Has any body else experienced this? In 2wd it feels as it should, steers nice, drives smooth and pulls up straight on the brakes. As soon as 4wd is in use (4 wh) you can feel the steering pulling from side to side ( like a front wheel drive car if you mule it in first gear.) I get this on snow and ice, it like it on slush. This is in a straight line as well. There is no way I could leave it in 4wd on a wet road like some of you have. Had a quick look this afternoon, got a little bit of play in the front wheel bearings. All the steering joints look ok, no free movement. Obviously the 4wd is working ok forwards and backwards. Towed the daughters car up a steep hill yesterday in first gear on slush and under load it literally pulled to the right for about 6 feet and then left for the same distance, it did this until the hill levelled off a bit. It was as if it was driving from one half shaft then the other back and fore. Anyone had similar with there's? I know you get a little bit of this with selectable 4wd vehicles but I have never had it this much. Teebird
Torque steer in 4 WD.
- Thread starter Teebird
- Start date
Help Support Nissan 4x4 Owners Club Forum:
lacroupade
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Messages
- 9,208
Shouldn't be like that at all unless you're applying too much power at too low a speed???? And even then it would only be in snow/ice, not on a wet road.
4WD will never fully address really slippery conditions, especially on a hill, unless you have some really serous tyres, even then its only up to a point. If you are on ordinary road tyres trying to pull a load up a snowy hill it won't take much for you to be going off to the side....but are you quite sure 4WD is engaging? Does sound like either a problem or high expectations?
I mean are we talking wheel spin here or just wandering steering?
D
Darwin
Guest
hmmm ok lets think
you were going uphill (all weight to back wheels)
you were towing (more weight to back wheels)
i would say you lost traction on the front due to low weight and traction on the back due to slush
you were going uphill (all weight to back wheels)
you were towing (more weight to back wheels)
i would say you lost traction on the front due to low weight and traction on the back due to slush
Hi guys, It feels as if it is being pulled one way and then the other. Its not like play in the steering, in 2wd it feels good. Its as if drive is going from one side to the other on the front when in 4wd. I know the front diff does this when grip is unequal but you can feel it when its on a snowy or icy road where the grip is constant. All the tyres are the same size and fairly equal pressures. I think I will see if I can adjust the play on the front wheels when i get a chance first. The truck has been going well in the snow overall but I think something is not quite right. Keep the suggestions coming. Teebird
lacroupade
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Messages
- 9,208
Being a short wheelbase won't help, but seriously, you'd be the very first publicised case of a knackered Nissan front diff on this site unless I'm mistaken....:augie
Not sure what you mean by 'play in the wheels' though....it would have to be pretty extreme for what you describe?
I still reckon its nowt more than standard slippage pulling a load uphill in the snow....you wouldn't have even got near it in 2WD would you?
I mean if I take a bend in the snow in say 1st or 2nd gear in 4wd and I floor it, the truck goes flying down the road sideways with no problem whatsoever.....its been said before, 4WD is not a panacea.
Not sure what you mean by 'play in the wheels' though....it would have to be pretty extreme for what you describe?
I still reckon its nowt more than standard slippage pulling a load uphill in the snow....you wouldn't have even got near it in 2WD would you?
I mean if I take a bend in the snow in say 1st or 2nd gear in 4wd and I floor it, the truck goes flying down the road sideways with no problem whatsoever.....its been said before, 4WD is not a panacea.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,699
another point to consider, one broken brake ring in one hub or, just one hub failing to engage properly for whatever reason?
as you say diffs are a strong point, but hubs certainly aren't
as you say diffs are a strong point, but hubs certainly aren't
lacroupade
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Messages
- 9,208
and I always forget the standard procedure for checking - is it jack truck up, put in gear, engage 4wd (engine off of course!) and try to turn front wheels, which should move easily (hub busted) or not (hub fine)...or did I get that wrong??
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,699
dont ask me anything complicated, i test them this way!
find a suitable verge
reverse back wheels on, then slowly back up until front wheels are chocked by the kerb, now give it a bit of welly and back wheels will spin
drive forward engaging 4wd and do the same again, if 4x4 is working correctly the kerb will not chock the front wheels and you will drive backwards onto the verge
my other preffered method is simply take the hubs off and have a look,
a quick fix for sticking hubs i developed a long time ago, it pour a good dollop of engine oil inside each and slap them back on. It is quick and easy and softens up all the old grease and gunge for the hub strip down and relub that is in the downloads section
Lacroupade, jacked front wheels, hold top and bottom of wheel and rock it back and fore. There is movement I will try to adjust out ( Tighten hub nut) The hill senario Just made it feel a lot worse but it does it driving along the flat. Its not wheel spinning its pulling side to side. Plank, 4WD is engaging, you can feel the front lock up and pull.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,699
yes but no guarante it is doing it properly! i have had one hub work and one not, and a hub that switched in and out at will. I would definatley check the hubs!
lacroupade
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Messages
- 9,208
Obviously that slack need sorting - I take it you've found the manual for clearances, adjustment etc...? :thumbs:thumbs
Thomas-the-Terrano2
Moderator
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2004
- Messages
- 5,155
Hey nice to see that procedure again, tell me did you copy n paste it, wow it takes me
back mate....
zippy656
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2008
- Messages
- 14,077
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,699
no i just typed it out all over again, and i admit this time a bit gung ho
no handbags please :lol
it's nice to share an "in joke" some times isnt it :thumbs
Terranosaurus
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2006
- Messages
- 3,991
Sounds to me like it could be knackere ball joints in the front end. Especially in the drag link.
Under noramal 2wd conditions the front wheels only ever really get pushed backwards relative to the rest of the vehicle by drag and friction at the road surface and all the more so under braking - hence a bit of toe in when tracking up, so that once forces are appled tothe wheels they will compress bushes etc and the wheels will run parrallel.
In 4wd the wheels pull thems elees forward relative to the rest of the truck and any slack in the 6 ball joints can then really show up.
Try jacking each side up again and give the nearside a really good shove towards right lock on and vice versa for offside, whilst watching the drag link - you'll probably notice it rise up (they all do) - its not supposed to do that, its just a matter of how much wear is tolerable.
Under noramal 2wd conditions the front wheels only ever really get pushed backwards relative to the rest of the vehicle by drag and friction at the road surface and all the more so under braking - hence a bit of toe in when tracking up, so that once forces are appled tothe wheels they will compress bushes etc and the wheels will run parrallel.
In 4wd the wheels pull thems elees forward relative to the rest of the truck and any slack in the 6 ball joints can then really show up.
Try jacking each side up again and give the nearside a really good shove towards right lock on and vice versa for offside, whilst watching the drag link - you'll probably notice it rise up (they all do) - its not supposed to do that, its just a matter of how much wear is tolerable.
TERRANOSAURUS, noticed the lift when I had a quick look yesterday but the joints just looked like they were swivelling a bit not sloppy with freeplay. That bar was lifting a bit though. When dropped it back off the jack and turned the steering wheel back and fore a little, there was no visable movement in any of the joints, no play in the steering. Was going to adjust the wheel bearings and check/clean hubs today. Got a phonecall this morning for grand pearent duties so that plan went tits up! Its got to be something about the front wheels not staying parallel to each other when there is drive to the front. Terranosaurus I always wonderd why cars always had a bit of toe in on the tracking. Learning all the time. Cheers, Teebird.
M
mobyone
Guest
drag links aside, have you checked the front tyre pressures? that will give different circumferences of tyres which will also cause torque steer. probably not obvious, but for ten pence or less...
may turn out not to be that but hey it is the front causing it. even tracking. but that would show when in 2wd too i suppose.
richard
may turn out not to be that but hey it is the front causing it. even tracking. but that would show when in 2wd too i suppose.
richard
magsleon
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2009
- Messages
- 84
Same complaint
Hi just been browsing and noticed this thread about erratic steering in 4wd. I got the same problem in the last lot of snow. In deep snow, no problem, but when I got onto firmer road the steering pulled from left to right,I let go of the steering wheel just to see what would happen and the swaying increased each time until I decelerated. It seems to be OK on mud etc just on firmer road surfaces, so I tended to keep it in 2wd on icy roads and use 4wd just for slush and snow. What I have noticed after the snow is that in 2wd it pulls very slightly to the left, tyre pressures Ok so must be something else on it way out. When it get annoying enough I will have a good look.
Hi just been browsing and noticed this thread about erratic steering in 4wd. I got the same problem in the last lot of snow. In deep snow, no problem, but when I got onto firmer road the steering pulled from left to right,I let go of the steering wheel just to see what would happen and the swaying increased each time until I decelerated. It seems to be OK on mud etc just on firmer road surfaces, so I tended to keep it in 2wd on icy roads and use 4wd just for slush and snow. What I have noticed after the snow is that in 2wd it pulls very slightly to the left, tyre pressures Ok so must be something else on it way out. When it get annoying enough I will have a good look.
Bit of an update. Adjusted front wheel bearings, auto hubs ok. Tried it in 4wd in a straight line on a dry road for approx 20 meters and I could feel trans winding up a bit. Havent been offroad and the snow,s dissapeared now, when I do I will report back on the forum. Front and back tyre pressures all set at 30psi. There was about 3/8 to 1/2" 0f freeplay in both front wheels rocking them top and bottom. TEEBIRD.
