Traction control

Hi guys. Been looking at the forum on jeep lockers and brake locks. Take a minute to look up 4wheel drive wranglers on u-tube. There is an animation sponsored by jeep that explains things very well. The 2016 users guide for the wrangler does mention brake loc only once, so no help. The 2017 user guide is way more help. Get a hold of one of these guides, or pick it up at jeep.com. pages 80 thru 85. Brake loc has similar results as trac loc limited slip diff. It is open diff. But it uses it to a advantage. It brakes the wheel with no traction and gives the one with traction all the power it needs to keep all 4 wheels turning at the same speed, of course in 4 wheel drive only. It can even compensate for the slower spinning wheel in a turn. If one thinks that, for a example, maybe the rear wheels don't have enough power because one wheel is braked, so that it uses up extra power, thus it won't move in certain situations, is in error. 50 percent of the power goes to the rear and 50 percent to the front in 4wheel drive. So that 50 percent in the rear, for example, has got to go somewhere, thus a wheel has to turn, the one with no traction is braked, the wheel with traction has to turn, after all, it is a open diff., and the braked wheel is no longer the least resistance. If nothing turns, a Axel, or drive shaft, or something has to be broke. Or it is too much for the engine, and it is dead. After all, that 50% of power has to go somewhere. Yes, it works. I have tried it. Kind of like a old land line, tried and true, and pretty reliable, and we sure as heck know it works, good. Then there is the first cell phone that came out. I think about a foot long with another big antenna. Carried it around in a holster. Then the sleek new cell phones, what ever you want to call them, pretty much a computer. Kind of like lockers, then limited slip, then brake loc. Technology moves on and it will keep on moving on. And jeep manufactures a great product and keeps up with technology. Engineered well. Drive a new one, if you have not yet. Just to see. I am not saying that brake lock is as good as lockers, but I am saying they work good.

 

BLD is a nice addition and works okay in most light trails. Probably more than enough for the mixed use DD. It's limits are reached in more challenging terrain or rock crawling where lsd or better yet true lockers are needed.

 

There is a big difference between a locker and a spool with, IMO, Detroit lockers being the best because they are very street friendly. Lockers are supposed to lock the axle together when driving forward but unlock and allow the tires to turn independently in a turn. A spool Holds the axle in a locked position at all times so is very jerky and chirpy on drive pavement in the turns. Welded spider gears will have the same effect as a spool. My very short wheel base CJ-7 with 37x14.50x15 tires drives very easy on the street with a Detroit locker in the back. I would have installed a selectable locker accept that I found this one used for $100 and couldn't pass up the deal. I am glad I went with the Detroit and will forever run Detroit lockers in the rear of all my rigs. I want to ad in regards to the BLDs, if you don't have it and you have an open diff, you can simulate a BLD system by applying your brakes to trick the jeep into thinking all tires are getting traction. Kind of like power braking.

 

After reading this thread. I know squat as far as whay you guys know on this. And of coarse, I want to learn more on this. So just out of curiosity, I checked the dealership sticker when I bought my JK. And all it says is "auto lock hubs" . Theres nothing else concerning locking anything. . Now, how do I figure out exactly what I have? In the owners manual there's the "on certain models". Considering the Jeep was bought by the dealership as a demo. I highly doubt they ordered it loaded. And based on the sticker. They didn't load it up.

Anyway. I want to learn more about this. Thanks guys. Where do I start?

 

JKBob the minimum your JK has is BLD which functions as Chris described. For limited slip the Trac-lock would be an option on your build sheet.

 

Ok. Cool . I get that. Where do I start to see where my build went from there? I don't have the factory build sheet. Just the dealership shit sheet. Is there id's in the Vin number, Trans series #. Axle . Is there some thing else I should be looking for?

 

Do all model JKs have it or starting in a certain year?

 

Help. Where do I start. I have no idea. I don't even to know what to look for. And I still have a gearing question.

Should a start a new Thread..

 

It is correct to say you can simulate BLD with putting your foot on the brake to make the open diff. think the wheel with no traction has traction, so it will try to turn the other wheel that really does have traction. That is the bases for BLD. Difference being is that there is a computer involved with BLD and it only brakes the wheel with no traction, not any of the other 3, and thus shifts the power to the opposite wheel of the braked wheel to the extent of keeping all the wheels turning at the same speed. In 4 wheel drive, that is what BLD does. Also remember that, if for example, one of the front wheels has no traction, in all probability, the rear two, do have traction.

 

Hey guys. I forgot to mention that the 4 wheels are each assigned a speed sensor read by the computer, so if one of the boys gets to turning to fast the computer knows and he gets slapped with the brakes. Hope everyone had a good 4th!

 

Thanks Chris. That does answer a question of when the BLD started. 2012 or 2013, close enough. I wondered about that. I did not know Rubicon's had it in 2 wheel drive to.

 

When I am in 4 wheel low, the ESC is automatically off, and the ESC OFF light comes on. That is when the other end of traction control comes on, or BLD. Maybe that is true in 2wheel drive also, if the ESC is manually turned off.

 

Correct! When a wheel starts spinning, one gradually increases throttle in order for info from the speed sensor to be sent to BLD which automatically applys the brakes to the spinning wheel which results in torque delivered across the axle to the other wheel. All JK models (Sport, Willys, Sahara, Rubicon) have BLD. BLD is part of the ESC/TC, automatic and active in 4H or 4L.

 

Thanks Chris. Great idea. I'm going to look into it.

And thank all you guys. Being a 2000 XJ owner for14 years. Never looked into learning about this. Now that im a JK owner. I like to learn as much as I can about my Jeep. I have a much better handle on it now. Now I know what all these idiot lights are when I start up. Lol. Thanks guys.

 

So if you were to turn the ESC off wouldn't that turn off your traction control and the antilock brakes. I thought that this was a function for off road enthusiasts. Nothing worse than trying to stop in loose sand and having antilock brakes.