Newbie on 4x4.. Questions about center differential on my 92 FJ80

[AJM0617]

Hey guys, I am new to 4x4 world. I have some questions about 4WD system on my 92 Land cruiser. I tried to read so many forums here but I just can't get enough answers

1) I understand how the center differential works when it's lock/unlock. but How fast can I drive my Cruiser when my center differential is locked oh "H" hign mode without breaking anything? and How long can I drive it with the center diff. locked?

2) When can I lock my center diff.? Is it ok to lock it when driving on the road with some good amount of snow or even Ice?

3) when I go off road (gravel road) snowy, muddy or just plain gravel up hill and down hill and turns, can I lock my center diff and be ok without breaking anything?

I know there are several threads out there about center differential lock, but I have been trying to reserch it but can't really get a clear answers.

Thanks in advance.. I really appriciate it..

Aron.

 

[mr jits]

You don't want the center locked in high speed travel.
I prefer not to have it locked for anything other than max traction situations where I need equal torque and no wheel slippage (uphill, rocks, mud). I do not lock it in the snow, preferring to let AWD do its job.

 

[Corbet]

By locking it your simply putting the truck in a part time 4x4 mode. In a straight line you could drive as fast as you wanted for as log as you wanted. The problems come in when cornering the the front wheels travel a longer path than the rears. On a low traction surface the tires just slip. On dry pavement that is not always the case but most often still is.

With the center diff unlocked your truck is like a Subaru for lack of a better description. The open diff allows the front and rear driveshafts to turn at different speeds when necessary.

Hope that helps.

You can switch between modes while driving. I have done so at HWY speeds but best to probably keep it under 30MPH when changing modes.

I can't speak for the FJ80 but on my FZJ80 when you lock the center you also turn off the ABS. There is a dash indicator light to tell you so. Something to keep in mind in the snow.

 

[LandCrawler]

The rule of thumb is never dry pavement. Everything else should be okay (gravel, dirt, sand, wet roads, snow and ice)

Also there is no speed limit as you are not creating any additional moving parts, you are just forcing both front and rear driveshafts to spin at the same speed. You could do 120mph with a locked center diff just so long as its not on dry pavement.

 

[MYSHERPA]

You could do 120mph with a locked center diff just so long as its not on dry pavement.

What, you don't like 4X4 drifting?!

 

[diego355]

Dont use it o the pavement or at high speeds, if the roads are covered with snow just let the 4wd do its job. Use your cdl on the trails

 

[AJM0617]

Thanks for all the replies.. I now understand how to properly use CDL.. thanks again..