Please forgive my ignorance

[lambert]

04 Jimny jlx+.

I know they have a reputation as being a mountain goat but...
 
How does the 4x4 work? Is it diff locks or slip diff, full or part time, electronic or mechanical?
 
Sorry for being un-educated.

[glaggs]

If the later models are same as the early ones (which I think they are) The transfer box works manualy giving 2wd high, 4wd high and 4wd low. The hubs work on a vacuum system which in turn works fron a switch in the transfer box.

[kevan1]

ok, i have a 2002 jimny it has 4wd high range 4wd low range and 2wd . i think on the later ones you push a button on the dash and it selects 4wd etc. on the earlyer ones it has a second gear stick if you like to select between 2wd and 4wd . as for limited slip diffs and diff lock i'm no to sure. :roll:

[lambert]

So both diffs are open?

[Whatmot]

as far as im aware they are open diffs

[glaggs]

Yes both diffs are open - only vehicles that get stuck need lockers, Jimnys don't get stuck (much) The transfer box acts as a central locker aka Landrover when the locking hubs are engaged, which they do automatically when the lever is moved into the 4wd position.

[CNorman]

Glaggs is that right? I have a Land Rover and a Suzuki. The landrover (although modern) has a transfer box for 4WD but a seperate link for Diff Lock suzukis as far as i know havew no central locker, they lock the front Via the centre but have effectivelly 2 diffs, landrovers have 2 + a centre diff locker.

Not sure as if the only vehicles that "get stuck" need lockers. My suzuki has gone places a landrover wont, but then for each 1 time that happens my Landy will go about 30 times where a suzuki wont.

[glaggs]

I was trying to simplify it, the transfer box seperates front and rear, but when 4wd is engaged it acts like a Landrover with its central diff lock engaged.


The getting stuck comment is sarcasm. Different vehicles all have good and bad points and some cope better than others dependant on condition. I find the biggest factor is actually whos driving not what they drive. I know where my Jimny can and can't go, and so don't get stuck too often. I also have a good idea of what Landrover wil go where, and quite often they get stuck, especially with my encouragement :lol:  :lol:

[CNorman]

The trouble is though it is not the same. The Landrover has drive t all 4 wheels, the centre diff locks the ratios front to back.

The suzuki does not have this facility, as far as i am aware non of them do?

The suzuki just puts it in four wheel drive but allows individual axle speeds (not "Proper" four wheel drive like landys)

[V8MoneyPit]

I don't know about the Jimny, but SJ's don't have centre diffs.... so nothing to lock anyway. Both axles are equally driven while in 4wd.

[glaggs]

My understanding is that for front and rear axels to turn at different speeds the transfer box must also act as a diff. As in landrovers. The diff lock on a landrover locks this diff thus meaning front and rear axels turn at the same speed. The front and rear diffs allow wheels on the same axel to turn at different speeds even if the centre diff is locked. The Jimny transfer case enables selection between 2wd and 4wd. When 4wd is engaged the front and rear axels are locked to turn at the same speed. To allow ythem to turn at different speeds it would have to have a centre diff. Thus the transfer box on the jimny in 4wd position is the same as a Landrover transfer box with centre Diff locked. To get full time genuine 4wd lockers would need to be fitted front and rear to both vehicles.

[V8MoneyPit]

The earlier Zukes, like SJ's, never had centre diffs. As you say, the front and rear axles then turn at the same rate. They don't have the facility to turn independantly in 4wd. For this reason, they mustn't be driven in 4wd on tarmac because the transmission 'winds up'. Just like driving a Land Rover with the centre diff locked.... a definate no-no on hard surfaces.

When in 2wd, the front propshaft is disconnected from the gearbox thus allowing different rotational speed between the axles for raod use.

The axle diffs only allow 'differential' rotation across the axle and don't make allowance for differential speed of the two axles as you correctly point out.

Not sure about the Jimny though. It may well have a centre diff.

[CNorman]

I have a funny feeling that i am about to be proven wrong here then... :oops:

Are you saying that the Suzukis have locked front and rear axle speeds and can not run independant of one another? I did not realise that.

If that is the truth then suzukis have genuinelly gone up in my estimation.

P.S. My understanding is that Suzukis do indeed allow different front and rear axle speeds hence the not "proper" four wheel drive reference i made to them.
 

[glaggs]

Although Jimny's use a different t/fer box the theory they work is the same as SJ's and therefore when 4wd is engaged the front and rear prop shafts rotate as one. The half shafts can rotate independantly via the front and rear diffs. Only thing stopping a jimny is lack of ground clearance. I'm now on 31" tyres, any bigger means serious body sugery.

[CNorman]

Well i definatly stand corrected and can see more how the Suzukis are regarded off road.

My next concern would be that they would not be as "man" as land rovers off road.

Mind you, i bet 31" wheels clears some ground, that is actually larger than landrover if i am correct

[wrecker]

not jimny but vitara,

i have more lift than all my mates landys,and always go further then them off road,

i have no lockers and diff lock but always beat them,they are lifted too,mts

 :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:  :lol:

[generation-x]

not jimny but vitara,

i have more lift than all my mates landys,and always go further then them off road,

i have no lockers and diff lock but always beat them,they are lifted too,mts

 :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:  :lol:

thats cause u have a heavy right foot mark lol

[Terranosaurus]

It's not just Zuks almost all selectable 4wd trucks have no centre diff, its cheaper and stronger to build the boxes that way. If you need 4x4 to make progress than centre diff lock wouldn't be a bad idea either. Mitsis, Toyotas, Nissans etc most work on this principle, except many of the larger jap trucks also throw a limited slip diff in for good measure so unlike a landies 2 wd when it gets really slippy and wheels start to spin you get 3wd cos both rears turn and so does at least one of the fronts. Of course you can always add air lockers etc to overcome this.

Series landies were the ones with no real 4wd IIRC, open centre diff with no diff lock, one wheel sins - no drive to the others, though I'm no landy man so that may be wrong.

[glaggs]

thats cause u have a heavy right foot mark lol


Its the only way to drive them.

[generation-x]

stick a lada t-case in an sj and you got a difflock job sorted

simon

[V8MoneyPit]

Well i definatly stand corrected and can see more how the Suzukis are regarded off road.

We all learn something new every day mate  :D

My next concern would be that they would not be as "man" as land rovers off road.

They are substantially lighter so don't see the transmission shock loads that a Land Rover might see. They definately require a different technique to achieve similar results to a Land Rover. Having owned a modified Samurai and a couple of Land Rovers, I can vouch for the different approaches to off road driving. When I first started using the Sammy after years of V8 torque, I thought it was rubbish. But I quickly got the hang of using more inertia  :lol:

stick a lada t-case in an sj and you got a difflock job sorted

simon

But surely that only allows you to run on tarmac in 4wd which is not a great deal of use? The standard setup works perfectly well i.e. no centre diff. Why would anyone want a centre diff just so they can lock it anyway?! The way I see it, it just adds complication. Or am I missing the point, Simon?

[generation-x]

in threoy steve you can lock the axle diffs up for true 4x4 and the gearing is mega low too :shock:

[glaggs]

How easy is it to fit the Lada box, i.e flanges etc, might be a way of lowering the gearing on the JImny?

[generation-x]

into an sj ive been told easy jimny im not sure but it has to be cheaper than fitting a dg tuning kit

simon