When you lock the [u]center[/u] diff lock on a 2003 Defender 90 Td5 SW, will the traction control between the left and right wheels still be working? If yes what does it rely on (brakes etc.)? and finally how well does it work, say compared to air lockers?[sm=dontgetit.gif]

 

Need help badly! Please anyone! [sm=dontgetit.gif][sm=feedback.gif]

 

The traction control operates independently of the Diff Lock, it applies the Brakes to fool the Differential into sending power to the other wheels. It does not lock the Diff like an air locker, which only allows the 2 wheels on the axle to rotate at the same speed only. Be very careful in the use of air lockers especially climbing hills as you can very quickly get very sideways and possibly roll if one wheel suddenly gets more traction than the other.

 

I actaully mean that you can engage the center differential, which will cause the front and rear pair if wheels to rotate at the same speed. I'm just wondering if the traction control would work with the left and right wheels or if the center locking differential will cause it to shut off for the front and rear diffs to act normall, sending power to the wheel with the most traction.

 

The Traction control will still work,as normal on each axle, with Diff lock engaged.

 

The two things are independent.

Your diffs are there to allow the car to go around corners, as the outside wheel needs to go faster than the inside one when turning (differential speeds, hence difs). If you get one wheel off the ground when off roading, that same mechanism that is designed to let you go round corners, will allow that wheel in the air to spin, and not put any power to the one on the ground. Then you get stuck.

A diff lock will make them both wheels turn at the same speed by effectively locking the differential, so you can keep forward momentum. Traction control works differently. It senses the spinning wheel, and applies the breaks to only that wheel, fooling the mechanism to think in needs to apply force to the other wheel and thus regains traction.

Limited slip diff is a kind of in between, where it will allow only so much slip before it pushes force to the other tyre. (enough slip to go round corners, but not enough to let a wheel spin indefinitely in the air.) This has the effect of “wind” up, when the wheel spins, and then you feel the car regain traction.

The TD5 has a centre dif – this is quite different to the diff locks. TD5 is a permanent four wheel drive, but the power is not split evenly between the front and rear, with 60% at the back. This means the car is mostly pushing itself along. When you lock the diff in a TD5, you are locking the front and back, so that the power is split is 50/50. This allows the car to pull itself with as much power as it is pushing with, which again improves traction. Nothing except a bypass switch will switch off the traction control in a defender, as it is a permanent feature. It keeps working independently of the centre diff.

As far as how well it works is a matter of opinion. Dif locks are more effective and stronger than LSD, but the traction control is effective in many situations. Mud sand snow etc traction control will be great. rock crawling? Get a set of rear lockers at least...

Hope this explanation helps.