Disappointed with handling on wet / icy roads with 18' Tundra TRD Off Road

One of the things that is increasing becoming a nagging want on my 2018 TRD Off Road is the lack of a 4-Auto or full time full wheel drive setting for the transmission.

On my way to work today, the roads were a bit wet and icy. No big deal, general driving was fine, but on a few spots where I had to come to a stop, then go again, my Tundra just couldn't get moving easily. The wheels closet to the curb were slipping, then the traction control kicked in and the Tundra slowly started to begin moving. I felt like i was in my son's front wheel drive beater with all-seasons tires, not a big pickup.

I understand snow tires would have helped, but this is where the Tundra is waaaay behind. A 4-auto setting would have easily got me moving with out having to wait for the traction control to slowly find its grip. Going to 4Hi was not an option as the roads were not overly wet.... and would have bound up during the turn I was making.

If Toyota does not offer a 4-Auto or Full time 4 wheel drive transmission, I doubt I will be a repeat customer. This is my first truck and overall I really like the Tundra, but the more i drive it, the more i am discovering some of its limitations in design compared to the other guys...

 

Temporarily disable the limited slip by pushing the button down for a second. This will allow the wheels to spin.

Or sell your Tundra and move on...

 

Mine did great in Utah at ski resorts while it was dumping. At hotel parking lot it was like a sheet of ice, truck did great. I slipped and fell on my ass as soon as my foot hit the ground. I do have cooper at3 4s tires though. Got rid of stock tires.
Chevy has auto 4wd but it’ll leave you stranded.

 

Mine has been great it's just an understanding that theres safety features in place that we know have a job to be.

 

Options: Hit the button once for Auto LSD, that's a help. Get new tires. Get a new truck. Get a Sequoia

 

YES!! We have LOT's of snow here!!
I'm loving my new Tundra in the snow!!! And I'm on OEM Bridgestone Dueler Alenza H/Ls which are fantastic in the wet, ice, and snow. I had three sets on my Sequoia too.

 

If appropriate tires and a bit of weight in the bed of the truck isn’t enough traction in 2wd, then it’s perfectly fine to run in 4Hi. And if conditions vary that much, I find it’s pretty easy to turn the knob in and out of 4wd as I see fit.

One guy here has swapped an AWD transfer case from a Sequoia into his Tundra though. I think @Rex Kramer ??

 

I compiled this cheat sheet for myself from reading here for a while. It describes how to turn off the nannies all the way into "haul ass" mode. You might find it helpful.

Tundras have three nannies: Auto Limited Slip Differential (LSD) off by default, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) on by default, and Traction Control (TC) on by default.

The TC and VSC features stack, meaning to turn off TC, you must have first turned off VSC. Here's how.

Turning on LSD: press the traction control button (car with squiggly lines button) once. Auto LSD will light on dash. This can be done at any speed under 62mph.

Turning off VSC: press the same button and hold for 3 seconds. The Auto LSD and VSC (car with squiggly lines) lights both comes on. The truck must be fully stopped. This can be done after having turned LSD on, or not.

Turning off TC: with VSC already disabled (Auto LSD and VSC lights on), press the same button again and hold for 3 seconds. Traction control off will flash and you should end up with three lights on (Auto LSD, VSC and TC). The truck must be fully stopped.

Now all nannies are off and Haul Ass Mode is available.

"Haul ass" mode: press the Tow/Haul button. This can be done at any speed.

 

You should go to the dealership and ask for your money back! Let us all know how that turns out. Then go buy a Ford and suffer the same results with rubber tires on ice. My point is , trying to be nice here is you have no experience with a 4x4, and ice. Positraction front and rear is no advantage when you're in a 6,000 lb truck on ice. A Prius with 4 studded tires will stop and start faster than any rubber tire truck. It's why I have 2 sets of wheels and tires on my Tundra. One for summer one for winter.

 

Mine is a beast in the snow. General ATX tires and I am solid as a rock. Think you need to change out your tires. Last winter I did run Michelin stock tires and they did great.
I ralley the shit out my Tundra in the snow! No limitations here.

 

are you still using stock tires ? they suck

 

^^^^^^
Enough said

 

When in doubt, put it in 4Hi. I'm not sure what turn you were trying to make, but I doubt it would have been a reason not to be in 4wd.

 

If I was in your situation I would probably have two sets of rims and tires. One for winter and one for every other month. If an auto transfer case is the only solution that you see to your problem, feel free to get something else. Sorry if this sounds harsh but I don’t really sympathize with you. If you’d like to go Chevy, Ford or whatever has 4 auto ...


I’m sorry you weren’t happy.

 

I'm having no challenges in the snow. I run MasterCraft Courser HSX tires right now. If need be I just switch to 4Hi and rock on.

 

Well... thanks for all the feedback.. lots of good info, a lot of which I was unaware of, but now I know.... so thanks... like i said, I am new to trucks and really like my Tundra... There is a reason I bought it over the others options... Wasn't looking to troll anyone. My post worked in that I now know more than I did before I posted it.. so thanks everyone..

 

Mines a beast in the snow. Running Duratracs and run up in the mountains all the time .

 

[QUOTE="Cement, post: 1019805, member: 22667]

Tundras have three nannies: Auto Limited Slip Differential (LSD), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TC).

These can be turned off. They stack, meaning to turn off TC, you must have first turned off VSC and to turn off VSC you must have first turned off LSD. Here's how.

Turning off LSD: press the traction control button (car with squiggly lines button) once. Auto LSD will light on dash. This can be done at any speed[/QUOTE]


I think this turns the auto lsd ON. You wouldnt turn it off if you were lacking traction

 

Nice. Easy fix is use 4Hi. Better fix is get rid of the stock tires and use 4Hi.

 

OP, if you wanted an “auto” 4WD then why did you buy a Tundra?

 

Ah that makes sense. So it will modulate the brakes to send power to the wheel not spinning, yes? If so then yeah you'd want it ON. Pressing the button once does so? Not on by default (can't go check myself for a while)?

 

Isn't ice slippery?

 

So are you going to buy a Ridgeline? I think it is the only vehicle with a bed that has AWD.

 

If my bed is empty i turn the lsd on in the rain. It makes a huge difference.

 

Just checked the manual. You're correct. Button press turns it ON. Thanks. Will edit my post.

 

The auto lsd works very very well on slick pavement. Offroad not so much

 

I agree that auto 4wd would be a nice option...but generally those TC's aren't built as heavy duty as a 2-4H-4L case is because the auto requires a clutch pack. I just turn mine int 4HI and don't worry about it. Unless you're making a full lock or almost full lock turn it really isn't going to be an issue being in 4HI when needed. I also have Cooper AT3 4S tires and they help a lot however, my wife's FWD car with studded winter tires does 110% better than my truck on icy spots from a stop vs my truck in 2WD. With the open rear diff it's a pain in the ass to get going, so I just recognize that situation and then click into 4HI, no prob.

 

The Tundra is a truck and a lot different from an Audi. Enjoy your new ride!

 

Nothing beats better tires.

but here's my $17 ass down winter helper

four of these in the bed

 

this also drives great in the snow