Is HD package so useful in snow?

[todd911]

I’m in Ontario Canada and I have observed the rear diff partially locking in snowy road conditions. With new snow tires. So it does do something. Even without a current coolant leak I changed my plastic coolant crossover pipes on my 2013 anyway as preventive maintenance. 160,000km

 

[Frank8]

2016 LR4 here in Vermont! Bought new without the HD package. It handles snow like a champ. I go through deep drifts when my road isn't plowed without any problem.
I have gotten stuck twice and the HD wouldn't have helped. Both times the truck bottomed out on a ridge of ice and packed snow and no locking differential would have helped.

I have second set of rims with summer tires and keep good winter snows during the season. It's also important to use the proper computer settings when hiring the bad stuff.

So my practical experience driving six years in rural Vermont snow without HD is "meh," no problem.

I do not rock crawl but do hunt in the Maine North Woods and take my LR4 deep into long-abandoned logging roads with never a problem.

Frank

 

[Greggnvt]

From another Vermonter! I sought out and purchased a 2013 LR4 because of the two-speed transfer case and V8 (I had a 2010 LR4, sold it but really missed it). I would have liked to have had the HD package because of the locking diff. with a 5.0 but could not find one. I try not and drive the LR4 much in the winter because of the salt but haven't had any issue with traction when I do drive in the snow/packed snow. I've swapped out the spare for a full-size spare. Winter tires are Michelin Pilot Alpine's.

 

[CaliLee]

I'm a bit confused by the HD package. I have a 2010 with the V8, two-speed transfer case and locking rear diff but do not have a full size spare. It's full height but not full width. Not that it matters as I changed to larger tires but I'm trying to figure out what I have for an options package.

 

[Jimmy Brooks]

I'm a bit confused by the HD package. I have a 2010 with the V8, two-speed transfer case and locking rear diff but do not have a full size spare. It's full height but not full width. Not that it matters as I changed to larger tires but I'm trying to figure out what I have for an options package.

If you don’t have a full size spare then you don’t have the rear locking diff. I have a 2010 as well (without HD package) and yes it will show 2 diffs on the screen however the rear one will never lock and you will notice that when you see the center one lock over technical terrain but yet the rear one will always stay green and say it’s unlocked. Not sure why they did it this way but it’s the same with the LR3’s too. I thought I had a rear locker too until I read about it (despite me swearing I’d seen it locked before). All in all IMO the HD package on the 10-13’s isn’t really necessary, personally I’ve done some pretty technical off-roading in my car and with the right driver the traction control in this car is absolutely phenomenal off-road. The HD would only be super useful if you do very advanced rockcrawling or super deep mud. I’ve kept up with a D5 with the HD package and 33’ g2 grapplers just fine so don’t feel limited.

 

[TrinidadLR4]

While the rear locker probably doesn't play a huge part regular snow driving, it is pretty fun to mash on the gas in snow mode from a dead stop and feel the center and rear lock a half second later and the whole truck rockets forward. Other than that, I'm sure it comes into play in precarious 4wd situations, none of which I've experienced yet.

 

[CaliLee]

I’m waiting for the truck to get home tomorrow so I can verify, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it lock now that I think about it. I was concentrating on the obstacle at the time but remember wondering why I never saw it lol. I rarely use that screen when wheeling.

It does explain the difficulty I had with that particular situation, it’s a steep rock uphill with multiple ledges and boulders sticking out. It was also wet at the time. I did some sideways sliding under power and had to take a couple tries at the highest ledge which I wasn’t expecting.

I will say that my ford raptor did the exact same thing there with rear locker and front limited slip so the LR was at least as good.

 

[Jimmy Brooks]

I’m waiting for the truck to get home tomorrow so I can verify, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it lock now that I think about it. I was concentrating on the obstacle at the time but remember wondering why I never saw it lol. I rarely use that screen when wheeling.

It does explain the difficulty I had with that particular situation, it’s a steep rock uphill with multiple ledges and boulders sticking out. It was also wet at the time. I did some sideways sliding under power and had to take a couple tries at the highest ledge which I wasn’t expecting.

I will say that my ford raptor did the exact same thing there with rear locker and front limited slip so the LR was at least as good.

Yup, you wouldn’t really know that it didn’t have a rear locker till someone told you. At the end of the day it’s a great feature to have but not necessary with the great traction control these have. Also does anyone know if these trucks have limited slips when not optioned with the HD package?

 

[m_lars]

Generally speaking you don’t want lockers for snow, the ass end tends to come around on you. That said, you wouldn’t have that issue on this vehicle due to the previously mentioned lack of manual locking control and the traction control system.

 

[Nechaken]

Yup, you wouldn’t really know that it didn’t have a rear locker till someone told you. At the end of the day it’s a great feature to have but not necessary with the great traction control these have. Also does anyone know if these trucks have limited slips when not optioned with the HD package?

2010-2013 all trucks have a transfer case with the multi-plate clutch for locking.

2014+, if you don't have the HD package, there's a torsen in the transfer case.