This is Full-Time territory

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:38 pm

Why Selec-Trac? Why not just Command-Trac? I've seen this issue pop up in many forms over the few years I've been haunting this site & KJ Country. Well, yesterday I drove almost 300 miles in a winter storm, so I had a bit of time to experiment. Here is a photo from mid-afternoon along Minnesota Highway 61, between Duluth & Lutsen; Lake Superior is about 100 yards on the other side of the trees on the left. This area got 10" of snow, & this is about mid way through. The day before, it rained then froze.

2WD was simply out of the question. Part time 4 WD seemed like the logical answer with this much snow & ice, but it was squirrelly. Not uncontrollably so, but it certainly had that on the edge of controllability feel to it. I then pulled it up to Full-Time 4 WD, and it became stable, I was able to hold a speed near the posted the whole way home, even as conditions worsened. Only 3 people passed me... I saw them later, waiting for tow trucks to yank them out.

This is the reason I converted my KJ from Command-Trac to Selec-Trac. It is clearly the best option for where I live & drive

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:44 pm

Oh, I forgot...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

bbo · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:17 pm **Posts:** 382

great pic .. that looks like typical WI right now ...

merry Christmas to you as well and keep it safe this year !!

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

I agree! Full time makes a big difference on roads like that. I was driving on one that looked similar today. I just keep the speed down a bit and don't make any sudden moves with the steering wheel.

Every time I go out I am glad to have full time 4 wd.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:03 pm

From the pic I don't see why you would need 4wd anyway,really I don't,guess to many winters in SD.

Never had a problem with my command-trac being squirrelly,god love the TT!!!!!! Pulls me anywhere I need to go,even on ice,better then ESP and TC.Never had a problem with any of my 4x4 in 4wd in any surface,just point and shoot.Now my '01 Grand had select-trac and kinda sucked compared to part time 4wd,pretty much if I needed 4wd I was in 4lo anyway.

SoDakJeep · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:07 pm

in SoDak We drive in 2wheel in that stuff its plowed and everything for you already haha

MiniDevil · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:41 pm

Is part time really considered that bad?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:57 pm

MiniDevil wrote:

Is part time really considered that bad?

No,I prefer it over fulltime,just my opinion though.

QuestMan · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:12 pm

I agree with you, Pilot. I used to have a Postal Jeep (They're 2wd, but have Posi-trac). In the winter, if it was the least bit slick, Postals got squirrely as all get-out. With Selec-trac, you can set it and forget it. I've noticed that, with posi-trac in my Limited, I get the same thing, (although not nearly as bad). When I shif into full-time, my Libby doesn't get squirrelly, so I set it in Selec-trac, and leave it. The gas mileage doesn't seem to change, so it's all good.

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

I find it easier to control on roads like you pictured in Full Time 4WD with the LSD in the rear. We had a major ice storm a few years ago similar to what so many people have been hit by this winter. Just not as broad of an area. It took over a week for many to get power. The entire city looked like it had been hit by a hurricane that froze. My Jeep had no problems each day getting me to a friend's house with a backup generator to take a shower, to work, and back home.

If the roads are covered by a couple inches of snow, or better, I find the Part Time to work slightly better. I almost never need it living here though. It's usually the patchy, icey, slushy, rainy mix we get here.

Albert · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:07 pm

I use full-time a lot in the winter. Sometimes I even use it in summer rainstorms. But it seems to be better than part-time in a lot of cases. .......That is unless I am in a storm with a lot of snow, and then it's part-time that is better. I guess it just depends on how it feels and the snow/slush conditions of the particular storm.

It is nice to have the extra option of the full time.

Donnie · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:40 am

Albert wrote:

I use full-time a lot in the winter. Sometimes I even use it in summer rainstorms. But it seems to be better than part-time in a lot of cases. .......That is unless I am in a storm with a lot of snow, and then it's part-time that is better. I guess it just depends on how it feels and the snow/slush conditions of the particular storm.

It is nice to have the extra option of the full time.

Exactly the same here. I was actually driving home from work on the Mass pike about a week ago in the heart of the storm. I had it in fulltime going about 50 with about 3" packed (plowed) and 2" soft stuff on the top, it worked great.

homeslice8u · **Joined:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:49 am **Posts:** 49

4wd part time is what i have, so in snow if my tire starts to slip then the other 3 kick in and help out is that how it works?

coldkj · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 2:52 am

Here in Ak I've had a lot of opportunities to test the three settings available in my KJ. No question FT gives me the best level of control for three of our four seasons (almost winter, winter, still winter). Part time too twitchy. Seems to cost me about 1/2 to 1 MPG, though.

Dave08 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:17 pm **Posts:** 250

homeslice8u wrote:

4wd part time is what i have, so in snow if my tire starts to slip then the other 3 kick in and help out is that how it works?

The PT (part time use) system locks the transfer case and front and rear wheels will rotate at the same speed, which causes binding if you're on the dry. By not being able to rotate at different speeds it can cause it to be a little squirelly.

Myself I just toss it into FT (full time use) because I've never found PT to be easier to drive.

Dave

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 2:07 pm

I always considered Full Time to be designed for Colorado roads
winding roads through the mountains - the day after a snow storm - the sunshine has melted & dried one side of the switchback - and the other side barely gotten enough sun to melt the surface and refreeze for an icy coat - so your drive is a winding road with right hand turns clear and dry but left hand turns snow and ice.

Albert · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:05 pm

ATXKJ wrote:

I always considered Full Time to be designed for Colorado roads
winding roads through the mountains - the day after a snow storm - the sunshine has melted & dried one side of the switchback - and the other side barely gotten enough sun to melt the surface and refreeze for an icy coat - so your drive is a winding road with right hand turns clear and dry but left hand turns snow and ice.

Sounds like a good full-time use.

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:28 pm

SoDakJeep wrote:

in SoDak We drive in 2wheel in that stuff its plowed and everything for you already haha

Yeah, SD is so much more different than MN... Oh, except it actually precipitates on this side of the boarder!:lol: How long has that drought been on? 7, maybe 10 years?

My in-laws live in Rapid City, my wife's grandparents are ranchers near Wall, I've driven across that state way more than I'd like to admit. It's cold & windy for sure, but if you don't live in the Black Hills, you typically get far less snow than we do.

Yes, the plow had been through, exposing the glaze of ice that had accumulated the day before. In my opinion, I'd rater be on an unplowed road of snow than a sheet of ice. Most of the drive was at night, when photos could not be taken, in pack snow.

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:34 pm

MiniDevil wrote:

Is part time really considered that bad?

Not at all! Part-time is great for off road, I'd not even consider using full time for wheeling. But full-time has it's place, & many on this board have asked where that place is. This is where full time is much better than part time. the benefit is that with Selec-Trac, I have both Full & Part time. Which is great up here.

Uffe · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2007 6:02 pm

KJpilot wrote:

2WD was simply out of the question. Part time 4 WD seemed like the logical answer with this much snow & ice, but it was squirrelly. Not uncontrollably so, but it certainly had that on the edge of controllability feel to it. I then pulled it up to Full-Time 4 WD, and it became stable, I was able to hold a speed near the posted the whole way home, even as conditions worsened. Only 3 people passed me... I saw them later, waiting for tow trucks to yank them out.

LOL, in my Patrol I would have been one of the guys passing you by and being pulled by tow trucks later. Well - actually I don't think tow trucks can get so far into a field filled with 3 feet of snow. I was pulled out by a JCB digger. Fortunatly there was no damage to the car, except for the suspension being made of compressed snow for 10 miles which was a bit rough

This is Full-Time territory

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