Diff wind up ?

Hi,

As a new Jimny 4x4 owner I have been unaware of diff wind up until just reading some posts.

I understand on normal road driving just to use to 2 wheel drive but I take it its ok to use low or high 4x4 if needed off road ?

Can I drive around off road leaving it in 4 wheel drive and how will I know if they are winding up ?

Cheers.

Hi. I recently had this problem I wound the diff up and it wouldn't engage 2wd properly. You only use 4wd when you need it as in a massive hill or your spinning the rear wheels. Just because your off road doesn't mean you need to be in 4 wheel drive. The diff will winde up if there is no wheel spin or loose ground. I was advised that if you do use it and winde it up just reverse for a short distance to take the tension out but trust me little jimnys are really good in rwd. Hope this helps cheers adz

Wind up is because the jimny doesn't have a centre diff.

What happens is the front & back wheels tried to travel different distances when you went round a curve.

What "winds up" are all those long springy pieces of metal, the halfshafts, and very slightly the propshafts. You won't get it out of 4wd when wound up as the two halves of the transmission are twisted so much that the locking sleeve is jammed and wont slide off the dog teeth in the transfer box.

If you jack up a front wheel when it is wound up, (any wheel would do, but the handbrake is locking the rears )

as soon as it leaves the floor it will twang round 1/4 of a turn or so as the tension unwinds.

Reversing straight doesn't normally make a difference, you need to free up one of the wheels, drive it onto gravel or grass, off a curb etc.

Sasquatch wrote: Hi,
Can I drive around off road leaving it in 4 wheel drive and how will I know if they are winding up ?

Cheers.

I tend to work on the idea - if it isn't slipping, don't use it. So it is very rarely used and then again when the road is wet and really slippery it's too late; only once like this on a bend have I snicked my Suzuki (LJ 80) into 4WD just in time to save the day........in 30 years of 4x4.

My view is its safer to use 4wd and risk windup than to be scared of using it and get yourself into a muddle. Personally I've never had an issue with windup, even when I've tried. in my experience the tyres scuff if you turn tight on tarmac, and everything works fine afterwards. As per the instructions on the sun visor, using 4wd is fine on any loose or slippery surface.

Been out all day landing down some pretty bad lanes and used 4x4 once for about 150 meters out of 90 miles