Rear Tires "skip" When In 4Wd?

[WATYF]

I'm not quite sure how to describe this problem. Just wondering if anyone else has heard of/experienced anything like this.

 

When I put my 96 LE in 4H and turn while driving slowly, my rear tires "skip". It's almost as if they're not turning at the same speed as the front tires (or at all) and they're just getting dragged along for the ride. At least, this is what is sounds like and feels like... I have yet to have someone else drive it so I can stand outside and see exactly what's going on. It only seems to happen when I'm turning, though, so maybe rotation speed isn't the issue. I really don't understand what would be causing this.

 

Anyone else run into this problem?

 

WATYF

Edited December 20, 2009 by WATYF

[87pathy]

sharp turn on dry pavement?

 

is there an orange sticker on your rear differential?

[BowTied]

Could it be your front tires skiping? If so, are you doing this on a hard surface like pavement? Don't engage your 4x4 on pavement, this is bad for the system. The front wheels are trying to rotate the same number of times which doesn't work well when turning. Try this on loose gravel or other slippery surface and see if it goes away or is notably reduced.

 

If you do tight figure 8s in 2WD does the rear make the same skipping? The orange sticker denotes a limited slip differential, if it was having problems the rear axle may not be getting differential action like it should for turning.

Edited December 21, 2009 by BowTied

[WATYF]

I will check for the orange sticker. And yes, I only noticed this on pavement. I was under the impression that you could use 4H for everyday driving (snow/rain/etc), which would involve pavement, obviously. Is this not the case?

 

WATYF

[87pathy]

I bet its only when you turn sharp, and it is normal.

[headpeace]

you shouldn't need 4wd in rain on pavement

[nunya]

you shouldn't need 4wd in rain on pavement

Those painted crosswalks can ne a SOB in a good rain... I have to agree with 87pathy from what I am reading at least.

[87pathy]

its due to lack of a differntial in the transfer case.

All wheel drive vechiles are more forgiving due to transfercase characteristics.

 

when you turn a corner and 2 of the 4 wheels are turning, 1 wheel is always traveling a shorter distance.

[XPLORx4]

The Pathfinder has a part-time 4WD system, and is not recommended for any high-traction surface. Tip: wet pavement qualifies as a high-traction surface. Part-time 4WD systems lock the front and rear axles together, preventing each wheel from rotating at different speeds needed during tight turns. This is why many crossover SUVs have AWD, which allows slippage between the front and rear axles, a characteristic that's needed on pavement.

 

The condition you're describing is absolutely normal and expected, whether or not you have a rear limited-slip differential. Don't use 4WD anywhere you would normally see a FWD car. If a FWD car can drive on it, you obviously don't need 4WD.

Edited December 21, 2009 by XPLORx4

[WATYF]

The Pathfinder has a part-time 4WD system, and is not recommended for any high-traction surface. Tip: wet pavement qualifies as a high-traction surface. Part-time 4WD systems lock the front and rear axles together, preventing each wheel from rotating at different speeds needed during tight turns. This is why many crossover SUVs have AWD, which allows slippage between the front and rear axles, a characteristic that's needed on pavement.

 

The condition you're describing is absolutely normal and expected, whether or not you have a rear limited-slip differential. Don't use 4WD anywhere you would normally see a FWD car. If a FWD car can drive on it, you obviously don't need 4WD.

 

OK. This is my first 4x4, so all of this is news to me. And yes, it was only when turning fairly sharply.

 

The only reason I even had 4H engaged on pavement was because I tried to quickly pull out of a parking lot on to a busy road when it was raining and the truck just slid all freaking over the place, so I thought 4WD would help with that. Before that, the only time I even turned 4WD on was on my land (definitely an off-road terrain). I guess I won't be turning it on in the city any more.

 

I only use this vehicle for trips out to my land, so there's no need for it to be in 4WD on pavement. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something wrong with my suspension or drive-train, 'cause that would suck.

 

WATYF

Edited December 21, 2009 by WATYF

[tekazgtr1984]

The Pathfinder has a part-time 4WD system, and is not recommended for any high-traction surface. Tip: wet pavement qualifies as a high-traction surface. Part-time 4WD systems lock the front and rear axles together, preventing each wheel from rotating at different speeds needed during tight turns. This is why many crossover SUVs have AWD, which allows slippage between the front and rear axles, a characteristic that's needed on pavement.

 

The condition you're describing is absolutely normal and expected, whether or not you have a rear limited-slip differential. Don't use 4WD anywhere you would normally see a FWD car. If a FWD car can drive on it, you obviously don't need 4WD.

 

I've used 4HI on pavement but it was during a rather heavy snowfall. I felt a little more comfortable using 4HI than just sticking to RWD. Is that not a good idea?

[MY1PATH]

Part-time 4WD systems lock the front and rear axles together, preventing each wheel from rotating at different speeds.

this also, in effect, partially links braking forces thru the driveline. In the winter my fronts used to lock up too easy in 2wd on packed snow (making it hard to steer) so coupling them to the rear by going in to 4hi kept me from locking up unless all 4 locked up(not so easy).

 

 

OK. This is my first 4x4, so all of this is news to me. And yes, it was only when turning fairly sharply.

It's a common mistake to make, allot of people tend to think 4wd and AWD are the same but they are built very differantly.

[Nickj]

Watyf

 

As others have said it is normal. BUT highly NOT recommended.

 

What you are experiencing is referred to as axle bind or axle windup.

 

In 2WD, the engine has no input to the front wheels allowing the front and rear wheels to turn at different speeds. This is why we have a diff in the front and the rear. If you had diff with welded up spider gears, the axles would want to spin at the same speed and when you try to turn a corner, one of the wheels has to slip.

 

In 4H or 4L, the centre diff is locked which ensures the front and rear diffs spin at the same speed and together. The front wheels are trying to spin at different speeds to the back and because the centre diff is locked, they can't so one of the tyres trys to slip.

 

Also as others have said, you should ONLY use 4H or 4L on surfaces of low traction so that the wheels can slip slightly when they need to. In an extreme case, you could break an axle using 4H or 4L on bitumen.

 

Nick

[MY1PATH]

because the centre diff is locked, they can't so one of the tyres trys to slip.

there is no center differential, thats why they cannot differentiate(meaning turn at differant speeds)