How does my 4x4 work? I feel stupid. (1 Viewer)

[Colington]

I feel silly asking, but I have a rare bird here. It's a 1989 JDM HJ61 (rhd) with a five speed and 12-ht diesel.

It has a 4wd button at my left knee and the light engages as well as a lever 2H-N-4LO on the floor. Up front it has Asisn locking hubs.

First thing first; I thought it was a vacuum actuated "4HI on the fly" type system meaning press the button while moving in gear and you're in 4x4 hi. For the nasty stuff, you stop, clutch in and use the mechanical lever for LO range and lastly get your butt out and twist the lockers for a locked front diff.

I realize there are vacuum, solenoid and diaphragm possibilities that can come into play here but pause on that thought process until you're finished reading.

What happened: I was in third gear going Aprox 35MPH and I pressed the 4wd button while in gear. The truck immediately made a nasty gear grinding noise (like when you have a bad clutch and can't quite get reverse). I then pressed the button and it quit in under a second. In my panic state, I pulled over (in deep sand on accident) to see if I damaged anything. No leaks and no chunks of metal in the road. Pressed button again while stopped and no sound.

Next: tried to pull forward and realized I was stuck.

Next: pressed 4wd button with clutch in and tried to escape my sandy prison. Rear wheels spin slowly and front do nothing. I try reverse and same result.

Next: I'll timed police officer in a Jeep rolls up and snickers before asking if I'm stuck. Me, unwilling to be pulled out by a jeep says no and declines assistance. Lol.

Next: 4wdbutton still on, I get my butt out and twist my front lockers then clutch in and select 4LO. No clunks, or thinks like I'm used to on my Toyota pickups... I select first gear and low and behold the front spins and I crawl out SLOOOOOOLLLLYYYYY.

In summary, is my 4hi not working, or am I daft, or both?

 

[gerg]

Try it with hubs locked and in 4hi. If it works on 4lo it would be weird if it didn't in 4hi. Pressing the 4wd button when your moving with your hubs unlocked is the same as shifting your old school case shifter into 4wd with your hubs unlocked while moving. You still have to do the hubs first, or be stopped when you do the selector. If I remember right my fj62 was the same way.

You did the right thing with the jeep by the way.

 

[Colington]

It's possible that it WAS in "unlocked" 4hi and my opposite side front wheel was spinning and the wheel I saw "seemed" like it was doing nothing, but it just didn't feel like it was engaging.

Any step by step "how to" would be much appreciated. This thing makes me feel like I'm an idiot

 

[AussieHJCruza]

1) Lock hubs
2) With vehicle is stopped, with clutch in, push 4H button on dash. Dash light will come on, and then drive off. You're in 4H
3) With vehicle stopped, with clutch in, shift transfer lever from 2H to 4L. You are in low 4.

Reverse procedure to put into 2wd again.

 

[Locked79]

1) Lock hubs
2) With vehicle is stopped, with clutch in, push 4H button on dash. Dash light will come on, and then drive off. You're in 4H
3) With vehicle stopped, with clutch in, shift transfer lever from 2H to 4L. You are in low 4.

Reverse procedure to put into 2wd again.

Correct.
You can only shift from 2H to 4H on the fly IF your hubs are locked in and all wheels are rotating at the same speed. If your hubs aren't locked in and you try this too often, you will destroy the transfer case.

 

[Malahki]

As stated above hubs have to be locked anytime you shift into 4wd. The vaccum actuated 4hi only engadges the transfercase not the hubs.

You can however leave your hubs locke in and drive around in 2hi. Only downside is the added resistance and wear and tear on the front end componets. I leave my hubs locked in the winter when the roads are bad and engadge 4hi when needed.

Also as mentioned you can engadge 4hi at any speed (with hubs locked). Just dont do it when spinning out or turning a corner because the front and rear tires will be rotating at different speeds

 

[Malahki]

Also you DO NOT need to clutch when engadging 4hi. Simply push the button and then let off the throttle momentarily to allow the gears to fully mesh.

 

[Colington]

I can't express my thanks to all of you that took the time to help a fellow TLC'er head.

Works perfectly.

 

[ozwallaby]

I also note you are referring to your locking hubs as "lockers"..... this term is usually reserved for locking diffs NOT the hubs, which are a completely different thing.....