Are G.O.A.T. modes a gimmick?

[Bronco cat]

disagree with last part, have used 4a in f150 in the past for thousands of miles and zero i’ll effect. Manual indicates it is safe in all on/off road conditions

Have run 4A in various ford applications with 0 issues related to wear and tear. That comment is 10000 percent false. It kills me when people make comments they have no basis or experience to make.

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[gwp]

Yes…. It’s called 4wheel drive!!!

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
(FOR EXAMPLE) if you don’t turn OFFF THE TRACTION CONTROL AND USE THE LOCKERS (willy nilly) YOU COULD POTENTIALLY DAMAGE YOUR BRONCO….

The GOAT modes (In ROCK Crawl mode) automatically turns off the traction control (for example) ….
The GOAT modes save you from yourself!!!!

4A splits the power front to rear, similar to an all wheel drive….
4 wheel drive is a completely different animal.
Where decisions have to be made.

hope this makes sense

OK, I’ll bite. How does using the lockers interfere with traction control?

I assume the trac control works by sensing wheel spin under acceleration and applies brake to the slipping wheel while limiting throttle… I also guess it’s on the rear axle only but didn’t look it up.

Please if you can, be technically specific and / or reference the manual. Not sure why a locked axle would interfere.

As I write this, I think 4L automatically disengages traction control (…. I know I get an alert when off roading to that effect but I never use GOAT modes, just the hero switches judiciously on my 7MT BL)

 

[Allenm7]

They help me out but that's prolly because I'm a complete newb when it comes to offroading.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

They are 100% a gimmick and I would much rather have full manual control. I HATE having to switch to a specific mode just to get access to cameras, or disco..... or lockers...

I actually kinda hate the goat modes.

 

[mybikeisred]

Goat modes are like ordering off a menu with pictures of the food. It’s kinda helpful if you don’t know wtf you want. I do like that you can use the cameras in Baja mode without being in 4L.

 

[66GT]

If you think GOAT modes are just gimmicks... take a good look at everything they manage through the ECU modules.

This can be found on one of the "hidden" worksheets in the Forscan matrix... and (with the exception of the "exhaust" column??) is absolute gold for being able to set the Bronco up for specific terrain conditions... here's how I go thru the process.

1. Pick the GOAT mode according to the matrix above (traction control, throttle/steering response, tranmission shift point, etc.).

2. Engage the transfer case in the desired mode (2H, 4H, 4L (or 4A if equipped)).

3. Engage/disengage lockers, traction control, sta-bar disco, or TTA with the hero buttons.

4. Select the camera options (they also differ by GOAT mode, so if you want to use the camera over 5 mph, you'll need to select Mud/Ruts, Baja, or Rock Crawl to start with).

Once you're set up, you should have a really good idea of exactly how your Bronco will respond to your input... and if you watch your "Power Distribution" (in Off Road gauge settings), you can see exactly how those settings affect each wheel getting driven.

Maybe the GOAT modes are just 'gimmicky' if all you think they do is eliminate the thought process of selecting the terrain...

.... but in reality, they enable you to think through exactly how you want it to drive... and then dial in your Bronco to do it. I doubt many people will ever bother to figure out how just many ways they can customize with 8 GOAT modes (thanks Forscan!), 4x transfer case settings, 2 lockers, etc, etc.

I've told people that driving a Badsquatch w/lux is like driving an iPad on 35s... and this is why.

I'm not saying it's intuitive or convenient... but at least it's worthwhile to figure out.

 

[BroncoSarge]

At a minimum, it is a great tool for newer 4x4 drivers. Simple way to get the best results out of their Bronco.

 

[bloominguez]

I confess, I thought "Sport" mode was a bit of a gimmick *for a manual transmission* because I can control the gear I'm in and the throttle (I'm told it makes a bigger difference with an automatic). However, I took my Bronco on some twisty roads, not the Bronco's natural habitat, last weekend. Compared "Normal" versus "Sport" and "Sport" was the clear winner.

Furthermore, going uphill in a tight turn, accelerating out of the turn, 4A also made a difference. I set my display to watch power distribution to the 4 wheels and saw that it was sending power to the fronts regularly. I was ambivalent about Sport mode prior to this, now I'm happy to have it for rare situations.

 

[mgraced]

I actually wish I had my Bronco a few months back when I did the Off Roadeo. We did so many great things to put the beast thru it’s paces but it was one and done. Fast forward a few months and now that I have my Bronco, I’d like to do the Off Roadeo again so things stick with me more!

As far as GOAT mode being gimmicky. For me it will be great when and if I need to use them - I’m a newbie to off road. And I sort of equate it to a TV remote control. Can I get up and change the channels on my TV? Sure. But it’s just so much nicer to sit on the couch and do it

 

[Dingbat]

If you think GOAT modes are just gimmicks... take a good look at everything they manage through the ECU modules.

This can be found on one of the "hidden" worksheets in the Forscan matrix... and (with the exception of the "exhaust" column??) is absolute gold for being able to set the Bronco up for specific terrain conditions... here's how I go thru the process.

1. Pick the GOAT mode according to the matrix above (traction control, throttle/steering response, tranmission shift point, etc.).

2. Engage the transfer case in the desired mode (2H, 4H, 4L (or 4A if equipped)).

3. Engage/disengage lockers, traction control, sta-bar disco, or TTA with the hero buttons.

4. Select the camera options (they also differ by GOAT mode, so if you want to use the camera over 5 mph, you'll need to select Mud/Ruts, Baja, or Rock Crawl to start with).

Once you're set up, you should have a really good idea of exactly how your Bronco will respond to your input... and if you watch your "Power Distribution" (in Off Road gauge settings), you can see exactly how those settings affect each wheel getting driven.

Maybe the GOAT modes are just 'gimmicky' if all you think they do is eliminate the thought process of selecting the terrain...

.... but in reality, they enable you to think through exactly how you want it to drive... and then dial in your Bronco to do it. I doubt many people will ever bother to figure out how just many ways they can customize with 8 GOAT modes (thanks Forscan!), 4x transfer case settings, 2 lockers, etc, etc.

I've told people that driving a Badsquatch w/lux is like driving an iPad on 35s... and this is why.

I'm not saying it's intuitive or convenient... but at least it's worthwhile to figure out.

Am I understanding you correctly that the modes can be edited?
Change the throttle or steering setting in an already existing mode, for example?
Or are you talking about using Forscan to see exactly what each mode does and pick the appropriate one according to what you want?

 

[Triceratops]

They are 100% a gimmick and I would much rather have full manual control. I HATE having to switch to a specific mode just to get access to cameras, or disco..... or lockers...

I actually kinda hate the goat modes.

Well one thing it does: It is a way to get around regulations like not being able to have the front camera active on road. When you go into the off road goat mode they are able to do the camera display because you are telling the vehicle you are off-road ...

 

[66GT]

Am I understanding you correctly that the modes can be edited?
Change the throttle or steering setting in an already existing mode, for example?
Or are you talking about using Forscan to see exactly what each mode does and pick the appropriate one according to what you want?

Nope... don't think they can be edited.

My Forscan references are to:

1. That matrix just happens to be found in the Forscan matrix (a MS Excel document) on a separate worksheet. Don't think there is any implication that these can be changed.

2. "Thanks Forscan" was a reference to adding the 8th GOAT ('Sport mode' for a Badlands). I use Sport mode as the basis for a lot of how I set it up due to its comparatively "aggressive" settings.

3. "Customizing with GOAT modes" is just using the process I was trying to describe above. a) Use the GOAT mode to set the throttle response, etc... b) then set the drive mode in the transfer case... then c) dial in lockers, disco, cameras, etc. It was not customing the GOAT modes themselves.

That said, it would be nice to select each one of those individually... but I don't think many people use a screen with 2 dozen buttons on it... or even better, a bunch of hard wired switches like an old 747. (Which would be REALLY cool, btw!
Especially for the "bare bones" idea.)

I think the whole purpose of the GOAT modes is to simplify the process of setting all those parameters. That just means you have the process of taking what the GOAT mode wheel gives you up front... and figuring what you can configure beyond that with the transfer case buttons and the hero buttons after that.

Just my .02

 

[66GT]

I confess, I thought "Sport" mode was a bit of a gimmick *for a manual transmission* because I can control the gear I'm in and the throttle (I'm told it makes a bigger difference with an automatic). However, I took my Bronco on some twisty roads, not the Bronco's natural habitat, last weekend. Compared "Normal" versus "Sport" and "Sport" was the clear winner.

Furthermore, going uphill in a tight turn, accelerating out of the turn, 4A also made a difference. I set my display to watch power distribution to the 4 wheels and saw that it was sending power to the fronts regularly. I was ambivalent about Sport mode prior to this, now I'm happy to have it for rare situations.

If anyone wants to see the difference Sport mode makes, try this.

While you are doing a moderate (not heavy) acceleration, like from a stop sign or traffic light.. (hold the pedal in the exact same position as you go through the process), throw it from Normal into Sport (three clicks CW)... once Sport mode engages, you will feel the rate of acceleration increase... showing just how much the TPS is calibrated differently in Sport mode. It's even more noticable going from Eco to Sport (two clicks CW).

 

[bloominguez]

If anyone wants to see the difference Sport mode makes, try this.

While you are doing a moderate (not heavy) acceleration, like from a stop sign or traffic light.. (hold the pedal in the exact same position as you go through the process), throw it from Normal into Sport (three clicks CW)... once Sport mode engages, you will feel the rate of acceleration increase... showing just how much the TPS is calibrated differently in Sport mode. It's even more noticable going from Eco to Sport (two clicks CW).

All true, completely agree, but that's just a small part of what I was talking about. Throttle sensitivity doesn't mean that much to me because I can always push the pedal farther if I want to. And with a manual, I control the gear I'm in. I was more interested in the steering feel and the switch to 4A. The changes felt good in tight turns and I also liked 4A while driving aggressively, especially uphill.

I think Ford did a good job on the "Normal" tuning, so I just leave it there most of the time, and I don't mind Eco if I'm droning along on the highway.

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