Hi all. Newly registered, lurked for a few weeks. This is an incredible site for soob people, I can't beleive some of the info I've got just by reading other threads. Swapping my drums for the rear disc's off my dead 87' gl (non-turbo, so I guese it was converted at some point??) this weekend, had no idea it was a straight bolt on swap...

 

Anyway, here's the first of a few questions I have.....

 

When I first bought this car I tested the four wheel drive (92 Loyale, 5spd manual, push button activated), pushed button, drove straight and felt it engage, pushed the button to disengage could feel it did, turned around, everything was fine. I did this a few weeks after I bought it also, again, everything fine.

 

Now the snow is starting to fall a little in the mountains and Stevens is open, it's time where I'll need 4-wheel drive. I tested it the other night, it engaged fine (light doesn't light anymore, but could be fuse? #12 I think I read??), then I went to disengage. I drove straight for a little bit, more than it took to disengage last time, and THUNK! I can't realy describe it, but it thunked hard when it dissengaged. I did it again, this time I made sure to keep constant on the gas pedal, and again, THUNK.

 

Why is it disengaging so hard?? I think I remember reading in the manual (87 GL and this one) that you don't need to do anything special to dissengage or enagage...is this true?? Should I be on the gas?? CLutch in??

 

I'm getting a little scared........anybody have any ideas??

 

Thanks in advance.

When I had my XT (push button 4wd) I always hit the clutch before I pushed the button. One time I did have a clunk too though....my tires were a little off in their inflation (front vs rear) so I think that was a factor too. Also, since you were under power at disengagement is there a possibility of wheel slip that could have made the transition a littel abrupt too.

 

Matt

Clutch in and roll straight.

 

Just a stab, but.....are all of your tires the same size?

I know just the clunk. I have smaller tires on the front of my loyale, and when I disengage the 4wd, it often takes some clutch and gas work to get it to disengage and then WHAM, you can feel the whole car kick. There is a lot of force that gets bound up in the drivetrain. Check inflation and tire sizes, that should be the culprit.

MY 91 does the same thing. you should be OFF the gas and have the cluch in when shifting from 4wd to 2wd or the other way around. yhe t-case just gets wound up. on ANY 4wd vehicle you MUST have the same size tires or you could cause serious driveline damage. If it has trouble going back to 2wd stop, and go in reverse to "unwind" the t-case.

you mentioned reading the manual

 

 

did you skip the part about NOT using 4wd on

surfaces that have good traction?

 

as mudduck says all locked center diff 4wd cars/trucks

(like yours)

will suffer "wind up"

 

Thus the use of said devise on surfaces that will allow one wheel to

slip.

 

Engage only when the surface affords some slip - gravel, dirt, snow ect.

Rain covered roads do not qualify unless they are flooded.

 

Listen to mudduck he sounds like he did his homework - i.e. read his manual

from what i've seen/experienced/read, only use the push-button 4wd to get yourself out of a situation unless you're driving in heavy snow-ice or deep mud. it is also imperative that all your tires are the same size/inflation/level of wear. unfortunately, there is no just replacing 2 tires for us. i blew out a rear tire on a road hazard (covered by costco warranty) and had to replace all 4 of my almost new tires because they HAD to be exactly the same.

91loyale, Roundeye, Subeman90, Mudduck, Roxtar: Thanks for the advice on clutch in and tires, my tires are definately all the same size, but inflation might be varying in a few. I've been meaning to put some air in them, I'll do that tonight.

 

Skip, I guese I thought that driving in a straight line wouldn't bind the transfer case up. I'm wrong. I appologize.

 

Heading to the mountains tommorow, I appreciate all the advice.

You dont have to have the same tread on your tires, i had 4 tires that were all different tread (i had no money, the tires and were free, sure handled strange with snow tires on only the back) they just have to be the same size. even if you have matching tires, they will never be exactaly the same size do to pressure, weight of the car front to rear, side to side, were, ect, ect, . Any way i just thought i would throw that in there