4wheel drive

nascar_fan28

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i have 05 350 4x4, when i turn in 4 high, hubs locked in auto i cant hardly make normal turns, is this normal, seems worse then other 4x4s i had in past, its fine in snow but dry pavement i have to put in 2wd to make turns, or will it help to lock in hubs ? thanks guys
 

bushpilot

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1) its normal 2) DONT DO THIS !

DONT run in 4x4 on dry pavement.

since the front diff is LOCKED & the wheels are locked
to the diff its trying to turn both wheels at the same
speed....keep it up and youll break something.
 

BigDaveZJ

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The front diff is open, it is not locked. You are engaging the front diff though by selecting 4Hi. If the front diff was "locked" BOTH front wheels would be locked together, which they are not, unless the OP has installed an aftermarket locker or spool, which does not appear to be the case. The front diff comes in an "open" configuration on our trucks allowing variation in speed between the left and right wheels.

The reason you feel it more in your truck is most likely because of the increased wheelbase over the othe 4x4 vehicles you've driven. With the longer wheelbase the difference in speeds between the front and rear of the vehicle in a turn is greater than it is in a shorter wheelbase vehicle. I know I feel more binding in my truck in 4Hi compared to my Jeep with a 106" wheelbase, and that even has a spool in the rear end which doesn't allow the wheels to ever turn at different speeds so it binds up a lot.
 
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Sawboy

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Both are right actually.

Bush is right that it's normal and should not be done.

And Big Dave is right that the diff itself is not locked, and that the WB is the reason it's so much more drastic.

Take an 88 Bronco with 4wd and you can pull a u-turn in a phone booth (Showing my age since phone booths are LONG gone :( )

Take my CC LWB duallie with 4wd and you need an airstrip to make a u-turn
 

bushpilot

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ok im confused...am i hearing this right ? that the front is
a "limited" slip ? <ok actually know thats not the truth but im
looking for an explaination>
 

JLDickmon

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ok im confused...am i hearing this right ? that the front is
a "limited" slip ? <ok actually know thats not the truth but im
looking for an explaination>

the front is a "nothing" or "one-sie tracker"

Limited slip and Posi-Traction are basically the same thing, the use of clutch discs & plates to reduce wheelspin

A "locker" is a mechanically locking differential, like the old Traction-Lok or Equa-Lok rear diffs from the muscle car days, the more generic "Detroit Locker" or any one of the "air lock" diffs the rock-crawler guys use...

and actually, on his '05, he may have enough time on the front axle joints they're binding up due to rust..
 

DaveBen

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If I hang a U-turn in my truck with the hubs locked, but not in four wheel drive, my front end will chatter a little due to the difference in the axle speeds. No posi or locker.

Dave
 

bushpilot

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man am i EVER confused....

realizing the "hubs" (when locked) lock to the axles...i thought the
axles were locked to the diff....and when i tossed the switch (or throw
the lever) that the xfer case then locked to the diff.
 

95_stroker

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Oh no, the front differential is open. Thats why the serious guys buy and install the lockers.
 

Tbar

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I know on our trucks if you have the front end in the air with the 4x4 locked..........turn one wheel and the other turns in the opposite direction.

Would lockers both turn in the same direction if you did this?


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