Locking Diff. T1N What's it take to do?

shantiwitt

New member
What does the ASR function do for you? I'm not an expert, I'm asking.

The ASR function does a couple of things. Mainly broken down into 2 categories:

Traction control:
This keeps your tires from spinning faster then the vehicle is going. As a result it can prevent fish tailing and improve overall acceleration on slippery surfaces. This is meant to function on asphalt (probably wont spin tires), wet asphalt, snow, ice, mud, wet grass, etc. The way this functions is in two ways, it brakes the individual wheel that is spinning (hence the open diff) and also limit the engine torque output. So when you start spinning tires you will notice that your engine will lower its RPMs and it almost seems like your throttle isn't working like normal, this prevents you from increasing the torque sent to the wheel which will just be fought by the brakes that are trying to prevent the spinning. You will also probably hear the ABS pump running to build brake pressure at the rear tires in this situation.

Stability control:
This feature is used to prevent the vehicle from sliding out of control if you take a corner too fast or have to make an emergency lane change (see Moose Test). This mainly just applies the brakes to stabilize the vehicle when it is sliding out of control of the driver.

My biggest complaint is how intrusive the Traction control is and is too strong in my opinion. One night this winter I was driving through a busy intersection and it was a little icy, I had good momentum off the light and was going probably 15-20 mph and I hit an icy patch causing one of the wheels to spin. The TC came in so strong that it brake the vehicle to a stand still and left me in the center of the intersection. I immediately hit the ASR button to start moving again and this allowed me to get some wheel spin and start moving but then locked down again. I have been very displeased with it since day one.
 

ECU

2006 T1n 118 Sprinter
I meant with the switch on. It seems to get me out of the mud by turning it on. Very similar to a locking rear end. But it doesn't say that in the manual.
 

az7000'

2007 Navion on a 2006 3500 chassis
We went down a wash last summer that was pretty well packed, 10,000# motorhome with a light trailer. The washed flashed the afternoon after we arrived and 3 days later we needed to get it out. She did great until we has to make a really tight 90 left then 150 back right in the fluffy sand. Front wheels pushed straight till the rear (dualies) started to dig. $60 sand boards and a shovel and 30 min later we made the turn and on our way, didn't even get to the ASR button or airing down advanced phase. Pics below were the road, the wash was just a bit wider then the rig and super soft.

Seems more economical for us...

IMG_0751.jpegIMG_0760.jpeg
 

Lampros

New member
Haha it is ironic isn't it? Explains my frustration
Have been stuck multiple times in two inches of soft pack snow. Front wheels sink in and traction control screws me (ASR on or off). You can't completely disable ASR and thats what really gets you. Sometimes you just need some wheel spin! Ultimately a limited slip diff would be the cats meow!
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Despite all the various pleas for information, none of us have the magic bullet. Its been 20 years since the T1N was introduced, and I am not aware of anything that bolts in besides the factory axles (the entire axle is required, as the entire body is different for the locker). There is a chance something from the same era G wagens might fit, but those are rare enough as it is. So buying one to test is not likely.

In conditions where its very slippery, setting the parking brake a few clicks gives the traction control more to work with.

I would also point out that many folks who report poor response, even with the ASR defeated, have very little weight on the rear axle. Its important to note that there is a certain minimum response time and clamping force the ABS system can apply to each brake caliper. Low axle weight puts you at the design limits for the system. It could definitely have been made better though.

For those needing to defeat the traction control, just unplug the ABS pump fuse. Afterward you will need to reinstall the fuse and cycle the ignition to get the system back online.

The only people I know of who have successfully added a LSD or locker have used OEM parts (imported typically), or have swapped axles like I did on my 4x4 conversion.
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Here is the relevant data to start hunting. The T1N diff is shown here, notice the other applications. G500/G550, G55AMG, and G63/65. If you can find an LSD for one of those vehicles, there is a small chance it will fit in the sprinter.

1614206387711.png

2018 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base4.0L V8 - Gas
2018 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2018 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG®Base6.0L V12 - Gas
2017 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base4.0L V8 - Gas
2017 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2017 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG®Base6.0L V12 - Gas
2016 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base4.0L V8 - Gas
2016 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2016 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG®Base6.0L V12 - Gas
2015 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2015 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2014 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2014 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2013 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2013 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2012 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2011 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2011 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2010 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2010 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2009 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2009 Mercedes-Benz G 550Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2008 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2008 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2007 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2007 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2006 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2006 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2005 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2005 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2004 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2004 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2003 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
2003 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG®Base5.5L V8 - Gas
2002 Mercedes-Benz G 500Base5.0L V8 - Gas
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
While I’ve never driven my Sprinter on proper off-road trails I have driven on wet, muddy, clayey job sites where one conceivably could easily get stuck and over plenty of various types of snow and icy surfaces without incident. IMHO tires and wheel placement/tracking are the limiting factor, not the open rear diff, which thanks to the electronic stability and traction control almost mimics a LSD. That’s not to say that the Sprinter is as capable off road as my long dead 87 Cherokee Chief with a Dana D44 LSD rearend and locking center diff, but with careful selection of ones path these 2wd vans can go a lot of places that most folks would only attempt with 4wd. One thing that I’ve found helps in snowy conditions in any vehicle is to overinflate the tires by about 10-15 psi, making the contact patch slightly smaller and the PSI of the contact patch slightly higher to get a better bite.
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Here is a LSD for G55s, would need to verify the years it fits in.

 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Here is the front locker used in the G series of that period. Looks like it uses the same mechanism as the 4x4 sprinters locker. A collar on one axle shaft slides in and engages the tabs on the diff housing. I don't see any way that would work on a sprinter, as there isn't enough space in the axle Tube for the collar. Even then you would need to fabricate some type of actuator.


4633300723
1614207253538.png
1614207269207.png1614207864010.png
1614207933786.png
 
Last edited:

shantiwitt

New member
Thanks for the responses everyone!

The T1N diff is shown here, notice the other applications.
Doesn't say its for the T1N under the description? Might be why it doesnt look like that would fit in the case.. Although it would make a lot of sense for MB to put it in the G series too.

Looking in the service manual for an 05, I see some wiring and parts diagrams for the "differential lock" switch and solenoid. I wonder what application that was used on, maybe the 4wd variants? 1614225338238.png
 
B

billintomahawk

Guest
Just back from the Baja and beach camping most of the time there. The roads in were rough, rocky steep and loose.
Amazing to feel a rear wheel spin and then have the ASR take over on a steep climb. The van would hump and bump its way to the top with a steady application of power.

Never felt anything quite like it, a little unbelievable but I always went up and over with very minimal spin.

Amazing.

bill in tomahawk
 

tbuyan

'04 3500 140" low roof cargo w/dually delete
Amazing to feel a rear wheel spin and then have the ASR take over on a steep climb. The van would hump and bump its way to the top with a steady application of power. Never felt anything quite like it, a little unbelievable but I always went up and over with very minimal spin. Amazing.
Amazing is right. Exactly what one would expect.

Mine works like this: When a wheel spins on a steep, loose climb the ASR kicks in, throttle pedal is ignored, and all forward motion stops. Maybe our definitions of "steep" and/or "loose" differ a bit.
 

tbuyan

'04 3500 140" low roof cargo w/dually delete
So that is when you flip the ASR switch.
No, if I flip the switch I get full throttle response and an open diff, as one would expect. Some times that will peg-leg me up (spewing gravel) when the ASR is completely useless.
 

tbuyan

'04 3500 140" low roof cargo w/dually delete
ASR is anti skid throttle reduction. The actual traction control is a bit different.
Yes, I've heard various explanations for the acronym (it's not really an acronym), but I think the manual refers to it as Acceleration Skid Reduction. So, where is this "actual traction control"? No ESP button.
 

Top Bottom