4wd Hubs Please Help!!

Hi All

After looking on the site a while I purchased an 04 Jimny. Everything is great and fantastic for the snow.

I am getting a bit lost off with regard to the 4wd. Basically the Vacuum system doesnt work, so at present the previous owner locked the hubs into place so that I can select between 2 and 4wd. Is this okay to do?

Secondly I see a lot of people opt for the SJ or Vittara manual hubs as a replacement and use the spacers, what is the benefit of this over the above option and can it still be selected into 4wd from the lever in the vehicle?

I am not really that technical my apologies.:blush:
Thanks

Rich

Rich1880 wrote: I am getting a bit lost off with regard to the 4wd. Basically the Vacuum system doesnt work, so at present the previous owner locked the hubs into place so that I can select between 2 and 4wd. Is this okay to do?

Yes its fine providing you only use 4WD on slippery surfaces.


Basically with your current system, as the hubs are permanently locked, then your prop, diffs and halfshafts at the front are always turning. This slightly reduces fuel consumption.

A set of manual hubs lets you further disconnect everything when its not needed. Reducing wear and tear and improving fuel consumption.

The real benefit is when you are off-roading and break something. THe manual hubs let you disconnect everything to get you home. At present, if you break a CV it will still be locked to the wheel and will create further damage, noise and danger (it will snatch the steering) in your drive home. Of course, if you are in this situation you could always unbolt the hubs completely.

The spacers are needed as SJ and Vit hubs are slightly different sizes.

Martin

Thanks for the quick response, thats a bit clearer, with the manual hubs how do you select 4wd?

You manually lock the hubs before you try using the 4wd lever inside the car, so basically leave them locked until the snow and ice have gone.

Or you can pull up nip outside in the cold and lock them.

I forgot to engage them on my series landrover once. Of course it got stuck in a mud hole.

It is possible to open the drivers door, climb up and over it onto the bonnet, lie on the bonnet and activate the hubs then get back in without touching the ground. (Guess how I know )

Driving with them locked and the transfer lever in 2wd is not a problem, in fact I think it is kinder to the transmission than engaging everything at 20mph with the oil thick and cold...

Thanks for the response, I am starting to get my head around it, If locked in 2wd is that the same as how I have manually locked them at the moment?

Also if they are not locked and I go for 4wd I am guessing it just stays in 2wd and I would get a warning?

if they are locked and you are in 2wd then the transfer box hasn't connected to the front prop so the front axle will only turn with the road passing under the tyres

not sure if you will get any warning lights with your hubs locked I've got an older jimny and there are no warning lights at all as all the 4wd controls are manual

i thought mine were not working as the 4wd light flashes but after trying desperatly to get the wheels to spin in the snow and failing miserably i straped it to a 12t tractor and let rip, front and back spinning. so the moral is Dont trust flashers!