Advance Trac--Is It Needed?
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 183
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From: Denton, MD
I wouldn't say you NEED it, but it is pretty cool. It basically controls traction in adverse weather by using brakes and shifting power to different wheels. If you pick one that has all the options you want and it has advance trac, it is not a true waste of money.
Dave
Dave
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,297
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Another point: Ford has not been having good luck with the durability of limited slip rear differentials in some '03 - '04 Expys. As a limited slip rear differential cannot be ordered on an Advance Trac equipped Expy, you get the benefit of increased traction without sweating the possibility of a whining/grinding limited slip rear.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,742
Likes: 8
From: OK
Just a personal preference, but I pass on anything that adds complexity to the vehicle. Being a relatively new option, no one can really say what kind of long-term durability the system will have. I'd suspect that any repair costs for Advance Trac will rival (if not exceed) the price of new clutch-packs needed to repair a worn LS differential.
I'd also say the problem with LS differentials has been resolved. Not many '04 owners report problems. Those that have reported having problems have early build dates. Our '04 built in March is working perfectly.
I'd also say the problem with LS differentials has been resolved. Not many '04 owners report problems. Those that have reported having problems have early build dates. Our '04 built in March is working perfectly.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
I've got an 03 with limited slip, had a new clutch pack put in under warranty and no problems.
I went with the LS due to I didn't like the idea of applying brakes to a wheel just to get it to stop spinning. If I am in snow/ice/mud... I want all the wheels to turn, not apply the brakes!
Plus, the added electronics, just increases the odds of something going wrong. Just imagine going down a steep grade with a trailer in the snow/ice and the computer accidentally applies brakes on wheel. OOOPs, sorry.
No thanks, not for me.
I went with the LS due to I didn't like the idea of applying brakes to a wheel just to get it to stop spinning. If I am in snow/ice/mud... I want all the wheels to turn, not apply the brakes!
Plus, the added electronics, just increases the odds of something going wrong. Just imagine going down a steep grade with a trailer in the snow/ice and the computer accidentally applies brakes on wheel. OOOPs, sorry.
No thanks, not for me.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: central california
I have a 3.73 LS and Advance Trac in my 03 FX4. The LS does work very well, never has from the begining. Neither does the one in my Super Duty for that matter. Never the less, the Advance Trac is rather interesting off road.
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 265
Likes: 2
From: Beloit, KS
Just a note to let you know how AdvanceTrac saved my family from a wreck. We were on I-70 just west of Denver going down a pretty steep grade and it was raining. I consider myself to be a fairly good driver, but what happened to me could happen to anyone unexpectedly. The highway was worn pretty severely in the tire track area of the lane. The rain had basically formed 4 little rivers of water on the highway. The Expy started to hydroplane on the highway, causing the vehicle to rotate at approx a 15-degree angle towards the median. I attempted to correct the steering but the front wheels basically had no control. The AdvanceTrac slip warning light came on immediately and with the use of the independent braking on the AdvanceTrac, the Expy straightened itself out. You could actually feel it applying the right rear brake. I know for a fact that without AdvanceTrac on that day we would have all ended up in a hospital if not killed, and needless to say a destroyed $48K vehicle.
That was in my '03 Expy, I now have a '05 Expy with AdvanceTrac. In my opinion, if you're a safety conscious person, this is the one option you shouldn't do without!
Dan
That was in my '03 Expy, I now have a '05 Expy with AdvanceTrac. In my opinion, if you're a safety conscious person, this is the one option you shouldn't do without!
Dan
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New User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: NW New Jersey US
Agree that AdvanceTrac is worth the money in the safety it provides. A number of auto manufacturers now provide (standard/optional) stability control systems and they seem to work pretty well. I believe that it is a matter of safety for the family; and AdvanceTrac provides it in circumstances that a human cannot. I purchased a '05 Expy and three of my requirements were AdvanceTrac; Air Curtains; and RSC (rollover stability control). You never know what is going to happen out on the highways these days.
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