Question? Is there a way to get both wheels spinning more regularly?

jrouse5 · Jul 28, 2011

I have a 97 Cherokee 4wd that was a park ranger Jeep in Kentucky. I'm not sure about what it does or doesn't have, but here is what I know about it. I have previously goosed it in reverse and then put it in forward and brake torqued it and it spun both wheels. So, does that tell that it does have a limit slip rear end? I was thinking if it was open, that no matter what you did to it, one wheel would spin under any circumstance. One more thing. I hooked it to a bush at my house and pulled it up yesterday. The back wheels was in the gravel and the fronts were on blacktop. The front left and the rear right only spun. Seems to me that if your are in gravel, that it would spin both back wheels for sure. If they are supposed to lock, is there something I can do to get it functioning correctly again? Oh, and it has 107K on it.

VAhasnoWAVES · Jul 28, 2011

open up the diff and take a look. consider it a gear oil change...

lincoln lock it if youd like.

jrouse5 · Jul 28, 2011

I was just really wanting to know if there is something that i need to do to it to make it perform like it is supposed to. One wheel spinning in front and back is not very good is it. If you get twisted up somewhere, you're gonna be stuck there.

Begster · Jul 28, 2011

What year vehicle and what transfercase do you have in it?

It sounds like everything is working properly. If one wheel starts spinning in the gravel, the power is going to be transmitted to that one, since it it has no traction and is already spinning. Its easier to keep that one spinning, than start spinning the other side that has traction, regardless of whether it is on gravel or not.

jrouse5 · Jul 28, 2011

It is a 97, and I dont know the TC. How do you tell which one you have? Well, I have had some vehicles in the past that would spin both back wheels in gravel or pavement, but would still unlock when you went around corners without chirping the tires. I was just thinking that those were the way it was supposed to work, and this one was not doing right.

XJLI · Jul 28, 2011

jrouse5 said:
I was just really wanting to know if there is something that i need to do to it to make it perform like it is supposed to. One wheel spinning in front and back is not very good is it. If you get twisted up somewhere, you're gonna be stuck there.

thats how 99% of cars on the road work.

TerraWombat · Jul 28, 2011

jrouse5 said:
It is a 97, and I dont know the TC. How do you tell which one you have? Well, I have had some vehicles in the past that would spin both back wheels in gravel or pavement, but would still unlock when you went around corners without chirping the tires. I was just thinking that those were the way it was supposed to work, and this one was not doing right.

A 231 TC will have the following shift modes: 2WD, 4WD-Hi Part Time, Neutral, 4WD-Lo Part Time

a 242 TC will have the following shift modes: 2WD, 4WD-Hi Part Time, 4WD-Hi Full Time, Neutral, 4WD-Lo Part Time

ParadiseXJ · Jul 28, 2011

jrouse5 said:
Well, I have had some vehicles in the past that would spin both back wheels in gravel or pavement, but would still unlock when you went around corners without chirping the tires.

There's open, limited slip, posi-traction and locked.

Open is what most CARS have in the rear (or front) AND what Subarus and most "4x4" SUV's have on both axles.

Posi is what my Chevy pick-up and Suburban used to have. Always spun both tires. It also grunted and creaked when I mistakenly put two different sized tires on the rear (using as a spare).

Limited slip is, well...limited. Too much stress on either wheel will cause it to slip a bit but slow and steady, you're pretty much locked.

...and locked is locked.

Since I haven't had the need to spin my tires lately I couldn't tell you for sure. I just know that my MJ with LSD in 4x4 is MUCH grabbier than my XJ with an open diff. in 4x.

XJLI · Jul 28, 2011

posi-trac is just a 'brand' of limited slip.

like what kleenex is to facial tissues... its all the same. unless you start talking about worm gear limited slips...

eflores · Jul 28, 2011

Worm gear limited slips like A torsen LSD are nice because they can effectively "lock up " up to 90% compared to the 30ish% of a clutch or viscous type LSD

GREGLADA · Jul 28, 2011

If you have a Powertrax locker in it you can test it per the instructions below.

xcm · Jul 28, 2011

why is everyone assuming this jeep has lockers?
sure doesnt seem like it does, the OP needs to go read a book (or watch a youtube video) about differentials, yes in a perfect world all 4x4's have electronically activated diff's.... but this isnt top gear, and thats not a $70k land rover... its an old POS jeep.

Tim_MN · Jul 28, 2011

Open the diff and look inside. I highly doubt you have a PowerTrax, and you won't know until you look inside.

Limited Slip does wear out, and then it acts like an open diff. The more off roading you do, the faster it wears. You can can rebuild it.

Limited Slip is nearly useless on 4x4 trails, a locker in the axle will provide you with full traction to both tires.

Open diff on the left and Limited Slip on the right
.

.

iwannadie · Jul 28, 2011

xcm said:
why is everyone assuming this jeep has lockers?
sure doesnt seem like it does, the OP needs to go read a book (or watch a youtube video) about differentials, yes in a perfect world all 4x4's have electronically activated diff's.... but this isnt top gear, and thats not a $70k land rover... its an old POS jeep.

This is a great video, skip the first bit if you like.

xcm · Jul 29, 2011

agreed. the motor cycle bit helps a lot with younger people, or women.

jakbob · Jul 29, 2011

i never really understood the inner workings of a diff (stupid i know lol) but very good with the model

iwannadie · Jul 29, 2011

jakbob said:
i never really understood the inner workings of a diff (stupid i know lol) but very good with the model

I honestly never understood either despite reading and being told all about them. Some how that video made it all click for me.

jrouse5 · Aug 1, 2011

Ok, my 4WD selector only says 2HI 4HI N and 4LOW. no part time words, and no full time words. So what does that say about my transfer case?

Talyn · Aug 1, 2011

Its a 231, part time only.

offroadordnance · Aug 1, 2011

To answer your original question. If you want your open diffs to spin more regularly you must module the brakes. This means you apply slight brake pressure and the brakes create sufficient drag that power is distributed to both wheels or the difference in torque between the wheel on a slippery surface versus wheel with traction are negated. Hence your brake torque spun both wheels

Question? Is there a way to get both wheels spinning more regularly?

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