can some one please tell me how the 4x4 system works on my p38 it it a 98 4.0 se the reason i am asking is i have recently been off roading the first time the front wheels started spinning and the rears did nothing then i have also had the rears spining but front doing nothing they never seam to all spin together when traction lost i have had the car on the 2 post ramp at work and when you start car and put in gear all 4 wheels spin if i jack up one front wheel you can just about turn it with a lot of force i have also drove the car around a car park on full lock with no problems ie wheels locking up or skipping so basicly what i want to know is how dose the car decide what wheels to put the power to and is my 4x4 system working normaly thanks
p38 4x4 system
- Thread starter steveo17
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jonbill
New Member
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Pretty sure it has open diffs at each end, with a viscous coupling between in the transfer box.
so it shouldn't be possible to spin both wheels at one end: the VCU will stop it.
if you can really spin both front and not rear (and vice versa) yet your can't easily turn a single lifted wheel, then that would suggest you don't have a VCU in the middle, but do have limited slip diff at each end.
But I have no practical experience: I'm sure someone will know for sure...
so it shouldn't be possible to spin both wheels at one end: the VCU will stop it.
if you can really spin both front and not rear (and vice versa) yet your can't easily turn a single lifted wheel, then that would suggest you don't have a VCU in the middle, but do have limited slip diff at each end.
But I have no practical experience: I'm sure someone will know for sure...
jamesmartin
Well-Known Member
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you have 3 diffs one in each axle and one in transfer box like defenders or disco ,but instead of diff lock in center diff you have viscous coupling that allows axles to turn at different speeds so that you can corner without winding up transmission,but is essentially locked so that both axles have drive,it is possible still to have one wheel on each axle spinning to stand still as you have no axle diff lockers as std, viscous usually fail by locking solid so wind up occurs and damage to transmission can occur often a diff, you test them like you did by jacking one wheel up and it should turn stiffly and slowly it should stiffen and the faster you turn it , ive had a few with bust front diffs but still driving on selzed viscous till rear went ,the fact that some one never noticed front going dosent surprise me now
