[Jprime]

Hi everyone, I picked up a 94 pathfinder this weekend and I have a some small questions about the 4 wheel drive.

-I did some searching and read that switching to 4lo must be done while stopped, Should I be in Neutral or in Park?

- I read that I can switch between 4HI and 2HI while driving (at lower speeds), What is the difference between 2HI and N?, while im in N on the 4wd stick im not using 4wd right, so what is 2HI? Can I switch between N and 4HI while moving?

- I wasnt able to get into 4HI from N, (didnt try long wanted to research first), any tips? I read something about going in reverse and stopping?

Thanks guys

 

[Jprime]

I just realized when I was in 2High on the 4wd I thought it was neutral, I thought neutral disconnected 4wd and put it in 2wd, but its just a protection from 4hi to 4lo?

 

[Nissan_Junkie]

Hi & Lo Transfer Case

To go from 4x4 to 2W, .... you need to disengage the front hubs.
That means STOP .... shift into 2W ... & roll back a few feet.
-
My '95 is so beat to hell that the only way to get the transfer case into 4W LO is to STOP, shut off engine, .... & the fiddle with the sticks. Oh Well, .... it runs.
-
When your exhaust manafold studs start snapping off, ... do not replace them.
Mine snapped 20K mi ago with no side effects besides that pesky exhaust leak noise that goes away after the manafold heats up.

 

[snoopdogie187]

You will never need to use N, that means its in no gear. Everyday driving you use 2H, for snow and other time, you use 4H, and 4Lo when you need the power (extermly helpful at times).

To shift between them: You can go directly from 2H to 4H without stopping. I think itwas recomened up to 25 or 30 mph.

To go into 4Lo, doesn't matter if it is from 2H or 4H, you must completely stop and then put it in.

Any time you are taking it out of 4 whell drive (4H or 4Lo) you do have to unlock the hubs. This can vary by what type you have. If they are the auto locking ones, then you just drive in the opposite direction and they unlock. I like to drive in the opposite direct a little more than they say (and defently until I hear the click sound it makes), and then drive in the original direction (just as added protection).

If it is the hubs you have to lock in yourself, then you have to stop and get out to change them. I'm not sure if you have to drive in the oposite direction or not, but I would for safety.

You can also check the owners manual for this information.


ALSO: do not drive in 4H or 4Lo unless there is a reason. On dry pavement, this tears up the gears used for that and your 4 wheel drive won't last too long. I do use 4Hi or 4Lo on dry pavment, but I don't do any sharp turns and try going as straight as I can. What happens is as you turn, the inner wheel travels less than the outer wheel. In 4 wheel, all 4 wheels are locked together (at least for me, with the limited slip differental in the rear) and they constantly travel the same speed, so the only way to make a turn is for the inner wheel to slip (which in snow, sand, etc. it can easily).
You do have a 94 while the one I use is a 92 but I don't think they are that differnet.

Note: not important, but I know I didn't make everything 100% accurate, I didn't want to make it more complicated than it really has to, but I want to give enough explaination as to how something works that the person can understand it.

 

[doode]

with auto hubs you have to roll back to unlock them?

that i didnt know. When i threw my car up on jack stands to test out the hubs, when i shifted the T-case from 4Hi to 2Hi, i spun the rear wheels and the fronts followed, but after 2 rotations i heard a click and the fronts unlocked and stopped spinning

 

[snoopdogie187]

Yea, with almost any auto hubs you have to go back to unlock them. That is for at least the slightly older stuff, I'm not sure about any changes there is to new ones.

If you were going in reverse in 4Hi before you put it into 2Hi you would have then have to go fowards to unlock it.

All I could think is it has to release some type of pressure to them, but I really don't know how they work.