Ford has all this amazing technology but it's not amazing if they didn't hire the right people to tune it.

 

The TC does cut power quickly but only if you go way over the power you need. I have gotten used to it now and i can drift my truck around the parking lot when it's icey witout TC coming on at all. I didn't used to be able to do that when i first got it. It would just go from power to no power. But mainly because i was giving the truck way to much power. That dam first gear can put down some TQ and that don't help matters. The main think about the ford system is how quickly it will get you traction back. All my previous cars with TC would take longer to drop the revs back to a speed where the wheels would get traction again. The ford system does that almost instantly but at the cost of severely cutting power.

 

Winter driving is one a totally different scenario when talking traction that some of you southern boys are thinking. Yes better tires help, but some of us looking for tire spin are not talking about lighting them up on a dry parking lot for a smoke show.

When your truck starts to break loose in the snow with this truck, it automatically cuts power, which jerks the truck, you then have to compensate with the steering wheel, then powers up again and breaks loose and cuts power... I find the TC makes it much more difficult to predict what and where the truck is going to go. I have driven trucks and rear wheel drive vehicles my whole life, and a little fish talk is just expected. But this is different for sure, and I know I do not like it.

 

Before I give my $.02, have a '09 FX4 with Duratrac's and previously had '97 (open diff) with OEM Wrangler ST's.

At first, I was disappointed with TC also, especially experiencing it on a Ford Edge. However, as much as I like to spin my tires, I've learned I no longer need to apply near as much power to get thru snow with the new TC. This truck gets traction much better and straighter that I could ever expect when TC activates on snowy/icy roads.

I took my cousin for a quick spin the other night. I showed him how it worked. Going around corners, I would give it too much gas and the TC engaged and stopped my slide. Don't expect to go 60 mph into a curve and have the TC fix your mistake.

What I've learned is to apply just enough power to subtly engage TC on/off down the street. If TC is on continuously, you are applying too much power. I can climb hills faster and straighter than before. Yes tires plays a bigger role, but not keeping it straight - that is all TC.

What I don't like about it is while driving off road. Some people think 30 mph is too fast, how about when your tires spin to clean off the mud. You might be doing 3 mph, but your tires are doing 30+ and then TC engages, so you might sit again or slide back into the soup. It should be more speed dependent on the front tires than the rears.

However, I do miss taking off in deep snow and listening to that V8 roar before I go anywhere. I liked showing Mother Nature who can be boss with a F150. But now I am faster & more in control, but my V8 mindset keeps saying the pedal is on the right moron!

 

ok when i test drove a 2010 i took the tc of and that bad boy laid down some rubber (was not the truck i bought) been drivin in the snow all my life just drove 500 miles in my 03 this weekend in 4x4. So the only way to take tc off in this trucks is in 4lo??

 

Ya it will lay down some rubber, for 3 seconds lol

 

I personally Love the traction control. Then again i didnt buy it to test its off road capabilites. I have the 20's with pirellis and it gets around great in the 16 inches of snow we had last week in 2wd or 4wd. I agree you should be able to disable it completely. It is nice that when its on you will have a hell of a time trying to get it to slide sideways. It always puts you back straight.

 

Well after we had almost 2ft of snow here. I was able to give the truck some proper tests. i couldnt get of my bro in laws garden with 2wd because of wheel spin so i held down my TC button and was able to spin the tires up to over 40mph but still couldnt move. Then i tried the same thing in 4wd hi and again i could spin the wheels over 40mph and mud was flying everywhere. By this time i was proper stuck and couldnt get the truck out and so we ended up having to dig the truck out lol. So yes people Traction control can be turned fully off.

Wish i got some pics of stuck truck but i didnt. Had these though. never seen snow like this here ever.

 

just a bit of advice if ur in a spot where u thing ur going to get stuck go with 4lo from the start. I spent my teenage years muddin in s.c and we would really put our trucks to the test. everytime there was a hole u would get stuck in 4hi throw it in 4 low and it will plow threw it. I moved back to michigan in 96 and been driving in the snow since then. if there is ever a time where i think i might get stuck (snowmobile trailer loaded down with sleds and a driveway upnorth not plowed at 2am) I throw it in 4low and put it to the floor!!!!!!!!!!! I get my 2010 150 in about 5 hours so going to test the t/c. I read that 4lo disables it.

 

I have been thinking of disabling mine for all of the above reasons. I have been a bit concerned what my insurance company will say if I have an accident and they discover that I had it disabled. Even though I think it will make for a safer ride, I don't think they will see it that way. Whadya think?

 

This TC is a joke! Got stuck the other day with my 09 in my driveway with 2 inches of snow and ice. My driveway is at a 35* incline. I was spinning in 2wd and then the tc kicked in. Stuck it in 4hi. Truck just kept cutting out with that POS TC. Stuck it is 4lo and the front end was jerking like the wheels were going to break off. I put it in neutral like it said to..to engage it. I was not sure when the TC was on or off cause I would push it and it would do the same thing. Push it so the TC light was on and it did the same things. I held the TC down and it still did the same things. Finally had to back out of the driveway and shoot up into my garage a little faster than I would like to. Just to get my truck in the garage. I have liked this truck so far, but this TC is not cool at all. I have had many close calls at some intersections because this TC cuts me out of power. When I would normally fishtail around and get the heck out of dodge. Not impressed at all!

 

Should have turned your traction control off then. You have to hold it down for quite a while and you can spin them wheels up as fast as you want in 4hi and low. Not that it really helps as you dont want the wheels spinning fast in snow. You want them to get grip.

 

I thought 4Lo automatically disengages the TC?

 

Holding the button is a joke, it just lets the tires spin for 2 more seconds then normal then it cuts power and helps get you stuck...Ive heard that a programer from JDM can eliminate stability control 100%. Gonna look into that...

 

Well who ever told you that is full of it. I used it just the other day in almost 2 ft of snow and the wheels would just keep spinning. I know they kept spinning as my wife was driveing whilst i was trying to push the dam thing out with my bro in law and we both got covered in snow and dirt. She was on the throttle hard for over 10 secs and the tires were steaming and TC never come on because i had shut it off. Same thing happen in both 4hi and lo. Go and take your truck to some damp grass and try for ya self.