Daft newbee question related to 4WD selection

[Nick Sabrazat]

All,

I recently fullfilled a childhood dream when acquiring a 1990 HJ60. The car is not without faults but it seems decent overall. I will start a thread on this vehicle at a later stage.

For the time being I need to use the car in the snow tomorrow, starting my journey to work with a 16% incline. So I was wondering what the correct procedure was for engaging 4WD.
I can't really make sense of the instructions on the glovebox lid.

My vehicle is a manual with the transfer box selector showing 2H, 4H and 4L as well as the 4H switch on the dash and locking hubs at the front.

I am aware of what the modes on the transfer box selector are and that I need to lock the hubs to engage 4WD but I am unclear on the reasoning behind the 4H button on the dash.

Any enlightenment on this would be much appreciated.


Cheers,

Nick.

 

[OSS]

With the hubs locked and the transfer case in 2H (high range 2WD). You can drive the car normally on high traction asphalt. Try to keep the speed below 50 mph when the hubs are locked and avoid driving on the freeway at freeway speeds with the hubs locked and the road is dry. It creates more wear & tear to the front drivetrain and lowers mpg.

Once the hubs are locked and you're driving - you can simply engage the 4H button while you're driving and moving once you get off dry asphalt. Ideally you only want to be in 4H (4wd) when the road surface is slippery. Dirt trails, icy roads, snow, sand, mud.

When you're about to leave the slippery stuff to get back on high friction asphalt, try to switch back into 2H while the trail/road is still slippery. Avoid driving on dry high traction asphalt in 4H (4wd) because the front wheels and rear wheels spin at slightly different speeds. This creates extremely hi pressure binding torsion in the driveline as the front wheels drag the rears or vice versa.

If you need to use low range 4wd, stop the vehicle completely before shifting in or out. If you don't, you'll hear gears grind.

 

[4Cruisers]

My vehicle is a manual with the transfer box selector showing 2H, 4H and 4L as well as the 4H switch on the dash and locking hubs at the front.

I am aware of what the modes on the transfer box selector are and that I need to lock the hubs to engage 4WD but I am unclear on the reasoning behind the 4H button on the dash.

I converted the transfer case from my '89 FJ62 to manual front drive engagement from vacuum, and did away with the 4WD button on the dash. Maybe yours has been converted as well, but the button was left in the dash?

The second shift lever on a vacuum operated front drive engagement set-up only goes forward and back, and the shift knob should have H, N, and L on it. The manual front drive engagement set-up has a L-shaped shift pattern showing 2H, 4H, and 4L. How is yours set up? Could also be that some previous owner used a different transfer case shifter knob.

 

[northwest60]

When engaging or disengaging with either Vacum (button) or manual shifters always back off on the throttle a little , being under power makes the shifting more difficult for all components.

 

[Hojack]

You'd be amazed at how often the cruisers don't need 4WD in the snow... Congrats on the diesel cruiser!

 

[Nick Sabrazat]

Thanks to all that responded so quickly. All the information came very handy this morning (UK) to go to work.

I converted the transfer case from my '89 FJ62 to manual front drive engagement from vacuum, and did away with the 4WD button on the dash. Maybe yours has been converted as well, but the button was left in the dash?

The second shift lever on a vacuum operated front drive engagement set-up only goes forward and back, and the shift knob should have H, N, and L on it. The manual front drive engagement set-up has a L-shaped shift pattern showing 2H, 4H, and 4L. How is yours set up? Could also be that some previous owner used a different transfer case shifter knob.

This was the main reason for my OP. My selector is the L-shaped layout and I couldn't work out why I had such selector AND the H4 push button on the dash.

So this morning before setting off, I locked the hubs, selected the transfer case into 4H, waited a good 40 seconds, and the 4WD light on the dash still wouldn't go on. I then pressed the switch, and 15-20 seconds later the 4WD light came on. Drove the car in this configuration up the snowy hill. When I got the top, I pushed the switch off, but the 4WD light remained. When I got to the main roads, I push the transfer selector back to 2H and the 4WD light went off.

So next step is probably to put the car on the ramp and try to make sense of this.

As an aside, is the retrofitting of the older transfer case design a common mod, i.e. is the vacuum push button selector notoriously unreliable?

Nick.

 

[PCC]

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[PCC]

With the hubs locked and the transfer case in 2H (high range 2WD). You can drive the car normally on high traction asphalt. Try to keep the speed below 50 mph when the hubs are locked and avoid driving on the freeway at freeway speeds with the hubs locked and the road is dry. It creates more wear & tear to the front drivetrain and lowers mpg.

You can drive normally in 2H with the hubs locked. No need to stay under 50 MPH. Leaving your hubs locked will cause no damage to your vehicle and will not influence it's handling - it will simply burn more gas

 

[Nick Sabrazat]

You can drive normally in 2H with the hubs locked. No need to stay under 50 MPH. Leaving your hubs locked will cause no damage to your vehicle and will not influence it's handling - it will simply burn more gas

I have actually read somewhere that, putting the slight improvement in mpg aside, it was actually better to leave the hubs locked all the time to keep the mechanics oiled.
Would be interesting to know what most people do.

Nick.

 

[4Cruisers]

I have actually read somewhere that, putting the slight improvement in mpg aside, it was actually better to leave the hubs locked all the time to keep the mechanics oiled.
Would be interesting to know what most people do.

Nick.

I've always read that you should lock the hubs periodically to do just that, but not all the time.

BTW, let us know what you find out about how your vehicle's transfer case is set up, I'm curious.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have actually read somewhere that, putting the slight improvement in mpg aside, it was actually better to leave the hubs locked all the time to keep the mechanics oiled.
Would be interesting to know what most people do.

Nick.

The factory manual says to engage the hubs and drive 10 miles once a month. I would guess this never happened to 99% of USA FJ60s and they still survived ok.

I wouldn't go too fast with the hubs locked but not for the reasons listed. It's perfectly safe though and causes minimal additional wear. So if you live in the snow, or where it snows often, leaving the hubs locked all winter, and thus making shifting into 4wd a simple affair. But the reason not to go too fast with the hubs locked, is the front driveshaft angles are wrong, and at high speeds might cause some vibration, especially on a lifted truck. Remember if you lock the hubs the front shaft will be in motion too, it just isn't coupled at the transfer case.

 

[SteveH]

So this morning before setting off, I locked the hubs, selected the transfer case into 4H, waited a good 40 seconds, and the 4WD light on the dash still wouldn't go on. I then pressed the switch, and 15-20 seconds later the 4WD light came on. Drove the car in this configuration up the snowy hill. When I got the top, I pushed the switch off, but the 4WD light remained. When I got to the main roads, I push the transfer selector back to 2H and the 4WD light went off.

The vacuum system is not unreliable, in fact, when I bolted an un-rebuilt 1965 vacuum actuator onto a 1980 transfer case in a project truck, it worked just fine. My FJ62 has 255K miles (not kilos) and works perfectly.

Your setup may be a bit sluggish because no one has used it in a while. You should 'exercise' your 4WD bits on occasion - lock the hubs and go into 4-low, 4-high and keep everything happy and oiled.

......and this thread needs pictures! Show us cool HJ-anything-we-can't-get-in-the-US pictures.

 

[PCC]

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[Nick Sabrazat]

......and this thread needs pictures! Show us cool HJ-anything-we-can't-get-in-the-US pictures.

More than happy to oblige :
First day at work for the car. Got a lot.of compliments from work colleagues.

It has been performing very well in the snow. Saying that I am chuffed with my purchase would be an understatement.

 

[Nick Sabrazat]

BTW, let us know what you find out about how your vehicle's transfer case is set up, I'm curious.

Bit of an update. I managed to contact one of the previous owners on my truck who confirmed that an older type transfer case had been retro fitted during his ownership. So the 4H button on the dash is effectively redundant.

Your setup may be a bit sluggish because no one has used it in a while. You should 'exercise' your 4WD bits on occasion - lock the hubs and go into 4-low, 4-high and keep everything happy and oiled.

You were not wrong I need to engage 4WD at least once a week just to get to work. And since using the car for commuting the 4WD has engaged more and more rapidly to the point that it is now almost instant.

One think I have noticed however is that I sometimes struggle to disengage 4WD. I can select 4H to 4L and back to 4H but in some occasions the lever won't go back to 2H. I found that it sorts itself out have driving a few miles. Any suggestions? Could this be linked to the retrofitting of the "L" arrangement transfer box onto my later HJ60?

Nick

 

[SteveH]

One think I have noticed however is that I sometimes struggle to disengage 4WD. I can select 4H to 4L and back to 4H but in some occasions the lever won't go back to 2H.

Part-time 4WD with no center diff means that there can be binding in the drive line (from proceeding in 4WD in any direction but a straight line) and this shows up as stress on the gears in the transfer case, which make it hard to shift.

For example, if you just went around a gentle left turn in 4WD and now cannot shift back to 2H, then try turning to the right to relieve the stress in the drive line. In time, you'll get better at not making sharp turns in 4WD on hard surfaces. Feel free to 'row that lever' as frequently as needed.

 

[Nick Sabrazat]

Part-time 4WD with no center diff means that there can be binding in the drive line (from proceeding in 4WD in any direction but a straight line) and this shows up as stress on the gears in the transfer case, which make it hard to shift.

For example, if you just went around a gentle left turn in 4WD and now cannot shift back to 2H, then try turning to the right to relieve the stress in the drive line. In time, you'll get better at not making sharp turns in 4WD on hard surfaces. Feel free to 'row that lever' as frequently as needed.

That certainly makes sense, and I am kinda glad it's normal. This would also explain why I experienced such issue after maneuvering down my drive (on snow though). I must admit, I am fairly inexperienced with part time 4WD, having only owed Land Rovers until now.

Cheers. I'll bare your advice in mind.

Nick.