Hello Guest
« previous next »
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

My 4 wheel drive system

  • 21 Replies
  • 5452 Views

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

  • 876
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2006, 06:47:21 PM »
Quote from: ack on January 22, 2006, 01:14:50 PM
Unfortunately, I can't lay my hands on any GV front-end information...  So let's take a look at various 4wd engagement systems:

First the tried-and-true locking hubs.  Turn the knob one way and the axle shaft is connected to the wheel.  Turn it the other way and the wheel is disconnected.  If the hubs are unlocked, it don't matter what mode the transfer case is in, you have 2 wheel drive.

Second, auto locking hubs.  Follow the instructions in the owners manual and they engage or disengage like a manual hub at the wheel -- if you hold your mouth just right.  Again, unlocked and you have 2 wheel drive no matter what mode the transfer case is set in.

Third, the slip-joint coupler in the front axle housing method.  Found on various Jeeps, this system consists of a sliding joint -- usually found on the long section of the front axle -- that disconnects the wheel from the differential.   The sliding coupler is acutated by a cable or a vacuum line through a button or lever in the passenger compartment. (EDIT: or as Rhinoman has suggested, electically through the ECU or the 4x4 indicator.)  The wheels are always connected to the front axle shaft (no locking hubs).  No matter what mode you have the transfer case in, if you don't push the button or pull the lever, you don't have 4-wheel drive.

Now, on to speculation...

A fourth possibility might be a combination of  two and  three above.  Upon putting the transfer case in 4-wheel drive, the energy transmitted through the front driveshaft causes the sliding coupler to move and lock the inner axle onto the outer axle putting the truck into 4 wheel drive.   When the transfer case is placed back into the 2 wheel drive mode, the coupler releases and the front wheels are running free again.

What do you think?



yea, AJMBLAZER says I have drive flanges and the air activated actuator. So I'm thinking it's like the 4th possibility

I was thining those things didn't look much like hubs

so since it's pretty likely that I have the drive flange set up with and air actuator, what would I gain from manual hubs? also, I heard the mileage improves with manual hubs when they are free.. is this true? I think it is

Oh, one more thing, do I have to move a tadd to get the actuator to lock it into 4 wheel drive? That very well could be auto hub like characteristics.. again, not sure and that's why i'm asking
Logged
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.
*

Offline AJMBLAZER

  • 2166
  • 1
  • Your mom.
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2006, 07:11:14 PM »
You might have to move a teensy bit if the splines on the axleshafts weren't aligned, but we're talking less than a tire rotation.

We picked up no noticeable difference in mpg by putting the manual hubs on.  The main reason I did it was to just save wear and tear on the stuff up front that would be spinning otherwise.  Remember the reason auto hubs came around, drive flanges came back, and front axles without any sort of hub at all came around was because more yuppies started buying 4x4's and didn't want the work of owning a 4x4.  So there wasn't anything wrong with or necessarily better than a manual hub, people just wanted something easier.
Logged
*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

  • 876
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2006, 09:14:03 PM »
Quote from: AJMBLAZER on January 22, 2006, 07:11:14 PM
You might have to move a teensy bit if the splines on the axleshafts weren't aligned, but we're talking less than a tire rotation.

We picked up no noticeable difference in mpg by putting the manual hubs on.  The main reason I did it was to just save wear and tear on the stuff up front that would be spinning otherwise.  Remember the reason auto hubs came around, drive flanges came back, and front axles without any sort of hub at all came around was because more yuppies started buying 4x4's and didn't want the work of owning a 4x4.  So there wasn't anything wrong with or necessarily better than a manual hub, people just wanted something easier.
Logged
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.
*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

  • 876
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2006, 09:22:52 PM »
Quote from: AJMBLAZER on January 22, 2006, 07:11:14 PM
You might have to move a teensy bit if the splines on the axleshafts weren't aligned, but we're talking less than a tire rotation.

We picked up no noticeable difference in mpg by putting the manual hubs on.  The main reason I did it was to just save wear and tear on the stuff up front that would be spinning otherwise.  Remember the reason auto hubs came around, drive flanges came back, and front axles without any sort of hub at all came around was because more yuppies started buying 4x4's and didn't want the work of owning a 4x4.  So there wasn't anything wrong with or necessarily better than a manual hub, people just wanted something easier.



so does your 4 wheel drive engage any smoother with your manual hubs? also, doe the drive flange do anything? I know they hold whatnots and suchnots together and all, but other than that.. would you strongly recomend manual hubs?


also, all the vehicles are going yuppie thease days and it's pissing me off. I am stuck with a stupid air activated front diff no matter what unless I realy want to dump some money. Look at the new grand vitara for example.. they got rid of the idea of having a box ladder frame and went unibody, also did 4 wheel independent... what crap also the XL 7's and newer GV's right before the 06 had push button... it's not that bad, but why not a lever? is it that hard to pull a lever, especially in the GV where it's right next to you

I don't know, all the new vehicles are way too yuppie


Logged
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.
*

Offline AJMBLAZER

  • 2166
  • 1
  • Your mom.
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #19 on: January 23, 2006, 04:33:31 AM »
The engagement of the system really has nothing to do with the hubs if you already have them in.  Locked in and functioning correctly there really isn't much difference between drive flanges and hubs.  They're locked, that's it.  If there's any issues you're having, it's somewhere else.
The drive flanges are stronger for extreme wheeling but in our case they were simply so Suzuki could put a fancy chrome plated cap on, run the air system, keep the yuppies happy, and not have to totally redesign the front suspension and axles on these things to keep said yuppies happy.




There's a reason I told the wife we'd be keeping the GV a good long while.
Logged
*

Offline the_maplebar

  • 466
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #20 on: January 23, 2006, 06:50:45 AM »
Here's the article in case you are interested in getting rid of the air actuator in the diff.

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_030104/feature_tsb_shiftontheflyremoval.htm

Ditto on the yuppie SUV's.  Got my wife the Tracker as the family car with 1 baby when it was brand new.  Now she's moved on to a full size to carry 3 kids and the Tracker is my DD/toy.  I plan on keeping it until it won't go anymore.  Oh and one other thing, the Tracker will hold 2 car seats and an infant carrier.  My oldest loves bouncing around offroad.  Try doing that in a Wrangler.

Logged
2002 4DR Tracker V6 ZR2.... 1.5"/2" coil spacers front/rear, BDS Strut Extensions, 235/75R15 Cooper STT... They ROCK!!!
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=35.msg111575#msg111575[/url]
*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

  • 876
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: My 4 wheel drive system
« Reply #21 on: January 23, 2006, 01:55:49 PM »
Quote from: the_maplebar on January 23, 2006, 06:50:45 AM
Here's the article in case you are interested in getting rid of the air actuator in the diff.

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_030104/feature_tsb_shiftontheflyremoval.htm

Ditto on the yuppie SUV's.  Got my wife the Tracker as the family car with 1 baby when it was brand new.  Now she's moved on to a full size to carry 3 kids and the Tracker is my DD/toy.  I plan on keeping it until it won't go anymore.  Oh and one other thing, the Tracker will hold 2 car seats and an infant carrier.  My oldest loves bouncing around offroad.  Try doing that in a Wrangler.




thanks, I don't know if I will do that, but I do plan on manual hubs so I don't prematurely kill my front axle with regular driving. the other thing is that if I did put in a kick axle that didn't have a retarted air actuator, I will aready have good hubs for it

Yea, about the 2 car seat thing, one of the main resons I haven't seriously looked into trading my GV for a wrangler is lack of interior space, I carry a 4 12" guitar speaker cabinet allong with lots of other stuff when I go jam with my band

also, try getting 22.7 mpg in town with a wrangler, I can in a gv so ha. Wranglers are still really awesome though

Glad to see people in agreement with the overpopulation of yuppie vehicles
Logged
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up
« previous next »