Okay. I know that maybe a silly noob question, but I've spent about an hour looking around this site and the internet to try and get that question answered and the only info I can find is about freaking axles (which I know are open...)

So, can someone answer this question...when I put the truck into 4h or 4l does the center diff lock? Or does it lock in one and not the other? Or is it just completely open?

By the way, I have a 1985 4x4 longbed 5spd with stock everything...including the 2LT turbo diesel motor...

 

There is no center diff. The front/rear driveshafts will spin at the same speed in 4wd.

 

It is a transfer case.
Newer gen land cruisers may have a center locker able diff.

 

Yeah, I know it's a transfer case, but those can still be "open" and allow the driveshafts to spin at different speeds.

 

Driveshafts spin at the same speed in 4wd.

 

It's not referred to as a differential because that would imply that it would let one driveline differentiate from the other. So as others have said, it's a transfer case and it's locked when in 4hi or 4lo.