Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hey guys. Got a question. No sure whats wrong. With my prado when i put the transfer in H the back driveshaft doesnt spin when its hooked up but when its not hooked up it spins. When its in HL and LL both driveshafts spin when the drive shaft is hooked up and when it isnt. Is this because my transfer is smashed?? I have no idea! Cheers guys

I don't geddit?

Please explain more clearly....

Well if your Prado is a full time 4wd it's no surprise if you disconnect a driveshaft all the drive is sent to that disconnected flange. No idea why the rear shaft isnt spinning when both are hooked up (if I am understanding you properly). Maybe an issue with the center diff or viscous coupling.

Glenn-80 wrote:Well if your Prado is a full time 4wd it's no surprise if you disconnect a driveshaft all the drive is sent to that disconnected flange. No idea why the rear shaft isnt spinning when both are hooked up (if I am understanding you properly). Maybe an issue with the center diff or viscous coupling.

Its all time fwd. When the rear drive shaft is connected to the rear diff it doesnt spin in H, i dont have a front drive shaft connected at all so where the front driveshaft connects to the transfer spins in H, HL and LL. But when i disconnect the drive shaft the transfer spins where the rear drive shaft connects to but in HL and LL with the rear drive shaft is connected to the diff it moves the car easily. I dont know much about fwd's is the center diff in the transfer because i was thinking it might be the center diff. Whats the viscous coupling? I dnt know anything about that either. :/

You have an AWD, which means you have a centre diff

So like the a normal rear diff, it allows the front drive shaft to turn at different speeds to the rear drive shaft. So if your rear wheels are in clay and your front wheels are on bitumen, your rear wheels will just spin like crazy and your car wont go anywhere because ALL the drive will go to the slipping wheels.

If you remove your rear drive shaft, and attempt to drive, your rear flange on the transfer case will just spin, and NO power will go to the front wheels.

Same thing if you remove the front shaft, NO power to the rear wheels.

The only way around this is to lock your centre diff. Some toyotas (like mine, 100series landcruiser) come with a centre diff lock switch. So i just press this button, and it locks the centre diff which means it sends equal power to front and rear driveshaft. Now at the moment i dont have a front shaft in either as my front diff is blown. If i dont have the centre diff locked, All power goes to the front transfer case flange where the front driveshaft normally connects and the car goes no-where. but if i press the centre diff lock button, equal power now goes to front and rear transfer case outputs, and car moves again.

If you do not have a centre diff lock switch. Then shifting to low-range will also lock the centre diff!.

Whenever you go to Lowrange, it automatically locks the centre diff. I think this explains why yuour car moves in low range, but not in high range>?

what does H HL AND LL mean>? does that mean High, High Locked, Low Locked??


If so, if you only have a rear drive shaft in, then you must drive around with HL mode. (this is the same as me pressing the centre diff lock button on my car) DONT DRIVE ON ROAD IN HL or LL mode IF BOTH SHAFTS ARE IN!!! you can do sever damage to your centre diff and transfer case.

strutts wrote: Its all time fwd. When the rear drive shaft is connected to the rear diff it doesnt spin in H, i dont have a front drive shaft connected at all so where the front driveshaft connects to the transfer spins in H, HL and LL. But when i disconnect the drive shaft the transfer spins where the rear drive shaft connects to but in HL and LL with the rear drive shaft is connected to the diff it moves the car easily. I dont know much about fwd's is the center diff in the transfer because i was thinking it might be the center diff. Whats the viscous coupling? I dnt know anything about that either. :/

what your saying here is exactly how it should work. with no front shaft in, your car will not move, and the rear shaft will not turn when in H

but shift to HL or LL and it locks the centre diff. Now both shafts MUST turn at the same speed. So your front flange on your transfer case will always spin, but your rear shaft will also spin now, and move the car.

Well when i got the car it didnt have a front drive shaft so i actually havent had one connected. I feel like a complete dick. Thanks guys i appreciate it. Sorry for my stupidity.

Don't feel bad about it . You learned something about AWD in general and your own vehicle in particular. As someone is reputed to have said " don't be afraid to ask dumb questions, they are easier to handle thah dumb mistakes. This forum is to exchange information so that we can all learn from each others experiences.

old ed wrote:Don't feel bad about it . You learned something about AWD in general and your own vehicle in particular. As someone is reputed to have said " don't be afraid to ask dumb questions, they are easier to handle thah dumb mistakes. This forum is to exchange information so that we can all learn from each others experiences.

Thanks mate. Saved me from droping out the transfer like I was told to do by a mechanic. guess he just wanted the work and my money. lol.

Thanks again guys!

Glad you got it sorted mate

Just to clarify for my own purposes. I was under the impression that full time 4wd was not the same as AWD. Some minor technicality that I have forgotten

Glenn-80 wrote:Glad you got it sorted mate

Just to clarify for my own purposes. I was under the impression that full time 4wd was not the same as AWD. Some minor technicality that I have forgotten

all wheel drive

four wheel drive

mean the same thing. What people usually refer to a 4wd is a car that can have all Four Wheels Driven and a transfer case with low and high range.

All wheel drive is a car with all wheels driven all the time.

Thanks man! thats a good help. now to try and find a front prop shaft for a 3rz-fe apparently my car is full import. ball breaker.

strutts wrote:Thanks man! thats a good help. now to try and find a front prop shaft for a 3rz-fe apparently my car is full import. ball breaker.

get another shaft off the same model prado, then get it made the correct length.

found one in qld was cheaper than what it was going to cost me to get it cut down and not to mention now I won't have to drill new holes in the diff where it bolts to.