Traction Control

Post by **Bob** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:18 pm

Is there any traction control on the 4wd Bongo please? I ask 'cos without it 4wd isn't too effective and I want to be able to get out of muddy fields.

Thanks, Bob

Live long and Bongo

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:08 pm

No traction control, but gets out of muddy fields easily.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:46 pm

No diff lock either, no traction probs here... you are more likely to find the tyres give up the ghost with grip before a traction control device will be of any benefit...

kawasaki kid · Post by **kawasaki kid** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:09 pm

You don`t need traction control - went to Tatton Park for the Caravan Club national meet-up and believe me it was muddy loads of Disco`s , Range Rovers got stuck , but not me - just stuck it in low ,pressed hold button and took it easy...

As someone I know who is into offroading said "it`s not the car that gets it`s self stuck , it`s the the driver that does it " - enough said...

Leah&John · Post by **Leah&John** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:12 pm

On a 4WD - do we have LSD or is that an option?

(as I'm getting used to this place I shall clarify - Limited Slip Diff not Lysergic acid diethylamide)

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:33 pm

4WD bongos have LSD

and believe me it is great....I also drive Mountian Rescue landys

H

Post by **Bob** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:44 pm

Harry wrote:4WD bongos have LSD

and believe me it is great....I also drive Mountian Rescue landys

H

Ah, now that's more like what I was hoping to hear. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Live long and bongo

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:47 pm

Do all 4wd Bongos have LSD's?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:08 pm

As far as I know...yes

connected via a viscous coupling in the gearbox I believe

Otherwise how else would it work in permanant 4WD?

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:58 pm

Doesn't need to have an LSD to be 4WD Harry.....................If it has an LSD it's in the diff. The pic on the wonderful "Lushprojects" website for part numbers only shows the LSD type.

It's my understanding of the system that the "permanent 4WD" setup is achieved by the different sized tyres forcing the 2 propshafts to work at different speeds and make the Viscous Coupling "work". Thats why is imperative to change all 4 tyres at the same time to keep the tyre rolling circumference "differential" the same otherwise the VC will fail prematurely and the propshaft joints pack in.............................................

MountainGoat · Post by **MountainGoat** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:35 am

Hey Dandy, My Bongo came with 215/65R15 alloys all round. Are you saying that with this setup I can expect my prop shaft to pack up sooner or later?

Post by **Muzorewa** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:38 am

Sounds to me like the system on Range Rovers from around 1990 which changed from the then standard diff-lock to the viscous coupling. This meant that you didn't need to do anything to engage 4WD, previously you had to manually select 4WD when you needed it, and disengage it when not needed to avoid axle wind-up.

In the Range Rover system, there's no diff-lock across the axles, only the viscous coupling (or diff-lock on older models) to get drive to both axles. This means that you can still easily get stuck if you have one wheel spinning on each axle, like if you went onto a soft verge with two wheels or, more commonly, get 'cross-axled' where two diagonal wheels can't get traction.

I assume the Bongo system is the same as this. The viscous coupling should allow a small difference in the rotation of the axles, as you get when cornering (the front wheels will go slightly further than the back wheels).

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:59 pm

I thought the Range Rover still used a 3rd diff and that the Freelander has the viscous setup.

Freelanders are notorious for wrecking their diffs and VCs - the way they get the VC to operate through different speed propshafts is to use different ratios in the front and rear diffs

I think to answer your question MG, there's probably less chance of your VC packing up prematurely but also less chance that the van's in "Full Time 4WD"

Anybody else got any comment on that one??

Post by **Simon Jones** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:12 pm

Mountaingoat - no probs with having 215's all round. The trick is to have to same rolling diameter front & back - which you do. I've had this confirmed by Bellhill Garage & many 4WD Bongo owners have 215's all round too.

Post by **Muzorewa** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:11 am

dandywarhol wrote:I thought the Range Rover still used a 3rd diff and that the Freelander has the viscous setup.

Don't know about the current ones, I had a 1989 one with the Rover V8 and 4-speed autobox. It was the first with the VC, and used to make the tyres squeal on tight corners as the VC wasn't allowing much difference in propshaft speed. Overall that car was a complete shed, with the famed Lucas electrics as well.