Your 4WD is NOT ACTUALLY 4WD...Here's Why
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- Опубликовано: 4 апр 2022
- 4WD or not, we got your rig covered - www.trailbuiltoffroad.com/store
Your 4WD off-road vehicle really isn't 4WD, and in today's video, we'll let you why. In the comments, let us know what type of vehicle you guys drive whether it's a 2WD, AWD, or 4WD, be sure and let us know, and if you wish you had something else.
#offroad #trailbuiltoffroad 
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Me (a 2wd taco owner): "Ahh yes this vid applies to me"
Well....lol um a locked rear axle on a 2wd is better than an open diff tho right?! lol😁
Same lol
Aren't they RWD rear wheel drive?
I've seen 2wd vehicles locked and going through some serious stuff. Obviously not like 4wd but it is helpful.
In 1994 I installed a Lock-Right automatic locking differential in my 1993 2wd Extra Cab 4 cylinder 5 speed Toyota pickup. With stock size 195/75R14 snow tires and no lift it went just about anywhere I could maintain momentum and didn't run out of ground clearance. With 300lb in the bed it was a 2wd beast on snow covered roads ! I would easily walk away from any front wheel drives equipped with snow tires when climbing steep snow covered hills. There were many times my little truck was the only 2wd at the top of hilly farm fields with a bunch of 4wd's playing in 12+ inches of snow. The only drawback (I thought it was a great) is the automatic locker does greatly increase the likelihood of going sideways so you better know how to control it or you will end up in the ditch or worse. Because of this I never let anyone drive it after I installed the Lock-Right.
If you do have open diffs you can apply the rear parking brake and get power back to the tire that is on the ground and stop the one that is just free spinning . this trick has gotten me out of some bad situations that would have required me being winched out . you can do the same for the front by carefully applying the brake pedal while giving it more gas to overcome the brakes . Its not the same as having lockers by any means but it dose work to get you out of bad situations .
I was once stuck in loose, soft, semi mud soil in my UPS truck and all my right rear wheel did was dig down and spin in place. Couldn't get out and called for help and was told it would be a little bit. In the mean time, I threw in all the stones I could find to get any kind of traction I could.....didn't work. I had an idea....I wound up 1st gear and then shifted into 2nd as fast as I could and I moved just a bit, but stalled out. Restarted and did the same thing and got into 2nd until that was spinning and then shifted into 3rd and crawled right out!
The problem with computer controlled lockers is they don't allow you to choose the mode you need in the moment. It is very useful to be able to activate or deactivate the front lockers. The shirt coming is the method of communicating that order. Vacuum electric or cable. All of which are prone to failure.Also the old school manual hubs are a more dependable feature. Old school is still better.Dandahermit
You forgot to mention the "Lincoln Locker"... a classic by any measure!
Just get you some good Lincoln [brand] welding rod (7018 or 10018) and, inside the open diff, weld those spider gears to their shafts. And, VOILA!, you have a full-time locked differential... at least for a while. LOL
To that respect, he should have just mentioned full spools. They, technically, fall into that category. Similar thing with torsion based LSDs, didn't mention them, but they fall under LSDs so they don't necessarily need to be specified.
Good ol orb of power
You also have lunch Box lockers
Limited Slip differential G80
I think electric locker is the best choice. Air you need a pump and air lines which can leak or crack when too cold. OX cable is great until you do any damage to the cable line in which you will need to replace the whole cable. Both of which can be difficult to fix on the trail, all you would need is a long electric wire to get an electric locker back up.
Unless the solenoid fails. Granted they're not on lockers but we replace burnt solenoids on valves all the time.
@@sweet65mustang coil burns not the solenoid.
@@pulda015 the solenoid is the coil. Per wiki: A solenoid is a type of electromagnet formed by a helical coil of wire whose length is substantially greater than its diameter, which generates a controlled magnetic field.
But to the original point, air lockers do seem to be notoriously unreliable. I see them failing on RUclips videos all the time. Then, on day three of my Moab trip, my brand new ARB starts leaking air, causing the pump to run intermittently. I thought it was going to fail entirely but the next time I engaged it it didn't leak at all.
I know I don't ask for much but wouldn't it be cool if there was a 3 position locker? Open (like stock one wheel wonder) , mechanical locker (like a lockrite) and solid like a spool.
Do a video on the different between narrow tires and wide tires , off road .
I’m sure you’ve heard the old timers say narrow is better the wide .
Wider tires mean more traction more flotation. Wide tires win.
Wider is almost always better than narrow
But taller > wide
I split the difference and go with medium size and it’s worked for me for 35+ years so I’m good. Experience over expert opinion every time lol
That's a very good reason why I drive a Power Wagon, my sure footed mountain goat, she's awesome...
Air lockers always fail when you need them the most. That happened to my ARBs twice.
I have at least 3 wheel drive since my trailhawk has a rear locker, and with crawl control is like 3.5 wheel drive. This is why I feel like a rear locker is more important than flex is. It's been my experience that having a rear on my kl has made more of a positive difference than solid axle open diff flex would have done for me. And I know I take shit for calling open diff 4wd rigs awd or 2wd cuz of the fact that open diffs suck
Yep ! Look up the RTI of the Hummer H1. It's about the same as our Jeeps. Nobody would say that a Hummer can't wheel... The suspension behavior is very similar. Both are 4wheel independent suspension. There are some good videos of h1 versus Wrangler. No doubt , on an otherwise flat ground full of bowling ball size rocks or larger, a flexible Wrangler will destroy the Cherokee Trailhawk. I've done some testing and it seems that as long as the Cherokee isn't "asked" to climb more than one 12 inch tall ledge at once, it can reach up about a foot and keep all 4 on the ground. From diagonal testing the limit is basically diagonal rhino ramps and you'll pick a wheel up. So about 7-8 inches would be the limit. If you run low pressures you can corner travel about 10 inches on diagonal corners if you're running 32s at about 20 psi. I've learned that since the suspension is stiff and the flex is limited , your best bet for flex would be tall tires with low pressure. Actually, 245 75 17 might flex the best of all tire choices. I have 265 65 and while you can air down , they just hold the weight so well , possibly too well to get good tire flex. For us , good tire flex can add probably 20% more travel.
I have a Wrangler Sport S with the LSD. Throw some decent tires on it and it'll go 97% of the places a Rubicon will go. I know people love their lockers, and when you need them, you REALLY need them, but I've been in some pretty decent mud and hills and never gotten stuck.
I have the same sport S. I bought it stock and after about a year I put a true trac only in the front. It’s not nearly as pricey but makes a huge difference it’s like a brand new vehicle when Offroading especially if you’re doing any type of climbing
If you haven't ever been stuck you aren't trying hard enough LOL
It's not about getting stuck, and no you can't go 97% of places a Rubicon goes! Get out and actually wheel it, you will find the limits really quick! A Rubicon has the ability to fully lock both front and rear lockers, that traction is not even comparable to a single rear limited slip!
I wheel a rover classic with a rear locker and front limited slip, in heavy rocks I wish I would have put in a locker!
@@dred5375 95% of wheelers drive up look at a obstacle and say nope not even gonna try and drive down the park road. Because they don't want to break anything because their Jeeps are daily drivers. I understand that you wheel with your wallet. And nowadays you might want to stick with the restaurants and beaches for wheeling trips because of the massive parts shortages. I had to cancel our big wheeling this year because the wife's crawler is down till 2023. That is the projected date for when replacement parts hopefully show up.
In my other trucks i had (chevy and ford) that i used to have, i always had a detroit locker installed in the rear diffs.
Have seen cable-actuated ox-lockers fail to engage, too. No perfect solutions.
Thanks. I try to explain this to folks all the time. Also, your average ON ROAD car is ONLY ONE-wheel drive for the same reasons. Lockers Rule!
Actually, open diffs do apply power to both wheels, until one slips. Then all power goes to the wheel with the lowest traction
I always learn so much from these videos. Thanks man!
I have a cable actuated OX locker - a 4-foot cable leads to a solenoid which gives me push-button operation and avoids possible cable binding in the cramped interior of an XJ . Works great
I'm in the middle of building axles for my XJ project. Have a HP D30 w/OX in front, & will be putting an 8.8 w/OX in rear. Bought electric actuators for both. Where did you end up mounting the actuators & switches?
I was planning to put a small switch panel in that little coin holder/non-ashtray, with the actuators themselves just under the center console. But curious where you ended up putting yours.
Also, you said your cable is 4ft. Is that front? Rear? Both?
@@nates2621 I only have a rear locker which works great on the trails - the cables do not do well with tight bends and it's easier to run wires to the console. This is my set-up with a 48" cable: www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/ox-locker-212123/#post3654196
Thank you! I discovered your site yesterday. SO informative!
Glad it was helpful!
For street bound work vehicles that occasionally need to get off road, Eaton style clutched positraction units are an excellent choice. One of my IHC Scouts came with Dana 44 locking differentials from the factory. For plowing unpaved roads, lockers that automatically ingage are a must. You can't be constantly messing with switches and pumps.
Good video, highly informative. Research before buying is key! I love my ZR2. Twin locked from the factory.
If you don't have lockers, knowing how to drive is especially helpful.
Im running a 96 for ranger withDana 30 SAS. I have OX cable lockers front and rear. What I love is if the cable snaps you can still use the spring bolt to rengage the locker so you're not SOL
Detroit in back and air locker in front, love it!
I love saying my truck is 3 wheel drive. People are like what? Lol. Then I explain, 1, 2 and 3 wheel drive. But lunch box lockers front and back is amazing
OX cable activated all day long, just fully cycle the suspension upon installation.
Got to love limited slips, vari- loks and lockers
That was a lot of info and I don't think I heard one thing I disagreed with. Very well done.
Another added benefit to the OX cable type, in the case you snag or break the cable somehow they make what's called a DAL (drive away lock) that allows you to take the cable off and screw in a temporary lock hold to keep you engaged for the rest of the trail
Open diff, one wheel in the air, there is no resistance for that wheel so very little torque is being developed, however all the power is going to that wheel (think wheel spin). The result is the wheel on the ground is also developing very little torque, because open diffs split the torque 50/50. Locked diffs prevent a difference in RPMs, so the wheel on the ground is getting 50% of the power (two wheels now spinning at the same speed) AND developing all the torque bc it's seeing all the resistance.
Same token, two wheel drive car is actually one wheel drive due to differential effect.
Good info I want rear lockers on my pickup,mostly for winter usage!
Might be a good idea to look into Eaton TruTrac LSDs if you are going to do a lot of road driving 👍
Thank you for this excellent video! I learned a lot from it.
Glad it was helpful!
07 jk rubicon with factory lockers. Love it!
Nissan T30 X-trail, with Brake LSD completely invested in this video O.O
2003 Rubicon with the ARB air lockers. Love them. No issues. Very reliable and robust.
I have been using rachet lockers and like them they go aroubd corners and u turns without churping the tires. but when on the gas they are locked up up a hill or pulling through a corner. When finding out it csn climb a rock straight up it no prolem with only one tire against it lifting the entire Full size Bronco is upon itbut over it too and set downso smooth I had to look out the window to see how I was stuck and what I saw was both wheels and tires haning down off the ground on the limit straps off the grond I set down gentlle on my frame rail got to winch it off now and glad to have one and a long strap and a extra pullyey for 2-1 hooked it up and I was off and gone.
In the UK, the most popular vehicle in use off-road is the traditional obsolete design of Landrover Defender which does not have any electronic traction system or LSD. It has a lock for the centre differential but that still makes it susceptible to the diagonals spinning problem that brings it to a complete halt. There are LSD out there for Defenders but they are £500 to £800 (~€/$600 to 960) each plus fitting.
The real cheapskate answer is left foot braking. What this involves is applying the foot brake, with the left foot, while still applying enough throttle to keep everything rolling. What this does is apply sufficient braking to the spinning wheel that torque is applied to the wheel on the opposite side. This is similar to what a LSD or some electronic traction control does but left foot braking does it less efficiently. If done well however it is an amazing boost to the capability of vehicles with simple drive trains.
The driver needs to have practised using the left foot on the brake as this is unnatural for most drivers and their brake application tends to be not subtle enough.
Often a lower gear will need to be selected in order to keep the engine in the maximum torque band to overcome the additional resistance of the brakes.
If you are having to use this technique repeatedly in complex terrain then it is really hard work and requires quite intense concentration. Unless you get really good at it, it will probably persuade you to forget about paying for food and rent and buy lockers instead!!!
Me angrily punching in my dealer's number: "What do you mean my Rubi isn't 4wd?!"
I prefer a PowerTrax style locking system. They are great when cornering and when going straight and they're super simple.
It's a shame how little the general public understand the different between open and locked carriers. They just assume the will all drive with all 4 wheels if it's " 4 wheel drive" Dandahermit
My daily driver is grand Cherokee with Dana 60 front with a spool and a shaved 14 bolt in the rear with a Detroit. Hyro-assist is an absolute must for a front spool. I am running a 1.75” ram. My trail rig is a tube chassis buggy with Dana 60 front with a Detroit and in the rear a 35 spline Dana 60 with a spool with full hydro steering.
In my zr2 s10 it has a g80 rear diff and it's great. You feel very little slip in the rear and kicks in hard and pushes it's way through.
'96 2 door Jeep XJ Stock UpCountry Package. The end goal is to keep it stock, but make it super durable. Lots of new and better than stock parts on it and more to come.
Mine is, F & R lockers!
The way to go! 😎💯
mine has a locking rear end so it's 3 wheel for sure until the limited slip spools up and then is 4wd
Donut media actually has a video comparing cheap vs expensive lockers
I have a lunchbox locker I just bought but I don't take my truck offroad all the time. Is it bad if I daily drive it ? I'd say I only go offroad 10%
I put front and rear lockers on my TJ.
Now explain a Torsion diff lol
4 wheel drive is not actually 4 wheel drive here's why. Glad i watched this video. I really wanted to know why 4 wheel drive isn't 4 wheel drive.
Oh wait. 4 wheel drive is 4 wheel drive.
05 Rubicon TJ. All 4 tires spin. Should I take the lockers out? 😄
My 3rd Gen T4R is "Triple Locked and Cocked" 4.70:1 TacoBox Supreme Dual Transfer Case.
I se BFG KO2s on my rig up here in snow country in central Alaska
I have a zr2 which has front and rear lockers. Good all around truck
What years did the zr2 have them on both front and rear
My vehicle came stock with selectable locker front and optional Torson rear. So, I DO have 4 wheel drive.
Good Driving is basically number one in off-road driving. After that tires then either an LSD or Lockers will assist from there. I have Torsen LSDs in both my front and rear axles in my F150 and they work great for the driving I do.
Air locker or E locker both are strong enough to destroy your axle shaft. It’s just a point air locker fanboys like to bring up to justify the extra cost and complexity which makes them less reliable overall.
I have a bronco badlands with front and rear lockers. It is most definitely 4x4
What about spools or welding?
4WD for the off roader. Daily beater is AWD but couldnt care less what my daily is.
Great video, very informative. I have a 2014 Ram 2500 4X4. I believe I have a "Limited slip" rear dif, and an open front dif. I need help. I want true 4WD. I like the sound of the OX cable locker.
I do not have locking hubs, just a switch on the dash. I have many questions. The front dif seems clear cut, my question is, can I install a locker on the rear dif and have locked dif off road, and
retain limited slip on the highway? What should I do?
I wouldn't bother for that vehicle. Crap off road anyway. I feel like if u actually had the money for this you'd be asking some shops, not youtube.
2008 h3 alpha with the offroad package, it's got stop at every gas station wheel drive.
Solved the problem on my Jeep, it’s got big axles with font and rear lockers.
Two out of our 3 4wds are actual 4wd. I have aftermarket front and rear lockers in my Ram 2500 and our Wrangler JLU is a Rubicon (wish I had access to both lockers when not in 4-Low). Both do better when it is slippery than the Lexus GX.
I noticed since my Jeep jk 3.8 engine is the same as the Chrysler town & country has the same engine specs.
Good explanation but you left out the torsen limited slip type of diffs.
Front and rear torsen diffs and locking centre diff on my 4x4
Why did you not mention Detroit TruTrac differential with helical gears? Yes, it's a limited slip differential, but without clutch plates. Limited slip with clutch plates will, sooner or later, become an open differential when the plates are depleted. The Detroit TruTrac is by far the best option without going to Lockers. I installed it in my 17' Ram 1500 and have no complaints.
Could you please explain what it is that we all have in a vehicle that claims to be 4wd from the manufacturer. I have no idea now after watching this video lol
I've always had diff lockers in my 4x4s.
My lincoln locker has never failed
I have a rubicon gladiator so can lock the diffs. I wonder why they dont have limited slip in front wheels, seems llike you could corner still.
You also have BLD or Brake Lock Differential. It’s a traction control essentially using the vehicles brakes.
I have a raptor so I have a rear E logger and a front torsion differential
98 Jeep TJ sport auto trans, 37x12.5-15r MT, 1 ton axles with kingpin front, Detroit lockers front and rear with 4.56 gears and hunbs, up graded drive shafts, Atlas transfer case 3.8:1 ratio, hydro steering assist with a 4-5 inch lift and it's my daily driver getting 13 MPG
I'm on 37x1350x18 on a Cummins ISB powered Ram 2500 CC - 7" lift and my fuel economy is better than that. Are you running the 4L or engine swapped?
I guess I have a 3 wheel drive station wagon 🤔
0:02 What make and model is the 2nd truck? Judging by the grille this could be an old Volvo, however I doubt this.
Me: Welded rear and front diff AWD shit box.
🤔 Never ran into those problems before.
I bought a 2020 sport s and went and installed the LSD in the front.
On my 88 Cherokee I want to run the OX cable lockers ... once I can afford it, that's the way I want to go. A simple cable is just appealing to me, and if it doesn't work, should be pretty simple to diagnose. Plus they have that little plug thing to keep it working and get you out. But one thing I often wonder about ... just front, or just rear or both? Depending on a person's finance ability ... can they get only one, do they do just front or just rear? Cool video by the way.
If you can only do one, do the back.
Running a factory stock 2018 F150 FX4 with the rear locker. A front locker would be nice once i’ve paid off the truck. The cable locker sounds nice though 🤓
To save some money, if you are willing, you can run a front OX locker and not use a cable, air line, or electric wiring. They have a drive-away bolt that you can throw in and lock the diff. You just have to be willing to crawl under and install and remove it every time (unless you have selectable hubs, then you could just do it another time or leave it in all the time).
@@darrenpowers408 Great info, thank you 😁
not until lockers locked
I have air lockers front and rear.
2016 jeep JKU Rubicon. All 4 spin together.
Sherlock: Judging by the way the wheels are spinning I'd say the 4x4s don't have Lockers.
My actual 4wd with the Lincoln lock makes my ujoints very unhappy 😥
V8 4Runner front, center, rear lockers, stock suspension, and 34 in tires. Love driving past guys with open diffs confused why they can't make it up the same obstacle. 🤓
2004 TJ Rubicon - you get *really* stuck when all 4 spin!
I have a 99' Chevy Blazer 4x4 that I bought for $1,000 with 362,000 miles, would it be worth it to make a off road rig? The engine, transmission and 4wd works very strong but would need a new suspension set up and tires
Imo too many miles. Get some all terrains and possible icon lift and call it a day.
My 4x4 is the only vehicle out of four that doesn't have a locker or Limited Slip, so basically I have 4 two wheel drive vehicles.
Josh from Trailbuilt is the BEST!!!!
He's aiight lol 😁
Then there’s me with a welded front differential and a grizzly locker rear
All my rigs got front lockers before everything
If a cable works, why doesn't anyone make a locker actuated via manually turning a screw on the differential housing? This would be nigh fool-proof, and especially great as a backup to electronic or pneumatic actuation.
My 2009 H3 Adventure is indeed a 4 wheel drive vehicle with selectable center, front, and rear locking differentials. You must be talking to someone else.
All “4” wheel drive vehicles should come from the factory with a Limited slip rear differential as standard equipment. An open rear differential should not exist at the very least.🧐
JL’s use brake lock differential
Have 2 wheel Tacoma park it and beat up sxs rzr at 5 times the speed love it
3 wheel drive with my 90s k1500 with a posi
3:00 is there an echo in here?
Anyone notice the repeat sentence around minute three?
this is why i have lockers F&R
Mine is 4wd, as I have front, rear and central lockers, and I can cheerfully get through just about everything.
Central lockers?
@@Carlos-ln1lx Yep, to esnure the front and rear axles move at the same speed.
@@mobileentertainment575 never heard of that...very cool. Will look into that when I get my front locker. Have a good one!