Novice Female off roader getting stuck in the mud!

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Hi

I have just bought a 1992 Fourtrak 2.8TDX with the automatic locking hubs and the button on the dash to give you 4H. Is there any particular technique for operating the 4 wheel drive as it would seem that even though the 4WD lights are on my back wheels are spinning and I am going nowhere in the mud when towing. Again I got my back wheels stuck on ice and the fronts did not pull me out. Is it me???

Easy way to find out if there

Easy way to find out if there's a problem with your front drive chain.
Put into 4 wheel drive. Drive forward and back a few feet, a couple of times to alow the hubs to lock up (if their going to). Jack up one front wheel. Try turning the lifted wheel by hand. It should only turn an inch or two in each direction, befor coming up solid as you take up the slack in the drive chain.
If the wheel turns freely then you have a problem with either your transfure box not engaging 4wd, or one/both of your hubs not locking up.
To find out which. Get someone to turn the lifted wheel whilst you try to hold the front prop shaft stationary. If the shaft turns, the problem is at the transfur box end. If the shaft dosn't turn, the problem is at the hub end.
As I belive this to be an Indipendent model, if the problem is at the hubs, you'll be able to see which one is the trouble. Get your friend to turn the lifted wheel again. Look at the drive shaft going into the back of the wheel. If this shaft isn't turning the problem is with the hub on the lifted wheel. If this shaft is turning, the otherone should also be turning, and the problem is with the hub in the wheel still on the ground.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Great reply

Hi Nev

Thanks for the advice. I have since booked the car in at a garage to go on a rolling road but I will pass on your information to help identify the specific problem. The garage admits that they are no 4x4 specialists so your advice will hopefully point them in the right direction.

Thanks Again

Alison

No 4wd

The vacuum switches on the transfer box will be buggered and the auto locking hubs could also be up the spout Sad

4x4 PROBLEMS

Hiya alison. I am also a novice offroader with a horse trailer to fetch in/out the field. I have been having problems like yours and I was wondering what the problem was in the end and how much did it cost to fix?
Thanks karen

hi

Just a thought and don't take this the wrong way, i am sure you are not a stypid as me!!! but do you get stuck in the mud in 2 wheel drive, or are you already in 4 wheel drive?

If 2 wheel drive then you are trying to shift in 4wd to get out the hubs wont have time to lock. So even if the dash says you are in 4wd, you will actually still be in 2wd, until the vehicle is driven a few feet.

This is true. However the re

This is true. However the rear wheels spining is the same as driving forward a few feet. The drive chain is still turning, even if the car isn't moving. So the hubs will still lock in after a few seconds. That's why you don't go, stuck in 2wd, DOH, put it in to 4wd and boot the acelorator. You give it gental powere for 30sec's so the hubs and the transfur have a chance to engage without too much presure on them. It'll still be a little lurch when the chain all locks into place, but with minimal power you shouldn't go bending anything, or stripping off any splines.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Hi James

Sadly on the occassion on the ice I had been in 4WD (apparently) for a while as it was boxing day and it was white snow all around in Manchester. I tried reversing and pulling forward again to no avail. The front wheels were not on ice and doing nothing. I ended up digging the back wheels a path out of it! Again in the mud I had put it into 4WD, then hitched a horse trailer and with much abuse in 4L eventually got everything going but when it came to reversing the trailer back into the spot, the back wheels bedded down and we had to unhitch the trailer and manually push it back into the spot. I then drove around the field in 4L with absolutely no traction and the back wheels going 10 to the dozen, sliding and slithering everywhere. It would not play on the field in 4H at all. Having said all this when on hard ground and I pop the 4WD I think it feels different, like the front seems to be pulling down more. Anyway, it is in the garage today so I should find out what's up.