Nissan Safari 4WD Options

[webfish]

I'm not an experienced off road driver. I use my GQ Safari for few of the harder to access surf beaches up here in Northland and for getting to my house when our ford floods!

Recently I got fairly well bogged down in some very soft and deep sand. I got out in the end but it wasn't as easy as I'd have hoped, so ....

Can someone answer a few basic questions about the 4WD set-up options on these vehicles.

1. How do I know if I have a LSD in the rear ? (I assume not!)

2. Exactly how do the front hubs work ? The hubs have a manual switch for either Auto or Lock. How does this differ from simply selecting 4WD from inside the cab? I kind of imagined this was locking the front diff but why a switch per hub ?

1991, Safari, LWB, TD42, Manual

cheers

[vinceparts]

1. How do I know if I have a LSD in the rear ? (I assume not!)

jack up rear of truck and spin the wheel if the other wheel spins opposite way to the way your spinning your wheel it isnt an lsd

2. Exactly how do the front hubs work ? The hubs have a manual switch for either Auto or Lock. How does this differ from simply selecting 4WD from inside the cab? I kind of imagined this was locking the front diff but why a switch per hub ?

to get truck in 4wd you 'lock' the front hubs which engages the hub to the axle and the lever in the cab engages the gearbox to the front driveshaft

[Jay]

Gidday webfish,

If the rear diff is LSD, it should have it printed on the casing.... mine has an orange sticker on the rear of the casing.

The front hubs are automatic, and engage automatically when 4wd is selected - however they have the added bonus of being able to be manually 'locked'. Fully auto hubs have a tendancy to 'unlock' at the most inappropriate times, like driving up a really steep hill etc, so if you are tackling something challenging or out for a full day of offroading, flick them in 'lock' and you will be set

Hope this helps.

Jay

[webfish]

OK - thanks, that makes a bit more sense.

Several people have told me that I need to lock the front hubs to be in 4WD. I knew this couldn't be the case because I regularly (every day) change into 4WD from the cab so I can slowly back up a very steep piece of gravel drive into my garage.

Final question. What is the front diff ? is this standard 4WD, locked up permantly, or LSD ?

thanks again. I'm going home tonight to jack up the rear !
(better say that carefully or it could be misconstrued )

[Jay]

Sweet - no worries.

Will be standard, open diff.... Permanently locked would make it really hard to turn corners, and tires would last about a month hehe

If you looking at getting into some more serious terrain, there are various auto lockers and air operated lockers for the front available out there...

Jay

[pruggerdore]

too work out if your rear diff is lsd a simple test tells accurately. stickers can fall of etc. jack wheels off ground spin one wheel. if other wheel spins the same way it is lsd if it goes the opposite way it is non lsd.
Used in auto lock mode alot the front hubs tend too self destruct so lock them for serious 4wding. I didnt know that and now in auto mode mine dont work much at all. still work fine when manually locked.

[webfish]

Just to sum-up this thread ...

I recently jacked up the rear of my truck and can confirm I do have a slippy in the back which is good news (do they even make them without?!).

I have to assume that my auto front hubs aren't operating as well as they should so will manually lock them in the future.

thanks for the advice.

[fullthrottle]

I have to assume that my auto front hubs aren't operating as well as they should so will manually lock them in the future.

Hello, I noted that you are backing up a drive. I've been told, and it seems to be true that the auto hubs dis-engage often in reverse. Mine seem to do this.

Cheers

[crazyclark31]

they only disengage when there is no load to hold them in.i.e rolling backwards.