? about driving with the diff. locked..

After reading a few post here about driving and switching into and out of 4 WD I was out today on the road trying it out. Everything worked but when I am driving in 4WD and switch back into 2WD I start to get a rumbling sound inside my X when I get to about 45MPH and more. Anything below 45 everything feels fine. When I unlock the diff by backing up and hear the click and then start to drive, I don't get that rumbling sound. Is this normal with all of you? Thanks for any input.

It's the hubs you're unlocking when you back up, not the diff. Read your owners manual on this. With the hubs locked, and in 2wd, all front axle drivetrain components are spinning including halfshafts, the diff itself, and the front driveshaft. That's where your rumbling sound is coming from at speed.

And, it gets REALLY bad if you have it in 4Lo and try to go 45 mph... :rolleyes:

Your decal might have come off...look at the bottom section of the decal that would have been behind the drivers side visor:

Thanks for the replies. So the rumbling is normal when the hubs are locked but I am in 2WD? Thanks again.

If you don't back up as described to unlock the hubs, yes.

Don't do too much experimenting on roads...try a surface with a bit of play in it like a gravel road....much less stress on the drivetrain while you play around.

wait the 2004 xterra have a differential lock? um where? i really could have used that a few months ago lol

Will...they're not discussing a differential lock, this thread is about the locking hubs when shifting into 4wd. If there was a locking differential other than the ARB, we'd all have heard about it by now.

Yours came with a decal on how to use 4wd? mine didnt.

I guess they figure that everyone in Alaska already knows how.

They should see some of the drivers up here!!

what is this hub thing?