gosh i love how i have a shifter for 4wd

 

some additional comments. If it continues to beep and you see the 4lo light blink, try rolling the vehicle a foot forward or reverse and try again. Usually that'll resolve the problem and get you into 4lo. Sometimes the gears just can't clasp together so the system can't get into lo causing the "beep" sound/flash.

Good luck

 

If I remember correctly, it will also beep if you try shifting into 4lo when you are in 4hi and the center diff is locked. You have to unlock the center diff, the go to 4lo and then lock the center diff or the thing will beep like crazy.

 

WHOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

got it and it worked. took it on a light trail, i was covered in mud (which i hate) and he just poped his cherry with a little off camber here and there and just watched what a 3rd gen can do BETTER!!! hahaha

thanks for all the help on this one fellas. i learned something, helped someone and hopefully many more with this thread. thats what yoatechs all about!!

 

So what was the problem? Just didn't wait long enough in neutral? Or was it the diff lock?

 

ya really i kind of want to know wut the problem was too!!

 

dac button..and didnt wait long enough in neautral

 

yeah, the beeping is a sure sign you have in fact pressed too many buttons LOL

it works quite simply, and well, jsut remember to have it in N for a second or 2, then shift into 4 lo

 

Well just adding, the transfer of power front and rear does not change when you lock the center diff. All that happens is you no longer allow slippage between the front and rear axle, therefore you can bind the drivetrain around corners.

The rear diff lock is a better feature for off road, but the center diff is nice to have for the full time 4wd factor. Personally I went from a part time 00 to a full time 02 and I have never once used 4wd when I would not have in the 00, so for me I could care less about the center diff. The full time Runners get the TRAC system, which in theory can act a bit like a limited slip at both axles by applying the brakes to a slipping tire to force power to the opposite side, still not better than dual lockers, but in theory more useful than only a rear locker. I have seen the TRAC system working great on a 4th gen, crawled right through an obstacle a rr locked 3rd had a bit of trouble w/, but I have also heard that the system is not as good on the 3rd gen, never really tried it so I can't say.

 

On the full time 4wd system on the 4th gens when you lock the center diff, power is distributed 50/50 whereas unlocked it's 30/70 (or there abouts).

The 3rd gen never had a full time 4wd system as the 4th gen is the first to implement this.

3rd gen ATRAC found on the later yrs has the first version whereas the 4th gen has the second. One step forward, the new FJ Cruiser has a revised 2nd gen which is even better than the 4th gen (heresay but I'm sure that's true based on videos and impressions). Indeed the ATRAC will never be as good as a locked vehicle but it's still better than open

 

My only qualm with ATRAC is the wheels have to slip for it to "kick in", but in my limited experience in the few months I've owned this rig I can say that is sure as hells works, and works well.

If the FJC does have an upgraded ATRAC-II, I wonder if it's a software or hardware improvement? Wouldn't it be nice if we could go to the dealer and have them upload a revised ATRAC program?

 

In case you friend forgets how to engage 4Lo correctly, there is a white card in the driverside sunvisor with the instructions. Much handier than finding it in the Instruction manual....

 

Well 3rd gens did come with a full time 4wd system. It was first offered in 99 on Limited models and continued on limited only into 2000. Then in 2001 and 02 all 4wd 4Runners got the center diff and therefore equally as much full time 4wd as a V6 4th gen. My 02 Sport clearly has a center diff and full time 4wd. If the 4th gens are split 70/30 w/o the center locked I didn't know that info, sorry to mislead anyone. The 3rd gens are always split 50/50 as far as I know.

 

Are you sure about the full time deal? A full time 4wd system only has the 4hi and 4lo option (no 2wd). If so, I was not aware that the 3rd gen had that option back in the day.

As for the 30/70 split, it applies when in 4hi by default and once you lock the center diff it shifts to the 50/50 to distribute power equally.

 

how's that work? Physics seems to lead me to believe that, negating friction, a standard differential can only split torque evenly, whereas a locked diff would split torque up to each wheel/axle's slip point or evenly, whichever comes first

 

The 4th gens comes with the "Torsen Limited-Split Center Differential which can sense if one or more wheels lose traction, and then redistribute torque to the front or rear wheels as needed."