Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Difflock only on gravel though, and only needs to be on for a few seconds as you just need to ensure the solenoids are switching over.

Jules, you can engage 4x4 without locking the hubs, but there would be no advantage, as the wheels will not recieve any power.

I don't drive a Patrol, but the principle is the same. I have manual only Hubs... Here in our small town, I just leave them locked so that the diff gets some exercise in the 1.7Km commute to work. When I hit the highway, they are usually unlocked to try and drop the additional drag that the diff and drive-train to the transfer box may cause.

I have often engaged (stationary) 4L with the hubs unlocked to negotiate a trailer with good power and low speeds without riding the clutch.

I have always wondered on a open diff, like my bakkie has, what are the drive shafts doing with absolutely no resistance from the wheels if you are in 4WD with the hubs unlocked. My fear is that you get the same affect as if you were standing on a very slippery surface and you get one wheel spinning and the other standing still. How good can this be for the diff?

David, I doubt whteher this is happening as you would need a considerable difference in friction to cause that.

Even if it is happening, there is almost no load, so I doubt it would cause much damage? Unless of course there is another problem in thea xle causing it?

I like the ability to use LR on tar / bricks for steep driveways etc, with the auto locking patrols there's no "off" is there?

No, but all you're going to do is to wear the tires out a bit faster.

Peter

Speaking of wear and tear, but a little off topic:
Do you know why the Patrol (unlike thte LC) does not have a central differential gear?
Not having a central differential gear means that if the front and rear diffs are locked, then ALL is locked on the Patrol, rather than havign to lock the central diff as well.

However, I also thought that not havgin a central diff may mean that there may also be more wear when driving 4x4 on tar?

Alex Piet is going to see this only tommorow afternoon but this is how I understand it piet will correct me were I am wrong.......
The patrol is a 4x4 with a gearbox that has a transfer case 2h 4h and 4l the moment you put it in 4h the transfer locks the box to put 50% to the back and 50% to the front the patrol is only to be used in 4x4 were it is needed or you wear the tires more like normal ttar road ect .there are stil slip between the two wheels on eatch axle if the diff is not locked

On a permanent 4x4 you have a centre diff that doesn't work the same as a transfer case you need to lock the center diff to get 50 to front and 50 to the back. You need to lock the front and back diff to get the permanent 4x4 to work the way we want it to
So with the center diff not locked it allows the nessasary slip needed not to wear tires ect more or less the same as a normal front or rear diff on any car .....
Hope I haven't got it all wrong but this is the way I understood the difference between the two

I think you spot on Tinus, also the reason way I can't stand permanent 4x4's. You know what a mission is was to get the disco behaving properly with two new tyres? Traction control would go mad and I couldn't get over 80 on a slight bend on the highway. Give a 4x2 anyday.

Being able to use Low Range on the steep durban driveways is a blessing some guys take for granted.

Alex, there are Cruisers and Cruisers. Some (the bakkies, Troopies, a few Prados and LC76) are exactly the same as the Patrol, while the fancy ones (most Prados, 80, 100/105 and 200) are permanent 4x4. These must have a center diff lock simply to make them equal to our cars off-road.

Yes, a part-time 4x4 will have a bit more wear and tear when used on hard surfaces in 4x4, but conversely they will have less wear and tear on hard surfaces in normal road mode (although it doesn't make much difference).

The idea that it will break if you select 4x4 on tar is nonsense, because then it would not be able to tackle steep rocky slopes like Gert se klip/Koos se klip etc. because those are also high-traction surfaces, where you require much more torque than on tar.