Is 3-wheel-peel when stuck... normal?

Have a '99 Cherokee Classic. Has a whopping 81k miles. Been using 4wd alot here in Indiana lately. Tried driving through the yard, about 12 inches of hard packed snow, and I noticed my passenger front would spin like crazy when hung up, but the driver's side was a no show. I tried riding the brake and cutting the wheel, and I could get the driver's side to spin, but then it would slow down as the passenger side would speed up. Am I right to assume since I have a open front differential, the wheel with the LEAST amount of grip (especially if up in the air) will have most (if not all) the power directed to it? The minute I got on flat ice-covered ground, I was back to spinning all four.

If its stock, its open, It's rare to have limited slip in the rear stock and even more rare if at all to have limited slip front. Yes, open spins the easiest tire to move.

scottie_p said:

Am I right to assume since I have a open front differential, the wheel with the LEAST amount of grip (especially if up in the air) will have most (if not all) the power directed to it? The minute I got on flat ice-covered ground, I was back to spinning all four.

Click to expand...

You're right, power to the wheel with least grip. But as you noticed, if both tires are on similar low traction surface, the momentum of one spinning tire can cause the other side to spin, even when open.

normal for a stock vehicle.

yep normal