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Rubicon lockers - worth it for snow?

INCRHULK

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Slightly different situation, but my previous vehicle (a Cherokee TrailHawk) I never used the lockers for snow. Kept it in auto terrain 85% of the time, and snow/mud from time to time. The traction control with 265/70/17s KO2 rocked any winter conditions I threw at it. Even Michigan roads (I96) closing for storms were easily handled.

State trooper literally said “he’s Canadian and in a Jeep” to his partner then closed the road after me.

Lockers, as others have said, aren’t needed for snow. Keep the speed down, throw it in between 4HI and 2WD as needed.
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mikegcny

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A few videos of NO LOCKERS vs LOCKERS in my old TJ.

Funny part is my wife's Nervous "little Girl" voice and my "I don't know why it ain't going?"....probably because there was ICE under the snow!



This one is a much more steep section that leads up to a modular we had just put in for my parents. I had engaged the lockers for it...notice how it stops when it lost traction and started the side to side dance until it found traction. BTW steering was useless until there was adequate bite. SNOW=NO LOCKERS!

Your videos are set to private on YouTube. We can't see them.
 

Young04

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The only time lockers help is when you're stuck. They've gotten me unstuck when no other "mode" in my Rubicon could. I wouldn't want to use them for any other purpose in snow, however. Once unstuck I would disengage the lockers.
 

Uhdinator

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Brake lock differential feature works well and its always on in all modes. If you need momentum use 4H and turn off traction control. BLD will apply braking to a tire that is spinning faster than the other tire on the same axle but will not reduce power so you can maintain momentum and keep the tires churning if one or both axles are spinning faster than sensors determine you are traveling.

With traction control on. Braking will be applied to the axle spinning faster than the other and engine Power will also be reduced. It's designed to keep you from spinning out into a ditch when driving on snow/ice packed highway, It detects if one or both axles are spinning faster than you are moving and uses braking and engine throttle reduction. In 4L traction control is off.

BLD tricks the open diff into thinking there is traction by increasing torque on the spinning tire using braking then the other tire will also get the same amount of torque and even out the power to both wheels. If you start spinning you just maintain throttle and it will do its thing. Don't get too heavy on the gas if spinning as if the other non spinning tire has good traction..........when it kicks in it can launch you. The key is steady throttle and be patient. It works well. Just when you think you're stuck.........it goes,
 

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Loki Kai

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Brake lock differential feature works well and its always on in all modes. If you need momentum use 4H and turn off traction control. BLD will apply braking to a tire that is spinning faster than the other tire on the same axle but will not reduce power so you can maintain momentum and keep the tires churning if one or both axles are spinning faster than sensors determine you are traveling.

With traction control on. Braking will be applied to the axle spinning faster than the other and engine Power will also be reduced. It's designed to keep you from spinning out into a ditch when driving on snow/ice packed highway, It detects if one or both axles are spinning faster than you are moving and uses braking and engine throttle reduction. In 4L traction control is off.

BLD tricks the open diff into thinking there is traction by increasing torque on the spinning tire using braking then the other tire will also get the same amount of torque and even out the power to both wheels. If you start spinning you just maintain throttle and it will do its thing. Don't get too heavy on the gas if spinning as if the other non spinning tire has good traction..........when it kicks in it can launch you. The key is steady throttle and be patient. It works well. Just when you think you're stuck.........it goes,
Exactly. I remember dad teaching me tap the brakes in the "old Chevy" which would help the diff get traction.
 

Midwestguy

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Yes. Big difference. Im 45 and have been driving since I was 15 here in MN. I put on over 15k a year in the metro cities every year for over 20 years and AWD is by far preferred....and I own a Rubicon.
 

JeepRAD

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I had a Sport S a few years ago and got totally stuck in the snow. My neighbors had to free me by pushing me out (embarrassing). Since then, I had Rubicons, and never got stuck. If you do, just lock them and get out, then unlock.
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