Does A 4WD Truck Need Limited Slip

[Mike Wenrich]

My current 2004.5 2500 has a limited slip rear but honestly I can't tell if it has ever engaged. I believe once in soft sand in the desert I felt the rear end switching back and forth for traction. Considering I have 4WD and wish to buy a new truck, is limited slip necessary? Our climate does include snow occasionally but not to any great extent and black ice once in awhile after a storm. Most roads I drive are paved so mud is not an issue and if I get in sand I have used the 4WD to make sure I have traction. We do have mud slides off mountains in severe rain events. I would like to know what the more experienced drivers have to say about this. Looking on line at 2023 trucks I can't always see the MSRP invoice but when I can, most do not have the feature.

 

[Sherman Bird]

My current 2004.5 2500 has a limited slip rear but honestly I can't tell if it has ever engaged. I believe once in soft sand in the desert I felt the rear end switching back and forth for traction. Considering I have 4WD and wish to buy a new truck, is limited slip necessary? Our climate does include snow occasionally but not to any great extent and black ice once in awhile after a storm. Most roads I drive are paved so mud is not an issue and if I get in sand I have used the 4WD to make sure I have traction. We do have mud slides off mountains in severe rain events. I would like to know what the more experienced drivers have to say about this. Looking on line at 2023 trucks I can't always see the MSRP invoice but when I can, most do not have the feature.

What's the point of 4WD if the diffs don't lock? If they are open, then you have 2WD in literal terms with 4WD selected, and 1WD in 2WD selection. I had a Mitsubishi Montero years ago (The tall boxy one like they use in the outback). We had the 1989 Christmas freeze here in S.E. Texas with temps at 6 degrees and -20 wind chill factor. Ice was on all the roads. The 4WD function on my truck was true 4WD with locking diffs. People everywhere were wrecking even in so-called 4WD vehicles that had open diffs. Mine was steady as a rock.

And, for the vast majority of the time, I operated it in 2WD on the street. So, yeah, get the locking differentials!

 

[Dean2]

Get limited slip. It is a real cheap option new and a REALLY expensive option to add later. No upside to open differential in the rear. Whether you need a locker up front (limited slip on the front is a BAD idea) depends on how much off roading you do. Mostly pavement, not needed and not usually a factory option on most pickups anyhow.

Same hold true of getting the right gears. 4:10 are a $100 option, swapping them later is a couple of thousand. Order the truck exactly how you want it, moding them later is very expensive. Guys that complain about the cost of options packages have never paid to do the add-ons later.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Every truck I've had until this one has been 4x4, and I always opted for the limited slip because I'm not always in 4x4 mode. If you wait until you're stuck to engage 4x4 you waited too long.

 

[Tulecreeper]

What's the point of 4WD if the diffs don't lock? If they are open, then you have 2WD in literal terms with 4WD selected, and 1WD in 2WD selection. I had a Mitsubishi Montero years ago (The tall boxy one like they use in the outback). We had the 1989 Christmas freeze here in S.E. Texas with temps at 6 degrees and -20 wind chill factor. Ice was on all the roads. The 4WD function on my truck was true 4WD with locking diffs. People everywhere were wrecking even in so-called 4WD vehicles that had open diffs. Mine was steady as a rock.

And, for the vast majority of the time, I operated it in 2WD on the street. So, yeah, get the locking differentials!

The OP is talking limited slip, not locking.

 

[JayLeonard]

I had a 89 Chevy 1500 that was 4wd without posi and it was fine in CT winters. I never got stuck anywhere.

 

[Dean2]

I had a 89 Chevy 1500 that was 4wd without posi and it was fine in CT winters. I never got stuck anywhere.

Yes, and I drove rear wheel drive, open axle cars for years and had very little trouble. Fact remains Limited Slip is an improvement, especially when driving in 2 wheel drive, and if buying new, why would you NOT get that on the truck.

 

[Mike Wenrich]

Good info. I can't seem to find a dealer or factory shipped truck on a lot that has it so I'm going to have to order the much more expensive 2024 edition. Besides that I am leaning toward a 410 ratio and those are not on lots either. The 2023's with a 6.4 are disappearing fast. Lots of Cummins still out there though.

 

[Dean2]

Good info. I can't seem to find a dealer or factory shipped truck on a lot that has it so I'm going to have to order the much more expensive 2024 edition. Besides that I am leaning toward a 410 ratio and those are not on lots either. The 2023's with a 6.4 are disappearing fast. Lots of Cummins still out there though.

Can you get the 2023 Cummins on clear out, rigged the way you want it for less or the sames as a new 2024 gas? If you can that may be well worth considering.

 

[ramffml]

I ordered my truck with limited slip, but if the right 4x4 came along with out it I'd definitely snap it up.

Today's electronic systems are getting better and better and can emulate what the limited slip does by braking the slipping wheel. If you were going offroading I'd suggest a true locker, but for your use case, it really doesn't matter. Don't overthink it for something you'll use a few times in the ownership of the truck.

My previous ride was a Jeep GC Laredo with all time 4wd. No limited slip whatsoever, and it was very sure footed as well.

 

[Mike Wenrich]

I had a 2014 Cummins and it was a lot of trouble due to the DEF and my not driving it enough. I had a camper on it so it did not get the use they require to keep the DEF god happy. I really like the torque but not the issues. I'm hoping to get a good 6.4. Once again I would not drive it as much but I don't believe that will hurt it. I have a 6,000 lb trailer to tow that when loaded might reach 7,000. I brought it home with my Laramie 2004.5 Cummins but that truck has some age and none of the nice things you can get now and then the reliability issue.

I tend to agree with the above opinion of not overthinking this but I do live in the mountains. My wifes AWD Toyota would work in bad weather but I want to be able to get home when it turns nasty all of a sudden. I think I would jump at something close if I can find it. I did find one almost like what I want in Idaho but no limited slip and 373 instead of 410. One other plus though was a tan interior. Did not know they had those but so I'm told that has ended with 2023. Then the dealer added tinted windows, mud flaps and the bed treatment. Over another 1K in options I would not order from the factory. But...it's about 4K off MSRP.

 

[BossHogg]

This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison but my 2013 1500 was 4x4 but did not have a limited slip rear axle. My 2022 is also 4x4 but has a limited-slip rear axle. Living in Michigan I see rain, ice, and snow. To be honest, I don't see any difference between how the 2013 and the 2022 mitigated slippery roads while in 4x4 auto.

My 3500 HD 4x4 has as factory standard equipment, a limited-slip rear axle. I'm not sure why the factory does not include a limited-slip rear axle in the 2500 but they should. The HDs are a whole different beast when compared to a 1500.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Main reason I traded my 2019 1500 Laramie off was I hated the open diffs...
My first and last truck without LSD or lockers...

 

[Dean2]

BossHogg, you ,make a good point. My 96 and 2021 2500s do not have Auto 4x4. Without limited slip, I would need to run the trucks in 4x4 high a lot during the winter and any tme I was on sliperry road off pavement. With LSD I don't need 4x4 nearly as often. My wifes Grand Cherokee does have Auto 4x4, along with terrain select for snow and ice, sand setting, rock setting, normal roads setting etc, with adjustable height air suspension. In that one, I have no idea whether it has Limited Slip or not as the auto 4x4 and electronic traction control devices make it very surefooted. Also, the GC never goes off pavement.

 

[Travelin Ram]

I ordered my truck with limited slip, but if the right 4x4 came along with out it I'd definitely snap it up.

Today's electronic systems are getting better and better and can emulate what the limited slip does by braking the slipping wheel. If you were going offroading I'd suggest a true locker, but for your use case, it really doesn't matter. Don't overthink it for something you'll use a few times in the ownership of the truck.

My previous ride was a Jeep GC Laredo with all time 4wd. No limited slip whatsoever, and it was very sure footed as well.

This. For 99% of uses, traction control is excellent at controlling wheel spin and in certain circumstances even superior to LSD or locking because it can manipulate and accommodate variable wheel speed in a turn. LSD or locking on ice for example can increase the opportunity to go sideways.

Most of the situations where LSD and locking improves performance is where a large torque variation at very slow speed is essential such as rock crawling or that 1% of situations where forward progress demands full synchronization on all four tires rather than the slip and grab that traction control delivers.

 

[rzr6-4]

This. For 99% of uses, traction control is excellent at controlling wheel spin and in certain circumstances even superior to LSD or locking because it can manipulate and accommodate variable wheel speed in a turn. LSD or locking on ice for example can increase the opportunity to go sideways.

Most of the situations where LSD and locking improves performance is where a large torque variation at very slow speed is essential such as rock crawling or that 1% of situations where forward progress demands full synchronization on all four tires rather than the slip and grab that traction control delivers.

Traction control is absolute garbage. I've been on muddy roads that really weren't all that bad but we couldn't go more than 30-35 because one of the tires would slip ever so slightly and TC kept cutting power to the other one.

If I'm in a slide I would much rather have LSD to be able to put the power down when and were I need it vs TC cutting power to try to hook up again. If you slip a little in a straight line TC will get you hooked back up but if you are sideways you can't just hook back up so it will keep cutting you off and you essentially only have brakes at that point.

 

[Redfisher1974]

I noticed in my truck in 4x4 with TC on in deep snow it would just stop and be stuck. Turn TC off and it would drive out no issues

 

[Travelin Ram]

Traction control is absolute garbage. I've been on muddy roads that really weren't all that bad but we couldn't go more than 30-35 because one of the tires would slip ever so slightly and TC kept cutting power to the other one.

If I'm in a slide I would much rather have LSD to be able to put the power down when and were I need it vs TC cutting power to try to hook up again. If you slip a little in a straight line TC will get you hooked back up but if you are sideways you can't just hook back up so it will keep cutting you off and you essentially only have brakes at that point.

That’s not TC, that’s stability control that you’re complaining about cutting power.

 

[Burla]

Yeah you don't want a locker, especially if you don't even know if a limited slip is better then an open diff, that's how people get hurt. Locker is for offroading period. And consider this, you have to have something there right? So it is either open diff or limited slip, and the only correct answer is limited slip, especially in snow country. Good thing about limited slip is it is 24/7 usable unlike a locker, and in certain situations it can and will provide better traction. n You may never need it, but it's like a gun, better to have one and not need it then need it and not have it.

 

[Farmer Fran]

My Willys is LSD goes everywhere and then some