Patrol Full-time conversion kits - do they exist?

[vilyzzz]

Hello, fellow Patrolers.

Does anyone know of any Patrol that has been converted to Full-time 4WD? I cannot find any info about it.

(In case you wonder why such question - it's just out of curiosity)

[ricster]

Are you meaning like a permanent " All Wheel Drive " like a Subaru for example?

[IanT]

He is meaning like a Land Rover Ricster Why can you not just lock the hubs, or will you get wind up on the diff driving on tar??

[Alex Roux]

Are you meaning like a permanent " All Wheel Drive " like a Subaru for example?

Yes, a total different set-up.
Only necessary of you need a 'getaway-car' on tarmac.
I do not se the merits of this in a big 4x4 that is not made for street cornering in the first place.

The part time 4x4, once engaged is stronger than a full time 4x4 where a central diff needs to be locked for 'Real 4x4' purposes.

[ricster]

He is meaning like a Land Rover Ricster

Hahaha..... no no no Ian.... Subarus don't break down....

With a Patrol if you engage 4H or 4L the gearbox automatically mechanically locks the center diff splitting the power 50/50 to the back and the front, so you will get wind up as far as I am aware. I think various other "all wheel drives. have an electronic system to allow for the windup and compensate for it..... but I may be wrong... so happy to be corrected..

[vilyzzz]

Are you meaning like a permanent " All Wheel Drive " like a Subaru for example?

Yes, a total different set-up.
Only necessary of you need a 'getaway-car' on tarmac.
I do not se the merits of this in a big 4x4 that is not made for street cornering in the first place.

The part time 4x4, once engaged is stronger than a full time 4x4 where a central diff needs to be locked for 'Real 4x4' purposes.

Yes, I have in mind a transfer case with differential like Land Rovers, some TLCs, Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero etc.
The reason why I'm asking - for long overland journeys in winter conditions Full-time 4WD is superior over part-time 2WD, specially for long and heavy vehicle like Patrol. And despite the fact (as Alex has already mentioned) that part-time is relatively stronger - it's not always the case. Sometimes (like in my case) the relatively weaker differentiated full-time transfer case is enough.

So I'm looking for a possibility to have a full-time transfer case in Patrol. Are the any options - official or DIY?

[Tinus lotz]

Hey hello i dont think it will be a problem if you move onto something slippery like dirt or snow just pull back the short stick .....when in a day or two you reach dry tar mac push it forward no problem ..... i will not try and re invent the wheel ....patrol boxes work hard and dont break to mod that for that bit of pt ....not nessasary.
Welcome here anyway. ..was serpose to do that first....my manners lets me down some time

[Peter Connan]

I don't know of any such conversion, and doubt that it can be easily done. On all the full-time 4x4's that I know of that employ a centre differential, the propshaft for the two axles are in line at the transfer case. Probably to do this would require a completely different transfer case and an offset rear diff.

also doubt the need for this. If conditions are slippery enough that 4wd will make a difference, the Patrol's drivetrain is strong enough that you can leave it locked in.

Cedric, for reference, a lot of fairly serious 4x4's are full-time 4x4 by the use of a centre differential. The list includes all Range Rovers, all the coil-sprung Defenders (but not the "Series" landies, all the Discos, the Fortuner, a lot of the 80 and 100/105 Cruisers, the G-wagen and Unimog.

The all-wheel-drive vehicles like Audi Quattros, Subarus, Mitsu Lancer Evos and most of the soft-roaders use a predominantly front-wheel-drive setup with some type of clutch mechanism on the drive to the rear axle. This can vary but is often either a viscous coupling (a bigger, fancier version of the one in the Maiden's fan) or some type of electronically-controlled clutch. Nowadays there are also magnetically-controlled viscous drives.

[ricster]

Thanks Peter... I thought as much but never really looked into it an any significant way.

So if I'm understanding things correct, taking it that this will only be done in snowy or slushy conditions, shifting a Patrol into 4H and ensuring that the standard rear difflock is off, even with the centre diff locked ( which is automatically done when 4x4 is engaged), there shouldn't be any "windup" as the front and rear diffs will eliminate this through their respective open diffs?

I assume the only difficulty will be the slightly harder steering action....

[Peter Connan]

Firstly, the Patrol has no center diff.

The front propshaft is either disconnected or connected. The two propshaft cannot be driven at different speeds (the definition of a differential is that it can drive the two outputs at different speeds).

So there will be wind-up, but I reckon in conditions slippery enough that 4x4 will make a difference, the wind-up will just "spin away". Doubt it will make any difference to steering effort.

Sorry, I forgot to mention the Mitsubishi "super select" system in my last post. This is fitted to the Pajero and PAjero Sport, and is basically both systems rolled into one. You can have rear wheel drive only, or a centre diff, or "proper" 4wd (front and rear axles drive at the same speed).