Exactly.. sometimes kiss really is the best route! Particularly on off road vehicles!
Great point! I love me some Honda quality, but reguardless of the manufacture they still break!
That is what I was hoping the system is. It has to be a good thing or else why put it in the machine?
Honda probably knows that most of us (myself included) aren't going to be doing things in their $20k SXS that will need a locking front diff.
In regards to the last paragraph.. I agree! I would have bought one had that been the case... and probably preferred that. But I WANT a manual locking diff!I think it will depend entirely on the type of front diff they are using. All they are saying is that it is a "torque sensing" front diff. That means it will not be like the Can-Am Criscolock, which is a speed sensing front diff.
There are torque sensing front diffs that are equal to a locking front differential. Something like a Truetrac or a Quaife for all intents and purposes actually do "lock" the axles together via worm/planetary gears instead of clutches.
However, I bet it is a standard Honda Trax-loc, which isn't geared, it is a roller clutch. 2014 Honda FourTrax Foreman Expands TraxLok 4x4 Capabilities When one wheel starts to spin faster than the other, it will engage and lock them together up to a limit of XXX ft lbs of torque and then it will start to slip and only one wheel will drive. I believe this new system will then apply the brakes to the spinning wheel, which should will likely then allow the diff the opportunity to "lock" again and hopefully get both wheels spinning again. Same as the "one weird trick" Honda ATV method of getting both wheels to pull at least until the same conditions stop the wheel spinning again.
The big advantages is that it will probably give you some % (Who knows, maybe 90%) of the ability of a locked front Diff without needing to stop and more importantly it will protect the front diff from damage since it will slip before it breaks. It will also be easier to steer the rest of the time.
Honestly a locked rear Diff and 3WD will likely get you out of and through most problems out there and a mechanically locking front diff is really handy in only certain situations that if you normally avoid, you won't need anyway. Plus, other than some very specific conditions, you should probably use a winch instead.
And honestly, if you are going to be doing those things, the weak point is going to be the Honda DCT clutch design more than the limited slip front diff and you should really go with something that uses a different design "clutching" system that will give you more instantaneous torque and constant power band (like the snowmobile clutch) for mudding or something like a torque convertor for really slow rock crawling.
I think that the i4WD Honda will sell well. Especially to people who really like the "set it and forget it" systems that Can Am and Polaris use.
I think Honda missed the boat however and should have made this the default 4WD mode but then added a true locked front diff that would have disabled the i4WD. They could have said, "See we give you what Polaris and Can Am give you but we also let YOU be in control" and had something that was vastly superior to both. That said, the i4WD will be similar and superior to the Polaris ADC/EBS system going downhill.
Info on different limited slip front diff designs:
Limited-slip differential - Wikipedia
That's probably a good write up, but I don't like to read that much so I just skipped over it. I have ADDI think it will depend entirely on the type of front diff they are using. All they are saying is that it is a "torque sensing" front diff. That means it will not be like the Can-Am Criscolock, which is a speed sensing front diff.
There are torque sensing front diffs that are equal to a locking front differential. Something like a Truetrac or a Quaife for all intents and purposes actually do "lock" the axles together via worm/planetary gears instead of clutches.
However, I bet it is a standard Honda Trax-loc, which isn't geared, it is a roller clutch. 2014 Honda FourTrax Foreman Expands TraxLok 4x4 Capabilities When one wheel starts to spin faster than the other, it will engage and lock them together up to a limit of XXX ft lbs of torque and then it will start to slip and only one wheel will drive. I believe this new system will then apply the brakes to the spinning wheel, which should will likely then allow the diff the opportunity to "lock" again and hopefully get both wheels spinning again. Same as the "one weird trick" Honda ATV method of getting both wheels to pull at least until the same conditions stop the wheel spinning again.
The big advantages is that it will probably give you some % (Who knows, maybe 90%) of the ability of a locked front Diff without needing to stop and more importantly it will protect the front diff from damage since it will slip before it breaks. It will also be easier to steer the rest of the time.
Honestly a locked rear Diff and 3WD will likely get you out of and through most problems out there and a mechanically locking front diff is really handy in only certain situations that if you normally avoid, you won't need anyway. Plus, other than some very specific conditions, you should probably use a winch instead.
And honestly, if you are going to be doing those things, the weak point is going to be the Honda DCT clutch design more than the limited slip front diff and you should really go with something that uses a different design "clutching" system that will give you more instantaneous torque and constant power band (like the snowmobile clutch) for mudding or something like a torque convertor for really slow rock crawling.
I think that the i4WD Honda will sell well. Especially to people who really like the "set it and forget it" systems that Can Am and Polaris use.
I think Honda missed the boat however and should have made this the default 4WD mode but then added a true locked front diff that would have disabled the i4WD. They could have said, "See we give you what Polaris and Can Am give you but we also let YOU be in control" and had something that was vastly superior to both. That said, the i4WD will be similar and superior to the Polaris ADC/EBS system going downhill.
Info on different limited slip front diff designs:
Limited-slip differential - Wikipedia
:
Don't hate on my TN people! Lol. I'll sum it up for you @sharp . Blah blah blah @Crow_Hunter wants to design the next Pioneer because nothing Honda can come up with will make him happy...
It isn't ADD, you are from Middle TN...
TLDR version for ADD and people from East of the TN river
I think that the i4WD Honda will sell well. Especially to people who really like the "set it and forget it" systems that Can Am and Polaris use.
I think Honda missed the boat however and should have made this the default 4WD mode but then added a true locked front diff that would have disabled the i4WD. They could have said, "See we give you what Polaris and Can Am give you but we also let YOU be in control" and had something that was vastly superior to both. That said, the i4WD will be similar and superior to the Polaris ADC/EBS system going downhill.
I work on cars for a living and one thing that stands out to me is Honda is calling it a torque biasing limited slip. In my world this is not a clutched differential. This is a worm gear differential. If so this is great design when coupled with traction control. This set up lets you have traction to both wheels all the time at different rates. As long as your moving, power is applied to both wheels. The biggest draw back to this differential is when your stuck. Its one wheel peel. The way around this is to grab a brake on the wheel that's free and it tricks the diff in to thinking that side is pulling again, then the hole thing starts pulling again. This diff has been used for years in different applications and that was always the draw back for off road, they use to pull the parking brake when you got stuck back in the day. I really believe this is what your going to get with the I-4wd system. If so it will be an impressive set up.I think it will depend entirely on the type of front diff they are using. All they are saying is that it is a "torque sensing" front diff. That means it will not be like the Can-Am Criscolock, which is a speed sensing front diff.
There are torque sensing front diffs that are equal to a locking front differential. Something like a Truetrac or a Quaife for all intents and purposes actually do "lock" the axles together via worm/planetary gears instead of clutches.
However, I bet it is a standard Honda Trax-loc, which isn't geared, it is a roller clutch. 2014 Honda FourTrax Foreman Expands TraxLok 4x4 Capabilities When one wheel starts to spin faster than the other, it will engage and lock them together up to a limit of XXX ft lbs of torque and then it will start to slip and only one wheel will drive. I believe this new system will then apply the brakes to the spinning wheel, which should will likely then allow the diff the opportunity to "lock" again and hopefully get both wheels spinning again. Same as the "one weird trick" Honda ATV method of getting both wheels to pull at least until the same conditions stop the wheel spinning again.
The big advantages is that it will probably give you some % (Who knows, maybe 90%) of the ability of a locked front Diff without needing to stop and more importantly it will protect the front diff from damage since it will slip before it breaks. It will also be easier to steer the rest of the time.
Honestly a locked rear Diff and 3WD will likely get you out of and through most problems out there and a mechanically locking front diff is really handy in only certain situations that if you normally avoid, you won't need anyway. Plus, other than some very specific conditions, you should probably use a winch instead.
And honestly, if you are going to be doing those things, the weak point is going to be the Honda DCT clutch design more than the limited slip front diff and you should really go with something that uses a different design "clutching" system that will give you more instantaneous torque and constant power band (like the snowmobile clutch) for mudding or something like a torque convertor for really slow rock crawling.
I think that the i4WD Honda will sell well. Especially to people who really like the "set it and forget it" systems that Can Am and Polaris use.
I think Honda missed the boat however and should have made this the default 4WD mode but then added a true locked front diff that would have disabled the i4WD. They could have said, "See we give you what Polaris and Can Am give you but we also let YOU be in control" and had something that was vastly superior to both. That said, the i4WD will be similar and superior to the Polaris ADC/EBS system going downhill.
Info on different limited slip front diff designs:
Limited-slip differential - Wikipedia
