I've had the chance to give both a try.....on my former 95 wagon and my current 2000 wagon. I think they both have their advantages.......it's really hard to have the best of both worlds in much of life though, eh?

The earlier trucks without TT4/ABS are definitely more 'tractor like', in being able to absolutely 'crawl' or 'creep' over an obstacle simply because one can go as slow as desired, and, there's a foot on both pedals, balancing out the forward torque without suddenly propelling you forward. I can't speak from experience on 'Moab' type rock crawling but I think the BTM method 'may' rule there. The probability of my ever getting to try out my TT4/ABS truck in a true 'Moab' type setting are slim to none, considering I'm on the east coast. I'd love to hear an opinion from a rock crawler with TT4/ABS.

Having had the opportunity to try both trucks in the exact same settings around here though, the Y2K truck has gone everywhere the '95 did and with finesse.

There's a learning curve to both techniques and (for me) the learning curve for TT4 was compounded by having already learned the BTM method........I really had a hard time keeping my left foot off the brake when getting acquainted with TT4. With TT4 you have to keep your left foot OFF the brake entirely but hovering close by to brake quickly when needed. With TT4 you learn to listen to the engine revs and know when it's about to bite. Once it bites, it's gone, thus the reason for having the left foot ready. Once the TT4 does kick in, you can feel the brake being sent to the traction-less wheel that needs it (rather than, as with BTM, sending brake to all four wheels at once even though only one or two may need it) and at the same time feel the wheel that has traction grab hold as the torque is distributed to it.

If watching from the outside, you can observe the wheel(s) stop spinning instantly once traction is lost.

Again, the biggest downside of the TT4 would be the more sudden 'bite and thrust' that might propel one over an obstacle such as a large rock or large log, a little faster than preferred and making the landing a little harder on the other side. On the other hand though, maybe I've just yet to master it to the point where I can control that situation a little better. I'm open to tips and pearls of wisdom on this.

As for the ABS part of it........I can't praise it enough. It is however the first vehicle I've ever owned that had ABS. It amazes me, considering the heftiness of the truck, how 'politely' and quickly it brings 8000 lbs. of flying mass to a stand-still without locking up and creating a squawling, tire smoking scene.

As to the sensors at the half-shafts. Well..... They're about as 'out of the way' as they can be. Everything is vulnerable under varying circumstances. If it gets bent, tap it back in. Since it's magnetic and not optical, water and mud shouldn't totally disable it. Lastly, they're small, not terribly expensive and just bolt on....would be very easy to keep a spare in the truck for any serious off-roading.

Back in January we had an all time record snow storm here and I had an absolute blast giving the TT4 and the ABS a complete workout for more than a week. At times, the entire underside would be caked with packed snow, being kicked up by the tires, crossing drifts, etc., and I had no problems at all with the sensors.

.....standard disclaimers.....My Opinion Only, YMMV, etc......but would like to hear even more from those who've had a chance to give it a good testing.......

Rick Crider
Monroe NC
2K white wagon