Off road questions

[Remorseless]

So what if I'm plowed in with snow (I've had that happen) my old jeep got stuck (stock with no extras at all. Didn't even have power anything) I tried 4H and 4L and couldn't get out.
I'm assuming that will not happen with this one but what set up would work best for snow?

And what actually do the lockers do?

And I hope my questions don't seem too stupid.

Can't answer the snow thing (NC doesn't have that problem where I'm at), but for the lockers - they lock both sides of your differential together so they rotate as one. With a normal vehicle differential (open differential) if you're in a low traction situation, one wheel may spin while the other doesn't. An open differential allows differing speeds between each side. When it's locked, both sides are physically connected and spin at the same speed in a low traction situation. Just like 4wd, don't turn it on when you're on pavement.

Sponsored

 

[KeroRocks]

Thank you!

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Offroad+ also allows rear lockers in 4HI.

 

[wolfdog]

AHHH, remember the good ole days, simple even going same difficult trails!!!

Go Jeep!!!

 

[Reinen]

So what if I'm plowed in with snow (I've had that happen) my old jeep got stuck (stock with no extras at all. Didn't even have power anything) I tried 4H and 4L and couldn't get out.
I'm assuming that will not happen with this one but what set up would work best for snow?

And what actually do the lockers do?

And I hope my questions don't seem too stupid.

I can answer the snow stuff, I'm in it 6 months of the year.

On snowy pavement:

Use 4WD Auto if you have it (it's an add-on option). It will keep you in 2WD unless rear wheel slip is detected then it will instantly engage 4WD until traction is regained. It's not quite as good as AWD on winter roads but it's close and it's automatic.

If you do not have 4WD Auto you'll need to switch between 2WD and 4WD when appropriate. In general, stay in 2WD unless you need 4WD to move forward. 4WD forces a tire to skid in turns and that's the last thing you want on slick winter roads. Do not use 4WD above 35 MPH on slick pavement. It can cause you to lose control in curves and you'll skid off the road. I see at least a half dozen of this type of drive-off accidents every winter. 4WD is not "invincible mode" on winter roads. It can actually take you out.

Lockers are very rarely used in winter conditions. JLs have Brake Lock Differentials (BLDs) so it will never have one tire spinning with the other receiving no power. It will automatically apply the brake on the spinning wheel sending power to the other wheel. This usually gets you moving without engaging lockers. Lockers would only be used in very deep snow and in situations like freeing yourself from being severely plowed in where you'd disengage them as soon as you're free.

Off pavement:
You can use 4WD more freely as you're less likely to get binding in turns and you aren't on a smooth slick surface that you can skid out of control on. Locker use becomes more necessary here depending on the terrain and the deeper the snow is.

Also when off road it's best to disengage Traction Control, which may seem counter-intuitive. It's better to think of it as "On-Road Traction Control". Off road, traction control can limit your throttle to the point where you can't move because it's expecting a smooth solid road surface, which it will not find. You'll expect and need some tire spin & slip off-road, which traction control will try to prevent.

 

[txj2go]

Thank you!

You mentioned jeeps parked with one wheel up on a rock. This illustrates what might happen offroad. On irregular terrain you may end up with one wheel up on a rock, maybe a bigger rock, and that results in another wheel picked up off the ground. If a wheel is off the ground it can't help with traction, and if you have open differentials it can prevent the other wheel on that axle from providing any pull either so now you are effectively in 2 wheel drive mode. The swaybars limit the ability of the axles to flex and keep all 4 wheels on the ground. The front swaybar is always much stiffer than the back one in order to limit understeer so if you can disconnect the front swaybar the wheels will articulate better and give you more chance to keep all 4 wheels on the ground.

Someone has already addressed lockers. If you are in a situation where one wheel might get pulled off the ground, a locker will allow power to go to the other wheel on that axle so you get pulling power from 3 wheels.

If you are in terrain where you can keep all 4 wheels on the ground, neither of these features are as necessary. On very irregular trails sometimes you can choose a better line and have your wheels better stay on the ground, or you can stack rocks. The Rubicon running gear will give it a little bit of advantage over the Sport and Sahara models, it might just drive over obstacles that would provide more difficulty for the other models.

I don't have much experience with mud or snow. Lockers might help in some of those conditions, I just don't know that much about them.

 

[GATORB8]

I don't have much experience with mud or snow. Lockers might help in some of those conditions, I just don't know that much about them.

Mud is always a challenge (beyond the long cleanup). Beyond the initial loss of traction, it builds up between your tire lugs, basically creating a racing slick. With adequate wheel speed, the tire throws the mud, and can recover the bite. That wheel speed is a lot less in a Mud Terrain due to the larger gaps. With mud terrains, you can actually hear when you have enough wheel speed as that mud hits the fenders.

The goal is to throw the mud and regain traction to keep momentum. Obviously, the one wheel peel limits your chance of gaining traction. Thing is, you are digging a hole at the same time.

On the other hand, it’s typically easier to get pulled out of two holes than four.

 

[dragoneggs]

I can answer the snow stuff, I'm in it 6 months of the year.

On snowy pavement:

Use 4WD Auto if you have it (it's an add-on option). It will keep you in 2WD unless rear wheel slip is detected then it will instantly engage 4WD until traction is regained. It's not quite as good as AWD on winter roads but it's close and it's automatic.

If you do not have 4WD Auto you'll need to switch between 2WD and 4WD when appropriate. In general, stay in 2WD unless you need 4WD to move forward. 4WD forces a tire to skid in turns and that's the last thing you want on slick winter roads. Do not use 4WD above 35 MPH on slick pavement. It can cause you to lose control in curves and you'll skid off the road. I see at least a half dozen of this type of drive-off accidents every winter. 4WD is not "invincible mode" on winter roads. It can actually take you out.

Lockers are very rarely used in winter conditions. JLs have Brake Lock Differentials (BLDs) so it will never have one tire spinning with the other receiving no power. It will automatically apply the brake on the spinning wheel sending power to the other wheel. This usually gets you moving without engaging lockers. Lockers would only be used in very deep snow and in situations like freeing yourself from being severely plowed in where you'd disengage them as soon as you're free.

Off pavement:
You can use 4WD more freely as you're less likely to get binding in turns and you aren't on a smooth slick surface that you can skid out of control on. Locker use becomes more necessary here depending on the terrain and the deeper the snow is.

Also when off road it's best to disengage Traction Control, which may seem counter-intuitive. It's better to think of it as "On-Road Traction Control". Off road, traction control can limit your throttle to the point where you can't move because it's expecting a smooth solid road surface, which it will not find. You'll expect and need some tire spin & slip off-road, which traction control will try to prevent.

Nicely said and great advice... worth reading twice.

 

[SilverSurfer]

I highly recommend you attend an off road training course (If you have these in the USA).

It is one thing to know what the button functions are, it is a completely different thing using the buttons off road.

You need to experience how the vehicle behaves off road when the buttons are used.

Sponsored