SLIP TEST - 1991 Volkswagen T3 Caravelle Syncro vs 2019 VW T6 4Motion -  

The T6 is also available with rear diff lock. Would have been helpful.

Underrated?? I guess that's why they cost 15-20 000€ and maybe 4x the price of their 2wd counterparts nowadays?

@@WatchingMamut I mean underrated as in off road, these t3 syncro's would take you places that t6 could only dream of going or even most newer so called 4x4's, then jump in the back and make a cup of tea and toasted sandwich 👍🏽

@@bandit911 hmm I'm still not convinced as they're wildly popular nowadays for travelling, overlanding, etc. but never mind, I love them too and I'm not here to argue! I guess maybe I'm just bitter over the fact that they've gone too expensive for me to afford one 😅

@@bandit911 yep, look at the videos of silentbay production on vimeo ;) vimeo.com/user6237183

I drove one for a year as my service car in an earlier job for a national Telecom service provider. We drove on mountain roads in winter time too, and with snow chains on the rear wheels, the Mitsu Pajeros (gen.1) equpped with 4 chains could not follow my tracks uphill in deep snow:) Lightweight, high ground clearance, rear engine and totally flat underside was a killer combo! No comfort, very weak and thirsty engine. And my knees was part of the deformation zone - I guess we can't have it all...

You can get an optional rear diff lock for T6 so then its awd system is even more capable than this T3.

I used one in my job many, many years ago, and I can tell you that when I got stuck I first engaged rear diff and carried on, then stuck and locked mid. Got some further and lastly had to lock my front diff. Long and wet story short - I had to call a tractor to pull me out :-) This was in spring time on a mountain "road" in northern part of Norway pretty close to Murmansk. No mather how good your 4x4 is, you eventually get stuck, it's just a matter of how bad and how far from anything this happens. :-)

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers Turning wise, yes. Getting unstuck, no.

@@coccobill7982 You must have had the only T3 syncro with a center diff then.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers does T6 come with crawler gear?

Yes, green color shows that the diff is locked 🙂 Thank you!

It derives from First gen audi if i m right

@@matteoxavier1205 No, it is different system, although both have rear diff locker.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers is the t3 syncro system with viscous coupling instead of center diff?

@@ognjennikolic1384 Yes, exactly.

There's nothing to be disappointed, especially that you can get optional rear diff locker for T6 🙂

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers Which will make absolutely no difference if both rear wheels are on rollers.

@@martinsv9183 And will make major difference if both front wheels and one rear wheel are on rollers. And in diagonal and lateral tests.

The rollers do not replicate 100% the reality. A car having two mechanically lockable differentials, front and rear, and a central VCT with the auto "Syncro hump phenomenon", ( www.vwsyncro.eu/p/blog-page_5.html ), is way more efficient than one with EDL, rear locker and Haldex, as you can see here: www.vwsyncro.eu/p/vs-t5-4motion-haldex.html . The superiority of the Syncro t3 is due to the position of the engine and the way the power is transferred to the rear wheels, also. The direct drive of the gear box through the rear axle cannot be compared to any kind of clutch, as well as, the strategic position of the load, and the payload, over the rear wheels, promotes even further the grip under extreme circumstances. The heavy duty VCT of the t3 is protected into a shell, is liquid cooled and capable for 100% of power transmission, smoothly, for a very long time, service less. (Do not dare to compare it to a Haldex hydraulic clutch, for the every day driver and not for the races). The Syncro Heresy

Thanks. Come to Poland for a test ;)

you actually dont choose. You pull rear first, and if that doesnt help you add front. You have to keep in mind that you cant turn with front lock engaged, so its "last resort" and you only need the front lock in like 2% of the cases.

Я ездил на нем в течение года в качестве служебного автомобиля, когда раньше работал у национального оператора связи. Зимой мы ездили по горным дорогам, и с цепями противоскольжения на задних колесах Mitsu Pajeros (поколение 1) с 4 цепями не мог идти по моим следам в гору по глубокому снегу :) Легкий, высокий клиренс, задний двигатель и полностью плоская нижняя сторона была убийственной комбинацией! Никакого комфорта, очень слабый и жаждущий двигатель. И мои колени были частью зоны деформации - думаю, у нас не может быть всего этого ...

@@coccobill7982 Yes, we can: www.vwsyncro.eu/p/blog-page_18.html The Syncro Heresy

Thanks! EDL on rear axle is working but probably not strong enough, that happens in many cars.

Fabrycznie.

Factory option

Standard in the UK I think

Actually it is full time 4WD with lockable front and rear differentials.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers and its flicking awesome. love that beautiful t3. thumb ups as always.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers by the way, what type of central diff syncro has? Open or mb torsen?

@@user-lb7tz4of4k It doesn't have center diff at all. Just a viscous coupling sending power from the back to the front.

@@user-lb7tz4of4k It is a VCT mimicking the operation of an automatically, mechanically controlled differential, continuously varied% between 5% to 100%, (Syncro hump phenomenon), of torque. It is activated in every turn and in every occasion there is a slight velocity difference between the two axles, tremendously contributing to the active safety of the car. For the light passenger cars, with a front engine/main drive, (f.ex. Passat g60 Syncro), contributes to a tiny consumption reduction because of tribology reasons. The Syncro Heresy

Hi, that would be great but it all depends on volunteers...

No, there is no center diff but a viscous coupling. Button is not active.

It is to indicate if the central axle is active or decoupled, (optional decoupler). The Syncro Heresy

Front/rear - haldex. Left/right - brakes. Newer version can move when three wheels are on rollers but one front wheel must have grip. It can't when one rear wheel has grip, probably due to software issues.

Zgadza się 🙂

Blokady dwóch dyfrów 🙂

That's basically the idea of the channel. We do show tests but we do not make any judgements. However we are trying to answer all questions.

This is more like overview of generations. And yes, T6 with rear diff lock wouldn't have any problems at all.

I thought about it haha. I think that it can pass it :D

He will make it with spare wheel ,i guess..

Yes.

Yes they are locked individually, you can also ad a decoupler for the front axle (that would be the middle light). The difflocks in T3 syncros where optional, you could choose rear lock only, rear and front or none. Most have only rear lock, but adding the front lock is possible afterwards.

They had 3 diffs - front, mid and rear

@@coccobill7982 Nope, they didn't have center diff.

@@coccobill7982 T3 never had a mid diff. Just a visco coupling or, very few, a fixed coupling and a stiff rod instead of the visco. Afterwards some people installed the fixed coupling as addition to the visco as a "decoupler"

Blokady zrobily robote. A elektronika lubi zawodzic

Blokady pomagają tylko w ciężkim terenie i jak widać na rolkach, na asfalcie to niczego się nie nadają i najlepszy jest napęd sterowany elektronicznie

@@marcingruba7391 elektronicznie bądź mechaniczne, ważne jednak żeby sam reagował na zmienne warunki drogowe

@@gabrys187 no mechaniczny nie zareaguje ci na zmienne warunki drogowe🙂

@@marcingruba7391 no torsen na przykład coś tam działa ;)

It doesn't have center diff. It has viscous coupling shifting power from back to front. Or in some version - part time system - stiff connection like in offroad cars (normally rwd).

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers surprised that the viscous coupling Puts so much torque instantly to the Front axle

@@F103Pro10S It is not the newest one... 😉 Anyway that may be partly regulated by oil type.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers The VC within the T3 Syncro is just about the strongest on the market. It's nothing like the unit fitted to a Freelander etc. You can put over 400Nm through it (that's the test torque on the dyno) and many have found that the VC is stonger than many other components within the 4WD system.

@@Syncro16TDi You mean that VC can hold 400 Nm? That's not much if you compare it to haldex 5 which can hold 3500 Nm.

I don't know. Engine is at the back.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers Maybe Syncro AWD is different from traditional front engine AWD system.

@@suyuanxie8022 There is a few versions of Syncro. This particular one is rwd based, front wheels are powered by a viscous coupling.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers So that's why there are 3 diff lock which means the center clutch pack is actually a diff lock.

@@suyuanxie8022 There's no center differential, just a viscous coupling.

That's why it is possible to by rear diff locker for T6.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers Let me guess... is it a software option? If so the same does FIAT for the Ducato (as the T6 often used as a small campervan base) with the Ducato, giving you Traction+ for 100odd EUR, for which the biggest hardware change is a button with an LED on the dashboard.

@@m80116 As far as I am concerned - that is mechanical locker. Cost is about 1000 Euro.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers Good then! 👍

Dynamic behaviour of new awd systems (like in T6) is definitely much better than old viscous coupling. Besides it is still possible to buy rear diff locker for T6.

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers indeed, much better handling I guess and less driver's effort in dynamically changing road conditions. It's more friendly and easier to use in everyday situations. When it comes to tougher offroad conditions T3 MAY behave better ;)

Don't think it's been ditched,still used on the Bugatti Veyron

@@timburrows3093 What's used in Veyron? If you mean viscous coupling - no, there is haldex clutch-pack in Veyron.

Still working in army?

@@gabrys187 I am not sure if they still have some in use.

Lockers are stock. Some Legacy and some Outback coming soon!

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers stock? 🤔 I see it without.

@@nwm359 I meant factory. These are original lockers, not any private modifications.

@@nwm359 there were 5 factory options-no locker, rear locker, rear+front lockres, rear locker+decoupler(means front axle manually attached) or rear+front lockers+decoupler ;)

@@gabrys187 yeah! But its expensive 😅

No volunteer so far...

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers it's a pity :-(

If you focus only on final result then it is nonsense to lock the diff of the axle which is entirely on rollers. But if you focus on torque split within the system then you will notice that torque flow differs. Torque split of open diff is always 50/50 so total value is limited by the wheel with least resistance/load (doubled). There is no such limitation when the diff is locked so overall torque increases.

Roberto you're absolutely right. There's no point in locking the diff when both wheels are on rollers but by performing this it turns out that im VW T3 you can use lockers independently, which is not so obvious in OEM designed systems. Most cars can lock front diff only if the rear one is already locked ;)

Haldex with a difflock works just as well.

Yes, but the central VCT/differential is auto locked up to 100% and there can be a front locker, too. The main, rear, axle is driven directly, through gears and shafts, even better when loaded, (not a cracking device under high stress conditions), the VCT is protected into a shell and it is heavy duty, liquid cooled and, in addition, there is a very low gear , (gelande), to climb on walls. No comparison, sorry folks. The Syncro Heresy

I wouldn't say better, I would say different :)

😊

It will hard to find these cars...

@@4x4.tests.on.rollers I know, but that would be insane popular. H1 is really hard to find, but H2 you can or H3.

Test is ONLY about AWD/4WD systems. Nothing more.