snow's here and the 4x4 is dicking about !!!

[niks_terrano ii]

hi guys been out in the snow over the past week and the 4x4 feels really weird it seems to go through the snow no probs the little green light comes on and the nearside clicks but the 4wd seems to kick in but it feels like the steering pulls from side to side really dramatically !!!

obviously in the snow it doesnt feel so bad as the surface is slippery but when driving on the road with a bit of slush the steering is really bad !!!

kick it into 2wd and the side to side pulling goes !!

what could the problem be ?

 

[Fez_uk]

make sure both auto hubs lock

 

[96terrano]

hi guys been out in the snow over the past week and the 4x4 feels really weird it seems to go through the snow no probs the little green light comes on and the nearside clicks but the 4wd seems to kick in but it feels like the steering pulls from side to side really dramatically !!!

obviously in the snow it doesnt feel so bad as the surface is slippery but when driving on the road with a bit of slush the steering is really bad !!!

kick it into 2wd and the side to side pulling goes !!

what could the problem be ?

Maybe one of the hubs isn't engaging properly, when you come out of 4wd, you're supposed to reverse until you hear two clicks, this is the hubs unlocking, if you only hear one click, one of you're hubs is probably stuck

 

[niks_terrano ii]

.

hi chaps i hear a click on the passenger side when engaging the 4wd and dont hear anything from the drivers side ? ?

 

[96terrano]

hi chaps i hear a click on the passenger side when engaging the 4wd and dont hear anything from the drivers side ? ?

Sounds like the right one could be stuck, I have the same problem with my t2 I still yet have to strip mine down, re grease and clean them. Here's a like to stripping down the hubs "TDI"



http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/downloads/workshop/wk37.pdf

 

[rustic]

Is there a difference in the tread depth between all 4 wheels, the greater the difference the more one tyre has to slip, and the one with the lowest tread will (maybe) slip first.

This will cause a side to side sling shot.... It is probably one of the front tyres that is slipping as the Limited slip diff on the rear will try to keep the rear wheels going at the same rotational speed. :thumb2

I don't always notice my locking hubs making any noise on engagement or disengagement, as I do it at very low speed or even stationary.....

You can always go under neath and check the status of the 2 front driveshafts, if you can rotate them say +/- 20 degrees, they are not yet locked.
A 1/4 turn will lock them.

You won't be able to unlock them from underneath no matter which way you turn the shaft(s).

You will have to reverse and then go forward a couple of metres, then check them, that they have disengaged.

All the above is done whilst in normal 2 wheel drive ONLY....

Hope this helps..

I have survived nearly 17 winters with my Mav, and never had a cause for concern about the front Auto Hubs, and believe me, they still work, as we found out last Saturday when we returned home late evening on the M42, M40 from Reading.

 

[dollywobbler]

Slush isn't really enough to warrant the 4x4, as it won't allow enough slip most of the time.

What I found with mine is that the steering felt very different in 2WD or 4WD with the hubs locked in. A quick reverse (with a quiet but audible clonk) and it felt grand again.