Rock-Trac : Yes or no?

[Philly_]

It’s a nice to have and definitely not a must have. After your transfer case breaks in, it will be super easy to shift to 4hi on the fly and you will get used to it.

I have the option and have only really found use for it in Michigan when the weather goes from 10 degrees one day to 40 the next and there’s tons of slush, snow, and ice on the roads. In all out snowstorms I use part time 4wd so I don’t have to worry about the clutch plates overheating and causing issues down the line.

People typically love it or hate it, but I am indifferent and would have been just as happy with out it. Definitely a luxury feature.

Also, one thing I do like is that it includes CV axles up front which allows for slightly smoother power delivery in part time 4wd while the wheel is turned sharply. If you don’t like CV’s then this will be a con for you, but I have become a fan. They are more prone to damage from debris, though.

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[Geronimo]

From Jeep site: This may help you. I recommend Rock Trac by the way you said what you do now and what you say you eventually will do.

COMMAND-TRAC® 4X4 SYSTEM

The Command-Trac® Part-Time 4x4 system delivers torque to all four wheels for incredible traction. And with a 2.72:1 low range for rock crawling and neutral for available flat towing( Disclosure5), you can say yes to all kinds of adventure.


SELEC-TRAC® 4X4 SYSTEM

Select models feature an available full-time Selec-Trac® 4x4 System that automatically switches to two-wheel drive on clear roads for maximum efficiency or to four-wheel drive for continuous traction on snow, ice, rain or mud.


ROCK-TRAC® 4X4 SYSTEM

Standard on Wrangler Rubicon, the Rock-Trac® 4x4 System gives you more control and more torque, offering impressive off-road performance with a 4:1 low-gear ratio that lets you crawl at a lower speed with a greater increase in torque at the wheels.

 

[five9dak]

If you familiar with how and when to use part time 4wd systems and are the only driver of the vehicle I wouldn't bother.

If you are used to AWD systems, or are not the only driver, it is worth considering. Much easier to explain to a spouse than the pitfalls of a part time system used incorrectly.

 

[John VonJeep]

Well, you’re getting U-joints with the part-time setup:

And CV joints with the full-time setup:

There is some risk of tearing the boots with the latter setup, but you don’t really read many complaints here on the forum, so it seems to function well.

 

[Plumbean]

I went with it and am happy to have it. Not much of a winter around here this year, but the system has worked well when I've used it. I would order it again. My use case is similar to yours.

 

[NorthernWrangler]

I've had my Rubi for a little over 2 years now, and got it with part-time 4wd. From my experience, there is very little that the 2wd can't handle as a daily driver. I have used 4h for some of the worst days of winter up here in Canada, but I have never wished that I'd got it full-time.

 

[Apexcars]

Pro: If you are going to be driving in conditions that are changing from slippery to grippy on a random and frequent basis it can be very helpful since it will switch into 4 hi as soon as it senses wheel slip.

Cons: You get CV boots which can get torn while off roading and need to be checked often to make sure they haven't been torn because you don't want foreign material getting inside the boot.

Very small decrease in MPG while keeping the system turned on.

For a daily driver I would get it. I have it on my RAM and it works well but I don't have it on the Jeep because it isn't a full time vehicle.

 

[STW]

If I were going to be mostly driving on the street as a daily driver, I would get a Sahara with full time 4WD and get "TruTracs" for the front and rear diffs. That would be perfect for a daily driver type vehicle.

maybe TruTracs are selectable now(?) or maybe TruTrac makes an LSD? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the Sahara full time 4WD. But with a non-selectable locker front and rear you'd be locked whenever it's in 4WD(?).

 

[Philly_]

Almost forgot the most the biggest con for having full time 4wd and I actually have never seen anyone else mention this:

If you are going to use long travel shocks, like those that come with a Metalcloak suspension, you will need to swap your front driveshaft. Upon lifting, you will want your caster around 6 degrees; however, full time 4wd engages the front driveshaft so that it always spins and that can cause vibrations at 6 degrees of caster because of the pinion angle. The easy solution is to reduce caster, but then you sacrifice some of the handling characteristics (not a problem for everyone as it doesn’t bother me). The other options are to expect driveline vibrations in 4wd auto or not use 4wd auto.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

[FINN 2.0]

I ordered the Rock-Trac option for my Rubicon and love it on icy roads. Much easier to keep the jeep under control but at the same time it also takes all the fun out of sliding around on ice but if it's fun you want, just keep it in 2/wheel drive.

 

[Apexcars]

maybe TruTracs are selectable now(?) or maybe TruTrac makes an LSD? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the Sahara full time 4WD. But with a non-selectable locker front and rear you'd be locked whenever it's in 4WD(?).

When you say locked it sounds like you are referring to dif locks. The full time 4wd has nothing to do with lockers. Activating it allows the vehicle to automatically switch into and out of 4wd based on the conditions it is sensing.

 

[Shark01]

Yeah, if you get a Roob, you get Rock-trac by default.
You do NOT get the full-time 4wd/4H-auto by default, however, and I personally strongly recommend adding that upgrade if you can afford it. I had a 21 Roob without it and now have a 22 with it, and it's extremely useful for me. I'm sure it will be in PA as well.

Agreed

 

[grimmjeeper]

If it was available with the diesel I would have added it to my order.

I had an old XJ Cherokee with the full time transfer case. It was great on roads with mixed conditions.

 

[verapx]

maybe TruTracs are selectable now(?) or maybe TruTrac makes an LSD? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the Sahara full time 4WD. But with a non-selectable locker front and rear you'd be locked whenever it's in 4WD(?).

TruTRacs are more like a limited slip. They are not a locker. They actually work really well on the road.

 

[STW]

TruTRacs are more like a limited slip. They are not a locker. They actually work really well on the road.

that explains it. thanks

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