AboutCarl Brandt Expertise Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor.
I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.
Experience Experience in the area 40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 3 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 9" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a K&N air filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 95:1 in low gear/low range.
Other vehicles I own, are a 95 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 35" MT's, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, and a stock 2000 Grand Cherokee.
Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.
Organizations I belong to
President of Lost Coast 4x4's (8 years)
http://lostcoast4x4.org
Blue Ribbon Association
United Four Wheel Drive
Corva
Cal 4 Wheel
Expert: Carl Brandt Date: 12/12/2007 Subject: When NOT to use 4WD
Question A friend of mine has a 4WD truck, and in the recent bad weather (snow), her father placed the truck in 4WD mode (specifically 4-Lo, I think). Either way, she continued to drive her truck on the road in 4WD after the snow cleared. Today, the truck started to act up. While in drive,she could move at 5-10mph, and when she simply tapped her brakes, her rear-left tire immediately locked up. The truck seemed very jumpy, but at this point, I had taken it out of 4WD and placed it into 2-Hi on the gearbox. Another friend of hers pointed out that there might be something wrong with her rear-differential. What's your take on this? Thanks.
Answer Joe,
With the information you have given me, I would check the brakes. It sounds like something broke or is stuck in the rear brake system. Possibly a bad or stuck brake cylinder.
Another chance is that something got in a bind (usually the transfer case), and has a failed component. Anytime you drive in 4WD on a hard surface this will place the transfer case will bind up and drive components will be extremely strained. Like I said, operating in 4WD on a solid surface usually breaks the transfer case.
