4wd in my 1996 taco... should it work better?

So i was with a friend on a C-4 road in Vermont going up a good sized hill in 4L when i start to spin, so i stop and back down and try again. on the 2nd and 3rd tries, we notice that the front wheels arent really doing much and all the power is in the back tire thats spinning like mad.
it took 2 more tries starting in second but i made it up the hill, but it seemed that the 4wd on my taco is either messed up or is just plain bad.
any thoughts? i plan to get an ARB air locker next year when i can afford it, but is there something wrong with my taco's 4wd?

 

I'm assuming your open in the front and rear. Open differentials suck.

A locker would fix your problem.

 

yea i was gonna guess the diffs are kinda bad... again, gonna buy ARB locker(s) when i get the $

 

Couple questions....

Is the 4WD light lit on the dash?

Do you have manual hubs? If YES - do you have power to one tire or none?
Unlock and lock your hubs and again and see what happens. Then try unlocking one side at a time and see what happens.

If you have ADD (Auto disconnecting diff) - then you might have a vacuum leak somewhere. The transfer case is in 4WD but the mechanism up in the front diff isn't engaging the front wheels.

An ARB isn't gonna solve the problem if your front two wheels aren't driving....

 

hhmmm ok lets see

the 4wd light is lit on the dash in 4h and 4L
no locking hubs
dunno about the ADD.. but it sounds like what youre describing.. the front wheels seem to be getting no power. how can i check that?

and if the ARB locker wouldnt solve it thats ok... the rear diff seems to work the way it should so i could put one back there and recieve at least a little more traction.
thanks

 

If you don't have manual hubs, then you have ADD. ADD is vacuum actuated sleeve/collar at the front differential that couples the front wheels together. If that collar isn't engaged - the front wheels won't 'drive'.

Here's some info about the system -
http://www.off-road.com/trucks4x4/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=399612

Save the $$ that you'll spend on an ARB system and get your front diff fixed.... ARB's are GREAT but they won't necessarily over-compensate for a faulty 4WD system.