all time 4wd?

[IdahoDoug]

Outsane - that doesn't seem right from what you describe. You say you no longer have the VC (it's actually not a true VC, which would suck, it's bettetr, but for now lets go with that)? What mod was done for the VC removal? If true, that mod alone would affect how it handles in 4WD with the Toyota coupling removed, as it would indeed cause binding at freeway speeds that you'd feel. Anyhow, curious about the missing "VC".

 

[gummycarbs]

If true, that mod alone would affect how it handles in 4WD with the Toyota coupling removed, as it would indeed cause binding at freeway speeds that you'd feel. Anyhow, curious about the missing "VC".

The '93+ viscous coupler can be simply removed and you'll have an open differential AWD system just like the '91 - '92 models that came without a viscous coupler.

I believe that @Outsane said he's done a part-time conversion, which requires the removal of the viscous coupler.

This video does a great job showing the whole conversion:

 

[Outsane]

@gummycarbs is on the right ticket..


I had the Part time kit on just the hubs first (this is how I got the vehicle).

Noticed I liked driving with the hubs unlocked more.

When I put in transfercase gears i removed the vc and had to either drive in front or lock the center diff.

I then replaced the center diff with a spool and life was better.

Now I usually drive with the hubs unlocked and the center diff unlocked.

 

[60wag]

Aren't "I then replaced the center diff with a spool and life was better." and "the center diff unlocked" mutually exclusive? You can't unlock a spool. Of coarse it drives better with the front hubs unlocks, its no longer an all wheel drive vehicle, its a part time 4WD.

 

[IanB]

Aren't "I then replaced the center diff with a spool and life was better." and "the center diff unlocked" mutually exclusive? You can't unlock a spool. Of coarse it drives better with the front hubs unlocks, its no longer an all wheel drive vehicle, its a part time 4WD.

I believe the "spool" replaces the viscous coupler, which is separate from the center diff, but still within the transfer case. Viscous coupler acts like a LSD for the center diff when unlocked.

 

[gummycarbs]

Aren't "I then replaced the center diff with a spool and life was better." and "the center diff unlocked" mutually exclusive?

No.

I believe the "spool" replaces the viscous coupler

Not quite. Nothing replaces the viscous coupler, it's simply no longer there to try and link the front and rear outputs.

If you jump to 16:00 in the video I posted above, you'll see what's going on. The spider gears are removed from the transfer case differential. With the spider gears missing, nothing drives the front shaft until the transfer case is locked.

 

[60wag]

Help me here,
replacing the center diff with a spool couples the front and rear drive shafts together so they spin all the time, right? How can this be unlocked?
Then you add lockable hubs in the front the can be left unlocked to drive on pavement.

 

[gummycarbs]

replacing the center diff with a spool couples the front and rear drive shafts together

No. It disconnects them. "Spool" doesn't mean what you think it means here. All it does is connect the transfer case "low gear" (the big gear visible in the video, which is used in both high and low range) to the rear output shaft via splines. The plastic spacer on the spool keeps everything spaced correctly, since the spider gears and the little pinion (?) gear have been removed.

How can this be unlocked?

Once you have removed the spider gears from the transfer case differential, the only thing that *can* link the front and rear outputs is the transfer case's "center differential lock".

You're going to have to disassemble a transfer case and play with it to see how it functions. The parts diagrams are too confusing to be much help.

 

[Dave 2000]

How does this work? There's only one power steering pump listed for all 80s. The pressure/volume is controlled by a simple "flow control valve assembly", i.e. an orifice. There are six variants, 44330-33010 through 44330-33060. So how does the UK VX have variable pressure?

The sensor is on the steering box, I have never had issues with it on mine but some customers have. Steering is quite heavy at idle when the sensor plays up. Simply draining and renewing the fluid (sometimes twice) will bring the variable valve back to life.

Every VX diesel I have worked on has this system, but only seen it on one GX gasoline.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Interesting. The diesel PS pump looked like the same basic design, a vane pump with a few different pressure/volume control orifices available. I had to do some reading about how variable assist even works.

Turns out it's a feature of the steering gear, not the pump. There's a pressure control solenoid on the VX and VXL 80s:

44020-60010 Valve Assy, Pressure Control W/solenoid Valve [01.1990 - 01.1998] FJ80,FZJ80,HDJ81,HZJ81..VX,VXL​

​

It's 44020 in this diagram:

View attachment 3198000

Compare to the general market LHD FZJ steering gear:

View attachment 3198018

Searching for the steering gear part number, it appears to have been available only on Japanese and RHD general market vehicles, no LHD vehicles.

As mentioned earlier, the system is on all VX diesel models however, I have seen it on one lower spec model that was petrol, or gasoline if you like.

Regards

Dave

 

[Vulkyn]

The '93+ viscous coupler can be simply removed and you'll have an open differential AWD system just like the '91 - '92 models that came without a viscous coupler.

I believe that @Outsane said he's done a part-time conversion, which requires the removal of the viscous coupler.

This video does a great job showing the whole conversion:

This is sooooooo helpful !! I have been trying to figure out what on earth was done by the previous owner to the transfer case to allow for 2WD.

Now this makes more sense however, I have noticed a LOT of difference in driving when I close the hubs in the front wheels even when the center lock diff button is not engaged (shouldn't be on road anyways)

Is that some inertia / diff thing (excuse my lack of knowledge) but the car behaves way better and in theory it shouldn't have any power to the front wheels correct ?

 

[sunrk]

lcool and george couyant, now that is the time before dinos for sure

cheers,
george. (not couyant).

And as of late 2022, the Lcool forums are gone - all links to them no longer work however the rest of the Lcool site (beside the forums) is still online. George runs ISI Carriers (making bicycle carriers) now. Cost of running/hosting the forums probably outweighed any perceived benefit.