Traction options?

bobmbx said:

Wait till you experience the RSC engaging. Its unnerving to say the least.

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Last week I going around a winding turn (off ramp) pretty fast, nothing excessive. I hit the brakes slightly on my 2007 and then the brake pedal applied itself harder than I was and the pedal pulled away from my foot on its own. The truck basically took it away from my foot and said “you aren’t braking enough”. That was weird.

....I thought I could handle it but apparently the Expy disagreed and slowed me down...lol

JExpedition07 said:

Last week I going around a winding turn (off ramp) pretty fast, nothing excessive. I hit the brakes slightly on my 2007 and then the brake pedal applied itself harder than I was and the pedal pulled away from my foot on its own. The truck basically took it away from my foot and said “you aren’t braking enough”. That was weird.

....I thought I could handle it but apparently the Expy disagreed and slowed me down...lol

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My first experience with RSC was in an Explorer. I entered a 'round-a-bout' with a slight right turn, then switched to a left turn to execute the circle, and immediately turned right to get out of the circle. The RSC didn't like that, and basically took over.

RSC is pretty amazing. Gets in the way though if you deliberately try to drift through a corner. I know, you're not supposed to do that, but sometimes I just want to have some fun in the snow.

I must lead a sheltered life as I can't recall RSC ever reacting in my 2007 nor (whatever) in my 2017. Had traction control activate a couple of times in deep snow.

Tires are what's in contact with the road. Way back when I can recall starting in D2 (remember that setting?) in slippery conditions to help prevent wheel spin.

All season tires with a "mud/snow" logo is all I've needed thru Ohio and New York "Lake Effect Snow Belt" regions for decades. P-Metric (not light truck) Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 On-/Off- Road all-terrain tires (and their predecessors) have been my choice when tire replacement time came in several Ford (and non-Ford) SUVs.

-- Chuck

I put new tires on my 2014 el king ranch and it helped a lot. No 2014 came with a locker but you can put in.they help a lot! Traction control helps but yours should have 4x4 auto. Any time the roads are wet I put mine in 4x4 auto and I’ve never used 4x4 high mode. The low gearing makes the truck quick to loose traction. They are very stable though and when I lived in the north I put more miles on in 4x4 than in 2wd, and never got stuck. I even chained it up to my kenwoth t600 studio sleeper truck and pulled it out of the mud in 4x4 low mode. Tires and a locker change everything.

Franklin Jones said:

Thanks everyone.

The tires on the Expy are... awful. A mix of brands, tread between 3 and 5 32nds. Replacing them is likely going to be #1 on the list.

I was on the interstate, started off in 4x2, and as things got bad and I didn’t feel safe over 45mph, I switched to 4H.

Honestly, the roads were just bad, visibility was worse, and the worn tires weren’t up to the task. I was just literally driving home from the dealer, and wanted some expert opinions on the traction situation.

The 14 *does* have traction control, it just threw me off to actually see it and feel it kick in.

Thanks again, all!

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4A should do for most scenarios, but if it's actually a blizzard you might as well go right to 4H.

I wouldn't even get on the road with those tires in the snow. The aforementioned Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3s are a great A/T tire and should fare well in the snow. If you want a highway tire that also happens to be good in the snow, I can personally recommend the Pirelli Scorpion STR. While the Michelin LTXs I am running now are a solid all-around tire and are acceptable in the snow, the Pirellis I used to have blew them away in the snow. Their treadwear was abysmal (bald at 35K), but if I lived somewhere where it snowed a lot I would go back to them in a heartbeat.

As far as I know, a limited-slip rear axle didn't become available until 2016 which is why I constrained my search for a new truck to 2016-17 models. According to the Ford brochure, it was standard on EL 4WD models (all trim levels) and not available on "shorty" trucks -- even those with 4WD.

Limited slip 3.73 axles in my (former) '07. Not sure if it was a separate option or included in HD trailer tow package on the truck. Not on my '17 and I don't miss it (yet ).

-- Chuck

I just recently experienced traction control for the first time and color me impressed!

First I have good extreme weather rated A/T tires (with the snowflake).

Went up north in some mountains with lots of snow and Ice. Driving in town on unplowed roads was a bit unnerving, but handled it great! No issues, no slipping or sliding, no drama. My sister got the father-in-laws 99 4runner stuck when we got snowed in. The Expy went around through a ditch without any issue what so ever. The snow all melted and it turned to mud, well the traction control kicked in a lot on the FS roads and I had an easier time getting around than my brother-in-law's jacked up 99 F150 on brand spanking new 33" KO2s. Great times!

Good tires are vastly more important than traction control, but my experience is the Expys traction control is great!

Amen, I’ve had mine down closed roads and trails down at the cabin. 4H and I leave AdvanceTrac enabled and it’s amazing what the truck can go through without hiccups. I followed everyone on their 4-wheelers down the closed seasonal trails they call roads for one run and the Expedition had no problem in the mud.