4X4

4x4 .

On 4 wheel drive vehicles most commonly the rear wheels drive the vehicle at all times and the front wheel drive system can be engaged or disengaged by the driver when ever desired . 4 wheel drive systems may use manual shift controls or electronic shift controls to engage and disengage the 4 wheel drive system . Manual shift 4 wheel drive may be equipped with manual locking hubs , which are engaged by adjusting a control right on each hub . Automatic locking hubs are also available with a manual shift 4X4 system . Electronic shift control always comes with automatic locking hubs . Some electric shift controlled 4 wheel drive vehicles use what is called shift on the go systems . They say that these vehicles can be shifted into 4 wheel drive while the vehicle is moving . I very strongly recommend ‘against’ ever engaging the 4 wheel drive system while the vehicle is moving as it is very hard on parts of the system ! For example , if the vehicle is moving at 50 miles per hour but the front drive shaft and other front drive components are stopped imagine the stress on those parts when they hit with that 50 mile per hour (80kmh) impact and forced to go from 0 to 50 mph instantly ? If you stop before engaging the 4 wheel drive system , you are sure that no harm will occur to these parts during engagement . To disengage the 4 wheel drive system while moving is less likely to cause damage . With automatic locking hubs , when you disengage the 4 wheel drive system , it is often necessary to back the vehicle up a short distance (about 10 feet or 3 meters) to ensure that the hubs disengage fully . Manual locking hubs are more commonly found on full sized and heavy duty vehicles while light duty 4 wheel systems can be equipped with either manual or electronic locking hubs . ___

On all wheel drive vehicles the engagement of the drive system is normally controlled by the power train control system (computer (s)) . There are sensors at all 4 wheels that send information to the computer (s) .The computer(s) use this information to supply power to the proper wheels at the proper times . For example if a sensor , senses that a wheel starts to spin the computer system will automatically transfer power to the wheels that have traction .

All wheel drive systems are commonly used on mid-size and compact type vehicles . Some all wheel drive vehicles will handle better than the same model in a 2 wheel drive vehicle when driven by a capable performance minded driver . In any case when you switch from one vehicle type to another , such as from a 2 wheel drive vehicle to 4 wheel or all wheel drive vehicle , you must learn the differences in driving and become experienced with your vehicle to eliminate problems on the road !