Diff lock engaged, 8kmph????

[Vitamin C]

Hi guys,

I was reading up in the user manual that you can do a maximum of 8 kmph with the diff lock engaged?
How is this possible? If you drive at that speed in sand you will get stuck!!

I am going to Mozambique in September and will be using the diff lock. Has anybody used their diff lock at higher speeds than the 8kmph as stipulated by Toyota?

Your help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[CasKru]

My Gearmax sticker stuck on the door next to the switch indicates I can do speeds up to 60km/h.

It is not a good idea to drive as high speeds with your diffloc engage as you would most probably experience exaggerated over steer when cornering at higher speeds

[Mud Dog]

I think you mean under-steer, Cassie.
Ja, look, if you're traveling in a straight line it makes no difference, but if there's any twisting / winding in your path and the DL is engaged, there has to be slippage of the wheels. The more forgiving the surface, the easier that slippage can take place, and sand is the most forgiving of all. Engage the diff-lock and carry on as normal on your trip (you can drive it like you stole it). On harder surfaces then slippage is going to be difficult and will strain the DL, so slower speeds are better because they allow the wheels to slip whereas with faster speeds there is not enough time and something will have to give.

Hope that explains it sufficiently.

[Vitamin C]

What diff does the 2010 Hilux use?

Understandable that it is not good to drive fast with the diff locked, but 8kmph is ridiculous.
You basically have to drive without the diff lock on, then get stuck, switch it on, hope to get out and then switch it off again!

I would like to use it on a little bit of sand when we are in Mozambique, just to get to a few of the hidden wonders.
Will I be able to drive at around 30kmph with the diff lock on?

[Vitamin C]

Hi Andy,

Thanks a lot for that, it really helps. So I can basically use it at a decent speed on sand and not worry about breaking it.
I guess I can also use it on gravel when needed, but not too twisty.
It makes a lot of sense though, with the diff locked it does not have any give when turning, so on a soft surface, this allows the wheels to slip through the turn.

Thanks!

[CasKru]

I think you mean under-steer, Cassie.
Ja, look, if you're traveling in a straight line it makes no difference, but if there's any twisting / winding in your path and the DL is engaged, there has to be slippage of the wheels. The more forgiving the surface, the easier that slippage can take place, and sand is the most forgiving of all. Engage the diff-lock and carry on as normal on your trip (you can drive it like you stole it). On harder surfaces then slippage is going to be difficult and will strain the DL, so slower speeds are better because they allow the wheels to slip whereas with faster speeds there is not enough time and something will have to give.

Hope that explains it sufficiently.

Did mean over steer. You two wheels at the back are locked together so either one is going to loose traction which can unsettle the back end and make it slide out... oversteer

What diff does the 2010 Hilux use?

Understandable that it is not good to drive fast with the diff locked, but 8kmph is ridiculous.
You basically have to drive without the diff lock on, then get stuck, switch it on, hope to get out and then switch it off again!

I would like to use it on a little bit of sand when we are in Mozambique, just to get to a few of the hidden wonders.
Will I be able to drive at around 30kmph with the diff lock on?

You should be fine up to about 40km/h

[Mud Dog]

Loose gravel is almost as forgiving as sand, problem comes in if there are hard surfaces and you are not vigilant. In such cases it mostly doesn't help to hit the disengage button and carry on at speed, because the diff has to be relieved of tension (wind-up) before the DL will disengage, so it doesn't always happen immediately after switching. Also, the tighter the turn, the more slippage required, but then one doesn't do tight turns at speed anyway, and a loose surface is no problem, but you might want to disengage when the surface starts getting harder (just watch the indicator lights to be sure it unlocks).... you don't often need it then anyway unless you're axle twisting.

[ThysdJ]

In your 2010 Vigo the diff-lock will only engage when L/R is selected. Driving in sand requires quite a bit of momentum, and driving for long stretches in high gears while L/R is engaged puts a lot of extra strain on the gearbox.

Rather build up momentum in H/R and keep it there. You wont get stuck once the vehicle is "on the plane". Tyre pressures are also very very important. You'll get much further with a bit of momentum on sandy tracks with the correct tyre pressures than with a diff lock.

If the tracks does not allow for speeds higher than 20km/h, engage L/R and diff lock, espacially when the track is cross-axled.

[Mud Dog]

Agree, Thys.

Cassie I think under-steer is correct ... I think what you're referring to is tail-spin /tail whip because you've lost traction and the back drifts out. On a loose surface it's neither here nor there, but on a harder surface where there is still a fair amount of traction the rear axle will not want to make the turn and fight against the front steering (which you feel on the steering wheel) resulting in under-steer.

If you're traveling at 40kmph or over, you probably don't need the DL anyway, and if there are turns they will be gentle if you're traveling at those speeds.

[Vitamin C]

Thanks guys, really appreciate all the advice and knowledge transfer.

So basically I should be fine using the diff lock up to around 40kmph on sandy or loose gravel tracks. Best bet is to go as far as possible without the diff lock and only use it when needed I guess.

Will report back with pictures of my Mozam adventure in my Hilux!!

[ThysdJ]

Enjoy Ree.. drive safely.

[Bees]

Well my 5 cents worth, with my exparience with 2 wheel driving in sand ( did a lot of atlantis dune trips with my 2.7 vvti, 2 wheel drive)

I never used the diff lock in the sand especially when I had to make turns very quickly, I felt that the inner wheel had to spin ( slip ) too much and made me get stuck easier.
So according to me, if you know you do not have to make any sudden turns, don't switch it on.

But speed is not a problem in a straight line when the diff is engaged