Looking for some feedback. My 05 TJ, Auto, does this weird thing when either steering hard left or right in 4H. Starting from a dead stop or pulling into a parking spot, the steering wheel pulls or "jumps" in a back and forth way. Almost as if something else is trying to steer the wheel. It is fine at higher speeds, but hen again I would not be turning the wheel that far at higher speeds. I dont hear any noises or see any fluid leaking from the front diff, in fact the previous owner had new fluids put in about 150 miles before I purchased it.
Any ideas? I am a newbie with about 7 months and no off road.
X2. The Wrangler has a "part-time" 4x4 system that when it's in 4Hi or 4Lo, mechanically locks the front and rear axles together. That means it will fight any attempt by the front tires to rotate faster through a turn as they must do. That is the binding and steering wheel feedback you're experiencing.
4x4 for the Wrangler is for offroad use only. No, it's not good for wet pavement either. The ONLY time you can use the Wrangler's type of 4x4 on a paved road is if that paved road is 100% coated with snow or ice.
The only types of 4x4 systems suitable for use on paved road are AWD or full-time 4x4 systems which are not available on Wranglers.
Great advice from the posts above. Also be careful about using 4Hi/Lo on pavement because it will quickly tear up a Ujoint. It's best suited in situations where the ground below you is not solid. I am guilty of shifting into 4Hi during heavy rain when I see the roadway up ahead under a couple inches of water. In my experience it helps prevent losing control from hydroplaning.
Thanks so much for the prompt feedback. I appreciate the knowledge of the more experienced people on this forum. I was running 4H because I was told to do it every so often to keep everything "lubricated". Was I mis-informed?
You'll notice that in 2h your front drive shaft is still spinning? That means so are the internal gears of the axle are too, and locked in or not the transfer case is always throwing gear lube inside every part of that case, so I'm not sure what the guy who advised you about the "throw it in 4h every now and again to keep it lubed up" or whatever guy was smoking. Hopefully that's not your mechanic.
Definitely not my mechanic, just needed a balance and rotation so he offered his advice. That is why I reached out to the professionals here on WF!! After all I live in South Florida, home to all things criminal and fraudulent.
In addition to the "don't add fuel to the off-roading opponents fire" sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree, I've also heard tales here of people who've fallen into unfinished basements while driving through new home construction. That's gotta be a little embarrassing.
I used to have a Toyota 4x4 with locking hubs. The owners manual said to drive the first 300 miles with the hubs locked and do it for 50 miles every 1000.
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