Originally Posted by Terryk
Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
Originally Posted by N2TRKYS
I bought my first 4Runner(and first Toyota) in January. It's a base TRD Offroad and it came with a rear locker and traction control.


Don't confuse traction control with any kind off off-road traction device. It's for slick roads only and won't help a bit in off roading. My Dodge Ram has it and I hear all the time how the 'lockers' on these pickups don't work. It works very well for it's intended purpose. It's a means of controlling slippage on slick roads where the computer will use the brakes and throttle to slightly slow down a slipping tire so it can regain traction.

If you meant Crawl Control instead of traction control, that's something else entirely.


I think there is traction control, on all models. The TRD OFF Road model has the electric locker, and crawl control in low range. I never had crawl control or a locker, and I have been stuck a few times in my 4wd trucks. Never ever came close to stuck in my Outbacks, they are insane.
When it is bad, I use chains, and always got around with those. So I really can't see the need for my area for the locker and crawl control. Again I don't understand the technology. Some guys act like you can't drive on wet roads without 10,000 dollars of aftermarket gadgets and two winches.
It seems to be easier to get a Premium with the TRD off road, than just an OFF Road. I don't want the Premium for a sunroof that I dont use, and could leak, plus it is about 2 grand more. Money aside, less is more sometimes.


Lockers and crawl control of for situations where you mechanically aren't getting power to the tires that have traction due to the terrain i.e. you've got wheels in the air preventing you from putting power to the wheels on the ground.

Traction control, and chains, are for situations where the conditions are such that you simply don't have traction and you need to apply limited amounts of power to prevent loosing what little traction you have, i.e. you don't want to spin the tires.

With traction control I've taken turns a bit too fast on icy roads and am amazed how the computer simultaneously cuts engine power and applies the brakes to various wheels which keeps the vehicle from spinning in oversteer of going off the road in understeer.