[Leroy]

Sorry if this has been covered before.

Does it hurt your car (I've got '10 Jimny) to drive ON road in 4WD? I just drove from Yarram to Melbourne in the pissing down rain and I thought the car felt a bit more planted on the tarmac through those 100k sweepers. The car's manual says it is bad for the car to drive in 4WD on road.

[Ben_Sierra]

On a grippy surface in 4WD you will get wind up in the transfer case because the front and rear driveshafts are forced to turn at the same speed even if they don't want to. You will also get skipping at the tyres and horrible clunking noises. Mainly around corners though, in a straight line its all good...

[Lokidog]

Wet roads are fine.

[royce]

they will still wind up horribly, I wouldnt do it

[Ben_Sierra]

royce wrote:

they will still wind up horribly, I wouldnt do it

x2 and you end up with worse traction cos the tyres skip a bit...

Only place I've ever used it on a wet road was taking off in a straight line from lights in my old vit, which had very little traction in those sorta conditions...

I would also guess that the feeling of more grip was an illusion, bought on by the fact you thought that you were in 4WD and though it was safer...

Just my 2c

[MacDaddy]

Lokidog wrote:

Wet roads are fine.

X 2

Very wet roads are fine for 4WD High, my 2001 GV has a bit in the handbook about it, if yours is a 2010 Jimny, well i am sure it would be even better than my GV, have a look in the handbook, it will tell you all you need to know !

[4x4ish]

Interesting, what about cars that are always 4x4 like a landcruiser or a subaru WRX or do they have different setups?

[shandy92]

4x4ish wrote:

Interesting, what about cars that are always 4x4 like a landcruiser or a subaru WRX or do they have different setups?

yes they have a centre differential acting like a normal open diff, they will let some difference in front and rear wheels. most permanent 4wd have centre diff lock switch, which just locks it so both front and rear diff get the same amount of drive.

[alien]

i ran 4wd on road when i had smaller tyres and no lift... it was only in torrential rain and because i had a welded rear, the 4wd stopped the oversteer pretty well.

Even in those conditions i still got windup and it sounded terrible... i only did it a few times before deciding it was safter to just drive slower.

[Lokidog]

I've only ever done it at the start of winter with the first heavy rains, when the roads are greasy as hell. I didn't do it for long distances and only while I thought it was necessary.

[4x4ish]

shandy92 wrote:

4x4ish wrote:

Interesting, what about cars that are always 4x4 like a landcruiser or a subaru WRX or do they have different setups?

yes they have a centre differential acting like a normal open diff, they will let some difference in front and rear wheels. most permanent 4wd have centre diff lock switch, which just locks it so both front and rear diff get the same amount of drive.

ahhh i see.


so can we get wind up in hard dirt?

[shep]

try driving for the conditions it is a lot safer then driveline wind up.

[BertZook]

but the manual says that you should activate the 4wd Hi only in a strait line (of course), and with speeds no higher than 100Km/h ..... so it some kind of way they re saying that is safe to drive???

I have drive in 4wd only when the rain just start, or ends (when the road is greasy basically) and no problems at all

[atari4x4]

shep wrote:

try driving for the conditions it is a lot safer then driveline wind up.

that's the best advice i've seen so far in this thread.

although i would use 4wd high in the wet on tarmac in a rental or someone's 4wd but not my own

[MacDaddy]

BertZook wrote:

but the manual says that you should activate the 4wd Hi only in a strait line (of course), and with speeds no higher than 100Km/h ..... so it some kind of way they re saying that is safe to drive???

I have drive in 4wd only when the rain just start, or ends (when the road is greasy basically) and no problems at all

Actually, to clarify, it says, when you select 4WD High, while in motion/at speed, keep the wheels straight, and make sure speed is under 100km/h...

And, use 4WD High for offroad driving, or for driving on slippery roads, that are, wet, snow covered, or muddy !

And whatever you, do NOT select 4WD Low while in motion, come to a complete stop, or will hear loud noises as your drive train goes BANG !

[spuki]

4x4ish wrote:

Interesting, what about cars that are always 4x4 like a landcruiser or a subaru WRX or do they have different setups?

and im not sure about the landcruisers but th all wheel drive subaru's etc even though they are an AWD the front drives at a slightly different ratio to the rear, or so i am told...????

[fordem]

spuki wrote:

4x4ish wrote:

Interesting, what about cars that are always 4x4 like a landcruiser or a subaru WRX or do they have different setups?

and im not sure about the landcruisers but th all wheel drive subaru's etc even though they are an AWD the front drives at a slightly different ratio to the rear, or so i am told...????

No - the front & rear final drive ratios will ALWAYS be the same - AWD or 4WD - you could get away with different ratios (meaning there would be no drive train windup if there was a center differential BUT you'd wear the differential out quite rapidly.

[shep]

the deference between AWD and 4WD is AWD has a center diff while 4WD
has the front and rear locked together.

[neofitou]

My Pajero has a lockable diff in transfer case, I have 2h 4h 4h(loc) and 4l(loc). 4h is really good for greasy roads as you don't need to lock the diff in the transfer case, and unlike crusiers and rangies I also have 2wd for normal not use loads too much fuel mode.

[Scrawny]

neofitou wrote:

My Pajero has a lockable diff in transfer case, I have 2h 4h 4h(loc) and 4l(loc). 4h is really good for greasy roads as you don't need to lock the diff in the transfer case, and unlike crusiers and rangies I also have 2wd for normal not use loads too much fuel mode.

This may be Mitsubishis one and only really good idea.

Just to clarify the AWD bit,they are a front wheel drive with rear wheel assist up to a certain speed

[basketcase]

Has any one driven on road in 4h in a 98-05 GV?? I may have done it today for a considerable distance. I didn't notice anything, but my girlfriend went for a drive after me and stopped round the corner because it drove like shit and then realised it was in 4h, slipped it back to 2h and was fine to drive again.

But there is a chance that it was in while was driving it around before hand and didn't notice because I'm bit oblivious to things sometimes. I know I have done it before in my old Hilux for a bit, but didn't notice it then because of the 36's and welded diff.

Would it be that noticeable? What should I look for to see if I have damaged anything? Car is in almost perfect condition mechanically, so would think that any damage caused would be noticeable, but went for another drive and had look underneath and have not noticed anything.

Would also think that the front auto hubs may not have kicked in since it was a hard surface, so then it would not be as bad??

[Gwagensteve]

If it hasn't gone "bang" then it's unlikely you've damages anything.

I've owned a couple of constant 4WD cars- A 1991 Range Rover, and my current DD - a 2007 STi impreza.

I don't really understand why people (generally) think its a good idea.

The key issue with 4WD on a hard surface (even a wet one) is that it's only an advantage if you have enough power for wheelspin to be a problem. I can categorically state that if you have enough grip, 4WD just makes a car handle like crap.

Handling is not the same as grip.

Once you have more grip, then the point at which the car becomes unstuck moves way up in speed) and the handling "quirks" that 4WD entails are even more concerning.

My next DD is 99% NOT going to be 4wd. I love the traction of my STi, but the slightly strange things it does at its handling limit bug me, but so did my FWD Mini cooper S. On a very tight winding road, I will move as much torque forward as possible without locking the centre diff (which I can do) It makes for more understeer into a corner, but a more neutral balance out.

I don't car what anyone "feels", driving a 100hp 4WD on road in locked 4WD (like 4H in a vitara/sierra) won't improve any aspect of it's behaviour. (and might break it) on a wet road, it might not break, but it's still going to drive like poo - because of the locked drive front/rear, it will randomly bind/slip so traction might actually, momentarily, and without warning, be LESS than if you were in 2WD.


I did drive a Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 4 with a 3.6 twin plug engine yesterday, and despite being 4WD, it had just lovely transparent steering feel, and was very engaging. About as quick as my STi - which isn't bad at all for an atmo 20 year old car, but the noise and the gorgeous, constant steering feedback was wonderful - and that's the key. Steering feel is the most important facet of car behaviour on road. If you can't feel how hard the front wheels are working, you can't drive the car properly, and that's what 4WD ruins.

AS much as I love the scary grip of my STi - I reckon my next road car will be RWD.

Steve.

[BertZook]

basketcase wrote:

I didn't notice anything, but my girlfriend went for a drive after me and stopped round the corner because it drove like shit and then realised it was in 4h, slipped it back to 2h and was fine to drive again.

prob becose she's not used to, or doesn't know how's the feeling of the car in 4wd, spetially in slow motion or tight corners for a normal drive, that is a really big diference in the feeling of the car

[lordfury007]

I normally drive at around 80kph in 4H on gravel roads, but if i'm going to be going over bitumen for anything over a km, i'll change back to 2H.

4H gives a lot more traction on gravel roads and makes it feel a hell of a lot safer.

[Flx11e]

I was driving a Deutz Tractor in sand for an hour or so and forgot to take it out of 4x4 when turning onto bitumen. Only traveled half a kilometre or so and there was a big bang. One front hub's planetary gear set broken. $5,200 for the parts in 1981.