Rear Limited Slip Chatter Question...

[npgeorgeuw]

I have noticed twice this winter that when I had limited traction going uphill the rear starts skipping and stuttering when I try and muscle through the last bit of a rise. These were quite icey/slushy ascents up a gravel driveway and a paved steep driveway. I was in 4H auto and 4H and it stuttered/chattered in both cases, a loss of traction and hopping feeling in the rear. The traction control light did not come on but it felt like I lost power in the rear end with the stuttering trying to get through the inclines. In each case switching to 4LO got me up the two inclines with less chattering. I don't have any chatter on normal driving on wet, dry or snowy roads or in turning under any conditions.

Is this normal behavior?

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[ShadowsPapa]

Are you sure it wasn't the traction control - the ABS slowing the spinning wheel forcing torque to the other?
ABS operation is a "ratchety" or chattering sound.

That's almost what it sounds like to me - and if it is, it's normal. My chevy did that to get me up my own icy driveway - it was like it was "walking" right up the driveway but was rather noisy while doing so.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Are you sure it wasn't the traction control - the ABS slowing the spinning wheel forcing torque to the other?
ABS operation is a "ratchety" or chattering sound.

That's almost what it sounds like to me - and if it is, it's normal. My chevy did that to get me up my own icy driveway - it was like it was "walking" right up the driveway but was rather noisy while doing so.

It felt like the rear end was hopping and chattering. I don't mean so much a sound as chattering but a feeling of chattering if that makes any sense. Stuttering is probably the better word. I really wish I could get a good video of it, maybe will try tomorrow when I go back out to the cabin. I can watch more closely, too, to see if the TC lights up or not. I did not see it do that on this last round but I was also just paying attention to not sliding off the crown as the hopping was starting to send me a little more downhill/off-crown than i was comfortable with.

 

[Gvsukids]

It felt like the rear end was hopping and chattering. I don't mean so much a sound as chattering but a feeling of chattering if that makes any sense. Stuttering is probably the better word. I really wish I could get a good video of it, maybe will try tomorrow when I go back out to the cabin. I can watch more closely, too, to see if the TC lights up or not. I did not see it do that on this last round but I was also just paying attention to not sliding off the crown as the hopping was starting to send me a little more downhill/off-crown than i was comfortable with.

Could be loss of traction.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Could be loss of traction.

Well, it was a low traction situation so absolutely loss of traction, it's the hopping and stuttering behavior that is new to me and what I'm wondering is normal or not. It was quite jarring.

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