Transfer windup on hard sand?

[Peter ST_R]

Hi Guys

I have heard that transfer case windup can occur on hard sand because there is little slippage due to the hardness of the surface. I prefer to stay in 4H when driving along the beach at low tide as I know if I hit a soft section I will get through with ease. Do you think this is placing excess pressure on my transfer case? I haven't had trouble changing out of 4H so I doubt that windup occurs on hard sand but I am keen to hear if anyone has had it happen to them.

I have also heard the same said for hard packed dirt roads.

Cheers :D

[Mick.]

I've never seen windup happen on sand before. Even on the low tide line where the sand is rock hard your wheels will still slip enough to stop windup i'd imagine. :-\

Cheers Mick.

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Hard packed dirt roads maybe, but hard SAND??! The excessive worry about transfer case wind-up is really as a result of old technology t/fer cases that aren't in production any more!! The older style split cases may be an issue, but not much else is these days! If you are driving a Nissan, or anything Toyota newer than an early 60 series, then you really shouldn't have any issues running on hard sand in 4WD High range with the centre diff locked and you WILL recognise transfer case wind-up when it occurs!! (It is EXTREMELY unlikely that anything as un-formed and loosely compacted as SAND will ever be an issue!)

Transfer case wind-up occurs when there is NO wheel slip between left/right and front/rear wheels and it feels like the vehicle has lost LOTS of power, and the power steering has given up and it WON'T turn, and the gearbox resists gearchanges, the engine labours, and it is VERY noticeable!! If you can swing your foot over the track surface and raise or scuff ANY loose material, you are safer and kinder to your vehicle to be in 4H!! Even country bitumen with a sprinkling of loose gravel and sand on top is safer and no issue for your vehicle in 4H!!

Many of the comp vehicles out there do lots of ks on hard dirt and even on bitumen IN 4WD without any issues. One of the larger rallies run over 20,000kms had more than a couple of normally part time 4bys modded so that they COULDN'T select 2H and they did the whole rally in 4WD, including over 5,000 km of bitumen!! Admittedly, that's 'cos they are at race pace, and are generating lotsa wheel spin, but it shows that your gentle (by comparison) driving isn't going to be an issue!!

By selecting 4H/locked centre diff in a constant 4WD, you are only getting into the same condition as a part-time 4by in 4H, anything less is NOT REALLY 4WD, because diffs, including centre diffs, will direct the drive to the wheel OR END of the vehicle that has the LEAST RESISTANCE to turning, ie, the one with the least traction!! So, when you've got it in 4H Locked Centre Diff, you are driving 1 front wheel and 1 rear wheel at any given instant, (excluding working LSD's or lockers) and you have all 4 wheels available for it to choose from! By doing this, you have improved your steerability, your braking, your roadholding, the vehicles' handling , and a whole range of other issues such as 'less likely to damage vehicle'; less track damage; less impact on passengers; and a large range of safety related items that make a mockery of the "I did it in 2WD" approach!! Yeah, tough maybe, but you would be just as smart to take a hacksaw and entirely remove the brake pedal!! Yes, it can be done, but it ain't smart, and it exposes you, your passengers, AND EVERY OTHER track user you encounter to massive risks that simply aren't warranted, as well as creating significant track damage and potential erosion areas!!

You appear to have being taking the right approach, keeping it in 4H when on any degraded surface, and it will STILL allow you to have a lot of fun in the driving! You can do things in 4WD that simply cannot be done in 2WD once you learn how to take advantage of the handling and steering characteristics that 4WD gives you!! Enjoy, and learn how to get the best from it; after all, if it wasn't better for track-holding and safety, and even performance, why would so many vehicle manufacturers be trying to perfect a useable system for their on (and off) road vehicles??

Just select 4H as soon as the bitumen ends, and slip it back to 2H as and when the surface dictates, rather than the other way around!! Now I'll climb down off my soap box and toss it on the campfire for a day or two!! Have Fun!!

[tariadamar]

i have seen my mum acadently drive around town for a day with it in h4 and nothing happended as the wheels would still slip every now and again so they will slip on sand for sure

[disco_nex]

Damn, id love to know how you could do transmission wind up on hard packed beach! Though if youre worried, and you have full time 4WD, just dont lock your centre diff. Fathers Rangie did Fraser without engaging the centre diff once.

[bad_religion_au]

my first transfer case in my 40 was ultra sensitive to windup, and would wind up in all but the softest of sand (also wind up on hardpacked wet clay) so it might put a little stress on it, but should be right

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Hey Adam, wouldn't the old transfer case on the 40 have been one of the early split case boxes? They were pretty sensitive, and didn't like stressing out very much at all! Most since those things aren't that phased by anything short of long sections of dry rock or slalom runs on dry bitumen!! And even the old split case style jobbies would take a lot of punishment before giving up, they just didn't give you any warning!! It'd all be fine, then suddenly lose power and steering and then next thing, Bang!! Bits all over the place!!!!

[bad_religion_au]

it's was one of the old single piece jobbies (pre split case, so pre 1980 cruiser). oddly enough the two that came after it, both the same single piece cases, never had that issue.

we'll see how the 60 series split case that goes in will cope :D i hope 4 t cases in 3 years is enough

[Chester]

i have seen my mum acadently drive around town for a day with it in h4 and nothing happended as the wheels would still slip every now and again so they will slip on sand for sure


The missus has done the same thing to the Prado with no ill effects noticed

[bad_religion_au]

i have seen my mum acadently drive around town for a day with it in h4 and nothing happended as the wheels would still slip every now and again so they will slip on sand for sure


The missus has done the same thing to the Prado with no ill effects noticed


were the hubs locked for this (ordo the prados have auto hubs?)

what abouttariadamar's?