Nissan Navara 4wd system.

[Storrsy]

So bought one of these and now I'm experiencing the reality of owing a jap pickup it would seem
Yesterday I got stuck on a turd- pretty much literally going up a field so duly put it in 4wd/hi. When I tried to spin the truck around to park in the same field( quite firm surface) it started scrabbling- a bit more research deduced that due to no central diff basically 4wd regardless of hi/lo is a no no on any kind of hard surface. So haven't towed with it yet but it's autumn and the lanes around here are steep and slippery- how does one get to the top towing the digger when inevitably it starts loosing traction?
Sounds a dumb question but seems very limited system to me coming from Landrovers all my life?
@Gunners @Routy56 @Monkeybusiness @anyoneelse who knows!

 

[Smiffy]

So bought one of these and now I'm experiencing the reality of owing a jap pickup it would seem
Yesterday I got stuck on a turd- pretty much literally going up a field so duly put it in 4wd/hi. When I tried to spin the truck around to park in the same field( quite firm surface) it started scrabbling- a bit more research deduced that due to no central diff basically 4wd regardless of hi/lo is a no no on any kind of hard surface. So haven't towed with it yet but it's autumn and the lanes around here are steep and slippery- how does one get to the top towing the digger when inevitably it starts loosing traction?
Sounds a dumb question but seems very limited system to me coming from Landrovers all my life?
@Gunners @Routy56 @Monkeybusiness @anyoneelse who knows!

You will be fine going up a hill in 4wd, just put it back in 2wd as soon as you can.
There is a fuse on most jap 4wd's that you can put a switch in that allows you to be in 2wd low box.
Whilst my experience is solely with Hilux of this age, I can never recall loosing traction on a steep incline. However there is one hill up the back of carerham with a hair pin bend that requires low box as you have to slow down to much and the truck just stops.

The only truck that can run in 4wd on the road is the l200

 

[hiluxman]

So bought one of these and now I'm experiencing the reality of owing a jap pickup it would seem
Yesterday I got stuck on a turd- pretty much literally going up a field so duly put it in 4wd/hi. When I tried to spin the truck around to park in the same field( quite firm surface) it started scrabbling- a bit more research deduced that due to no central diff basically 4wd regardless of hi/lo is a no no on any kind of hard surface. So haven't towed with it yet but it's autumn and the lanes around here are steep and slippery- how does one get to the top towing the digger when inevitably it starts loosing traction?
Sounds a dumb question but seems very limited system to me coming from Landrovers all my life?
@Gunners @Routy56 @Monkeybusiness @anyoneelse who knows!

That's exactly how they are.

Turning on the firm ground is what will wind the transmission up. If its a fair pull on a steep or slippery hill without significant turns then you will probably be fine.

The only jap pick up that you can run in 4wd on the hard is an l200 with what I think is called a super select on it.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

It’s only the same as your Landy in many ways in that it can lose traction through one wheel spinning if you don’t lock the centre differential - just stick it in 4wd if it’s a bit ‘scrabbly’ underfoot, you won’t hurt it.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

So bought one of these and now I'm experiencing the reality of owing a jap pickup it would seem
Yesterday I got stuck on a turd- pretty much literally going up a field so duly put it in 4wd/hi. When I tried to spin the truck around to park in the same field( quite firm surface) it started scrabbling- a bit more research deduced that due to no central diff basically 4wd regardless of hi/lo is a no no on any kind of hard surface. So haven't towed with it yet but it's autumn and the lanes around here are steep and slippery- how does one get to the top towing the digger when inevitably it starts loosing traction?
Sounds a dumb question but seems very limited system to me coming from Landrovers all my life?
@Gunners @Routy56 @Monkeybusiness @anyoneelse who knows!

Jap pickup = low range for difflock. Thats why I miss the Disco.

I tried to get the Dmax fiddled with so I could have Low Range without difflock for heavy shunting on hard ground, but cant work out how.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

That's exactly how they are.

Turning on the firm ground is what will wind the transmission up. If its a fair pull on a steep or slippery hill without significant turns then you will probably be fine.

The only jap pick up that you can run in 4wd on the hard is an l200 with what I think is called a super select on it.

I have had to use low box to get up steep tarmac roads before, and it still winds the transmission up. You have to come to a full stop and neutral for it to come out, and sometimes you have to shunt in reverse to get it out of low (big clunk). Worse with all terrains on as well.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

You could fit free wheeling hubs to the front axle if you wanted low range 2wd without any windup.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

You could fit free wheeling hubs to the front axle if you wanted low range 2wd without any windup.

Bugger.. yes you can, and I had forgotten about this option. Will work for me, but wont help @Storrsy so much

 

[Storrsy]

Jap pickup = low range for difflock. Thats why I miss the Disco.

I tried to get the Dmax fiddled with so I could have Low Range without difflock for heavy shunting on hard ground, but cant work out how.

Well that's how I always thought they worked, 4 hi was just like a landrover is permanently and 4lo engaged the difflock too- sure my shogun was like that in fact think the manual said to put it in 4wd when towing as shared the strain.
Hard to beat the disco I think, permanent 4wd but traction control kicking in if any slippage- never got stuck in that thing, was better than the 300tdi hi cap I had


* Now googling chassis replacement for disco 2

 

[Storrsy]

With auto boxes the need for low box seems pretty obsolete but a manual without a usable lo box on the road would be pretty crap.

 

[Brendan]

Pickups are generally not too bad towing with just rwd, tyres are top of the list, decent set of all 3 peak rated tyres are a good plan.

As for using 4x4, not too sure on the Navara setup but it's more than likely the same as every other swithable 4x4 (bar the super select l200 which tends to be warrior and above on the older shapes not sure on the new one and the fiat has it too) they are all part time systems so 4x4 only for low traction situations and even then can get wind up

Check the manual first but generally you can switch between 2h and 4h on the move and upto 60mph.

You can pretty much drive in a straight line in 4h for a long time, the issue appears once you start to turn, small amounts of turn are not too bad but as the front and rear diffs are effectively "locked" once you turn past a few degrees the inside wheel will want to turn slightly slower and the outside wheel slightly faster, so you end up "winding up" the front diff.

As said you can switch on the move so you could pull off in 4h or change to it going up a hill and then drop back to 2h when clear, although generally requires to be not under acceleration to switch.

As far as I know if it's equipped with diff lock it does have to be in 4L

Latest ranger has a "4a" mode, which is s**t as its basically the above but done automatically, when selected its 4h till around 40mph, after which it drops back to 2h, but no center diff so you can feel the front diff bind at slow sharp turns

 

[Lancs Lad]

Hence why the old Amarok auto 4wd is pretty damn good imo. Everyone goes it's not got a low box yadda yadda...etc
Never missed it and just enjoyed getting a lot of surprising places the green oval club rolled their eyes at

 

[Lancs Lad]

Pickups are generally not too bad towing with just rwd, tyres are top of the list, decent set of all 3 peak rated tyres are a good plan.

As for using 4x4, not too sure on the Navara setup but it's more than likely the same as every other swithable 4x4 (bar the super select l200 which tends to be warrior and above on the older shapes not sure on the new one and the fiat has it too) they are all part time systems so 4x4 only for low traction situations and even then can get wind up

Check the manual first but generally you can switch between 2h and 4h on the move and upto 60mph.

You can pretty much drive in a straight line in 4h for a long time, the issue appears once you start to turn small amounts of turn are not too bad but as the front and rear diffs are effectively "locked" once you turn past a few degrees the inside wheel will want to turn slightly slower and the outside wheel slightly faster, so you end up "winding up" the front diff.

As said you can switch on the move so you could pull off in 4h or change to it going up a hill and then drop back to 2h when clear, although generally requires to be not under acceleration to switch.

As far as I know if it's equipped with diff lock it does have to be in 4L

Latest ranger has a "4a" mode, which is s**t as its basically the above but done automatically, when selected its 4h till around 40mph, after which it drops back to 2h, but no center diff so you can feel the front diff bind at slow sharp turns

New Amarok same obviously as new ranger and agree not as good as last one ...caught me out on wet field ..
I'd not say it was totally crap though ..raised few eyebrows at pay and play site

 

[Storrsy]

Hence why the old Amarok auto 4wd is pretty damn good imo. Everyone goes it's not got a low box yadda yadda...etc
Never missed it and just enjoyed getting a lot of surprising places the green oval club rolled their eyes at

yeah just reading about the Amarok permanent 4wd and amazed you get the mpg you get
Don't think I have ever needed low box in the disco(auto)

 

[Brendan]

New Amarok same obviously as new ranger and agree not as good as last one ...caught me out on wet field ..
I'd not say it was totally crap though ..raised few eyebrows at pay and play site

Still no idea why no body ever followed Mitsubishi and just added a lockable centre diff, mitsubishi had the same system in the pajero and the delcia so 2h, 4h, 4h locked centre and 4l locked centre

 

[Lancs Lad]

yeah just reading about the Amarok permanent 4wd and amazed you get the mpg you get
Don't think I have ever needed low box in the disco(auto)

We did have the discussion

 

[Storrsy]

We did have the discussion

Yup! And chaps I was thinking of buying is holding on to it for the time being. ah well we will see how this goes perhaps I'm making a fuss over nothing.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

yeah just reading about the Amarok permanent 4wd and amazed you get the mpg you get
Don't think I have ever needed low box in the disco(auto)

My old 300tdi spent a time with a miss timed injection pump after I fitted a used spare. When towing a 3 +ton machine up a 1in4 local hill I had to go all the way down to 2cnd in low box to get up... and it was struggling.
My old 80s Subaru car (same 4wd system as the Brat?) used to have low box which you could switch on the fly, and separate diff lock ?(I think?). Been gone for 25 years . Used to be able to pull start dads tractor with that! Amazing car. (internet photo - mine in box somewhere)

 

[Storrsy]

My old 300tdi spent a time with a miss timed injection pump after I fitted a used spare. When towing a 3 +ton machine up a 1in4 local hill I had to go all the way down to 2cnd in low box to get up... and it was struggling.
My old 80s Subaru car (same 4wd system as the Brat?) used to have low box which you could switch on the fly, and separate diff lock ?(I think?). Been gone for 25 years Used to be able to pull start dads tractor with that! Amazing car.

That's progress for you!

 

[Bri963]

You could fit free wheeling hubs to the front axle if you wanted low range 2wd without any windup.

The reason you can’t usually select 2nd low range is because you’d be putting a lot more torque through one prop shaft and two half shafts instead of two and four. If you tow with the front hubs unlocked in low any amount of time something will break.