Switching to 4WD

Stupid question, but I'm new to 4wd vehicles. How do you switch to 4wd. In my step dad's old truck he had to put the truck in neutral then shift it to 4wd then back up a few feet to lock the hubs. do you have to do anything like this in the X?

Thanks

X_Dmouse
Mike

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The X has autolocking hubs. Pull the 4WD shift lever straight back with a decisive movement and just drive away. At least, that's all you do for the manual, don't know about the auto. You only have to go a few feet in the opposite direction when you want to unlock the hubs.

The owner's manual describes the procedure rather well.

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When you pull the 4by shifter there's a kind of loud clunk that scares you to death at first, but its just the transfer case shifting. I don't shift to 4hi in motion just because I want to baby the gears in the transfer case but it can be done while moving if you just yank it quickly into place. If it grinds (X never has, Path did all the time) just pull a little harder so the teeth will mesh.

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2000 Silver Ice V6 4x4 3pak
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."

I have looked in the owners manual, and it didn't say much. I must have missed the section, but I went through page by page and seen only one sention on 4wd and it basically told you when to use it and the speed limits for 4 high and 4 low. I'll go back and check again, thanks everyone for the information.



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X_Dmouse
Mike
'01 Silver Ice

Dunno about you guys, but in my X it's also on a huge sticker behind the sun visor. Kinda hard to miss.

RTFM

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'01 Silver 5 speed V6 4X4 XE

The guy asked a question, give him a freakin
break. That's what a message board is for. If
you don't like his question, don't answer.

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Live and learn, huh?

Thanks everyone for the responses.

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X_Dmouse
Mike
'01 Silver Ice

This is so sad ... I went offroading with a friend of mine, he also owns an Xterra. Previously he had a Jeep, and swears he did "tons of offroading in the army, we beat the snot out of those vehicles".

Anyways, we're playing around in a pit, he decides to climb one of the walls, puts it into 4-low (or tries to), gets halfway up the hill, but something's not working right. He keeps trying though, gas is mashed to the floor, nothing's moving ... nothing but that nasty stench of burning clutch and grey smoke everywhere.

I had to climb up the hill, reach across and pull it into 4-low for him. Then he made it up.

Sigh ...

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'01 Silver 5 speed V6 4X4 XE

Nice story Superjens!! haha..I have a similar (non-Xterra) one. My friend asked me if he can ride my dirt bike...I warned him to be careful because it has alot of power, but he replied with "I grew up on these things..don't worry about it" Well, as soon as he got on it, he was doomed. He managed to go straight into a thorn bush which was about 20 feet away, and landed upside down. After I got off the the ground from laughing so hard, I pulled him out of the bush. Good Times!!!!

Rich

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Member MAXC, NEXTerra
www.XtremeXterra.com

X_Dmouse,
Ignore the ridicule. Ask your question, you may get flammed a bit but it will also get answered, we are gettting to a point with this forum where you can hardly ask anything without getting blasted. Ignore 'em.

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'01 SE Silver Ice 4X4

The manual says that you shouldn't shift to 4-hi above 25 mph. Do you guys stick to that? They weren't XTerras, but I've definitely seen other 4x4s that will shift on the fly up to 55 mph.

So is the 25 mph in the manual just Nissan being super-conservative? Can you shift above 25 mph?


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2001 Super Black SE auto

Try it and and get back to us...

No, don't do it. You're forcing a few dozen pounds of metal to go from a standstill to several hundred RPM in an instant, and it won't react well. I wouldn't do it over 10 MPH when the hubs are unlocked.
However, once the hubs are locked you can go back and forth from 2WD to 4-hi at any speed, provided you haven't unlocked the hubs again by reversing direction in 2WD in the interim. When the hubs are locked everything is spinning because the wheels are, there's just no connection between the front end and the engine via the transfer case.
Any questions/clarification can be found by looking through the forums, the operation of the 4WD system has been covered plenty of times already.

Brent

[This message has been edited by OffroadX (edited 06-11-2001).]

Never gotten a clunk out of mine and I won't pull the lever unless im going less than 15 or so. I did get a grind though when I put it in 4-lo the first time. It was the day after I bought it. I was playing in a gravel parking lot, I read the directions behind the visor but I probably did something wrong. Didn't grind though the time I was on a muddy trail


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Brian & TabascoX, 2001 Salsa XE 3 pack, 4x4. GPSIII+, Trunk Tracker, CB. AOL Screen name Ramness570

Wellll....
It's felt as much as heard.

I cannot shift to 4LO in motion. Have never tried 4Hi while rolling. I have to put it in nuetral and pull the lever up and back to go into 4Lo.



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Pains heal,
Chicks dig scars,
and glory lasts forever

Duh, you can't shift to 4-lo when moving, nor should you try! It's not like the manual and visor decal are as clear as mud...

Oy!
Brent

Stupid Question for 4X4 Auto. Trans. owners:

Does it matter which position the trans. and overdrive are in while in 4WD??? Will operating in 4WD (Hi/Low) with the O/D off and the trans. in Lo1/Lo2 provide any more torque than 4WD with O/D on and trans. in Drive???

Owners manual says nothing about this and I tried SEARCH with no results.

BTW - If you can't tell, I don't get offroad much

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It should behave identically in 4-hi as in 2-hi when in "D"
In 2hi, 4hi, or 4lo, if you have the lever in "1" or "2" the overdrive is not an issue, as it is really nothing more than 4th gear. Putting the selector in "1" will keep you in 1st, "2" keeps you in 2nd or lower, and "D" keeps you in 3rd or lower if the OD is off. Turning OD on allows "D" to become 4th or lower.
In 4-lo the same will be the case, but obviously your speed ranges will be different. There aren't many times you'll find a need to be at a speed where the transmission will go to 3rd or 4th when in 4-lo, you really should be in 4-hi at those speeds, and even in 4-hi you probably shouldn't be going fast enough to be in 4th if you really need 4WD.

I really only use my OD off button for climbing/passing and for a little extra engine braking on the highway (I don't tow).

Using a lower gear ("1" or "2") will not provide more torque per se, but will keep the engine from shifting prematurely and allow you to make use of the torque provided more efficiently rather than gunning the engine. 4lo provides more torque than 4hi though. Experience is really the best way to get a feel for what is appropriate. Generally, if you find yourself revving the engine without getting much response, try 4lo instead, you'll be surprised.

Brent

Thanx Brent.

Your reply was swift, informative and without flame. I hope others take note.

- Cabin fever



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Well said!

Try going down a steep hill with the X in 4LO and the Tranny in "1". The crawl down is so slow you can almost get out and walk faster. Many people put down Auto Transmissions saying they're not good for 4-wheeling but I think they're great! No Clutch to worry about or to burn out. Crawl is about the same. And if for some reason you have to stop in the middle of an obstacle, you dont have to mash down the clutch before the engine stalls.

I would agree to a point about the Auto and 4WD but there arre times where a little more control, that only a stick can provide, is nice. But I would say that anything I would try in a $26K truck wouldn't be helped by a manual tranny.

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'01 SE Silver Ice 4X4, oh... and SEARCH THIS..|.