Ok everybody, go ahead and start laughing now.
For several weeks I've debated back and forth about whether or not to ask this question and expose my stupidity, or just stay quiet and hope to stumble accross the answer somewhere.
I've decided to ask, rather than risk damaging something.
So.... What are the "rules" for shifting from 2wd to 4wd?
I've heard you cant run 4wd on pavement, I've heard you have to be at a full stop. I've heard all sorts of things....
The only thing I KNOW is that when I shift from 2wd to 4hi....it immediately slips back into 2wd. When I shift into 4lo it moves about 6 feets followed by a gawd-awful racket, lots of jerking, grinding, then no movement at all.
This, of course, results in me looking around to see if anyone else just heard what I did, while I panic over the idea of having broken something. :banghead:
Sooo.... just how is it SUPPOSED to be done?
Teach me 'ole wise ones.....
Or if you don't have an owners manual hope that experienced and knowledgeable owners from this community don't try to make you look stupid for asking a good question. Most won't but you get the occasional a-hole.
Reading the instructions would be too easy.
oh yeah....that and the fact that I dont have an owners manual (bought it used, and apparently the previous owner chose to keep it for...personal reasons.)
which would be why I bothered all these nice folks with such a simple question.
Go here and download an Owner Manual for a 2004 in .pdf format. That's close enough except for some differences in the manual transmission (6 versus 5 speeds).
4hi you can shift on the fly no problem. Don't use it on dry pavement though. If you need 4wd you shouldn't be going fast anyway but non the less just pull the shifter up until it stops and your 4wd light in the dash comes on. 4lo is for sticky situations only. If you find yourself needing 4lo then put your transmission in neutral and come to a stop (no more than 2-3 mph crawling if you must) push the shifter to the right and crank it all the way up. Make sure when you shift back to 4hi or 2wd that you also come to a complete stop before shifting. Don't feel stupid about asking if you don't your going to look stupid when you break something and need a tow because you thought it was stupid to ask.
Pretty much what was said... foot off gas and pull while moving or stopped for 4 Hi. Stopped and in nuetral for 4 Lo.
As for it popping out of 4 Hi, are you sure you are pulling the handle up all the way? You shouldn't have to pull hard, but pull until it won't go any further.
After you shift back to 2 it is a good idea to run in reverse for about 20 feet. I do it out of habit to help relieve any bind in the drive line and make sure the hubs dissengage fully.
D
D51 said it good. I prefer to not be moving more than 5 or 10 even putting it in 4 hi. I always stop when going into 4 lo and I also always back up 15 or so feet after putting it back in 2 wheel drive just to release all the driveline components.
But I never actually stop. Rolling 2-3mph works better shifting into / out of 4LO. And shifting 4HI/2WD can be done at any speed. I push the clutch when doing it. With an Automatic? Just pull straight thru neutral without hesitation.
Last time I went "wheeling" I was wearing Camo for a living and we didnt bother with doing anything gently.....just grind it till it stops making noise (one way or the other).
Thats was a while ago, and now I have to pay for whatever I (mess)-up. So I want to do it right....with as little (mechanical) grinding as possible.
Well, I do all that when shifting but still have issues with the transmission not wanting to shift in/out of 4Hi/4Lo without grinding. I can put into and out of 4Hi from 2wd without any issues. It's going from 4Hi to Lo and back that cause me issues. I look like a big dork out on the trails when I do this so I usually end up hoping for mild trails that don't require 4Lo. I've tried being in neutral, in gear, stopped, and moving slowly but it always grinds and sounds like I don't know what I'm doing. Which, I suppose, is pretty accurate apparently.
At least you weren't like some of the posts I see on here... "I was running my TJ in all-wheel drive on my way to work today and it keeps jumping whenever I turn? What's wrong?"
Ummm...our Jeeps aren't AWD...and aren't sposed to run in 4wd all the time...especially when the OP explained they were on dry pavement...poor transfer case. lol
But yeah... the reason it's jumping out may be due to the transfer case linkage needing adjusted and the reason your 4LO is grinding may be because it's halfway in 4LO and not fully engaged.
as for it poping out of 4wd the linkage could be too tight or too loose. theres a way to reset it but i cant remember how to do it. i think you put it in 4lo and tighten the nut all the way but im not 100% sure on that so wait unntils somebody else chimes in. you could also get somebody else to shift it while you watch whats going on underneath.
Now see, that's even more embarrassing because my wife actually answered in that linked thread. Hmmmm, perhaps we should talk to each other more. :doh:
Jeep owners manuals usually have a pretty informative off road driving section. You really should read it, even though you got some great info from WF users.. I read both of my Jeeps off road instructions and they have some good basic tips.
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I'm really n00b to things. TJ 1999... easy to get into 4L in neutral, but still curious on getting it back into 2H without a grinding sound? Sounds like I should reverse some in 4L, then put into N, then try to get it into 2H?
You don't need to be in neutral when going in and out of 4 high. You can even be driving at the time (I probably wouldn't put it in 4h if I was going faster than around 50). And when I put mine into 4h, I'm not super gentle about it - I give it a little yank to make sure it actually pops in.
If you're going into 4 low, however, you need to be stopped (or nearly stopped) and in neutral. Hope this helps!
Not sure about the light problem, it could just be burned out - you should be able to feel if its in 4h just by how it handles, especially when turning.
You shouldn't drive it on a dry paved road for any length of time, no. But if you're just testing it, you can pop it in and out and try feeling the difference. If its in 4wd you'll feel it kinda jerk and resist a bit when you turn it - kinda hard to explain. It definitely feels different. Just test it out in a parking lot somewhere going slow. Once you verify that its going into 4h though, theres really no reason to ever be in 4h on pavement, unless of course its really slick or icy. Hope this helps!
Uh oh I put it in to 4wd and drove about a mile and a half on a dry paved road but it did feel different more in control it seemed like and the turning was more stiff but that could have been my imagination......I hope I didn't mess up the 4wd tho
I tried the 4wd out and it works perfectly thanks for your help
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