Can control trac really do mud?

[skipc10]

I've always been wary of taking my control trac 4wd to places real 4wd's dare to go because of all the automatic on/off it does and whatnot. It works fine for the occasional off road and trails, but are there things it can't do that a fulltime 4wd can do? Like if I get in a situation where I have NO rear traction, will it pull with only the front?

Just curious too - can I disconnect the driveshaft to the rear and just run the front on it? Since it senses wheel speed first, then decides, and the rear ones wouldn't be moving, I'd suspect it would continue to favor the rear until it sensed them spinning, then kick in the fronts.

That's the kinda thing that I'm not sure how it would get you into trouble when you're in trouble

 

[unclemeat]

Get the usual recovery equipment, find a partner, and give it a try.

 

[jasonb]

if you have control trac, you have 4wd as well. just put er in 4hi or 4lo (i forget which options you have on your switch for that year) for real 4wd and have at it. there is also a way to disable the control trac via a switch. this involves cutting one wire. look here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41956&highlight=brown+wire

there are limitations to this tcase but they aren't apparent until you start running larger tires. many folks here still run that case and do some pretty intense offroading. it won't compare to an atlas or something like that, but it does good for weekend warriors. when you say "real 4wd" what do you mean exactly?

 

[Nick26]

Originally posted by jasonb
when you say "real 4wd" what do you mean exactly?

i think he means because he has a 96 they only have the 2wd, auto, & lo options and no 4wd hi.

disconnecting the rear driveshaft won't do you any good cause the speed sensor is in the transfercase near the rear driveshaft output. the control trac case worked pretty well for me in the mud(tractionwise), until it died and I swapped in the manual from a 94. but then again i had the 4 hi option which you don't.

 

[skipc10]

Originally posted by jasonb
when you say "real 4wd" what do you mean exactly?

I think you're thinking of All Wheel Drive. On a 96 ControlTrac you get:

2wd: regular rear wheel drive

4wd Auto: a 4wd where the computer uses sensors to detect wheel speeds and varies the power to the front vs rear

4wd Lo: full time, real 4wd, but in low range.

There isn't a setting where front and rear are locked together in hi.

I am interested in the swap with another electrically changeable, but real xfer case like my BroncoII had. Is there a compatability guide with what needs changing for each online? Something that doesn't cause computer problems and fits with the same driveshaft and tranny would be nice

 

[Nick26]

Originally posted by skipc10
4wd Auto: a 4wd where the computer uses sensors to detect wheel speeds and varies the power to the front vs rear

Yeah these speed sensors are in the transfercase for you not in the wheels or axle.

I am interested in the swap with another electrically changeable, but real xfer case like my BroncoII had. Is there a compatability guide with what needs changing for each online? Something that doesn't cause computer problems and fits with the same driveshaft and tranny would be nice

There have been a lot of people on here that have done a lot of different transfercase swaps so search around. But to swap a different electric one is much tougher because you would need all the 4x4 electrical components plus the stuff you have already since you have vacuum disconnect hubs too unless you do the trick that JDraper did here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=88718

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

'95-'96 Explorers get 2WD, 4-Auto, and 4-Low while '98- present Explorers get 4-Auto, 4-Hi, and 4-Low. The latter isn't exactly AWD, but very close.