4x4 with no limited slip?

I'm looking at a 2006 4x4, 4 cylinder, manual, with SR5 package. This
does not have limited slip, and is not an option.

I live in southern Calif so seldom see rain or snow. Several times a
year I might go to the ski areas, but then you primarily have fresh
snow, and I'm just on the roads.

The main reason I'm looking at 4x4 is to go to hiking areas. Most of
the areas I visit only require high clearance, but the occassion road
is rated as recommended for 4x4.

So my needs are driving in fresh snow on roads, and on the easy end of
off-road 4x4. It seems that even the TRD package does not have limited
slip either, so given that I don't go on really crazy roads, I assume I
would be ok without the limited slip or the locker that the TRD does
have.

Do I have this right?

<dc.nc@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:1160320920.415093.181920@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> I'm looking at a 2006 4x4, 4 cylinder, manual, with SR5 package. This
> does not have limited slip, and is not an option.
>
> I live in southern Calif so seldom see rain or snow. Several times a
> year I might go to the ski areas, but then you primarily have fresh
> snow, and I'm just on the roads.
>
> The main reason I'm looking at 4x4 is to go to hiking areas. Most of
> the areas I visit only require high clearance, but the occassion road
> is rated as recommended for 4x4.
>
> So my needs are driving in fresh snow on roads, and on the easy end of
> off-road 4x4. It seems that even the TRD package does not have limited
> slip either, so given that I don't go on really crazy roads, I assume I
> would be ok without the limited slip or the locker that the TRD does
> have.
>
> Do I have this right?[/color]

If you have RWD and a manual trans, there are not too many places you
*can't* go. 4WD is only to get you out of a mess that you made when you were
someplace you probably shouldn't have been in the first place.

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 11:52:51 -0500, "Noon-Air" <Noon-Air@comcast.net>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>If you have RWD and a manual trans, there are not too many places you
>*can't* go. 4WD is only to get you out of a mess that you made when you were
>someplace you probably shouldn't have been in the first place.[/color]


Something to remember too if you get a 2wd truck, buy a set of tire
chains for it and when conditions get really bad (snow and ice) a 2wd
with chains on drive wheels will outperform a 4x4 without them. I have
gone thru some incredably bad snow and ice conditions in 2wd with
chains and without white knuckles too. You have got to experiance it
to believe it. My wife has a 2wd cherokkee that I put studded tires
on rear of every winter and it is kinda a tank on ice and will
outperform a 4x4 without them on ice. No tendacy to want to swap ends
at all.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 11:52:51 -0500, "Noon-Air" <Noon-Air@comcast.net>
wrote:[color=blue]
><dc.nc@verizon.net> wrote in message
>news:1160320920.415093.181920@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I'm looking at a 2006 4x4, 4 cylinder, manual, with SR5 package. This
>> does not have limited slip, and is not an option.
>>
>> I live in southern Calif so seldom see rain or snow. Several times a
>> year I might go to the ski areas, but then you primarily have fresh
>> snow, and I'm just on the roads.
>>
>> The main reason I'm looking at 4x4 is to go to hiking areas. Most of
>> the areas I visit only require high clearance, but the occassion road
>> is rated as recommended for 4x4.
>>
>> So my needs are driving in fresh snow on roads, and on the easy end of
>> off-road 4x4. It seems that even the TRD package does not have limited
>> slip either, so given that I don't go on really crazy roads, I assume I
>> would be ok without the limited slip or the locker that the TRD does
>> have.
>>
>> Do I have this right?[/color]
>
>If you have RWD and a manual trans, there are not too many places you
>*can't* go. 4WD is only to get you out of a mess that you made when you were
>someplace you probably shouldn't have been in the first place.[/color]

A 2 wheel drive truck without a limited-slip or locking differential
is really a 1-wheel drive truck - if you get one rear wheel into mud
or sand you are not going anywhere, it will just spin.

Same thing with an open-differential All-Wheel Drive system - the
unlocked center differential and the axle differentials will send all
the power to the one slipping wheel.

A part-time (conventional) 4WD vehicle with open differentials is
really a 2-wheel drive, one in front and one in rear. Same problem,
if both ends have one wheel slipping, you don't move

If you want "Stuck Insurance" you want (in order of effectiveness) a
Part-Time 4WD System, or a Full Time AWD system with a lockable center
differential, or a 2WD, all with some sort of locking differential in
each powered axle.

You can go quite a ways with 2WD and a locker of some sort. And
even with an open differential, driving smart helps a lot.

The factory choice is usually a clutch-style limited slip, and they
work fine. If you go aftermarket you have several choices, the ones
that you will like for street driving are the ARB Air-Locker or the
Gleason Torsen worm-gear limited-slip.

You will NOT like driving on the street with the (IMHO Off-Road Use
Only) Detroit Locker - it is an inertia-activated solid spool clutch
system, and it will kick in and lock-up on every tight street corner
with much wheel skidding and squealing. Anyone driving the truck that
doesn't know what is going on will swear the rear end is about to fall
out from under the truck, and they chew up tires fast.

--<< Bruce >>--

"Noon-Air" <Noon-Air@comcast.net> sez:
[color=blue]
> If you have RWD and a manual trans, there are not too many places you
> *can't* go.[/color]

If your world is flat, maybe. My world has mountains, slickrock and snow.
[color=blue]
> 4WD is only to get you out of a mess that you made when you were
> someplace you probably shouldn't have been in the first place.[/color]

What a silly thing to say. I find 4WD with LSD or lockers quite useful for
steep terrain, big rocks or the loose 'n soft like sand and snow. With just
2WD, obstacles can only be attempted with speed and inertia which will
really get you in trouble when you're bounced off line and things get broken
more often. With 4WD, low range in the xfer case and a closed diffy its
pretty amazing what one can get in and out without incident.

Good wheelin' to ya,
VLJ
--

On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 19:08:47 -0600, "vlj" <vlj@vlj.vlj> wrote:
[color=blue]
>What a silly thing to say. I find 4WD with LSD or lockers quite useful for
>steep terrain, big rocks or the loose 'n soft like sand and snow. With just
>2WD, obstacles can only be attempted with speed and inertia which will
>really get you in trouble[/color]

I find 4WD extremely useful for moving my cargo trailers across
landscaped surfaces, some of which are wet and/or soft. 4WD allows
for steady, slow, more controllable driving, while 2WD depends upon
momentum. Momentum in many cases = torn up landscaping.

The same low-momentum case can be made in the snow. No charging up
driveways or hills. No running stop signs, because you're afraid to
stop moving forward... Having had many examples of both, I've never
wished my 4WD truck was 2WD, but on the other hand... <G>

On the other hand, my usual answer to the "Do I need 4WD?" question is
"If you gotta' ask, probably not."