That's true....but when I'm off-road I hardly have time to dick around with that. If I'm going down a hill so steep that my weight is being supported by the seatbelt, my eyes are out the windshield and my hands are on the steering wheel.

...great, now I miss wheelin' and it's only February! (all the good places are snowed in up here in WA)

 

I learned quite a bit from this thread. Thanks for the short training session.

May I add that tires do have some input in these situations, at least for me. I recently purchased my 2005 LR3 SE and there was about half life left in the tires, or so I thought by only looking at the tire tread. I just had a new set of Hankooks put on and WOW, huge difference. I also found that even though the outside of the tires looked ok, the inside tire walls were shot and literally coming apart.

 

You need to check your front lower control arm bushing and most likely replace them and the get an alignment.

 

If you want to read more about the thought process that went into designing the different terrain response options, how each setting affects suspension, throttle control, differential lockup, when to use them, etc., then take a look at the paper that Nathan Woods posted on his website below. It's very informative.

https://lr3tips.files.wordpress.com/...r-official.pdf

 

@Travelinman: Oh yeah for sure!....tires are the #1 traction aid.

 

@cmb: That's a fun read. Very informative. Did you happen to catch this part?

...which includes an electronically controlled centre differential. Drive line torque will normally be split 50-50 but locking the differential allows this to change.

This doesn't really sound right to me. I would think the drive line torque would normally NOT be split 50-50 unless it were locked and if so it would NOT change.

Thoughts?

 

OK lets say you are in maybe 16" of snow driving in a field.

Standard mode then hit ride height form more clearance.

What other mode would be better and why?

I could go low range but by the time I put it in neutral put it in low etc I could be 100y ards further by just driving.

I know low has more power but It has plenty of power in hir range mode in snow.

I think the low range was helpful on dry off roading when extra power was needed going up steep hills.

BUt on flat ground with deep snow i'm not sure how any of the other modes would do anything better than just leaving it in high range. I know you guys like to fiddle with the dials but I don't think fiddling is needed for this.

 

@houm
No! I don't remember reading that sentence, but I will be the first to admit that I don't know much about the internal workings of the transfer case. I am pretty certain that I've heard the power is split 50/50 front/back during normal situations from many different sources. I BELIEVE (this is just a guess) that the transfer case probably operates a lot like a limited slip differential in that it sends 50% of power to the front and 50% to the rear until you have slippage on one axle. At that point, there will be a limited amount of power that can still be directed to the axle that is slipping unless you mechanically lock the transfer case, which will send a permanent 50/50 split... of course, you don't want to lock during normal driving conditions because it would put tremendous strain on your drivetrain components.

@RAJOD
In deep snow (e.g. 16"), I would use the Mud and Ruts setting. However, I would NOT put the car in 4-Lo unless I needed better throttle control and even more torque for some reason. I also would not use HDC unless I really felt like I needed it. However, Mud & Ruts will keep the engine in the higher torque band (important for getting your truck through deep snow) and will modulate the throttle response to be a bit more delicate. I personally would only use the Snow & Grass setting if I were driving on very thin, slippery snow or on ice. The Snow & Grass setting attempts to prevent wheel spin at all costs. Great on ice and grass, but not good when needing to power through deep snow.

 

@RAJOD
One more thing... the Mud & Ruts setting is MUCH more sensitive and much more likely to lock your transfer case (and rear diff if you have it) in the event of slippage. I'm not sure I've ever seen my locks come on in the display while using the Snow & Grass setting, but I see them all the time with Mud & Ruts.

 

Okay. If it is an absolute FLAT field you could probably leave it in High. I like low for two things:

1. Hills. going up or down. Going up I can count on ample torque without the need for a lot of revs. Going down I get loads of engine braking.
2. General control. With the extra engine braking I can negotiate snowy city streets without laying on the brakes a lot.

So in a wide open flat field high is okay. Still means you need revs to keep your momentum and that means less control but the higher gears can be helpful too.

As for why Mud 'n Ruts with DSC off: that mode will make your locking center differential (and locking rear diff if so equipped) more quick to lock. The General mode keeps the diffs open for the most part; and when they lock for you in the snow, it may be too late. Turn off the DSC to maintain momentum and keep the vehicle from retarding the engine (torque).

You don't have to screw around a lot while you're driving and losing valuable momentum. Plan ahead, if possible.