4X4 Test Drive

I8A4RE

Looking at buying a jeep, probably a Pathfinder, pretty soon. To test the 4x4 wheel drive is it case of just switiching to a lo ratio and just going through the gears

Cheers

101sean

Generally yes. Find out how the particular 4x4 transmission you are going to look at works and check it actually does, they all differ. Quite often you'll find hi/lo and 4x4 selection or difflock can be seized or stiff through lack of use, especially with passenger ones.

pete4130

Some older 4x4's are manually locking hubs, where you have to get out and lock the hubs by hand (a case of turning a switch on the hub to the LOCK position) and then selecting the low range. Some newer vehicles are auto locking hubs where you just push the 2nd gear lever for the low range into H4 and L4. Some vehicles simply have a button or dial inside and makes it really easy to switch between high and low range.

When the 4wd is engaged you'll feel it doing a slow, fully locked tight turn. It will feel like the engine is struggling, a bit like the handbrake is still not fully disengaged. If you do a full lock turn at low speed on bitumen with the 4wd engaged you might feel a clicking or creeking through the drive train. It's the axles binding up a little bit. It's a good indication that the 4wd mechanism is putting power to the front wheels and is working. Don't push it too hard. Binding the axles up too much can put a lot of stress on the axles.
Off road this binding doesn't occur as the wheels can spin/slip on gravel/dirt sand unlike on bitumen where there is too much friction.

If 4x4's don't get put into 4wd and used they can get stiff or dry. Make sure you check the levels on the transfer boxes. This can make it feel hard to put into and out of 4wd. When disengaging 4wd some vehicles have to be driven forward or reversed a few metres before it can disengage.

Just get the vehicle checked out properly. If something is up with the 4wd drive train it can be expensive to fix. There can be a lot more to go wrong with them.

CJhaughey

If you are testing Landcruiser 90 and 120 series they are permanent 4wd, locking the centre diff in them and driving them till the transmission winds up is a very bad idea. It can cause damage to the transfer case and the chain drive.

Jonty

OP, just switch from Hi to Lo range and engage first. Do this on a straight line and don't turn the steering wheel on a hard surface, as the diff locks will make the tyres scrub, or you could burst a diff.

No need to go up through the gears in low range.