4WD Off Road

[Ramroo]

Here’s my attempt. It’s a nasty foggy morning so pics aren’t too good. Gravel road. Spun them for about 3 seconds but both wheels were definitely spinning. Made two piles of gravel at the start.
View attachment 152757 View attachment 152758 View attachment 152759 View attachment 152760

That’s awesome!

Yea kinda hard to see your 2 skids but I believe you. Maybe easier to do it and see it in the grass next time. Were both skids the same length? I.E. the whole time letting her eat?

Well your diff has the BLD and kinda works like limited slip.

I see you do have an ESC toggle, I thought you said just a TC button?

Thanks so much for spending the time to do that!!!

 

[theblet]

That’s awesome!

Yea kinda hard to see your 2 skids but I believe you. Maybe easier to do it and see it in the grass next time. Were both skids the same length? I.E. the whole time letting her eat?

Well your diff has the BLD and kinda works like limited slip.

I see you do have an ESC toggle, I thought you said just a TC button?

Thanks so much for spending the time to do that!!!

I tried to find some grass to do it, but I don't want to cut up my yard (or someone else's lol)

Both were pretty much the same length. Looks like the right side may have gone a touch further. when i started letting off. Not even sure if BLD had any affect since both were spinning freely. I would assume BLD would kick in if one was spinning alot faster than the other (idk how much faster before it activates)

I thought the button all the way to left was for TC only. When i press it the screen doesn't mention ESC, just TC. Is there something I'm missing?

No problem sir!

 

[Ramroo]

I tried to find some grass to do it, but I don't want to cut up my yard (or someone else's lol)

Both were pretty much the same length. Looks like the right side may have gone a touch further. when i started letting off. Not even sure if BLD had any affect since both were spinning freely. I would assume BLD would kick in if one was spinning alot faster than the other (idk how much faster before it activates)

I thought the button all the way to left was for TC only. When i press it the screen doesn't mention ESC, just TC. Is there something I'm missing?

No problem sir!

My understanding is that is called the ESC toggle. Will turn off TC with push, and turn off entire ESC system with hold down.
I am pretty sure that the BLD is what helped your wheels spin at the same speed.

You must be in 4WD High or 4WD Auto for the ESC hold down to work to disable entire ESC system.

 

[Bt10]

I've watched the back and forth for the last couple days. You do know that BLD is part of the whole ABS/ESC computer, right? There isn't a Ram made without BLD. Same system for stability at speed, trailer sway control, ABS, etc. This is not dependent on which axle you have.

 

[Ramroo]

I've watched the back and forth for the last couple days. You do know that BLD is part of the whole ABS/ESC computer, right? There isn't a Ram made without BLD. Same system for stability at speed, trailer sway control, ABS, etc. This is not dependent on which axle you have.

That is what I am trying to verify. I have read that all Rams have BLD since 2009 (I think).

I just wanted a little proof it works on ALL axle types.

As far as what computer controls the BLD, I don’t know. From ALL the information I can find and what my truck tells me, the ESC toggle will turn off the entire ESC system (like earlier posts), BUT the BLD still works. So I deducted that the BLD system was isolated.

 

[theblet]

My understanding is that is called the ESC toggle. Will turn off TC with push, and turn off entire ESC system with hold down.
I am pretty sure that the BLD is what helped your wheels spin at the same speed.

You must be in 4WD High or 4WD Auto for the ESC hold down to work to disable entire ESC system.

I looked at the manual, and you are right it's called the ESC switch. I assumed it was the TC switch because when you press it the only thing the truck indicates is that TC is off, not ESC. Looks like BLD would still be working with ESC/TC off

 

[HSKR R/T]

No you can’t.

I am just verifying how the BLD works on my truck with the locker not locked with TC off. Not bragging on how easy to get dual wheel spin… what the heck. Check it on ice, snow, mud, snot, pavement.

I am trying to confirm that the BLD works on ALL axle types, that’s all.

I have confirmed on every axle type except the Conventional Open Axle.

I have confirmed some other things when it comes to you.

1998 Chevy 1500. Open differential. No BLD, no electronics. Both wheels spin just fine on gravel. It's not hard to do with an open differential

 

[theblet]

1998 Chevy 1500. Open differential. No BLD, no electronics. Both wheels spin just fine on gravel. It's not hard to do with an open differential

That's what I was saying. Since both wheels were spinning freely, I didn't know if BLD was even being used. if one bound up and BLD wasnt working, the other wheel would have been spinning. So not sure gassing it in rocks or grass would be a good test for this.

 

[HSKR R/T]

That's what I was saying. Since both wheels were spinning freely, I didn't know if BLD was even being used. if one bound up and BLD wasnt working, the other wheel would have been spinning. So not sure gassing it in rocks or grass would be a good test for this.

That's what I've been trying to say, but getting shot down by OP

 

[LouNY]

With all of your roostering and prancing around you aren't proving anything.
BLD, Brake Limited Differential is a very poor limited slip or diff lock from what I have observed on many RAM pickups over the years.
You really want to test it get yourself some 3 foot long pieces of 2x6 or similar and block up one rear wheel so it's off the gravel or pavement
then try to gently drive and have that one wheel on the ground slide you along on the blocks till your free.
I have news for you I seriously doubt that it will happen.

 

[Ramroo]

1998 Chevy 1500. Open differential. No BLD, no electronics. Both wheels spin just fine on gravel. It's not hard to do with an open differential

Can be done. Perfectly level, same resistance at all times on rear wheels. I will give you that one.
A better test of the BLD would be burnouts with different traction for each wheel, while turning, uneven surfaces.

 

[Ramroo]

That's what I was saying. Since both wheels were spinning freely, I didn't know if BLD was even being used. if one bound up and BLD wasnt working, the other wheel would have been spinning. So not sure gassing it in rocks or grass would be a good test for this.

Ok lets see some doughnuts.

 

[HSKR R/T]

With all of your roostering and prancing around you aren't proving anything.
BLD, Brake Limited Differential is a very poor limited slip or diff lock from what I have observed on many RAM pickups over the years.
You really want to test it get yourself some 3 foot long pieces of 2x6 or similar and block up one rear wheel so it's off the gravel or pavement
then try to gently drive and have that one wheel on the ground slide you along on the blocks till your free.
I have news for you I seriously doubt that it will happen.

Trying to find the video. Watched it a couple months ago. Was a magazine editor testing a 2wd Ram and they ended up off-road after a rain that was unexpected. So they tested the BLD and it actually worked good for them. Was able to climb up a muddy hill and you got to watch the BLD in action. But it wasn't keeping both wheels spinning, it would actually stop the wheel that was spinning transferring power to the wheel with more traction. Took him a while to get up the hill, but it made it. Wasn't even on all-terrain tires.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Can be done. Perfectly level, same resistance at all times on rear wheels. I will give you that one.
A better test of the BLD would be burnouts with different traction for each wheel, while turning, uneven surfaces.

That road wasnt perfectly level as evident by it not tracking a straight line. Rear end started sliding toward ditch. 2nd picture is harder to make out, but one wheel was definitely spinning a little faster than the others but they were both spinning.

And donuts are easy as well. Once both wheels are spinning, just turn the wheel. This is my step-sons school truck. Took him out last week after it snowed to play in a snow covered parking lot. Let him feel how his truck reacted with limited traction. Had zero issues getting it to spin out. But it would also only spin one wheel at times, until he got it to kick out sideways.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Basically, doing burnouts doesn't prove BLD works.

 

[Ramroo]

With all of your roostering and prancing around you aren't proving anything.
BLD, Brake Limited Differential is a very poor limited slip or diff lock from what I have observed on many RAM pickups over the years.
You really want to test it get yourself some 3 foot long pieces of 2x6 or similar and block up one rear wheel so it's off the gravel or pavement
then try to gently drive and have that one wheel on the ground slide you along on the blocks till your free.
I have news for you I seriously doubt that it will happen.

Apparently maybe not proving much so far. I’m just trying to do all the research I can and real world tests I and others can do to learn more about the the BLD.

I personally have never owned, or will own a 4WD without limited slip or locker.

I and others might need to do more than a straight line same surface test.

I know that open axle rear trucks have always sucked in the mud. I have never owned one, pulled a lot out. My experience with seeing other open axle trucks and cars is only single wheel turning from, mud, snow, ice, pavement.

I have never claimed the BLD is a great system, especially over the locker or LSD. Great over just just an open diff though IMO.

 

[HSKR R/T]

With all of your roostering and prancing around you aren't proving anything.
BLD, Brake Limited Differential is a very poor limited slip or diff lock from what I have observed on many RAM pickups over the years.
You really want to test it get yourself some 3 foot long pieces of 2x6 or similar and block up one rear wheel so it's off the gravel or pavement
then try to gently drive and have that one wheel on the ground slide you along on the blocks till your free.
I have news for you I seriously doubt that it will happen.

Found the video. Guess it wasn't RWD, but 4x4 without a limited slip or e-locker. And TFL did the test

 

[Ramroo]

I have watched videos of Ram trucks and Jeeps with the BLD. I do remember a Ram climbing slowly through some very uneven terrain. They were talking about the BLD in certain situations where the front tires seemed to transfer power (one would stop spinning and other start spinning.

I contributed this to slow speed, BLD adding some braking to the spinning wheel to try to get the other to travel at the same speed ( but it stopped and other started ). No power transferring, just differential braking.
I also was thinking at higher wheel speeds, smoother surface, the BLD would cause both wheels to spin because it is only using braking, not a transfer of power.

Advertised to work similar to limited slip and even locker.

 

[Ramroo]

Found the video. Guess it wasn't RWD, but 4x4 without a limited slip or e-locker. And TFL did the test

That was a good video. He said basic 4WD without locker. I’m assuming it didn’t have limited slip, (said “without goodies”).

The BLD worked great, first off.

HIS terminology was a little off, he always referred to the Traction Control, even when traction control was turned off (4WD Low), but that does not matter. Never mentioned BLD but we know truck had it.

In 4WD LOW (where we know the traction control is off) the front and rear axle was able to get torque through the BLD by applying wheel braking, even when the other wheel was airborne. The front axle obviously has no LSD or locker, and the rear no locker and we have to assume no LSD also.

So from that video, the BLD works great.
Not a reason to not have locker or limited slip.

Note to self:
The best test for BLD with the switchology, is have one wheel on the axle in question
airborne.

 

[Ramroo]

That's what I was saying. Since both wheels were spinning freely, I didn't know if BLD was even being used. if one bound up and BLD wasnt working, the other wheel would have been spinning. So not sure gassing it in rocks or grass would be a good test for this.

OK theblet,
go get some wheels airborne and redo the tests.