TIL: Traction control works off-road, even in a Rubicon!

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

I've always kept it off because besides being able to direct power to the wheels it governs the throttle, and who wants their throttle governed when you got 500lbft of torque at your disposal.

But I hit up my favorite off-road getaway yesterday and an interesting thing happened:

If you've noticed, when switching in and out of 4WD whether you have a tazer or not, traction control will automatically be enabled. Usually I catch this and turn it back off with the logic being A. I've got lockers front and back, and B. If I need to gun it to clear tread to get through a spot then TC may work to prevent wheel spin.
When I'm out I keep the minimum condition required ATM, with the exception that I'll lock the rear diff sometimes if I know the trail or suspect it'll call for it. However this time I went in and out of 4WD and didn't catch it. Going down the trail into this submerged section (they're rarely ever a "mudhole") next thing I can feel the rear axle working and shifting power to get traction! And it did! Walked us right out of that thing.
It was such a foreign sensation I had to take inventory of what was where and sure enough, lockers off, 2WD, and traction control on.
Needless to say the rest of trip was an experimentation with my new toy and it did not disappoint. Many times I could feel it working and much of the time that was enough. For the times it wasn't, a I little bump into 4WD helped us along. I do feel though that under high output conditions, traction control is a non-starter based on the speed at which it works transferring power and that it is also a throttle limiter.

For myself, still not decided if this discovery is purely academic.
If I have 2 choices: Lockers or Traction Control, and both work, then I want to use the one which causes the least amount of wear, and off-road I'm not sure which does: The strain of cornering with a locked axle, vs braking while under throttle.


I don't know what this means for me moving forward but the non-locker, non-LSD Jeepers should take heart that the technology works great and makes a lot of difference in many cases.

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[HorneyBadger]

I turn it off when 4wd is engaged. Its a hindrance when in soft stratus. It tends to lock a wheel (front end) and affect steering when sliding around in soft sand and such when you want to slide.

 

[Zero_Accel]

I generally turn it off when I'm offroad. We mostly have soft sand around here and the TCS just kills power and slows you down, the exact opposite of what you want.

For normal driving, it stays on.

 

[just_another_guy]

I had planned on getting air lockers for my truck when the warranty runs out, but after spending some time off road it's hard to justify the cost. The combination of factory LSD and traction control just hasn't left me wanting more yet. The winch and traction boards haven't even been used yet (on this truck anyway).

 

[bleda2002]

2wd I leave it on basically all the time. If I need to spin that's when I'll swap 4hi or 4lo and hold the button to fully kill it but usually I let it do it's own thing

 

[Gvsukids]

If you've noticed, when switching in and out of 4WD whether you have a tazer or not, traction control will automatically be enabled. Usually I catch this and turn it back off with the logic being A. I've got lockers front and back, and B. If I need to gun it to clear tread to get through a spot then TC may work to prevent wheel spin.

Tazer has a TC kill that can be mapped to a steering wheel button.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

I had planned on getting air lockers for my truck when the warranty runs out, but after spending some time off road it's hard to justify the cost. The combination of factory LSD and traction control just hasn't left me wanting more yet. The winch and traction boards haven't even been used yet (on this truck anyway).

You're not trying hard enough, LOL.

 

[ShrimpHappens]

I turn it off when 4wd is engaged. Its a hindrance when in soft stratus. It tends to lock a wheel (front end) and affect steering when sliding around in soft sand and such when you want to slide.

Gladiator is the first vehicle I've ever had with traction control. One of the first times I had it in 4x4 I was going across a soggy bottom of a field, and I was shocked and bewildered when it cut power due to the slipping. I had enough momentum to overcome it, but it dang near got itself stuck.

 

[just_another_guy]

You're not trying hard enough, LOL.

I tend to play it safe because we travel solo with a trailer and have to drive 5-10hrs back home when we're done. In other words, yes, I'm a bit of a wuss.

 

[Mbryson]

I absolutely hated the traction control on my 2012 JKU. It's been almost transparent on my 2021 JT.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

I tend to play it safe because we travel solo with a trailer and have to drive 5-10hrs back home when we're done. In other words, yes, I'm a bit of a wuss.

Trust me most of my Wheeling is solo so that makes me a tiptoe through the tulips kind of Jeeper myself.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

I absolutely hated the traction control on my 2012 JKU. It's been almost transparent on my 2021 JT.

Wasn't transparent on mine at all, but in a good way except for times that I would call for to spin the tires and it wouldn't then I curse the traction control and turn it off and get half my motor back.

 

[Brojave22]

I use the off road + on the beach with fake manual mode, even if I shut TSC all the way off, I still hear the diffs buzzing transferring power, Off road+ with the fake manual mode is best for me, still can use all the power and it sort of negates the throttle controls

 

[Rusty PW]

On the pavement. I don't mess with it. Off road. I shut it off. With lockers, it's more of a hindrance.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Gladiator is the first vehicle I've ever had with traction control. One of the first times I had it in 4x4 I was going across a soggy bottom of a field, and I was shocked and bewildered when it cut power due to the slipping. I had enough momentum to overcome it, but it dang near got itself stuck.

My Chevy had it, and the automatic transfer case setting. It was pretty much impossible to slip and slide with it, it was well implemented, IMO.
Jeep's isn't quite as good -I can slide the rear end sideways without even trying hard just on wet pavement - and it lets me. Takes a heck of a lot of very obvious traction loss - like nailing the throttle on wet pavement and spinning a wheel pretty good before my dash TC symbol lights up.
Then there are times on dry pavement I really need that throttle, now, and fast, and wish I could spin a tire and I can feel the torque being limited and I'm thinking - why now? What the heck? You let me spin tires when I don't want to then when I really need to take off FAST, NOW, not later, it throttles me back.
I will say, though, in snow, on snow packed roads, slick spots and so on, it's really sure footed and does its thing then.

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