locking hubs

[rodeo boy]

quick question. i have a rodeo (duh), with manual locking hubs. i live in a town that is surrounded by dirt roads (the old burke developmental road in QLD). I keep my hubs locked all the time since there is very little time i am not on bitumen. I have been told by some not to keep them locked. should i keep them locked or not? i like to put it in 4h when i am on the dirt as well, should i do that? thanks kids.

[BushTuckerNed]

Ive been told not to leave them locked in, so i dont.

[Wilesy]

From what I am led to believe, is that by unlocking them saves a bit on shaft wear and reducing fuel economy.

If I lived in a regeon like yours, I wouldn't have a problem leaving them locked.

keeping them locked means little on the dirt..... just means your front diff will wear the same as your rear diff... may use a tiny bit extra fuel, but the car is far more stable on the dirt in 4WD. I put the work ute, a Bravo, into 4wd when i venture onto dirt roads with a load of feed on the back.... stops it sliding around corners :)

4WDs are designed to be in 4WD so i wouldnt have though it'd be a problem. but like the others have said, it'll use a little more fuel and wear the front diff/drive shaft quicker

[FJ60]

Transmmision Wind up??? it stuffs your 4wd system if you drive on hard surfaces all the time in 4h As for the hubs its ok just more wear on your internals. But it shouldn't matter

[crankycruiser]

I'm in the volunteer fire brigade and the Landcruisers have their hubs left in all the time and these vehicles rarely leave the black top.
Just dont put it in 4wd unless u r on a loosish surface

[Muzza]

I lock mine in once a week if I haven't been offroad just to get the lubrication thing happening, and give em a spin, just for 10-20 km's.
Probably doesn't make any difference, but where I live, everything locks up with rust and seizes if not constantly moved, so it may just be a peace of mind / pyschological thing for me! ;D And it can't hurt!
Cheers
Muzza

[baby_troupe]

Mine has not been offroad for a while now, but I still lock the hubs in at least once per week & take it for a run around town.
Helps circulate the oil etc. ;)

My vehicle manual suggests doing at least 20 kilometres per month with the hubs locked in for the same reason....... lubrication.... but i can't on mine :-[ the spline on the front shaft is a little worn and it vibrates at speeds over 70kph....

[FJ60]

What on a roedao dosnt whine????

what doesn't whine on a Rodeo? far more than a 60 ;)

[HnM]

Leave em in mate, won't hurt unless you engage 4wd ;)

[Jys5428]

Ask yourself if there's been more occasions where you had to get out and set the hubs prior to using 4wd,
or
where you've wanted to engage low range without the hubs locked.

[kitch76]

Mine get locked regularly as I have 8.5 acres with a nice gully running accross it but the 4runner drinks the juice when i forget to unlock to drive into town. It is a realy noticable increse in fuel consumtion. :-\

[mickyd]

The major drawback to keeping hubs locked in all the time is that it can ( not necessarily will) chew out your bearings. So I've been told. But I can't see them wearing any faster than the rear. The only time I unlock mine is when I remember.

[ferremit]

Ive been told that if you dont run em, your seals end up hardening around your shafts, and when you do end up running them, they chew the hardened seals out and the whole front end leaks.


FTR, Lux runs around unlocked for fuel economy, but gets locked in whenever im driving it cos i quite reguarly find little tracks to investigate.


and our national parks vehicles were perm engaged too

Ive been told that if you dont run em, your seals end up hardening around your shafts, and when you do end up running them, they chew the hardened seals out and the whole front end leaks.


FTR, Lux runs around unlocked for fuel economy, but gets locked in whenever im driving it cos i quite reguarly find little tracks to investigate.


and our national parks vehicles were perm engaged too


nothing worse than a seal hardening around your shaft mate!! try explaining THAT to the doctor!! :-X "Honest Doc!! i was just walking down the road and the next thing i know there is a hardened seal on my shaft!!"

[Snofox]

nothing worse than a seal hardening around your shaft mate!! try explaining THAT to the doctor!! :-X "Honest Doc!! i was just walking down the road and the next thing i know there is a hardened seal on my shaft!!"

LOL

Try explaining that to your wife.

nothing worse than a seal hardening around your shaft mate!! try explaining THAT to the doctor!! :-X "Honest Doc!! i was just walking down the road and the next thing i know there is a hardened seal on my shaft!!"

LOL

Try explaining that to your wife.



he he he he good work tiger

[Snofox]

Hmmmmm!
What type of seal was RoeDao having troubles with...?

Hardened seal = 1.Oil Seal Ring
or
2.Dry Crusty Dead Seal?

Hardened criminal = ......?!!

Hmmmmm!
What type of seal was RoeDao having troubles with...?

Hardened seal = 1.Oil Seal Ring
or
2.Dry Crusty Dead Seal?

Hardened criminal =
http://www.vistawebdesigns.com/4wdpics/roe.jpg

[rat patrol]

Reoy I was rite mate the feather boa would be a scary sight did I say scary I ment friggin scary ;D ;D ;D

Hardened criminal = turned good, with all the RFS stuff he dose.

[Sea-Dog]

All hardened criminals and dead seals aside! If you are on a bit of a bouncy dirt road you will have diminished steering ability. So the equation of slight wear on the shafts and drives etc is offset against the possibility of parking up against a couple of gum trees twenty foot off to the side of the track..

Myself, I would lock them in and engage 4x4 but would be extremely mindful of the surface I am driving on... If the tyres have too much grip and you have locked the hubs and engaged four wheel drive you will definitely get the gears all wound up.....

[Snofox]

All hardened criminals and dead seals aside! If you are on a bit of a bouncy dirt road you will have diminished steering ability. So the equation of slight wear on the shafts and drives etc is offset against the possibility of parking up against a couple of gum trees twenty foot off to the side of the track..



AGREED !!!


PS - RoeDao you look just like a chap i work with.

oh god!! there couldn't be more than one of me around!! :-X

[baby_troupe]

All hardened criminals and dead seals aside! If you are on a bit of a bouncy dirt road you will have diminished steering ability. So the equation of slight wear on the shafts and drives etc is offset against the possibility of parking up against a couple of gum trees twenty foot off to the side of the track..

Myself, I would lock them in and engage 4x4 but would be extremely mindful of the surface I am driving on... If the tyres have too much grip and you have locked the hubs and engaged four wheel drive you will definitely get the gears all wound up.....

I do the same.
My hibs are locked in when I get the first opportunity to (I only have to stop for one second as I have electric hubs) & when I hit the dirt, hit the switch to activate 4WD H.

[Snofox]

All hardened criminals and dead seals aside! If you are on a bit of a bouncy dirt road you will have diminished steering ability. So the equation of slight wear on the shafts and drives etc is offset against the possibility of parking up against a couple of gum trees twenty foot off to the side of the track..

Myself, I would lock them in and engage 4x4 but would be extremely mindful of the surface I am driving on... If the tyres have too much grip and you have locked the hubs and engaged four wheel drive you will definitely get the gears all wound up.....

I do the same.
My hibs are locked in when I get the first opportunity to (I only have to stop for one second as I have electric hubs) & when I hit the dirt, hit the switch to activate 4WD H.


Man, electric hubs!!! How lazy can you be!

I get my weeks worth of exercise by trotting around the front of the Hilux to lock the hubs in manually.

;D

[westvictoriaHILUX]

i take mine out untill i need them (every day for some reason) or in the bush. ;)

[Weaner]

This probably sounds like a silly question, but im new to the 4x4 game and have to learn somewhere, if i have the hubs locked in can i select 4x4 H or L without stopping. Or do i have to stop put it in and take off again? ???

[BushTuckerNed]

This probably sounds like a silly question, but im new to the 4x4 game and have to learn somewhere, if i have the hubs locked in can i select 4x4 H or L without stopping. Or do i have to stop put it in and take off again? ???

I dont know if it is with all 4bs.

But mine, i can go from high range 4wd to 2wd on the move. Im not sure if you can go the other way ??? If you are going to low range to high, or high to low you have to stop because they are a different ratio

This probably sounds like a silly question, but im new to the 4x4 game and have to learn somewhere, if i have the hubs locked in can i select 4x4 H or L without stopping. Or do i have to stop put it in and take off again? ???


some vehicles are shift on the fly....... others aren't..... the Bravo i used to drive at work could change from 2WD to 4WD/H but didn't enjoy being taken to 4WD/L..... i had to stop....... the Deo can shift bewteen the lot on the move.

[Bucko]

Well old LandCruisers and Land Rovers didn't even have locking hubs standard. They were an aftermarket accessory to go and buy. I have Selecto hubs on my 45 and my old 55 and 40 had Warn Hubs.

[Trojan]

I keep them locked in on my current work Hilux which has around the 100000Km on it, and did the same to my last work vehicle (another Hilux) which i put about 275000km on. A few of the other blokes i work with do the same. None have seen any problems with doing it, the only noticable effect is get about 40km less from a tank of diesel.

As already mentioned, aslong as not shifting the transfer into 4WD when not needed, i don't see it being a problem other then the slightly poorer fuel consumption.

[Mick.]

I forgot to unlock my hubs once and the next time I went 4wding I got to a track and stoped, got out unlocked my hubs thinking I was locking them (note it was dark and didn't use a torch to check they were locked correctly) drove off thinking I was in 4wd. :) About an hour later got stuck in mud and my mates and I are out in the mud getting the winch out. The cable wasn't long enough so started digging. About an hour into our recovery one of my mates shone the torch on the wheel to discover the hubs wheren't locked in. :o We locked the hubs in and drove straight out. That was two years ago and I still cop crap about it and probably always will. :-[ :P

ive got an SR5 hilux that had fixed hubs and i fitted manual hub ,because i have ifs with the front wound up ,and i recon unlocking them for daily driving has to be the way to go, less wear,less fuel and less stess when turning ,the boots on the cvs were wearing pretty badly with the shafts constantly turning

[DX80]

This probably sounds like a silly question, but im new to the 4x4 game and have to learn somewhere, if i have the hubs locked in can i select 4x4 H or L without stopping. Or do i have to stop put it in and take off again? ???

The maximum speed for changing from high to low is 8kph for a toyota and everything else should be shift on the fly ;D

Are you serious? 8kph! thats rediculous!!

[swaddo]

In the Triton I have to be stationary to shift from 4H to 4L. I've tried to shift while rolling and it makes some very ornary music when I do. But then I'm also a newbie at the game so maybe im doing something very wrong.

Cheers
Blake

[Mick.]

In the Triton I have to be stationary to shift from 4H to 4L. I've tried to shift while rolling and it makes some very ornary music when I do. But then I'm also a newbie at the game so maybe im doing something very wrong.

Cheers
Blake
No your not doing anything wrong, you should never go from high range to low range while on the move you should always come to a complete stop. You can go from 2wd to 4wd on the go and 4wd to 2wd while moving thats fine.

[bad_religion_au]

selecting 2wd - 4wd on the move is fine as long as your not spinning your rear wheels (or turning) because that'd make your front and rear input shafts turn at different speeds.

as for high - low range, you can if you know the vehicle well enough, as the transfer case is non syncroed. i.e. know that about 1500rpm in low 2nd is about the same wheelspeed as high 1st (rough guess based on my 40). if you match wheelspeed and revs to the gear your choosing (or range your choosing) it should go in without the orcastra...

get to know it well enough, you can shift high - low or low - high on the move without the clutch, without grinding

[Mick.]

as for high - low range, you can if you know the vehicle well enough, as the transfer case is non syncroed. i.e. know that about 1500rpm in low 2nd is about the same wheelspeed as high 1st (rough guess based on my 40). if you match wheelspeed and revs to the gear your choosing (or range your choosing) it should go in without the orcastra...

get to know it well enough, you can shift high - low or low - high on the move without the clutch, without grinding
I treasure my 4by to much to even attempt this. ;D

[bad_religion_au]

eh you just dont wheel enough ;D

i can't stand a jerky gearshift, so i always try to time revs anyway... then one day was rushing and forgot to clutch... so far so good.

but then again i don't clutch to shift the gearbox either

[Mick.]

eh you just dont wheel enough ;D

i can't stand a jerky gearshift, so i always try to time revs anyway... then one day was rushing and forgot to clutch... so far so good.

but then again i don't clutch to shift the gearbox either
Mines an auto though.The tranny has to be in neutral to go from high to low or it makes some pretty horrible noices. :P

[bad_religion_au]

that could do it to you

[bulldoggin]

we have heaps of fourbies at work, most are used off road regularly & the hubs are in all the time, most are kept till around 160-180000kms, I haven't heard of any having problems in the drive train, just a little extra fuel use.

that being said, I unlock the hubs in my own fourby (prolly cause i'm footing the diesel bill :P ) But I also use Low range to back heavy trailers up steep driveways (with the hubs out) ;).

I have been doing the same as some have mentioned, running it with the hubs in occasionally to keep things lubricated, but this thread got me thinking, why couldn't I just leave the hubs out & run it in 4wd high for a few K's to lubricate things, would this do the same as having the hubs in? or would it cause more problems?

[bad_religion_au]

we have heaps of fourbies at work, most are used off road regularly & the hubs are in all the time, most are kept till around 160-180000kms, I haven't heard of any having problems in the drive train, just a little extra fuel use.

that being said, I unlock the hubs in my own fourby (prolly cause i'm footing the diesel bill :P ) But I also use Low range to back heavy trailers up steep driveways (with the hubs out) ;).

I have been doing the same as some have mentioned, running it with the hubs in occasionally to keep things lubricated, but this thread got me thinking, why couldn't I just leave the hubs out & run it in 4wd high for a few K's to lubricate things, would this do the same as having the hubs in? or would it cause more problems?


not familiar with every 4bie setup, but i've always been told to minimise the amount of time you run a 4bie in 4wd without the hubs locked because it can chew out the spindles and stuff in the front end. now i don't know the % risk or anything, but why not just lock the hubs for this lubrication? you'll use the same fuel either way (cause your either driving the diffs and all that through your t case, or ground driving it throug the wheels).

only difference i can see in the operation is that if you don't turn your hub dial often it (and the locking hub mechanism) itself might seaze (happened on my 45 after a salt dunking)

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

bulldoggin, the selector mechanism in the transfer case is a pretty big unit, larger than most constant 4WD centre diffs, lots of oil, big spaces between gears when not engaged, no real problems when some bits are spinning and others aren't.

The free-wheeling hub however, is a tiny thing full of grease, the throw is only about 10mm, and the spline and hub are only parts of millimetres apart. No space for cooling, movement, wear, etc.

If you leave the hubs unlocked and select 4H instead, the hubs will cook and probably melt! They certainly get very hot after just a few k's at highway speed, and I've seen people who've done just that very perplexed about where the 'oil' came from that ran out over the wheel! It wasn't oil, it was melted greased, and it melted before the guts of the hub burnt blue and seized!

Go the other way, lock the hubs in once a week, month or whatever, and drive around that way for a while, or a few k's. Like bad_reigion_au said, use low occasionally to back a trailer somewhere, but limit use the other way, it'll chew out spindles and stuff the front end!! :o :o :o

[dogbreath_48]

I get the feeling the CV's in non-full-time 4WD's mightn't be as good as those in full timers. I base this on the fact that mine (75 series) seem to bind very slightly on full lock. Of course it's no problem with the hubs unlocked.

In saying this, the cruiser spends alot of time on the road with the hubs locked in to keep the seals fresh. It does feel slower (2h) though.

just a thought

-Stu :)

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Nope, I don't think there's anything in that feeling dogbreath_48, they're often the same part!!

But the 75 might be getting on a bit, done a bit of work, been a while since the grease was freshened, taken the odd bit of abuse maybe...... That's the sort of stuff that causes binding very slightly on full lock!

Sounds like service time might save a few dollars and keep it going for another year or two!!

Have Fun!

[bad_religion_au]

bulldoggin, the selector mechanism in the transfer case is a pretty big unit, larger than most constant 4WD centre diffs, lots of oil, big spaces between gears when not engaged, no real problems when some bits are spinning and others aren't.

The free-wheeling hub however, is a tiny thing full of grease, the throw is only about 10mm, and the spline and hub are only parts of millimetres apart. No space for cooling, movement, wear, etc.

If you leave the hubs unlocked and select 4H instead, the hubs will cook and probably melt! They certainly get very hot after just a few k's at highway speed, and I've seen people who've done just that very perplexed about where the 'oil' came from that ran out over the wheel! It wasn't oil, it was melted greased, and it melted before the guts of the hub burnt blue and seized!

Go the other way, lock the hubs in once a week, month or whatever, and drive around that way for a while, or a few k's. Like bad_reigion_au said, use low occasionally to back a trailer somewhere, but limit use the other way, it'll chew out spindles and stuff the front end!! :o :o :o


thanks peter, that clears up my theory :)

[RageRacing]

Transmmision Wind up??? it stuffs your 4wd system if you drive on hard surfaces all the time in 4h As for the hubs its ok just more wear on your internals. But it shouldn't matter


hubs locked will not create wind up, bubs locked in 4wd will. I suggest that if you dont get into 4wd much to actually put the hubs in around town one day a week to keep the cvs moving and greased and the diff oiled up etc.

on a long trip on the black top then fuel usage mey be noticable, and the hubs etc will heat up so the grease will need to be replaced sooner etc, but no real damage can be done except for the usual wear and tear

[bulldoggin]

bulldoggin, the selector mechanism in the transfer case is a pretty big unit, larger than most constant 4WD centre diffs, lots of oil, big spaces between gears when not engaged, no real problems when some bits are spinning and others aren't.

The free-wheeling hub however, is a tiny thing full of grease, the throw is only about 10mm, and the spline and hub are only parts of millimetres apart. No space for cooling, movement, wear, etc.

If you leave the hubs unlocked and select 4H instead, the hubs will cook and probably melt! They certainly get very hot after just a few k's at highway speed, and I've seen people who've done just that very perplexed about where the 'oil' came from that ran out over the wheel! It wasn't oil, it was melted greased, and it melted before the guts of the hub burnt blue and seized!

Go the other way, lock the hubs in once a week, month or whatever, and drive around that way for a while, or a few k's. Like bad_reigion_au said, use low occasionally to back a trailer somewhere, but limit use the other way, it'll chew out spindles and stuff the front end!! :o :o :o


thanks peter, that clears up my theory :)


Yeah, Excellent stuff, thanks Peter, I'll keep doing what i've been doing then. Good to know.... only thing is, now you've got me worried about using low range with the hubs out at all, lol... I think i'd still rather do that though than slip the clutch when backing the trailer full of wood up the driveway :)

[bad_religion_au]

Yeah, Excellent stuff, thanks Peter, I'll keep doing what i've been doing then. Good to know.... only thing is, now you've got me worried about using low range with the hubs out at all, lol... I think i'd still rather do that though than slip the clutch when backing the trailer full of wood up the driveway :)


don't worry too much about the low range work. think about it there's a big difference in cv speed beteen a highway run and backing of a trailer. you'll be fine for that.

if yours was a cruiser i'd tell you how to modify your shift linkages to allow low range without engaging 4x4.

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Don't worry about backing the trailer in low range with the hubs unlocked! Anything slow and relatively short shouldn't be a problem, it's the ighway speed and duration that does it.

Feel your hubs after doing the backing bit...... If they aren't hot, then there is NO problemo!!

[DX80]

Are you serious? 8kph! thats rediculous!!

That's what my book says, and on the glovebox door of most 40 series.
And it's do able aswell with a double clutch.
Must be a toyota thing ;)

Are you serious? 8kph! thats rediculous!!

That's what my book says, and on the glovebox door of most 40 series.
And it's do able aswell with a double clutch.
Must be a toyota thing ;)


Ahh ok, i was towing in the deo yesterday (car and car trailer) and had to switch from low to high range due to steep hill start and then acceleratin to 80kph. went from 5th in low to 3rd in high no probs. Not sure if im meant to do it or not :-\ .

But ill figure it out if im up for a new rtransfer case in the future!

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

If it didn't make crunching noises when you did it, that's OK! It's just that when it is in one range, there is a vast difference in internal t/fer case speeds between ranges, and changing between ranges on the move is not easy to do without missing the match of rotational speeds, and chewing things a bit. If you can get the revs right, and match the speeds properly, it is a joyous thing when it works, and a real embarrassment when the transfer case drops out onto the road way under the car!!

[bad_religion_au]

If it didn't make crunching noises when you did it, that's OK! It's just that when it is in one range, there is a vast difference in internal t/fer case speeds between ranges, and changing between ranges on the move is not easy to do without missing the match of rotational speeds, and chewing things a bit. If you can get the revs right, and match the speeds properly, it is a joyous thing when it works, and a real embarrassment when the transfer case drops out onto the road way under the car!!


and it's more of a good feeling when you pull it off clutchless :)

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

The transfer case isn't really impacted by the clutch a great deal, in fact its probably fairly reasonable to say that any change of drive/ratio in the transfer case is clutchless anyway. It really is only in the gearbox that the clutch makes a difference.

So your doing your gearchange clutchless is 'aided' by the synchro cones, but its probably not a good thing to do too often, they will wear a lot more through clutchless gearchanges than otherwise, unless you get the revs absolutely right, and with a synchro box, you'll never know until the gears fall out!!

The transfer case bit of changing from low to high range on the fly is a true, unaided 'clutchless' change, and there is a real art in matching the revs to get that change done properly, and with no grinding! considering that the low range gears will be travelling about 2/3rds as fast again, its not easy to get right!!

[bad_religion_au]

The transfer case isn't really impacted by the clutch a great deal, in fact its probably fairly reasonable to say that any change of drive/ratio in the transfer case is clutchless anyway. It really is only in the gearbox that the clutch makes a difference.

So your doing your gearchange clutchless is 'aided' by the synchro cones, but its probably not a good thing to do too often, they will wear a lot more through clutchless gearchanges than otherwise, unless you get the revs absolutely right, and with a synchro box, you'll never know until the gears fall out!!


i don't know if i agree here, because it seems easier to do with the clutch in, than not. (low to high, high to low) i know engagine front drive is clutchless.

as for clutchless shifts wearing the syncro's... no syncro's left in the banger to worry about :)

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

I know what you mean by the transfer case shift feeling easier with the clutch depressed, but that is simply because there is no 'drive' resistance to the change. It's the same thing if you try to do it with the wheels turned, or wheels straight. Turned and moving, there is speed variation being fed back into the t/fer case and the change will be harder if at all possible; straight there is no speed variation (except a very little 'cos of bumps in the track) so there is far less resistance to meshing. You also got to remember that Patrols have a chain driven t/fer case that damps the drive a little too! But all in all, the ease is not 'directly' because the clutch is depressed, the clutch isn't making the change possible per se, it's reducing the resistance which makes the shift easier! No direct involvement!

Lack of synchro's in gearboxes can be a good thing, and can be a bad thing, ask yourself where did the synchro's go???? Are they floating around in the bottom of the g/box? Or have you just ground off the mating faces, and then cleaned all the shards and metal filings out in recent oil changes?? Is the g/box any more likely to explode on stuffing a change, or is it just as strong as before, ie, it was stuffed before, it's still stuffed, clutchless changes won't make any 'additional' impact on the health of the gearbox. Still, it feels good when you get it right!!

[sudso]

Transmmision Wind up??? it stuffs your 4wd system if you drive on hard surfaces all the time in 4h As for the hubs its ok just more wear on your internals. But it shouldn't matter
I would have thought that having the hubs locked on any surface without 4wd being engaged would not cause tranny wind up as the the front diffs are usually open and not engaged to the transmission. There would just be more friction in the front drivetrain causing a bit of power loss and more fuel consumption.

[jackaroogirl]

Hi, I'm new here and new to 4wdriving. I have a lots and lots of questions but to start off with could someone please advise me what to do here. I just bought this 98 Holden Jackaroo and am busting to try it out. However, the dealer who I got the car from knew the previous owners and the car has never been offroad. My concern is since it has never been off road the hubs may have never been locked. After reading how it should be done once every so often and driven around for a bit with the hubs locked should I do this and see how it goes or get the car thorougly check by someone that knows about 4wd's before atempting to put it in 4wd? I know.........well............next to nothing about engines,lol, so go easy on me please. I am learning heaps from reading this site. I will be looking into joining a 4wd club to be with ppl who do know what they are doing (I hope, :o). I realise this car will be limited in its abilites atm but thats fine, just looking to do easy stuff in it............... for now ;) Here is a couple of pics.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/816/10002027gw.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7248/10002047su.jpg

[MudSlinger]

Hi Jackaroogirl,
welcome to the forum.
You will find lots of useful info on here.
Where ya from in this big brown land of oz?

[jackaroogirl]

Hi, thanks for the welcome, I am learning heaps from reading the forum and would love to go on a trip but I know I don't know enough yet and the 4wd isn't equipt to do so unfortunatly. Can see lots of dollars being spent :o I'm in the best part of aus to be.........Melbourne :P. I am very jealous of the ppl that are up north in the Newcastle area tho :-\. Reading the forum about trips around that area reminds me of many a night camped out in the mungo brush area (newcastle), what a beautiful spot. Makes me want to jump in Jack (my nic for the jackaroo) and go for a long drive ;D. Where abouts are u? What's your opinion on Jackaroo's. I have noticed a distinct lack of them mentioned,lol, *wonders if thats a bad thing*

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Hi jackaroogirl, welcome to the forum and to 4wding by the sounds of it! You'll enjoy the heck out of it, and a Jackaroo is a pretty good, solid vehicle to start out in! Not able to do heaps in the way of mods, but the rear LSD comes out of the same factory as the LSD in the Nissan Patrol, and they are one of the best in the business (actually get marketed 'aftermarket' as the 'Dominator LSD!') Just keep the lesser ground clearance in mind, and the limited front wheel travel and articulation, and as the skills develop, you'll eventually be able to go just about anywhere the bigger types go (just a bit harder and more prone to damage for you!!) But that's later on....

If the vehicle has been serviced regularly, and the oils in diffs and transfer case changed at the appropriate intervals, the best bet is to give it a few gentle runs in 4wd and see what happens. If it hasn't been serviced regualrly, get it done now, and all the lubrication bits changed, or done, or at least checked! Otherwise, lock the hubs a bit around town first up, and run it, still in 2wd, high range, for a while, listening for grinding noises, or a sound sorta like a tin can half filled with loose gravel :o :o. If you get either of those, or just about any other odd noise, unlock the hubs, and take it into a reputable 4wd Service type, and get it looked at before going any further down the 4wd road! :-[

If you don't get any noises like that, take it out for a little 4wdriving!! ;D Find someone else who's got a 4by and interested, maybe check out one of the local clubs, most of them let you visit for a bit before committing to join! It lets them get to know you, and gives you an opportunity to decide if you like them and their style of 4bying!! 8) At the very least, don't go alone, preferably head out with someone who has an idea about what they are doing, and check the vehicle out with the stubby lever hauled into the 4WD-H and 4WD-L positions!! Again, if it doesn't make any odd noises, or sound like it's trying to grind itself apart, enjoy! If it sounds awful, and apart from the earlier noises, you might hear a rotational style tingle, like little bells tolling the death knell for the transfer case; then it's time to go home immediately, stopping only to get it checked out by your soon to be best friend, the 4wd Service man! :o :o

No drastic noises, no immediate issues on a gentle drive, once you are home, give it a thorough going over UNDERNEATH the car, looking for oil leaks or scored, scraped, torn bright metal! In particular, check the front hubs, both from the outside of the wheel, and from the inside and underneath. Check the transfer case, particularly around both the drive shafts, one going forwards, one going to the rear. Check both ends of the drive shafts, where there is a flange with 4 bolts holding it to the diff, and check the pinion ends of the diff (near that same flange) as well as the inside of the diffs out by the wheels. Any of them start weeping oil, or even running it out.... you guessed it, off to the 4wd service guy!

That should get you started, and with any luck, we might see you out there one day! Have fun!

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

By the way jackaroogirl, right on your back door in Melbourne is a good percentage of Australia's finest 4WD country, just about everything except sand and big distances all crammed into one tiny little backyard! You are no more than about 1.5 hours from some 4WDing WHEREVER you are in Melbourne, so you've got lots of room to practice in, and lots of stuff to explore, even before you head on out into the rest of this great country (ever driven to Darwin, Perth, or even Cairns? You'll know what sort of 'great' I mean!!)

Find a Club, or even 2, and get out into it! 4WD Clubs can access Nationally Accredited 4WD Driver Training for you, at very reasonable prices, as well as giving you the company of people with similar interests and pursuits, access to discounts on a wonderful range of mods and accessories, all sorts of advice on what to do and how to do it, as well as how to mod the vehicle. Vic has some interesting competitions and events that cater for beginners thru to full on, old hands (some of us older'n others!) and whenever you want to start to expand, there's heaps of affiliated Clubs all around Australia more than keen to show off their own back yard! That way you get to see all the secret bits, that others never find out about!!

Enjoy!

[4b.MAD]

we have heaps of fourbies at work, most are used off road regularly & the hubs are in all the time, most are kept till around 160-180000kms, I haven't heard of any having problems in the drive train, just a little extra fuel use.

that being said, I unlock the hubs in my own fourby (prolly cause i'm footing the diesel bill :P ) But I also use Low range to back heavy trailers up steep driveways (with the hubs out) ;).

I have been doing the same as some have mentioned, running it with the hubs in occasionally to keep things lubricated, but this thread got me thinking, why couldn't I just leave the hubs out & run it in 4wd high for a few K's to lubricate things, would this do the same as having the hubs in? or would it cause more problems?


I wouldn't run a 4b in 4H without the hubs locked in, atleast not for very long. Consider some of these newer designs that require the centre diff to be locked when orr-road....logic tells me this is to ensure that both diffs are recieving equal amount of drive. Run her in 4H and you could be loosing all drive to the front (freewheeling) diff.

Mind you, now that I think about it....if you have a centre locking diff, you are probably running a constant 4wd sytem and don't have freewheeling/locking hubs........so just disregard my ramblings.

[bad_religion_au]

Hi, thanks for the welcome, I am learning heaps from reading the forum and would love to go on a trip but I know I don't know enough yet and the 4wd isn't equipt to do so unfortunatly.


it had 4wd... it's equipped to go 4wding. :) :) :) :)

jakaroos are good to start out in i think, strong, capable enough for the bug to bite, not capable enough to do all the work for you. worst feeling is reading no press, or negative press about the truck you just bought... i did the same when i bought an old troopy... don't worry about the naysayers, and go out and play with jack. my brother has my troopy now, and that thing is alot more capable than i gave it credit for (due to the naysayers)

check out www.3rdrock4x4.com... there agreat club, which run club trips that can fit in any vehicle... disregard their toyota bias comments... it's all in good fun... we even let a range rover into the club :)

[3F62]

like most are saying, leave them in. I leave mine in on my work truck(78 series) with no notable difference other than conveniance, and Johny H. pays for the minimal extra fuel anyway's.

[jackaroogirl]

Thank you very much for all the helpful replies, going to take Jack for a spin, all be it a very gentle one,this weekend, wish me luck,lol. I would love to venture to where u guys go...............

Thanks so much for taking the time to offer the advice that I needed, it is much appreciated................ From a scared novice but very willing for new adventures.............

[bad_religion_au]

Thank you very much for all the helpful replies, going to take Jack for a spin, all be it a very gentle one,this weekend, wish me luck,lol. I would love to venture to where u guys go...............

Thanks so much for taking the time to offer the advice that I needed, it is much appreciated................ From a scared novice but very willing for new adventures.............


yep the first time is always a bit nerve wracking.. don't worry, it'll hook you :D.

oh and my previous statements about jackaroo's being ok...scratch that, they're awesome. a mate of mine just got a really cheap one and we've been thrashing that... man it's tuff, capable, and heaps of fun. good choice in vehicle.