Myron

so i decided to go to the Indian reservation and if you watching the news..you will know that arizona has been raining like crazy..
so i decided to go stomp around in the water

so im driving and its all good..I have it in 3rd gear and using 2hi
i see a nice puddle of mud and i try to avoid it as i go right..i slide to the right and take down some bushes...
i try getting out and all i feel is the right side of my truck going deeper.
So i step out and my right front tire is buried in the mud (touching my fender)and its just spinning and so is the back tire
Now im stuck in the dark in the middle of now where...on an Indian reservation.
i keep trying but aint nothing happening.

so i busted out the manual and read something about using my 4 wheel drive..
i turned my hubs to lock..(had to use my hands to dig out the mud from the right tire and dropped it in 4low and i moved a few inches then stopped.
then dropped it in 4hi and was able to move alot more..then got stuck..
so after about 15 mins of going from 4hi to 4 low..i was able to get out that mud..so i turned my hubs to free and put it back into 2hi and got out of there...

so my question is did i do the right thing(i think so ..since i got out of that mud) did i damage anything,(i did smell something like gear oil..i think or diff oil..only after putting it in 4 wheel drive. and how do i use my 4 wheel?

can i leave the hubs in lock and use 2hi and if i come to water or mud cant I just put it into 4hi/low..or how does that work

sorry for the long story..but it was my first time in the mud..it was sweet..but my truck got really dirty=no good.

thook

Diff oil is gear oil, so yeah.....if you smelled gear oil that might be it.

Check the breathers on top of the differentials to see if they are clogged.

Also, do you know when the last time the 4wd function was used.....ie the locking hubs and therefore the front diff?

It will hurt nothing to lock the hubs and drive around in 2wd in preparation for any need. I do it (as well do others) all the time. Just unlock them when you know you won't need them. Saves on CV wear. When the hubs are locked and the transfer case is not in 4wd, the front diff and CV axles will continue to spin as you drive. Just no power will be going to them from the drivetrain. The locking hubs, as the term implies, lock the hubs to the CV axles. In 4wd, this ties them driveshaft and transfer case. When in 2wd, they are not, but continue to spin as already mentioned.

Is this what you need pics of?

Myron

pics of the breather will help out..
and i dont know when 4 wheel was used..i want to say atleast 3 to 4 years ago..if not longer.

thook

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...23disassem.pdf

This is from the online 93 FSM. You can see how the entire front axle assembly goes together.

Look on the front diff cover at about 1 or 2 o'clock and you'll see the breather poking out of it. It should be clear of any dirt. Also, notice if there is any gear oil that has leaked passed the breather and onto the diff.

Myron

will check for that..

thanks

INFINITY

dont you know the res is like the Bermuda triangle... last time one of my friends went on there his 1 of a 1000 bumble bee charger was stripped down to the ground within 1 1/2 hrs.
but yea you did the right thing on trying to get out. most people who get stuck only use 4low or hi and do not alternate (like in the snow where 4low if you are stuck digs you deeper) i would not worry about the gear oil smell, that is normal for low range operation just venting from the diff or tranny/t-case

toyota-erik

the res is a scarry place for a white guy, especially if you have a Native American girlfriend.

KILL WHITEY

rusche

I leave my hubs locked w/ 2Hi all winter. Just pop it right into 4Hi when she gets squirley on me

wardriver

The ADD hubs on my 4runner are "locked" all the time - so running with them locked will not hurt you - it will advance the wear on your CV joints...but not terrible.

Myron

thanks for all the input..
when do i use 4hi and4low?

InternetRoadkill

I cycle my 4wd once a month. What I do is lock the hubs and drive in 2wd for about 5 miles, then unlock the hubs and put it in 4hi for another 5 miles. After that, she stays in 2wd/unlocked until next month or until 4wd is needed.

The reason you do this is to keep the internal parts wet with oil. If you never put it in 4wd, over time the oil evaporates off the parts above the water line of the oil and that exposes them to corrosion. You also need to run the 4wd long enough to get it warm to evaporate any condensation that may be present inside the diff case.

InternetRoadkill

With an automatic, you rarely need 4lo unless you're stuck and can't spin the tires. I've used 4lo to pull fence posts out of the ground. You might also use it to go up a steep incline. Basically, 4lo is just a super low 1st gear. Use it when you're lugging the engine in 4hi. (Lugging an automatic causes the fluid to overheat.)

With a manual, 4lo can save a lot of wear on the clutch. It also helps control wheel spin. The last thing you really want to do is spin the tires at a 100mph and have them suddenly grab. Things break when you do that.

RobD

1) Always be ready to engage 4wd before you get stuck.
2) As stated, leaving your hubs locked is okay. See point 1.
3) Momentum is your friend in mud. Get it moving, keep it moving, let the wheels spin a bit to throw the mud clear of the treads.
4) Drive as slow as possible, as fast as necessary.
5) Carry a shovel and appropriate recovery gear.
6) Never wheel alone.

wardriver

7)Stay out of the mud - it isn't your friend.

FredTJ

Also make damn sure what you're doing is legal, the roads that you're playing on, etc.
Remember that their a sovereign nation. Think of it as going to a foreign country, pretty much the same thing.
They have their own laws which can be, and often are, a lot different than State and/or Federal laws.



Fred

rusche

I use my 4Hi alot in the snow
In 2Hi she tracks decent w/ BFG ATs, but she likes to kick the back end out
In 4Hi she stays planted in the corners
Ive heard part of the reason these trucks do so well in 4WD is because the 22RE doesnt have enough grunt to really spin all 4 tires. Maybe thats why she does so well in the snow...

GoFish

Yes. They kind of frown on non natives four wheeling on tribal land. Especially mud bogging as some of the roads are almost impassable when wet. Up in Navajo country some of the locals get stranded as the dirt roads to their homes turn to crap when it rains or snows a lot.
I've wheeled on rez land before but you have to remember if you are caught you can be fined and your vehicle can be confiscated until you pay up.

thook

Engh......not all four tires will spin if you have open diffs. Only the one or ones that lose traction.....whether in the rear or up front or both. Lockers is a different story.

wardriver

X2 - I've heard too many horror stories. Seems where by buddy lives they are always just finding dead people out in the middle of the desert....which leads me to my other soap box - never pick up hitch hikers while driving through the reservation.