How Does This 4 Wheel Drive Work,Exactly!!??

[kuto]

i was stuck in a situation today where i found myself skidding with one back wheel bearly touching the ground.i locked the wheel hubs but did not switch in H4 or L4...but to my suprise i was able to get out without any skid "Very Strange"..so i seek to find out if theres a limited slip function when the hubs are locked. raising one backwheel almost totally af the ground on a steep incline i got that wheel to skid.wat i wanno kno is wat exactly happened,wat does locking the hubs actually do?when in H4orL4 does al the wheels spin the same speed no matter if one is totaly of the ground ..if yes y does my front left wheel seem to skid mor than the others?does switching to H4 L4 lock the rear differential-or is it that both front wheels spin at the same rate?

excuse the long post,sorryt

[reb]

Locking the hubs just connects the front drive axle to the front wheels. You must put the transfer case into 4H or 4L to have 4WD. The hubs have no limited slip ability--that is a function of the differential design. Most 4WDs do not have limited slip differentials--those that do generally have it only in the rear. Most 4WDs are really only 2WDs when the 4WD is engaged, because the non-limited slip differentials will allow one wheel to spin in front and in back.

[kuto]

so the word around that all four wheels spin at the same rate is wrong! but how do u explain that i was able to come out from this situation (a ditch) without skiding-i was skiding b 4 and all i did was lock the hubs.remember i was not in H4 or L4,i am certain sure i was in H2(the 4WD led was of)

[ElmerFudd]

I'm wondering why you locked the hubs but then proceeded to attempt it in 2WD? Because in all honesty, it sounds like you had someone watchin over you when this happened. 4WD works exactly how reb explained it. You have to engage the transfer case before your front wheels will get turning at all.

[kuto]

basically ,i was seeking to find out how this actually works: i first tried it out by going into L4 with the hubs set to free;i just wanted to kno if the rear would engage without the front since the word around this forum is that all wheels spin at the same rate in 4wd (thanks to reb, now i kno beter),and then i locked the hubs and set the tranfer to H2 and try again..maybe there is no explanation to this,maybe its just one of those things

[ElmerFudd]

I'd say you ran into luck of the draw. To me it seems like the only sense i can make of this. Happy 4x4in.