Trail Control Question

[uthunter]

Last week in southern Utah we were going up a trail (legal & marked) that was basically just a dry river wash. We couldn't keep going up because of a large ledge/step with water under it and we were forced to go back the way we had come. The problem is we had dropped off 5-6’ ledge comprised solely of sand where a flood had eaten away the bank. Some previous SxS had rounded the top cornice but there was no "ramp" climbing out of the bottom. And now we had to go back up it.

After putting the truck in Sand Mode, 4L, and locking the rear we were able to line up at an angle and hit it enough times to finally pop up and out of the river bottom.

My question is: Would Trail Control have allowed the truck to send power to both front wheels at the same time instead of to the one that had the least traction? Could this have helped if I would've used it?

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[t4thfavor]

Last week in southern Utah we were going up a trail (legal & marked) that was basically just a dry river wash. We couldn't keep going up because of a large ledge/step with water under it and we were forced to go back the way we had come. The problem is we had dropped off 5-6’ ledge comprised solely of sand where a flood had eaten away the bank. Some previous SxS had rounded the top cornice but there was no "ramp" climbing out of the bottom. And now we had to go back up it.

After putting the truck in Sand Mode, 4L, and locking the rear we were able to line up at an angle and hit it enough times to finally pop up and out of the river bottom.

My question is: Would Trail Control have allowed the truck to send power to both front wheels at the same time instead of to the one that had the least traction? Could this have helped if I would've used it?

Yes, it would brake the front wheel that is spinning just enough to send power to the one that isn't. The "regular" non-trail control mode should also do the same, but it take throttle discipline that I just don't posses.

 

[VAMike]

After putting the truck in Sand Mode, 4L, and locking the rear we were able to line up at an angle and hit it enough times to finally pop up and out of the river bottom.

My question is: Would Trail Control have allowed the truck to send power to both front wheels at the same time instead of to the one that had the least traction? Could this have helped if I would've used it?

I think the sand setting is intended to permit wheel slip/spin in loose sand, whereas the gravel setting is intended to reduce wheel slip and would have used the brakes to act as a limited slip diff. Ford's documentation isn't great, so I don't know what to do besides experimenting with different modes for your specific conditions.

 

[uthunter]

Ford's documentation isn't great, so I don't know what to do besides experimenting with different modes for your specific conditions.

You're totally correct. Does anybody know where Ford tells exactly what the different "modes" do in a little more depth than a picture of a or a cactus?

 

[VAMike]

You're totally correct. Does anybody know where Ford tells exactly what the different "modes" do in a little more depth than a picture of a or a cactus?

Don't forget the very helpful table in the manual.

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