4WD binding
04-10-2012, 09:42 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
4WD binding
In 4wd my truck seems to be unable to pull itself as I turn into my driveway. The more I steer the more it seems to bind up and not move. Only does this in 4wd. Any thoughts?
04-10-2012, 10:26 AM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
No, was just testing it. During the winter months I could not get it to even engage. Now that it is warm, I have had no problem getting the indicator light to illuminated and I can hear it engage. Have not tried steering to left to see if it repeats.
04-10-2012, 10:41 AM
#4
Senior Member
2 things...
1. That's what 4wd does when you turn sharp on dry ground, totally normal. When you're going around a turn, all 4 of your wheels are trying to turn at different speeds, but they can't because they're all locked together. That's the binding you feel.
2. NEVER NEVER DO WHAT YOU DID. It puts a tremendous amount of stress on your driveline components, and You WILL break something if you keep doing that. 4wd is designed for slippery conditions. It is NOT the same as AWD (all-wheel-drive) which can be used on dry ground.
Having said this, My truck has a manual lever for 4wd. Never had a problem engaging 4wd, but sometimes when I put it back into 2wd the hubs take a while to disengage.
If you ever have it happen again, where you're turning into your driveway, and feel that "binding", STOP, put the truck in 2wd, and try backing up a little. Usually that will unlock everything. Basically, you should always avoid turning sharply in 4wd when possible. If you're in 4wd and know you're gonna have to make a sharp turn, put it back in 2wd before you make the turn if you can.
1. That's what 4wd does when you turn sharp on dry ground, totally normal. When you're going around a turn, all 4 of your wheels are trying to turn at different speeds, but they can't because they're all locked together. That's the binding you feel.
2. NEVER NEVER DO WHAT YOU DID. It puts a tremendous amount of stress on your driveline components, and You WILL break something if you keep doing that. 4wd is designed for slippery conditions. It is NOT the same as AWD (all-wheel-drive) which can be used on dry ground.
Having said this, My truck has a manual lever for 4wd. Never had a problem engaging 4wd, but sometimes when I put it back into 2wd the hubs take a while to disengage.
If you ever have it happen again, where you're turning into your driveway, and feel that "binding", STOP, put the truck in 2wd, and try backing up a little. Usually that will unlock everything. Basically, you should always avoid turning sharply in 4wd when possible. If you're in 4wd and know you're gonna have to make a sharp turn, put it back in 2wd before you make the turn if you can.
Last edited by driver444; 04-10-2012 at 10:44 AM.
04-12-2012, 09:13 AM
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Great stuff! Thanks, just confirmed this (prior to reading driver444's comments) by turned left and right to find that the truck would not pull itself very well. Lesson learned, Thanks gang!