Pajero Front Diff Steering Problems

[Mr Sausage]

I'm really no expert on this, so maybe someone can help out. Been through and read every Mitsubishi post and nothing really covers it.

My 94 NJ manual, SWB is really playing up when in 4WD. 2H is fine, but if I put it in 4H (or 4HLc and 4LLc) the front wheels chirp and skid, as well as throwing the whole front end around with almost no control over the steering.

It's a real pain in the neck to control the thing and I'm pretty much stuck to a crawl speed, surely this can't be normal.

Anyone got any ideas what's up?

[South]

I hope your not trying to run it in 4HLc and 4LLc on the road, as that will most definately happen in those gears.

Is the car new to you? It doesnt have an auto locker on the front by any chance?

[Mr Sausage]

No, I should've said. This happens even on loose gravel and mud.

And yes, the car is reletively new to me in the last 6 months. Before I had it nothing was modified and the woman that owned it lived in Canberra and didn't take it off-road.

[-Scott-]

It doesnt have an auto locker on the front by any chance?

Sounds like it to me. Can't think of anything else which would cause this behaviour...

[Mr Sausage]

what would I be looking for to tell if it has or not?

[-Scott-]

Good question - not sure. Try:

Gearbox in gear
Transfer in 4 something
Jack the front wheels up (both).

Try rotating one front wheel. Should rotate relatively easily, and other wheel should rotate in opposite direction. If you have an auto-locker, I would expect it to be very difficult to rotate a wheel, and the other probably won't.

Next, out of gear and rotate again. If other wheel rotates in opposite direction and prop shaft doesn't rotate, I would say NO autolocker. If both wheels rotate in same direction, AND prop shaft rotates, I would say autolocker.

If one wheel rotates and nothing else does, your front axle disconnect is disconnected - it should engage by default with the engine off. I'm not sure how to engage it without the engine running, which I'm not sure how you'll do AND leave in gear, in 4wd.

[Mr Sausage]

I was just outside having a look, couldn't really tell much. I was going to jack it up but it's a little chilly so I'll have a play tomorrow.

Where do the air lines for the hubs connect to the diff?
I read in another thread that you mentioned most people change the hubs to manual when installing an auto-locker... if someone has put one in, they haven't bothered doing that!

I've noticed you've answered alot of peoples questions about this is MANY other threads! So I'm sure you're the bloke to pay attention to!

[cms]

sounds like a smashed front diff to me, few teeth missing somewhere

have you been giving it any hammer off road recently?

[NJV6]

Yes, its behaving like an autolocker would.

If you are able to get it near gravel and mud, simply get it into a cross axle situation and watch what the front wheel does which is on the ground. If its driving with the other one off the ground something is run amok!

Air lines run into the diff from a round canister that sits behind the housing on the drivers side. Because it drives fine in 2wd I'd say your disconnect is working fine. They do not disconnect hubs, just a short axle from the diff.

[jkwpajero]

I am experiencing the same symptoms with my 94 model. I ran all the checks on the vacuum system and I suspect that it may be the free wheel
clutch assy on the front diff. I have found that if you reverse a bit when changing out of 4WD that the problem goes away. It is something in the super select system that causes the problem, but I am yet to find the actual cause. It is more of an inconvenience at the moment for me because I can get it to correct itself. But the first time it did it the steering was all over the road.

[jkwpajero]

Further to this problem, mine was caused by the front axle disconnect not fully releasing. I had checked all the vacuum hoses for the front disconnect and cleaned all the electrical connectors. That made some difference, as the flashing light syndrome was cured. But, it was remedied by changing the diff oil to the correct lighter grade. I was running Castrol EP85/140, given for free, and now have Castrol EP 80/90. It seems that the heavier grade oil was not letting the disconnect to fully disengage. The centre diff was all OK to lock/unlock, and the 2WD/4WD all worked. But with the front right short axle not fully disengaging and sticking the Pajero would weave around after going back to 2WD. All fixed now. So, oils aint oils Sol