WAsnt sure how best to title this, but I want to talk about the idea of using the break to get traction when on wheel is spinning. The idea behind it is that the spinning wheel has no resistance, therefore the engine doesnt make enough torque to to spin the wheel with traction. Applying the break demands torque, with enough break demanding enough torque to spin the wheel with traction and then your moving again.

I tried this in a few feet of snow a few weeks ago when I got stuck and it worked pretty well.

What I was wondering was how does a rear locker affect the front. My thinking is that since the front and rear have a 100% lock when in 4WD, the front even with an open diff will get equal torque the locker rear gets. I'm not saying the front is now as good as the rear is locked but wouldnt the front wheels get significantly more torque then if the rear was open?

 

The rear being locked shouldn't affect the front at all. The transfer case (at least in part time) sends an equal amount of torque to the front and back. A vehicle with open diffs in 4 wheel in traction limited situations only puts power to the ground with 2 wheels, one in the front and one in the back. This power is transmitted to the wheel with the least amount of traction. If you have a locker in the back you now have 3 wheels putting power to the ground. More traction, but you still only get 1 tire worth of traction in the front.

 

As far as pushing on the brake and the accelerator, you would get the same affect by not pushing on the accelerator as hard.

 

Your totally missing the point. The whole issue is that the power isn't transmitted to the wheel with th least grip. The engine doesn't create enough power to spin the stuck wheel. Pressing the break stops the spinning tire and demands more torque. Enough break and you get enough torque to spin the wheel with grip and you move.

 

What your are looking for are called cutting brakes. These have been around for awile and work just as you describe. One tire is spinning with no traction while the other is on solid ground and by braking the spinning wheel the power is transfered to the wheel with traction. Basically it is poor mans traction control since it operates almost exactly the same way except traction control uses the abs to stop the wheel and cutting brakes are usually lever actuated.

 

There was a Guy on this forum not too long ago who thought his method of this was far superior to a locker. He ended up grenading his spiders.

 

You guys are killin me. What I'm wondering is will a locker in the rear increase the torque to front wheels?

 

This brake method is no where near the same level as a locker.

 

No. Why would it do that? When 4wd is engaged you get 5050 split of power to front and rear wheels.

 

I'm talkin bout just using the factory brakes. Not aftermarket levers.

Ok true this is more about why one tire spins on the same axle opposed to the other. Common belief is that the spinning tire is being over powered. But what I've read is that the spinning tires have no traction and put little load on the engine. Without load there is no power. The non spinning tires require more power to spin. By hitting the brakes you increase the load on the engine and make more power.

 

No.

 

Care to elaborate? I'm an engineer I like to know how and why things do what they do.

 

Torque is split 50/50 out the front and rear of the transfer case. One axle has no idea how much torque/traction the other axle has.

 

Yes and when your stuck and spinning front and rear that torque is near zero. A locker in the rear increases the torque so the stuck tire has power to spin and you move. Say you need 100ftlb to spin the rear isn't that 100 ftlb to the front as well? 50/50 right? So the engine would produce 200 and send half front half rear no?

 

It's still sending 50% of the TORQUE to each driveshaft, regardless of traction.