Hey All!!

when I have my 4x4 engaged and make a sharp turn, it feels like the front end is flopping over. what's that all about, does it or will it hurt the u joints or other parts???

 

Thats normal when four wheel drive in engaged. The truck will not turn as sharp as when in two wheel drive. Some of the experts can tell you what causes this but I am not sure so I won't pretend to know all mechanics of the system.

 

I believe it has to do with "toe out on turns" which basically has the wheels turn a little sharper on the inside, then the outside to allow for less tread wear,
And because when you are in 4wd you are locking up your front axle, as if it were a solid axle and when going around a turn your tires are rotating at different speeds up front. and you end up scuffing the tires all the way around the turn.

Bad for tires, Powersteering pump, and your 4wd tranny in general
-Patrick

 

It's simple really. When you make a turn, the front wheels have to travel farther than the rear wheels (think circumference of a circle). When in 4 wheel drive, the driveshafts are locked together, forcing the front and rear wheels to turn the same distance. This results in drive-line bind-up and is VERY bad. U-joints, halfshafts, and CV joints don't like it either.

If you're in 4wd and experiencing the hopping you described, STOP RIGHT NOW. Back up about a foot, and stop again. SHIFT INTO 2 WHEEL DRIVE. Then proceed. If it's hopping like that, you have too much traction and *should* have been in 2wd to begin with.

 

I kinda figured it was something like that. Thanks all for the replies. I can sleep a littler easier now.