Lumberjack

Thats exactly right it's auto kicks in on it's own when needed, hard part is getting it to stay off to do a burn out in the summer (lol)
My 4x4 truck I have now 2010 F150 4x4 super crew even has the traction control

ftrucktough

I don't think they even make cars without traction control anymore...

john0270

It's there so you don't lose control of the vehicle due to ignorance of road conditions. It in no way aids you getting through rough patches.

Behemoth_F-150

That is correct, all vehicles sold in the US 2009+ are required to have traction control, thanks to our friendly government.

demarco5

i find it funny that people from Kentucky and Illinois are thinking about snow lol. Come up here to NY and the NE and see how your 2wd does. You will be spinning in a ditch all winter long, 4wd on trucks is a must, especially all the side roads I have to take that are last on the list to be plowed.

Downeast_auto

Negative, good tires are a must. I grew up driving short wheelbase 2wd trucks for personal and work use (part delivery). No traction control, Maine winter, nuff' said.

My feeling is that the unpredictability of the 6sp auto would be the most hinderance, but with TC and ESP its really a non-issue.

Rob the elder

I can only speak from my own experience. When I moved from the South to Colorado, my 4x2 did ok in light snow and on level terrain. On snow packed roads and moderate hills, I could get around ok though with some slipping and sliding. When the snow hit about 6 inches driving on streets became problematic but I could continue to get around with some difficulty. When the snow hit 24 inches or more, I was not going anywhere at all.

Traction control and stability control are two different sets of functionality.

Traction control senses a difference in the rotational speed of the front wheels and the rear wheels, and between the two rear wheels. As differences in wheel speed is sensed, the TC software will trigger a TC event, light the TC light on the dash and will then do a number of things in an attempt to return to a non-differential wheel spin condition. The things it does include, reducing engine power, and applying the brake on the "over speeding" rear wheel. As a TC event continues, worst case is the TC code continues to reduce engine power to "zero" and the vehicle achieves zero differential wheel speed by coming to a full stop. I have experienced this on numerous conditions in several TC equipped vehicles. This is why the operator has the option to disable the TC by pressing the TC button. Then its up to the operator to get the vehicle moving again. If there is not sufficient traction to get the vehicle moving, then you are stuck. TC does not add any traction it does act to detect (and warn the operator) and it works well in those conditions where there is sufficient traction/momentum to drive through a low traction condition. For example if you are driving at 30 mph and hit a 10 foot patch of foot deep snow on a plowed road, the TC will help keeping the vehicle moving through that 10 feet of very low traction terrain. TC will not give you traction that is not there. If the resistance of the vehicle and the available traction is not sufficient to allow the vehicle to traverse the terrain, you will be stuck in every instance.

The stability control works to keep the vehicle moving in a straight line. SC senses the rotational velocity of each wheel, compares them and when it sees an overspeed condition on two wheels on one side, or one wheel in some conditions (no TC event, low power demand or coasting etc.) then the SC system will declair a Stablity Control event and light the light on the dash. (usually its the same light as the TC). The SC will then apply breaking to one or more wheel in an attempt to bring the vehicle back to a straight ahead path. In the case of our trucks, there is also a sensor for roll and that plays into the decision making of the SC. If it senses a skewed path without roll, it will assume that you are sliding with little or no roll component and take appropriate action. If there is a roll component as well, it will modify the action it takes to reduce the roll component as well as return to straight ahead path. The SC also has access to all the actions that TC has, reducing engine power, applying brakes on one or more wheel, etc.

The bottom line is that the TC and SC will do a lot to inhibit or recover from a loss of control or traction situation, but only as a short term event.

Neither TC nor SC will add any traction or ability to continue forward motion and in fact, in performing their job, they can ONLY act to reduce power available and by applying breaking.

Again my personal experience. I have driven a rear wheel drive car through a blizzard in Colorado where the road was plowed and there was 4-5 inches of snow. The car had sufficient clearance so build up of snow was not a problem. There was sufficient traction so I could continue to travel at 35 mph and in those areas where there was NOT sufficient traction, the distance to be traversed was short enough such that when I got to the other end of the areas using reduced traction and momentum, I could accelerate back up to 35 mph.

If you live in terrain where you can successfully drive a well prepared 2 wheel drive truck at greatly reduced speed, then TC and SC will make the experience both easier and less stressful.

But if you cant drive there in a truck without TC and SC, it is not going to manufacture any additional traction for you.

Behemoth_F-150

DougNuts,

I'm originally from Southwest MO. My family has never had a 4wd vehicle, and there is usually at least one good 12 to 18 inch snow each year there. If you drive cautiously and put some weight in the bed, you'll be fine. That being said, if it's something you're concerned about and you still don't want to spend the $ on a 4wd, get a limited slip. It's not 4wd, but it'll help some in a tight situation and it's only a $300 option.

Rob the elder

Roll Stability Control

DougNuts

Well, it's there for a lot of reasons, but the ability to accelerate from a stop on slick surfaces is what I'm looking for......and what TC is good at.

I live in Kentucky and it snows some here, nothing funny about that. If I lived somewhere like where you do, or in the Rockies, etc., I would go with 4wd.

However, TC, when functioning, can help move the vehicle by limiting power (or sending power) according to available coefficient of friction. Something I've had issues with in the past (partly related to tire selection) is not being able to drive, at all, due to complete lack of forward traction. On slick roads, things get dicey when traction is broken.

Thanks for your input Behemoth, I am leaning towards your advice of getting a 2wd w/ LSD. As I mentioned, I've had 3 vehicles that were RWD (all manual transmission) but none with TC. I've been told that TC makes a huge difference in being able to get around in inclement weather, but sometimes it's nice to hear it from the horses mouth.