There's a good difference after CDL, there's an enormous difference after CDL and lockers front & rear

 

Last off-roading adventure I went on involved some rather steep hill climbs with a combination of large immovable rock with smaller loose rock. I can remember two hills specifically I started up thinking I had already engaged the CDL, only to get 1/2 way up due to spinning tires. I then realised I had not engaged the CDL. I backed down the hill just a bit, engaged it, and easily made it past where I had just gotten "hindered"

"Stuck" to me means having to rely on another vehicle to further your progress.
"Hindered" means you can get out by yourself, either with a shovel, winch, or thinking more clearly.

 

I have not had any issues with CDL in the wet, muddy Pacific NW off-road excursions. It boils down to effective gradeability, i.e., the ability of the truck to get effective traction at a slope. A number of factors affect gradeability: tire pressure, tire thread, surface rolling resistance, take off speed, gear selection. One key ingredient for me is the Toyo Open Country AT-2 Plus. Great tire for this type of off-roading.

 

I know...Old thread. But this is exactly what my experience with CDL has been. Anyone who questions "Why install a CDL in my rig". This is why. I just thought I would bump this read.

 

Definitely makes a huge difference. But as someone earlier in the thread mentioned, the trick is to engage it before you actually need it. I felt a night and day difference the first time I used mine. It was in the snow and my Land Rover was pulling behind a full group of Jeeps and Toyotas with no problems at all. Was getting nothing but compliments as I didn't get stuck a single time. On the way back I attempted the return without it and it was struggling putting my traction control to a lot of work. By no means am I implying that people have or don't have skill but a good driver skills are greatly boosted when your cdl is engaged.

 

From my experience with my rig on the steep rocky desert terrain, when climbing a decent grade (20-25%), with tall slick rock step ups and loose uphill switch backs, If I have wheel spin, I'll come to a complete stop (rather than try and ram the rig up and over), I can lock the center diff, and she just drives right out. I don't recall ever needing to back up, but who knows maybe I do back up a littledepends I guess....I usually just run with it locked all day when I'm boon doggin. My buddy owns a late 01' without CDL, and he won't take is rig where I take mine. He's seen the difference.

 

For serious off road crawling rocks etc, you can't beat the CDL, for everything else traction control works really well. I finally ended hooking the CDL up because I had my ABS system fail a few times on the trail. When your Amigos pop on in the middle of a 4x4 mission. you might as well have a two wheel drive. It's just not reliable. the CDL will always work when you need it.