We took some misc videos which I turned into a quick & dirty compilation with no music. It's nothing special. I remember my first time wheeling my 1981 Hilux (took it up Claw Hammer) and being crazy nervous to not even get a single scratch. I was overly cautious here too haha Hope you enjoy!
At the 4:03 min mark I wanted to try out this "Auto LSD" feature so I got the Taco crossed-up. Incoming long rant.
I have much to complain about, more than what I'll share here, but before I explain I have to acknowledge the fact that the system works. If you are stuck it has the "potential" to get through. There is no comparison to say a 20-yr old stock Toyota pickup: Once you got stuck, that was it. You'd need to get pulled out. But at least the Tacoma has the "ability" to get through such a scenario as shown in the video.
Now, the bad, no very bad thing here is that the Auto LSD requires a lot of throttle for it to work and this is teaching the next generation of off-roaders a very bad habit.
Quick desc of the system: I've not read any manual on the subject, but as I understand it the truck is utilizing its ABS wheel speed sensors to detect a large enough tire rotation differential across each axle and applying the brakes only for that single faster rotating tire in an increasing manner until the force across the differential equalizes and the two tires have the same angular velocity. Side note: Only Automatics have CRAWL Control.
Here is the issue with this in more detail than what's probably necessary:
As an experienced Rock Crawler since the same day the hobby was created 23 years ago, my first instinct when I lose traction is to lift. You lift based on physics due to the fact that static friction has a higher coefficient of friction than kinetic friction. The goal should be to allow the tires to work and find traction, aka finesse it. We see many inexperienced wheelers do the opposite and get egged-on by their buddies yelling "GET IT! GET IT!" which leads to skinny pedal abuse, a lot of bouncing, and ultimately broken parts. I am not so thick-skulled to admit there are times when you need momentum, but this should only be as a last resort option and even still you only need to feel the bounce once or twice to know the severity of how stuck you are. Be a man by either stacking rocks or asking a Jeep for a tug. Seriously. Show some humility & make some new friends. That is certainly better than breaking down in the middle of the trail holding up traffic causing everyone to get to camp after dark.
Now fast forward to your truck with 37" or larger tires aired down to 6 PSI or lower. This would be your seven-step program to a broken axle:
1. When you get stuck the first thing you do is apply throttle (don't ever do this)
2. The truck starts bouncing as tires with traction bite and quickly release due to insufficient tractive force
3. As each tire loses traction and releases, it becomes airborne for a split second with minimal resistance, and as such quickly accelerates since you're still on the gas
4. The acceleration of gravity pulls your truck back down slamming it into the ground with the full force of your trucks mass (Newton's second law!)
5. Your foot is still on the gas building potential energy in the flywheel and 50+ pound accelerating tires which puts an enormous sudden load on your drivetrain (shock load)
6. Now your tire has a higher tractive force due to the increased pressure exerted down by gravity so it bites harder and beings your tire is aired down so low "because Rock Crawler", it has become a large bouncy ball causing more rebound each time it's pulled back to the ground
7. Keeping your foot buried in the throttle, repeat the above over and over allowing the shock load to increase with each successively larger bounce until finally you break an axle
This is what Toyota is teaching people to do with this fancy "Auto LSD" system. Sure, stock axles are sufficient to be bouncing stock tires that cannot be aired down too low (without fear of blowing a bead) and have low bite/traction, but this system without question teaches Tacoma owners bad habits.
Here is literally what happened to me the first time I experienced the Tacoma's Auto LSD:
1. I'm trying to get through a trail section when suddenly I lose forward momentum
2. I let off the throttle to allow the tires to look for and find traction
3. Slipping the clutch to go as slow as I can and still can't find traction
4. Slowly work the wheel right, then left, then back right, then back left. Nothing
This is normally when you should back-up for a better line, or ask for a spot, or get out to see whats going on and throw some rocks, etc
5. Wanting to see the Auto LSD in action, I decide to stay on the bad line and build up some wheel speed for the computer
6. I apply more and more throttle
7. The truck starts bouncing
8. Instinctively I immediately let off the throttle to finesse it and let the tires do the work
9. Whoops, now the computer doesn't see a sufficient tire speed differential and auto-LSD does not activate
10. Repeat steps 5-9 each time trying to go deeper and deeper into the throttle while trying to suppress years and years of off-road know-how
11. Finally at 3,500 RPM in 1st gear the "Auto LSD" light begins to flash followed by a nasty grinding sound (brakes being operated by the computer)
12. Instinctively I immediately let off the throttle because something doesn't sound right. Lol Start all over again at Step 5
The video shows my second take through that section with the Auto LSD. The lurching proves the mental battle between my senses and my right calf muscle.
BigMike
