Offroad-Express

I have a n00b question regarding 4wd. I have a stock 89 hilux. When I am in 4wd and in slippery mud, with the front manual hubs locked, I dont seem to be getting any drive to either of the front wheels. Shouldn't one wheel spin at each end of the vehicle?, I am getting plenty to the rear but no front wheel spin. With an open diff at each end and slippery conditions, shouldn't I get a wheel spinning at each end?, or am I way off track?

You are dead correct in your assumptions.

I think if you put it in 4wd and then jack up each wheel on the front in-turn and try to spin it, A if it spins then you have a broken hub/axil/diff and B if neither do then nothing is wrong. you could unbolt the rear drive shaft flange and engage 4wd and see if you have drive to the front that way. Just be careful of the rear driveshaft wiggling around though

Mike

Yes good idea, mite give that a go. probably safer to disconnect from the transfer case instead of the diff....

Try pulling your Free wheeling hubs off, give them a through clean and grease them and put them back on. If one is stuck in the disengaged postion them you will have no drive in the front. I found this out going down a steep hill on wet grass. Not pretty

Hiya,

Vehicle: 91 Surf with auto-locking hubs, V6, auto trans.

Funny that I was reading this post a few days ago...

Just discovered yesterday that when in 4wd (high or low) the front right wheel doesn't drive and the front left does ?!?

The rear end works fine.

With the auto-locking hubs, could the right front hub be stuck in the disengaged postion, as tomsoffroad suggested with the manual hub model?

...or is this a sign of a more serious problem?

Thanks,
Ben

ooh ooh ooh i have a set of manual hubs collecting dust $ 50.00 if you need them as i have gone to solid axle and do not need them also have a complete front axle assembly if any body is interested

ooh ooh ooh i have a set of manual hubs collecting dust $ 50.00 if you need them as i have gone to solid axle and do not need them also have a complete front axle assembly if any body is interested

Hey Mudrat

Sounds normal, to my knowledge they never brought the surfs out with a limited slip diff up front, and if the auto hub is having issues ingaging you'd hear it "clunk, clunk etc"

If you want to test get hold of some axle stands, jack the back up (just high enough to let the back wheels spin) and jack one axle on the front, now with it in 4WD in first let the clutch out gently (do this gently if you have some sort of locker/LSD it could pull you off the stands!) if all goes right your jacked front wheel will be spinning :thumleft: now repeat with the opposite wheel

Now for the bad part if the free wheel (one on the jack) dosn't spin, you have problems, time to go see the mechanic

Hope this helps

and remember gently dose it and don't park behind something expensive when you do this

Cheers Reece

Thanks guys,

I guess I have effectively tested one side, thats how the question came up, I'll check the other side on the weekend.
Might drop the rear driveshaft rather that jacking the rear end up tho

If it is working fine and it's just the way it came out of the factory, what are the options to change this to a LSD or Lockable (lockable being preferable I guess) front end?
Keeping in mind ours is the coil sprung IFS model, it is a daily driver, and that money doesn't grow on trees around these parts.

Cheers,
Ben

buy Pinkys manual hubs, then put a lokka or lockrite in the front... don\'t mess about with an LSD in a 7.5\" diff - you\'ll probably have to get a Supra LSD and retrofit it to your diff which will most likely be darned expensive.

Just remember you have waaaay worse steering with a locked front diff, so be careful when you use it.

Steve

Can you use a lokka or lockrite with auto hubs?

Ben