Is The Diff Lock Dead

[Paul#25]

This article in the latest Pat Callinan 4x4 Adventures newsletter may be of interest.
It poses the question of whether the modern traction control systems have made the diff lock not necessary anymore. My 2004 Disco doesn't have diff locks on the axles, only on the transfer case and it's traction control system seems to be quite effective in the few cases I have been through axle twisters or slippery conditions. What does everyone think of the systems on their newer vehicles?
https://mr4x4.com.au/is-the-diff-lock-d ... ter+%23422

[Mad Manny]

Paul, modern TC systems have made Diff Locks all but redundant.
Manufacturers hate Diff Locks because users are idiots & break their diffs& blame the product.
So Diff Locks are dying &will gradually disappear.

Low Range will also disappear as manufacturers will employ the Amarok system of just having 1, or 2 gears below the traditional 1st gear to do the job of Low Range.

But then, once EV's fully roll out, 4x4's will have an Electric Motor per wheel rendering all traction systems redundant.
In fact, an electric motor per wheel will enable:
* scrapping of Diff Lock & TC and other traction systems including ABS, ASC, VSC etc..
* Discontinuation of the need for sway bar disconnect.
* Four wheel steering with greater turning angles.

[jakeslouw]

Dunno, I'm a Luddite on this one. A decent mechanical diff lock, a torque bias type locker, or even a good LSD is better for me than traction control.

Ask anybody that has been in deep Moz sand what that stupid TC does.........

But as Manny says: an AC electric drive motor per wheel with possible reduction gears and independent steering per "axle" will kick a traditional rock crawlers bum, all other critical issues being equal (angles, weights, CoG, etc).

[Saxj]

Traction Control works in most circumstances, but there are situations where it fails completely.

1. As Jakes points out - sand, it alternately digs wheels in.
2. Wherever you need control, e.g. rock crawling where you need to move a few centimetres and then turn. The TC kicks in and launches you beyond where you needed to turn.
3. Where you need torque to overcome a step. The TC brakes one wheel robbing you of 50% of the torque that you need.
4. Most TC systems operate within a certain rev range, so too much or too little right foot and it doesn't work.
5. Manual Jimny specific - The Jimny doesn't have anti-stall, so when the TC kicks in the engine stalls unless you can anticipate when the TC is going to kick in and give it some extra right foot.

[Johannes]

New vehicles, no difflocks anymore.
The market wil die a slow death.
Only people with older vehicles might still buy the odd locker .
I might be wrong ?

[Bugger]

I love my Diff lock on the Older vehicles
But the newer with tc work amazingly good

[Johannes]

Yes Pierre. One day i would like a locker on my Defender. I am sure it would make life easier for me

[Erin]

My 130 had ARBs front and rear...just meant you could drive yourself into an awful lot of trouble, and at well over 3.5 tons fully loaded, recovery was a bitch. The TC on Jono's Disco 2 is, to be honest, nearly as good, and much cheaper (i.e. standard). Having never driven a 4x4 with TC, it really impressed me, once we got the hang of it.

[grips]

What is Traction Control

[iandvl]

I'm seriously not a fan of electronics / traction control etc. More things that to confuse the "blik-brein" in the car. I actually like driving my truck. Things like hill ascent control is the clutch control when I learnt to drive. Descent control is my low-range box, gears and brakes. And the aircon when you want to slow down even more...

I would take solid axles, difflocks and large displacement motors over electronic gadgets every day of my life. But as I've frequently pointed out, I am a luddite.