Finding a Selec-Trac In Stock?

[ShadowsPapa]

I really like the Selec-Trac. While it works really well and is very transparent, I find that it isn't as advanced as a 'real' AWD system.

But, I'm coming from a long line of AWD cars (5MT WRX wagon, 2 5MT WRX sedans, 5MT Legacy wagon, VW Golf R DSG, Audi Allroad, plus my wife's 5MT A4, Forester and 2 current gen CX-5s).
My 2019 Allroad had Ultra Quattro which monitored a zillion things to preemtively send power to where it was needed (outside temp, road temp, barometric pressure, steering angle, throttle position, engine torque, lateral & longitudinal acceleration, relative wheel speed, driving mode, and it even used what it had 'learned' about my driving style).

Because with a little science and geometry, they can avoid a slide or skid by controlling each wheel and that's only possible if they know what each wheel is doing independently.
A true system not only controls the power flow to each axle, they control it at each individual wheel, including not only applying brakes via ABS, but giving a wheel MORE torque if needed.

A friend who works as a tech in a Mercedes shop near DC gets a hell of a deal on Mercedes lease (he's one of the top techs there). He was showing off his ride at one of our race events a while back and he took that thing up to 100 mph on the highway outside of the track and let go of the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. The car took over, it never deviated from being centered perfectly between the lines and it stopped faster than I'd seen a car stop before. Scary as crap when he did it - I thought - "we're gonna DIE!"

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[Ogre_FL]

Do you guys notice any difference in MPGS running around in 4H Auto vs 2H?

 

[ecidiego]

Do you guys notice any difference in MPGS running around in 4H Auto vs 2H?

It would have to be lower. I know our MDX has 2mpg less ( SH-AWD ) than the FWD versions.

I've always found it odd how ALL variations of Jeeps, from the most base Sport to a loaded Mojave ( sorry Rubicons!! =D ) have the "same" MPG on the Sticker. MDX has different economy figures on the Stickers with AWD versus FWD. Maybe because you cannot turn off AWD the way you can 4A in Jeep?

 

[ZTMAN]

The one and only feature I wish I had that I don't is Selec-Trac (automatic 4 wheel drive).
I've been casually checking dealer inventories within 300 miles from home, but it's a tedious process of loading my other preferred options and then taking a close look at the results one by one, because there is no check box for Selec-Trac on Jeep.com, Autotrader, or cars.com.

If anyone knows of a trick I may be missing I'd love to hear it.

Go on cars.com and search for new Gladiators. At the bottom of the search, there is a key word box. Type in selec-trac and the Gladiators with that option will populate

 

[dcmdon]

I really like the Selec-Trac. While it works really well and is very transparent, I find that it isn't as advanced as a 'real' AWD system.

But, I'm coming from a long line of AWD cars (5MT WRX wagon, 2 5MT WRX sedans, 5MT Legacy wagon, VW Golf R DSG, Audi Allroad, plus my wife's 5MT A4, Forester and 2 current gen CX-5s).

My 2019 Allroad had Ultra Quattro which monitored a zillion things to preemtively send power to where it was needed (outside temp, road temp, barometric pressure, steering angle, throttle position, engine torque, lateral & longitudinal acceleration, relative wheel speed, driving mode, and it even used what it had 'learned' about my driving style).

Some of those systems are definitely more advanced than SelecTrac.

However, our system is architecturally identical to what VW and Audi use in the Golf R, Jetta, and A3 and possibly in the non-S model A4s. I can't speak to the software, but I suspect that the software in something like a Golf R is going to be more sophisticated than what is in our jeep or even a Golf Wagon. A non performance system isn't going to worry so much about steering angle, manifold absolute pressure, drive mode, and things of that nature)

Our system also architecturally identical to the system used in current Subarus, except for the STi.

In all of these systems there is a primary drive axle(s). At low throttle and when no slippage is detected power is sent to that axle.

At higher power setting or if differences in wheel speed are detected a clutch gradually engages to send some of the torque to the secondary axle.

The VW/Audi system is known as a Haldex system. The clutch on that system is actually in the rear differential, but it functions the same.

Interestingly, ever since the Legacy came out in roughly 1991, Subaru used different systems in their MT vs their AT vehicles. The MT vehicles used a TorSen center differential that always sent power to all 4 wheels. The AT vehicles used an electronically controlled transfer case.

So in summary, our system is identical to many AWD systems in several cars.

 

[dcmdon]

Do you guys notice any difference in MPGS running around in 4H Auto vs 2H?

I've played around with it and don't notice a difference. Though there must be some difference or FCA wouldn't have included the FAD on all new Jeeps.

When in 4H Auto the FAD connects, so even if there isn't any torque being sent to the front axle, the differential is turning. It isn't enough to matter to an individual owner. But it clearly was enough to matter to FCA.

 

[dcmdon]

Because with a little science and geometry, they can avoid a slide or skid by controlling each wheel and that's only possible if they know what each wheel is doing independently.
A true system not only controls the power flow to each axle, they control it at each individual wheel, including not only applying brakes via ABS, but giving a wheel MORE torque if needed.

A friend who works as a tech in a Mercedes shop near DC gets a hell of a deal on Mercedes lease (he's one of the top techs there). He was showing off his ride at one of our race events a while back and he took that thing up to 100 mph on the highway outside of the track and let go of the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. The car took over, it never deviated from being centered perfectly between the lines and it stopped faster than I'd seen a car stop before. Scary as crap when he did it - I thought - "we're gonna DIE!"

The europeans are so far ahead in safety software, it's almost hard to wrap your head around unless you have experienced.

My primitive old 2007 Volvo S80 had software that sensed emergency braking and when it did it immediately put the pedal to the floor and right into the ABS.

I triggered it a few times in the time I owned it and it absolutely definitely reduced the chance of me hitting the object in front of me. It sense the speed at which you lift off the gas and also the speed at which you are depressing the brake. The sensation is very strange, you stab the brake and all of a sudden you feel the pedal drop to the floor with minimal pressure. But the second you lift it all releases. It's not using any hardware that any vehicle with ABS already has. It's purely software.

 

[jac04]

Interestingly, ever since the Legacy came out in roughly 1991, Subaru used different systems in their MT vs their AT vehicles. The MT vehicles used a TorSen center differential that always sent power to all 4 wheels.

Yeah, I absolutely loved my 5MT Subarus in the snow. None of them had traction control (2004 & 2005 WRXs and 2006 Legacy). There were times when the snow was so deep that I'd put it in 4th with the throttle at about 3/4 and drive my 5 miles to work in a constant 4 wheel drift. I miss those days.

Now I'm very happy putting the Gladiator in 4Auto and making the drive as uneventful as possible.

 

[TJIOWA]

The one and only feature I wish I had that I don't is Selec-Trac (automatic 4 wheel drive).
I've been casually checking dealer inventories within 300 miles from home, but it's a tedious process of loading my other preferred options and then taking a close look at the results one by one, because there is no check box for Selec-Trac on Jeep.com, Autotrader, or cars.com.

If anyone knows of a trick I may be missing I'd love to hear it.

My fist post on this site....
I'm on my second Gladiator, went from a 2020 Overland Northern Edition to a 2022 Mojave very happy with it so far. One of the reasons I "upgraded' was for a better stock suspension AND I wanted to get the Selec-Trac.... it is great. I had a 3 hours drive back from the dealer in a blizzard and could see a huge difference in how it handled on the roads. I did find it difficult to find a Gladiator in stock with the Selec-Trac. I don't think dealers understand how much value it adds to the vehicle, for less that $1,000.
Tanks,
TJ

 

[Lunentucker]

Go on cars.com and search for new Gladiators. At the bottom of the search, there is a key word box. Type in selec-trac and the Gladiators with that option will populate

That works!
Found several that have everything I want except ACC. LOL

 

[ecidiego]

ACC isn't worth it imo, even if you want what it does. Need a new window? Oh that's fun....

 

[dcmdon]

Yeah, I absolutely loved my 5MT Subarus in the snow. None of them had traction control (2004 & 2005 WRXs and 2006 Legacy). There were times when the snow was so deep that I'd put it in 4th with the throttle at about 3/4 and drive my 5 miles to work in a constant 4 wheel drift. I miss those days.

Now I'm very happy putting the Gladiator in 4Auto and making the drive as uneventful as possible.

In 04 I got one of the first STis brought into the US. I got it in March and put off getting a set of mounted snows until the next winter. It snowed a couple of times and it was terrifying.

The STi had a center differential that sent 75% of the torque to the rear wheels and based on wheel speed sensors could lock the diff. It had a manual control that was a lot of fun. With the "DCCD" roller wheel set fully to the rear I could do donuts in it like I was in my old Monte Carlo. Ha.

In auto, it still allowed the back end to step out before putting torque to the front. The car had NO stability control or traction control. (There's a small chance that it had traction control and I just don't remember, if it did, then it must have been easy to defeat. But I know it didn't have any stability control because there was an entrance ramp near my house that I pitched it sideways on every time I used it)

I too, have matured. I specifically got the jeep to slow me down. I was looking at an RS3 and a M2, since my kids are now long out of car seats and I could go small again, and my wife suggested I try to come up with something that would be fun for me without going fast.

 

[Ogre_FL]

It would have to be lower. I know our MDX has 2mpg less ( SH-AWD ) than the FWD versions.

I've always found it odd how ALL variations of Jeeps, from the most base Sport to a loaded Mojave ( sorry Rubicons!! =D ) have the "same" MPG on the Sticker. MDX has different economy figures on the Stickers with AWD versus FWD. Maybe because you cannot turn off AWD the way you can 4A in Jeep?

True an AWD typically gets less MPGS than the FWD version.
It has all that extra weight and drag of the AWD components.
My AWD Suzuki gets less than its FWD only version.

Now I can turn AWD off and have it in just FWD mode (I can also lock the center differential).
However I cant tell any real difference between mileage when it is on AWD or FWD, only that I can spin the front tires.
I assume all that "stuff" is still turning to some degree.

I assumed the Jeep Select trac might be similar.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've played around with it and don't notice a difference. Though there must be some difference or FCA wouldn't have included the FAD on all new Jeeps.

When in 4H Auto the FAD connects, so even if there isn't any torque being sent to the front axle, the differential is turning. It isn't enough to matter to an individual owner. But it clearly was enough to matter to FCA.

AMC tested the difference in MPG when deciding whether or not to leave the Eagle as a full-time, always 4x4 car or make it "Select-Drive". It was a non-shift-on-the-fly system. You needed to be stopped and they tried to make that a for sure thing by making the select lever a two hand process. I figured out how to do it with one hand but you still want to stop or rip up the gears in the FAD.
Anyway, 1980 was a full-time system. Then in 81 they went Select-Drive with a FAD.
That lasted only 81-84. They switched to a shift-on-the-fly system for 85 after finding that there was less than 1 mpg difference.
So if one figures how much more efficient modern system are, and weigh that against the less than 1mpg difference between FAD or no FAD, they must REALLY be needing every tenth of a mpg to be using the FAD today. But then there are other advantages to having that axle disconnected. You aren't also spinning the front drive shaft.

ACC isn't worth it imo, even if you want what it does. Need a new window? Oh that's fun....

What's a new glass got to do with it?

ACC is a life-saver (well, not strictly speaking) in the traffic around here. I80 with the convoys of big trucks, up and down the hills, they downshift and upshift, slow down, speed up, cut each other off and worse. You'd either not use cruise at all, or be constantly hitting resume. We LOVE it.
It just depends on the traffic and conditions around you.

Heck, I could probably switch windshields myself on these - so much easier than the glass I've take out and put in on my cars.

 

[dcmdon]

Shadow papa. a bit off topic, but a couple of months ago I told you I turned my auto high beams off because of bad experience with my previous car.

You mentioned that it worked great so I tried them. They do in fact, work great.

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