[MrChris007]

Going out wheeling for the 1st time into technical terrain, and want to know if I have to stop to turn on my rear lockers or A-trac. If not, what is the max speed and do I have to also be in 4L?
tia!

 

[Iconic_]

There is no max speed. You have to be in 4 lo. Leave atrac on all the time until you get used to it. Turn on the locker only for the most difficult areas you think you might need help.

 

[Sparky of NWO]

If there is a Subaru behind you get out of low range.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NyNomad]

I leave the Atrac on all the time. only engage the locker when needed.. 4L will only let you go so "fast".

 

[MrChris007]

I guess I misrepresented the question...do I have to stop to engage the A-trac or lockers? Or, can I be moving at a slow speed?

 

[YeetandSkeet]

I guess I misrepresented the question...do I have to stop to engage the A-trac or lockers? Or, can I be moving at a slow speed?

For A-Trac, you can turn it on at any speed, any time, I believe even in 2wd. The manual actually says to "Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it can operate when needed "
For the dif lock, it says "Be sure to stop the wheels before locking the differential." You'll have to wait a few seconds after pushing the button for it to engage. Do not go over 5mph when dif is locked.

-this is for a 2007 so may be different for other years, you can google the fj users manual and find it for free

 

[dedhed]

I guess I misrepresented the question...do I have to stop to engage the A-trac or lockers? Or, can I be moving at a slow speed?

ATRACT is operated by a switch with uses anti lock brake system, so it can be turned on any time you are in low range. Diff lock can be engaged at low speed, consult owners manual

 

[norm356]

The owner's manual has all of this but I found it so hard to understand. This visual guide I find far more useful (attached).

 

[Lthrnek89]

If the FJ manual says that the rear diff should only be utilized <5 mph, then how does the "2wd diff hack" operate? It seems 5mph shouldn't be a concern. I have seen videos of the 2wd diff hack and a FJ in the sand and it was certainly NOT going 5mph. Terrain material would be a larger concern than mph...right?
Sorry for.the hijacked question but your post brought this up.

 

[FJtest]

Going out wheeling for the 1st time into technical terrain, and want to know if I have to stop to turn on my rear lockers or A-trac. If not, what is the max speed and do I have to also be in 4L?
tia!

Your question about the rear locker (singular) and ATRAC has probably been answered, but it sounds like you probably don't have copies of the original Owner's Manual and the Maintenance Schedule. These may provide answers to questions that may come up over time as you gain seat time in your FJ.

You can download them for free from the Toyota.com website: click the Owner's tab, then Manuals and Warranties. Enter your model year, and get the specific manual for your particular FJ.

 

[Winterpeg]

Rear diff lock.... You must be under 5 mph when engaging it....
There is no speed limit once it's locked in.

Atrac, don't use it when you actually want wheel spin.... For instance in mud when you want the tires to clear themselves by spinning.

 

[jimmy-buffett]

All great answers so far, but I'd summarize it this way:

Both ATRAC and the RR DIFF LOCK exist to reduce or eliminate wheel spin. ATRAC on both front/rear axles, RR DIFF LOCK on the rear.

Wheel spin can come mainly from two places: lifting a tire off the ground in difficult terrain, and loose terrain like sand or mud. In loose terrain it may not always be desirable to avoid wheelspin, since wheelspin can sometimes help dig you out of / through that terrain. Mud and snow are two great examples.

For FJ's and 4Runners, the most likely axle to lift a tire where you will need power to keep going is in front. It is rare to lift a rear tire while climbing uphill, because gravity tends to turn our trucks into a tripod with two legs in the rear. On flat/level or downhill when you would more likely lift a rear tire, you need a lot less (or no) power to keep moving.

Here in Colorado where most of our difficult terrain is rocks, I tell people to leave ATRAC on all the time. I'm not sure where you are, but anywhere with mostly rocks I'd give this same advice. With mud or snow, I probably wouldn't.

See other posts above for the mechanical limitations on engaging ATRAC and RR DIFF LOCK.

Good luck!