How does a 1991 isuzu trooper's 4wd work?

Mister Willie · 01-03-2007, 11:41 PM

I'm just wondering..

When I was pulling my friends trooper out of the ditch tonight, his front wheels weren't turning. He was trying to back up out of the ditch and I was pulling him from the back of his truck. he says he has to back up a little to get the 4wd to engage so I wanted to know why, unless something was wrong with his 4wd system, his front wheels were not turning, or atleast one of them.

As far as my knowledge goes, in normal 4wd systems like on our toyotas, there isn't an open differential between front and rear wheels so if a front and rear wheel get off of the ground or totally lose traction you're screwed, unless you got lockers. Right? well, I'm assuming its the same with the trooper and I was curious as to why the trooper wasn't spinning either of its front wheels, cause it wouldn't have been stuck if it was getting power to the front.

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slosurfer · 01-04-2007, 08:15 AM

He wasn't able to back up to get his automatic hubs to engage. They work similar to the toyotas with early automatic hubs. It sucks if you get stuck before you engage 4wd, because then you can't reverse enough to get them to engage.

gilby4runner · 01-04-2007, 08:33 AM

My friend had a trooper... PITA to get in and out of 4 wheel drive. It would take 30 to 40 yards for it to kick in.

Mister Willie · 01-04-2007, 11:30 AM

oh wow, that much huh?

tc · 01-04-2007, 11:57 AM

Shouldn't they engage if you're spinning the tires? Or does it take both sides spinning to engage them?

Mister Willie · 01-04-2007, 12:05 PM

im wondering if the front tires have to be the ones going backwards for 30 yards

gilby4runner · 01-04-2007, 12:10 PM

i think on his both sides had to turn in order for it to engage. The hard part most of the time was getting them back into 2wd. He would pull forward, backward, turn left, turn right and they would finally disengage

Mister Willie · 01-04-2007, 12:14 PM

what a ridiculous system

gilby4runner · 01-04-2007, 12:15 PM

It was good when it worked.... if it ever worked. Way to expensive to work on also

misterzee · 01-04-2007, 01:18 PM

Any automatic hub configuration i have seen engages when you are in a forward gear. When you want to disengage the hubs, you back up 30 feet or so. the big disadvantage to this scheme is that the front hubs disengage if you are backing up in 4wd, so you dont have 4wd in reverse, only forward. most systems are shift on the fly, unless you are going into 4wd low.

slosurfer · 01-04-2007, 03:49 PM

both sides have to turn, plus if he is stuck in the snow in 2wd, he's not spinning either front wheel, just the rears.

tc · 01-04-2007, 05:38 PM

True - I was thinking spinning the axles, not necessarily the wheels...

01-04-2007, 08:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
slosurfer Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Osos, CA (we can't agree on crap!) Posts: 2,155	He wasn't able to back up to get his automatic hubs to engage. They work similar to the toyotas with early automatic hubs. It sucks if you get stuck before you engage 4wd, because then you can't reverse enough to get them to engage. __________________ Chris 7th Annual Pismo Jamboree: Sept. 25-27, 2009 '93 4runner SR5 3.0 Auto 4WD '07 Tacoma Dcab 4x4 TRD offroad '89 F250 4x4 w/utility bed M416 1/4 ton military trailer "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." Ronald Reagan Semper Fi SLO 4wheelers

01-04-2007, 11:30 AM	#4 (permalink)
Mister Willie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,154	oh wow, that much huh? __________________ 1985 4Runner 5spd 22RE on 30x9.50's I support MisterWillie.

01-04-2007, 11:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
tc Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 8,377	Shouldn't they engage if you're spinning the tires? Or does it take both sides spinning to engage them? __________________ Check out www.coTTORA.org to hook up with great Toyota 'wheelin' folks! Current - 93 4Runner: 3VZ 33"x10.50" no lift ARB F/R 96 Impala SS: My own personal cop car Previous - 89 2WD Pickup 22R, Fabtech "Ivan Dan" lift, 31x10.50, IASCA World Finals 4th Place Stop with the mods and get on the trail! Pix at www.4wheelingoh.shutterfly.com/action

01-04-2007, 12:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mister Willie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,154	im wondering if the front tires have to be the ones going backwards for 30 yards __________________ 1985 4Runner 5spd 22RE on 30x9.50's I support MisterWillie.

01-04-2007, 12:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
Mister Willie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,154	what a ridiculous system __________________ 1985 4Runner 5spd 22RE on 30x9.50's I support MisterWillie.

01-04-2007, 01:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
misterzee Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Georgia-Cumming Posts: 638	Any automatic hub configuration i have seen engages when you are in a forward gear. When you want to disengage the hubs, you back up 30 feet or so. the big disadvantage to this scheme is that the front hubs disengage if you are backing up in 4wd, so you dont have 4wd in reverse, only forward. most systems are shift on the fly, unless you are going into 4wd low. __________________ 85, 87 (SAS), 88 (on loan), 96 4Runners, all males... 03 Town and Country... female CLIK4PIX Last edited by misterzee; 01-04-2007 at 02:49 PM.

01-04-2007, 03:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
slosurfer Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Osos, CA (we can't agree on crap!) Posts: 2,155	both sides have to turn, plus if he is stuck in the snow in 2wd, he's not spinning either front wheel, just the rears. __________________ Chris 7th Annual Pismo Jamboree: Sept. 25-27, 2009 '93 4runner SR5 3.0 Auto 4WD '07 Tacoma Dcab 4x4 TRD offroad '89 F250 4x4 w/utility bed M416 1/4 ton military trailer "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." Ronald Reagan Semper Fi SLO 4wheelers

01-04-2007, 05:38 PM	#12 (permalink)
tc Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 8,377	True - I was thinking spinning the axles, not necessarily the wheels... __________________ Check out www.coTTORA.org to hook up with great Toyota 'wheelin' folks! Current - 93 4Runner: 3VZ 33"x10.50" no lift ARB F/R 96 Impala SS: My own personal cop car Previous - 89 2WD Pickup 22R, Fabtech "Ivan Dan" lift, 31x10.50, IASCA World Finals 4th Place Stop with the mods and get on the trail! Pix at www.4wheelingoh.shutterfly.com/action

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