Scotty! Greetings from your favorite city, the big apple! I recently leased a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited since we get snow up here. Is it really a 4x4 and how does it work with this fancy Brake Lock Differential? I’ve noticed in deep snow inclines it feels like some wheels just aren’t getting power, but 4Low seems to do the trick. Thanks as always, keep providing us with real and honest info!
Regarding the differential:
With a standard (open) differential, the left and right wheels can turn independently. In snow, a wheel with no traction will spin freely and take all the power away from the one that has grip. The car won’t go anywhere.
With a locking diff, the right and left axles are locked together and spin at the same speed. As long as one wheel has traction, the car will go.
A cheaper alternative, as you are referring to, is to have a simulated locking differential. This uses the antilock braking system (which is already there) to apply the brakes to whichever wheel might be spinning too freely. This forces power to the other wheel.
The advantage of such a system is that it can get you unstuck in the snow without the added cost of a true locking diff. The downside is that it is really only for brief and light use; with extended use or severe conditions, either the engine will cut power (which most such systems do) or you’ll burn up the brakes.
Yeah four-wheel low is what you use when you're in deep snow you don't want to use high because you want to have the right amount of torque so the wheels just don't spin from too much power in deep snow
Thanks for the responses, definitely helped to clarify 😎