could make tight U turns in 4WD without binding. But also with that 4WD system he could be in 2WD also. I don't see the benefit of being able to choose between 2WD and H4F - unless there is some benefit to 2WD like better gas mileage.

 

Is this debate still going on?

 

I don't think so.... I think the general consensus is she should go with the Limited.

 

I meant the kmeeg and Nano909 debate. Lol

 

Just to through some fuel on the fire…

Your wrong, Limiteds are available in RWD only, 2H would be so the default mode on those Limiteds

 

Yeah - thats a 2Runner.

 

LoL, you still can't understand. You are one of a kind.

 

Great amateur demo with the Limited through some serious deep snow

 

Did a little test today and noticed that in 2H the front shaft doesn't spin vs in H4 unlocked the front shaft spins. So since in 2H completely disconnect front I guess it will give mpg advantage. Not sure. Just shared what I saw.
Will try to take a better video as I was just leaning from driver seat to record initially. So its not that good to make a video.

 

For me it would depend how long your winters are. I have ORP. For me I only have to drive in snow 3-15 times a year. I do have to manually put it into 4WD when snow/ice and it drives great.

it can be a little inconvenient though if you’re driving from a snowy main road and pulling into say a parking lot or shopping area or driveway where asphalt is dry and you need to make sharp or tight turns you will have to put it back into 2WD and then again into 4WD when you get back on the main road with snow and ice.. it takes me 2-3 seconds to shift into or out of 4WD.

With the Limited you wouldn’t have to worry about doing any of this shifting

the down side for me of the Limited is the tires and wheels. Would cost me $2k at least to replace them. Then the front grill I believe is a little lower clearance than the OR. And the Limited will also cost you about $2-3k more than the OR.

if I had to drive through snow/ice 30 days or more a winter I would be tempted to get the Limited. I myself may even get Limited in couple years when I trade in. I just hate the thought of paying $2-3k more for a Limited and then another $2k to change the tires/wheels and possibly pay more to replace the front grill.

To complicate things more the off-road will give you the locking rear differential so this will make it a bit more off-road worthy. I think the Limited has A-Trac maybe and this helps you if or when you get stuck

 

Since the T4R 2WD doesn't get mileage. Don't get logic behind getting a Part-Time 4WD usable in straight line. Just me though. Learnt the hard way. Without due diligence.

But then i keep away from Moon/Sunroofs. Always leaked eventually. From my past experiences visiting car leather repair shops.

 

sunroofs are ok, it’s the panoramic roofs you need to avoid at all costs.

 

Limited with rear locker (and maybe even crawl control because it's a fun option) would be the ultimate 4R once stock wheels/tires have been changed

 

Yep. Even my new TRD Pro moonroof was leaking and fixed under warranty.

 

Kmeeg—What was the cause of the leak?