I'm after some advice on my 4x4 system, and diff locks. After getting stuck the other day, and despite getting out, it took around 45 minutes to do so. Please bear with me on the story....
I'm a newbie here but not to Frontera's, having had 3. Mainly for light off road mobility.
At the moment I have 2003 B model swb 2.2 petrol.
Despite the rain we've had, and the soil being very clay like, I wanted to get across these 2 small fields. Granted it doesn't help that the first slopes down gradually, then once you're at the bottom and through the gateway, the second is an incline. So in essence, a very shallow "V". Just to be clear, I'm up against the fence on my left side going in, and the track is muddy grass, and around 15' wide. The fields have not long been sown.
Due to the gate entrance being on the apex of a hill I don't get out and test the ground on foot, I just drive into the field and stop some 15 yards in. Getting out, I immediately knew I was in the pooh!
Under foot was just wet, under the weight of the truck, the tyres just pushed the water to the top of the clay soil. My truck has 3 "winter tyres" and one rear nearside AT Grabber type.I went into low 4x4 mode and crawled forward in 1st gear under its own motion. As the track was sloped slightly to the right, despite steering slightly to the left, all the truck did was to slide bit by bit to the right. In a short distance both my offside wheels dropped into 10" deep trench, which separates the track from the start of the growing crop.
I then tried to reverse back up the track, but both offside wheels just would not turn, let alone spin! I could tell the near-sides were turning as mud and water were spraying up. But It wouldn't move back at all.... I thought it best to try and gain speed in low ratio down the track to get through the water at the bottom (where it was pooling) through the gateway and back uphill onto the top of the next field. My thought being that I could then turn around and do the same, (In low ratio) but keep close to the fence where the ground was better/dryer. In short, I managed to do this, bar one encounter with a large post....
What I don't understand is, why didn't the offside wheels turn when they went into the 10" trench (as mentioned above) ? Without a doubt it would have helped me a lot! At differing times, this happened throughout my f***-up at differing times, which didn't help, and I found it very frustrating! I appreciate I f***ed up from the beginning by driving straight into the field without checking it out. And also, for using inappropriate tyres. Anyhow, I've done some research, (as best a person can when only understanding basic 4x4 systems....) I'm trying to understand why the wheels wouldn't move. Am I right in thinking it's partly due to having a limited slip diff? And would a "diff-lock" have made the 2 mentioned non moving wheels at least turn/spin? I'm trying to prepare myself now as best I can. Obviously tyres is the first thing... I have a little understanding of what "wind up" is, and that diff-lock would not work on a solid surface on bends due to differing speeds of the wheels. I'd really appreciate some advice on what modifications I can make to my Frontera to help in such harsh muddy terrain. Any constructive advice would be appreciated.
Cheers.
And your explanation was just the job. 
Would that then mean that vehicles like the Honda CRV, and the Hyundai Tucson, which I believe are permanent 4x4 would have Diff-Lock then?
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