There are several parts to traction control and they are enabled or disabled depending on the driving mode the driver has chosen. When the vehicle is in 4wd high range and the Electronic Stability Control System (ESC) is on, traction control uses the brakes and engine torque control to limit how fast the driven wheels can spin relative to the actual speed of the vehicle.
This helps provide maximum traction along with stability. In addition to controlling how fast the driven wheels are spinning, there is a feature of brake traction control that controls wheel speed side to side across a driven axle and is called BLD, or "brake lock differential."
BLD does not care how fast the wheels are turning, just that they are turning at the same speed. It provides improved traction capability similar to a locking differential.

There are times when controlling how fast the wheels spin may not be desirable for driving conditions such as mud or deep snow. In this case, pushing the ESC button once (in 4wd high range) will disable the brake and engine portions of traction control that control how fast the wheels are allowed to spin but leaves BLD on. In 4wd low range, only BLD functions so there is no need to turn off traction control.

http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog.do?p=entry&id=270

 

Thanks. So in that case, how do I disable BLD? Essentially what I want to do is turn off ALL traction control related electronic systems. Because I didn't know how, as I said, I could smell my brakes were burning afterwards and it puts unnecessary wear and tear on my car.

 

Is there no way to accomplish this?

 

Yes, someone cut in to the wiring and installed a toggle switch to shut it off.
Can't remember what Jeep site I saw it on though. If I run across it again, I'll post it up for ya.

EDIT: Sorry, the toggle was for a JK, not a KJ. But somone had luck with pulling the 20 amp ABS fuse..... Click on the link.
http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2...p?t=38483&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=f150c998cd148f2f507d3680e16525f4

 

If you push and HOLD the traction control button for about 5 seconds, it will completely shut off ESC. Mine gives a chime and says ESC OFF on the display.

 

BLD, however, still stays active.

 

If you install lockers in your differentials, then shut off the ESC, you can drift all day long (and all night too) without a hint of braking action.

I use detroit locker in rear diff. When in 2WD, can drift, no sweat. When in 4WD, the front brakes will occasionally blip here and there.

 

So is BLD active in 2WD also, or just 4WD? If just 4WD, it'd be a lot easier to just drift in 2WD than to pull the fuse and use 4WD.

 

ESP is active in both 2 and 4H. It can be switched off, as already mentioned The BLD is always active, no matter what mode, no way to defeat.

Like I said, If you want to drift (in my day we'd call it a 'power slide'), then install a locker in the rear diff and keep it in 2WD with the ESP off.

The more I think about this, the more I wonder WHY you would want to 'drift' your Jeep. But, to each his/her own.

 

I while the passenger in wifey's KK the other day took some time to READ THE OWNERS MANUAL where it contained useful information like how to disable the esp - for full off as above push the ESP for 4 seconds - however the disabling the BLD feature it doesn't discuss in the manual.

On an unrelated note:
Other useful info in advance of purchase would be the even after the TSB repair, the slider would still howl like a SOB at 70mph into a headwind and somewhat when not. Farking wind noise would drive me crazy if I was making the payments, but it's in HER side of the budget so she will have to harass the service manager this time - or the salesguy (her bosses brother and son of the dealership owner - so I think we will get some traction)