4WD Tough Steering Normal??

[tjkj2002]

Thanks for all the information.

My usual scenario is that while parked, I put it in 4WD-Hi when there is snow on the ground. The problem I see is on my commute to work is that I usually travel on back roads with a lot of snow on them and then eventually make it to the highway where for the most part the highway is clear pavement. I usually leave it in 4WD since I obviously don't pull over to switch it out of 4WD and I like to leave it in 4WD because, on the highway although for the most part it is clear, you still hit the occasional spots of snow/ice or black ice. Since the Jeep in 2WD is rear wheels only, it can feel like you're going to spin out when you hit those occasional spots of slippery conditions, especially with the rear wheel drive and the short wheel base on the Liberty.

Where I experience the hopping is in these same conditions, but now instead of pulling onto a cleared highway, I'm pulling into a cleared parking lot and just trying to park my car in a shopping center, where I have to make a sharp turn into a parking spot. These are pretty typical driving conditions for Michigan winters.

So with the winter conditions I usually drive and use the 4WD, it's starting to sound like, I'm damned if I do or damned if I don't because it really sounds like that I need 4WD-Hi "Full-Time", which I don't seem to have on my Liberty.

Keep drive in part time 4wd at highway speeds and your t-case will look like this.................

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here is the story for the above pic..............
http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/driveline-bind.html

You can shift into and out of 4wd at speeds up to 55mph without stopping,read the owners manual.Get better tires,I'm rocking 2wd only and have had zero issues this winter in CO going anywhere in 2wd only though I have good tires.

 

[Treyz02KJ]

What I'm describing is on dry roads....it kind of Hops like you described, and it's in "Part-Time". I'm driving slow in a dry parking lot, just making a sharp turn into a parking space to park between 2 vehicles and it kind of jumps or hops. Sometimes, if it's a tight fit getting into the parking spot, I have to be really careful so the vehicle doesn't hop and smack into the vehicle I'm parking next to.

On my Shift lever, there's only 3 positions. 1. 2WD 2. 4WD-Hi 3. 4WD-Lo. I have never been able to figure out, how to have it in the 4WD-Hi position without the "Part-Time" light displaying.

That transfer case is not for operation on any dry surface.. That hopping, is your CV Joints, and Transfer case crying out for you to please put them back into 2wd mode.

Save the CV joints for slippery mud holes, and 8' of snow. Its only a matter of time before the 'hops' turn into a huge stealership bill. (speaking from experiance) I to own a COMMAND-Trac transfer case.. *****.. wish i would have known when i got it what that ment, but basically its for "Emergency" situations. You want to drive in 4x4 in parking lots, take the liberty back, and search for one with 'SELECT-TRAC'.

(I wouldnt have posted this if I would have known while I was typing it tjkj was already posting.. He knows whats up with this too)

 

[jnaut]

I usually leave it in 4WD since I obviously don't pull over to switch it out of 4WD and I like to leave it in 4WD because, on the highway although for the most part it is clear, you still hit the occasional spots of snow/ice or black ice.

You don't have to pull over to disengage 4wd. Especially the 4wd HI. I make regular trips to Whistler BC from Seattle and often run into 'mixed' conditions. 4wd high can be freely engaged when travelling under 50mph. As I hit a snowy patch and I feel a slight drift in the steering or wheels, I calmly engage 4hi. When the surface becomes dry or merely wet, I gently push the lever back out. No pulling over required. The only change in speed or driving pattern occurs in 4lo. Low requires you to be rolling between something like 7 and 10 mph, engage 4lo. Disengaging can be a little tricky from 4low.

But 4hi can be engaged/disengaged at speed. In fact, it's easier to disengage the 4wd while you're moving as gears can be locked up or stressed when at a stop, sometimes forcing you to roll a couple of feet to perform said disengagement.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

While you're right about the 4WD engagement being easier and can be engaged while moving, 55MPH is the limit as posted earlier. Owners manual.... it's in there somewhere... and on Jeep.com

 

[Rednroll]

While you're right about the 4WD engagement being easier and can be engaged while moving, 55MPH is the limit as posted earlier. Owners manual.... it's in there somewhere... and on Jeep.com

I read the owner's manual in the past. It actually shows in my owner's manual how to put it in 4WD-Hi "Full-Time"....but what they describe in the Owner's manual does not exist on my vehicle. So yeah....owner's manuals can be deceiving and are written pretty vague in a lot of cases, and in many cases, vehicles get updated before the manual. So I don't always rely on the manual for information, I have very little faith in the information in the Owner's manual. In the Manual it recommends not engaging 4WD going over 35 MPH, but states you can go up to 50MPH but is not recommended.

Also in the manual it DOES NOT state to NEVER drive on dry pavement while in "Part Time". Wouldn't think, something important like that which could damage your vehicle would be in bold and red print???

 

[jnaut]

So yeah....owner's manuals can be deceiving and are written pretty vague in a lot of cases, and in many cases, vehicles get updated before the manual. So I don't always rely on the manual for information, I have very little faith in the information in the Owner's manual. In the Manual it recommends not engaging 4WD going over 35 MPH, but states you can go up to 50MPH but is not recommended.

Also in the manual it DOES NOT state to NEVER drive on dry pavement while in "Part Time". Wouldn't think, something important like that which could damage your vehicle would be in bold and red print???

What year's your KJ, Rednroll?

My manual states:

Command-Trac Operating Information/Precautions
[...]
This is accomplished by simply moving the shift lever to these positions. The 4H and 4L positions are intended for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Driving in the 4H and 4L positions on dry hard surfaced roads may cause increased tire wear and damage to the driveline components.[emphasis mine]
[...]
Shifting between 2h and 4h can be made with the vehicle in motion up to 55mph (88 km/h). The transfer case will engage/disengage faster if you momentarily release the accelerator pedal after completing the shift.

Also noted is that 25mph is the top speed for 4L (low). I'm pretty sure your manual has all that in there. Chrysler would be looking at serious lawsuits if people tore up their transfer case, only to be told by the mechanic that they hosed it by driving on dry pavement and nothing existed in the manual saying anything to that effect.

 

[tjkj2002]

Yep the 4wd operation has it's own section in the owners manual and my '02 KJ came with another whole manual for offroad operation.The owners manual has to cover both t-case available and all transmissions available,you just got to read what applies to your KJ is all.All owners manuals for every vehicle is like that.

 

[Dave]

Rednroll......Put your jeep info in your sig so it will show up on your posts and we can help you easier.

Dave

 

[icarl]

When your kj turns a corner the outside wheel travels at a higher speed than the inside wheel because it has to travel a longer distance (arc) in the same time as the inside wheel. So there is a differential or difference of speeds between the 2 tires. The differential located between the two tires will allows the 2 wheels to travel at different speeds. This eliminates any binding (or tug of war) between the 2 wheels.

Similarily, when you turn a corner your front wheels will travel at different speeds than the rear wheels because they travel a different path or arc around the corner. Therefore the average speed of the differential in the front will be different than the differential in the rear when turning. If you put the kj in 4x4 part time it locks the 2 differentials at the same speed. So when you turn a corner there will be a tug of war between the front and rear differential. If you are on slippery ground the stress of this tug of war will be released through tire slippage. But if you are on a high traction surface like a road you're tires will not slip as easily and the stress will be released in your drivetrain.

If you had fulltime option then you would have a differential in between the two front and rear diffs that will allow them to travel at different speeds eliminating the binding.

 

[tsr966]

I found out the hard way not to use 4wd unless you really need it. I tow a boat and last summer I would use 4wd when I would put the boat in and out of the water. During the winter I used 4WD and noticed a noise when it was in 4WD. Recently we were pulling a trailer with 2 4 wheelers on a really bad road and came to a low water bridge that was pretty deep. I put it in 4WD and heard a really bad noise, we made it across and then we stopped to see what was wrong, the front drive shaft where it connects to the T case was toast. I started researching and read that you are not suppose to use the 4WD unless you are on loose surfaces that will allow the tires to slip. Luckily I search used part web sites and got a front axle for half the price of a new on. Now I am looking for a transfer case that has part time 4WD so I wont have the same problem again, and I wont use the 4WD unless I am on loose soil LOL.

 

[Rednroll]

Rednroll......Put your jeep info in your sig so it will show up on your posts and we can help you easier.

Dave

Ok....will do. Thanks

I only really put my Jeep in 4WD when I have to get through deep snow. Other than that it's always in 2WD. I just noticed this hopping when I would pull into a parking lot....and even before I asked this question, I got into the habit of putting it in 2WD after I got into the dry parking lots, because the hopping kind of scared me when I was turning that I might break something. It seems I was right, but that's why I originally asked this question because I wasn't sure what was happening. So thanks to all who responded in a civilized manor. Special thanks to wjkj, the information he posted was especially useful.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I found out the hard way not to use 4wd unless you really need it. I tow a boat and last summer I would use 4wd when I would put the boat in and out of the water. During the winter I used 4WD and noticed a noise when it was in 4WD. Recently we were pulling a trailer with 2 4 wheelers on a really bad road and came to a low water bridge that was pretty deep. I put it in 4WD and heard a really bad noise, we made it across and then we stopped to see what was wrong, the front drive shaft where it connects to the T case was toast. I started researching and read that you are not suppose to use the 4WD unless you are on loose surfaces that will allow the tires to slip. Luckily I search used part web sites and got a front axle for half the price of a new on. Now I am looking for a transfer case that has part time 4WD so I wont have the same problem again, and I wont use the 4WD unless I am on loose soil LOL.

If you want to use 4wd on dry surfaces or surfaces that are not loose then you would want to find a FULL TIME transfer case- . IE 242 tcase.

Using 4low or part time to pull a boat out of the water is 'ok' but you do not want to leave it in 4 part time very long or turn any at all. As soon as you got to the top of the ramp I would put it back into 2wd.

That front driveshaft youre talking about is something that some people seem to have problems with. The boot on the CV joint typically goes bad allowing dirt and crap to get into the CV joint. Could be related to using 4wd on hard surfaces but it could also be a different issue(the boot going bad).