When did you last need your diff lock?

[Herman]

I don‘t use my Cali for overland excursions in Afghanistan or crossing the Sahara and find that the standard 4 motion seems to me more than adequate to get me out of muddy fields and up wet grassy slopes. It even seems to work on packed snow. I wonder just how many people, who have spent lots of their cash on the optional extra diff lock actually use it and do they combine the diff lock with lovely knobbly, noisy, fuel guzzling off-road tyres?
Sorry to start another thread but lockdown is getting to me and I haven’t ‘bought anything for my Cali’ recently so have nothing to add to that.

 

[GrannyJen]

I have never used it.

It came with the vehicle. Oddly my last van there were a couple of times it would have been useful, one extremely muddy slope shouldering a trial being one, but in Alfie, in nearly 4 years, not at all is the answer.

 

[Herman]

Sorry to ignore you Granny Jen, and lovely to hear from you again. Since you bought T6 Alfie I have missed your contributions in the T5 section.

 

[GrannyJen]

Sorry to ignore you Granny Jen, and lovely to hear from you again. Since you bought T6 Alfie I have missed your contributions in the T5 section.

Nice to talk with you again

Don't just limit yourself to T5 sections, this forum is a great big community and all welcome everywhere

 

[Vagophile]

Completely off topic.
One year I spent my school Easter holidays working on a farm preparing ploughed ground for seeding using disc harrows.
As the disc harrows were set quite deep, the tractor was prone to some wheelspin. When I first experienced this, I engaged the diff lock which was very effective, but when I reached the headland I couldn't dis-engage it or steer. By the time I realised what was happening, the tractor was through the fence into the next field, complete with disc harrows.
Luckily nothing other than the fence and my pride was damaged and my employment was not terminated.

 

[soulstyledevon]

If I went to the trouble/expense of ordering 4motion. I may as well get the diff lock.
No point having a half job...

 

[SusiBus]

If you intend to you intend to stray beyond the tarmac, a diff lock gives you the confidence that if you get into trouble, it will get you out.
Over the years I have got to some great parking spots, that I probably wouldn't have attempted to access without a diff lock.
Yes OK, only used diff lock twice. But to me, the value is not how often you use it, but the confidence it gives you.

 

[Velma's Dad]

4WD to get you into trouble, diff locks to get you out of trouble. If you don't get yourself into deep mud etc you're not going to need them, but the one time you do, you will. Although then unless you've got AT tyres on you'll quite likely stay stuck anyway.

Personally I'd make sure I had proper towing points front and rear before I spent money on diff locks but they're certainly a good thing to have on any off road excursion.

 

[WelshGas]

4WD to get you into trouble, diff locks to get you out of trouble. If you don't get yourself into deep mud etc you're not going to need them, but the one time you do, you will. Although then unless you've got AT tyres on you'll quite likely stay stuck anyway.

Personally I'd make sure I had proper towing points front and rear before I spent money on diff locks but they're certainly a good thing to have on any off road excursion.

Until it doesn't disengage and wrecks the transmission. Should be used on a regular basis to avoid this scenario.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Not sure the California interior was built for anything too rugged...
Sure you won’t be stuck, but the kitchen units will probably be shaken to bits anyway...
Maybe stick to muddy fields and easy going gravel tracks.

 

[Calimili]

Stop Using Diff Locks So Much!​

 

[Calimili]

Not sure the California interior was built for anything too rugged...
Sure you won’t be stuck, but the kitchen units will probably be shaken to bits anyway...
Maybe stick to muddy fields and easy going gravel tracks.

I've attempted once to go on a gravel road that had quite a few series of consecutive more or less deep holes left by tractors I assume. Hardly coming under the definition of off-road. Albeit the 215/60- 17" with 3,8bars didn't help one bit, my concern was exactly on the twist/shake of the furniture.
No more "offroad" for me. I guess offroading with an Ocean requires a lot of kit before the Diff. Lock, i.e. upgraded suspensions and bigger tyres with high side walls and lower pressure to help absorb the shocks. A Beach would be better suited probably.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Interesting video...
Thought?

 

[Vagophile]

Objective assessment, telling it like it is. Californias were not designed for off-roading or as expedition vehicles, but could be a little more robust.

 

[Calimili]

California models are called Beach, Coast, Ocean. Not Sahara, Serengeti, Safari or Rainforest. Could that be a hint ?

 

[paradise city]

Interesting video...
Thought?

I took my road bike onto the local mountain bike trail, it didn't perform very well!

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Camperfamily]

Stop Using Diff Locks So Much!​

Very interesting watch, great presenting. Thanks for sharing

 

[Tarquers]

Spec’d on my beach and don’t expect to use, but i would feel stupid not having put it on there if needed. I do have a proper off road truck which has 3 diff locks and rarely use more than the centre on. My desert racing buggies were rear wheel drive only and they used to cope, but I also had 50cm of suspension travel on each corner.

The real benefit of diff lock on a 4Motion is the fact that it avoids wheel spin in low traction situations. Without the diff lock, first a front wheel has to spin, then the rear drive shaft has to engage and then hopefully there is traction, but that first spin is often where the initial damage is done. The 4Motion diff lock actually acts as a centre diff (which is not fitted) and splits drive. 50/50 front to rear and 50/50 on the rear axle, minimising spin.

with a diff lock you get 3 wheel drive as opposed to 1 wheel drive without it and it may well come in handy, for me it is the satisfaction of knowing I picked a spec I know I will be happy for the next 10 plus years and smiling smugly every time I look at the button.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Good video (the one by the German chap I mean). Shows well the limitations of the Cali if anyone was seriously considering it as an expedition/overlanding vehicle. It's just not a tool for that kind of job.

Interesting to see how the rental vehicle, which will have had a hard life, has acquired some mods to the weak points, eg the bolt latch for the 'overhead compartment' and the pop rivets on the cupboard door. And I bet the tambour door isn't on its first roll of sticky tape either. Still, those are fairly minor fixes to have to do over the life of a campervan.

The other vid is a hoot (by the Aussie bloke). By his logic you should stay in 2WD and high range just to develop your offroad skills. Okay but certainly not what I was taught (get into 4WD BEFORE you think you're going to need it).

Anyway if you want to have real fun the best diff is a welded one...

 

[B J G]

Completely off topic.
One year I spent my school Easter holidays working on a farm preparing ploughed ground for seeding using disc harrows.
As the disc harrows were set quite deep, the tractor was prone to some wheelspin. When I first experienced this, I engaged the diff lock which was very effective, but when I reached the headland I couldn't dis-engage it or steer. By the time I realised what was happening, the tractor was through the fence into the next field, complete with disc harrows.
Luckily nothing other than the fence and my pride was damaged and my employment was not terminated.

Good off topic.

I keep trying to explain why a Diff lock isn't necessarily a good thing to have due to loss of steering but you have made the point. tractor was an old 2 wheel drive I presume, not 4WD.

 

[andyinluton]

Does the Cali have any sort of electronic diff lock - ie applying brakes to a spinning wheel, to make sure drive goes to the one wheel that does have traction?

 

[Loz]

Does the Cali have any sort of electronic diff lock - ie applying brakes to a spinning wheel, to make sure drive goes to the one wheel that does have traction?

Yes it does, but needs the wheels to be spinning before it bites, but you may have already lost your momentum by then.

 

[bvddobb]

but you may have already lost your momentum by then.

That's why it is good practice to switch off ESP before any difficult situation re. traction, so the system doesn't throttle down because it thinks you are skidding or something, just when you need power/traction...
That, together with the 'electronic diff lock' has until now always been good enough for us in our adventures. Don't have the mechanic diff lock, have not missed it yet.

 

[Tarquers]

Here is a really good overview of capabilities. Vans will get most places, but slowly compared to a proper 4x4. Nevertheless I found this quite impressive. Watch to spot the Ocean.

 

[Tarquers]

Or an old favourite...