Difference between PDL lock and off road switch

Very good , now we know international calls their ATC switch " off road" . Rest of the world it's the ATC switch . Now the world can rest easy .

 

Apparently you could not read that in post 13 or 15 or any of the 1200 truck manuals you own.

 

Wow.. the butthurt is thick with this one! Dry your eyes there, starshine.. it'll be alright.
The reason I'm skeptical about this claim... it just so happens most of my driving was in industries where we had to routinely take trucks off-road, and they'd be spec'd and ordered for that purpose. So when I hear about an "off-road" feature which is completely anathema to what you'd want in a circumstance like that, yes, I'm going to treat it with skepticism.
Maybe the system is what you say it is... a bit illogical, but if it is, then it is.
A bit of an aside, but since you brought it up, if I do seem reserved about taking a truck driver's word for it, well, perhaps there's a reason for that. Perhaps I've met too many "ex Navy SEALs" who let themselves get as wide as the loads I've hauled, perhaps I've meet too many of those "special" drivers who run for 62 MPH companies but were so important to the company that the company let their truck run at 75 MPH, perhaps I've met too many "millionaires" who got bored so they decided to drive for whatever bottom feeder for ##### and giggles... I like to think that all ties into it somehow.

Typically by transferring power away from a spinning wheel, sometimes engaging a limited slip features, which will allow a slight amount of wheel spin - but we're talking a slight amount, let simply letting a wheel spin freely.

Yeah, and I've been driving this the whole time..

These same engineers who gave us Volvo headlights, automatic braking on trucks with the notion of, "hey, what could possibly go wrong?", the location of the dosing injector on the PACCAR engines, and a laundry list of other flawed features I could point out? Well, in that case, consider my faith restored..

Seen it happen. Mud isn't all the same consistency... it can be anywhere from "just wet enough to get you sinking a little" up to what's more or less soup. I've had to drive in the latter quite frequently, typically with the aid of bulldozers. I'm a bit doubtful you have, especially in a ProStar.
That being said, I know "go back to driving school" is a common insult used out here, but I don't think you need to go back to driving school - it's high school I think you need to go back to.
A spinning wheel which is still making contact with the surface creates friction. Friction produces heat. On top of that, you have a much faster spinning wheel than it would normally be during regular road operation, and a tire sunk into the ground has a greater surface area making contact with the surface than it would be on normal operation on a road. Yes, it creates friction, and again, friction creates heat.
Even if it doesn't overheat, you completely ignored the bit about tire wear, which it can still create without having to overheat.

Let me answer this as a driver and as someone who doesn't need to go back to high school.
It all goes back to friction... when a tire is making contact on a road or other surface, gripping that surface, and thus propelling the vehicle forward, how is it doing do? By friction. Now, when you have two wheels, four wheel, etc. in operation, and one of them slips, then what happens, especially on a slick surface? You end up with substantially more friction on one side of the vehicle than the other. Yes, that can alter the direction of travel.

No, I was talking about how their AWD drive system works, and how it transfers power. Or do you not possess the reading comprehension skills to grasp that? Because it doesn't really inspire confidence here.
By the way, I've completely torn down and rebuilt those systems, so yeah, I know a thing or two about them. And, you know, it's not like I've been operating and working on trucks for a substantial amount of time, and it's not like I've even owned a small fleet of them... yeah, I'll just refer to you for all my truck-related questions from now on, okay?

It "may"? Either it does or it doesn't... which is it? If you're so certain about your answer, then give a definitive answer here.

Good... I'm curious to see what our Kenworth rep has to say about this. I'll print your post out and let him judge how PACCAR's system works.

Negative. In normal operation, power will transfer to both axles.. that's why there's an interaxle differential there, and not a simple shaft disconnect. The main drive shaft spins that differential, and the differential distributes power. The power divider lock simply prevents slip to ensure that both axle differentials continue rotation at a matched speed. When it's unlocked, the interaxle differential compsates for speed differences in the two axles, typically due to different amounts of wear on the tires between the two axles.
For your reading entertainment:
http://www2.dana.com/pdf/AXDR-0126.pdf

Still reads more like a limited slip feature, rather than just letting the wheel spin freely. Is there anything in your manual saying it'll just let the wheel spin and spin and spin?

Oh.. your copy/paste reiterated the same thing I was saying? How interesting.

 

THE OFF ROAD button disables your traction control and ESC. This is a feature specific to International according to the owners manual. The rest is true on the PDL lock. If you left it on and you were trying to climb a hill with wheel spin, it would cut throttle and apply the brakes to try to regain traction.

 

How can all three be correct ? Why would Freightliner or Volvo put a International specific feature in their manual ?

 

Best response so far Mack. Its a shame Guys in the same occupation have to argue with a guy they might become best friends if they met in person. I searched to find an answer to what the difference is in the PDL and Off Road switch is. Hate weeding through all the rude remarks. I have been trucking 32 years and all I ever had was the differential switch. Its getting close to ice and snow season so I just want to know which switch acts like the old school differential switch.

 

The owners manual reads like stereo instructions, for those old enough to know what I am talking about...