4 wheel drive on a 98 tacoma with locking hubs

i have a 98 tacoma 4x4 with manual locking front hubs. i want to know if the truck "pulls" with all four wheels when the 4 wheel drive is on. or how many wheels pull.

 

If you have 4wd engaged, but the manual hubs are free (not locked in) then you are only pulling with the back wheels. You must engage 4wd and lock in the hubs in order to pull with all 4 wheels.

 

There is no such thing as an out of the box 4 wheel drive Tacoma, the basic 4x4 pulls with just 2 wheels when 4 wheel drive is engaged and a Tacoma with the rear locker pulls with just 3 wheels. You need to install a locker in the front for both front wheels to pull when the hubs are locked and the transfer case is in 4hi or 4lo.

 

Nuh uhhhh....
























A-FUCKING TRAC!

 

so on a 98 tacoma with locking front hubs, will the truck pull with 4 ?

 

so it can pull with 4

 

on flat ground with traction to all four wheels yes. with open differentials the diff will send power to the wheel with the least traction. meaning if somehow 2 of the wheels one front one rear were off the ground only 2 would spin because of open differentials. with a locker in the rear the rear 2 wheels pull with the front wheel with least amount of traction

 

sorry for being dense. but even tho there are manual locking hubs in the front it still has a open diff and will only pull with 1 in the front? i thought if you had to manually lock them in then it would pull with both front tires at the same rate. it seems like it does bc trying to turn with it in 4x4 is a pain. wouldnt that mean that they were not working independantly from one another?

 

Probaby hard to turn with the hubs locked and on dry concrete.

 

Yes an open diff will only pull with 1 tire (the one with least traction). If your driving on flat ground it will be pulling with both but once you get in some uneven terrain the one with least resistance will pull.

And DO NOT drive in 4x4, on a hard dry surface (pavement)

 

but will the tires always rotate at the same speed like in a locking diff?

 

Guessing your trying to turn on pavement? If that is the case, then both tires have full traction and steering will be very stiff. Since both tires turn and are traveling close to the same speed, they are fighting each other within the differential as to where to send the power until one tire has less traction. Don't use 4x4 on pavement.

 

yes, no matter how uneven the terrain is with a locked diff both wheels will spin at the same rate.

 

let me know if this is right. open- means tires spin independantly so on flat ground power is distributed equally. on uneven ground one with least traction gets more power and therefore will spin and the one with contact will get no power and you will still be stuck. with locking- tires always spin at same speed, so if one tire is off the ground and one is not, the one in contact will still pull and bc they spin equally the one off the ground should only spin at the same rate as the other on

 

ok. do all manual locking hubs have locking diff?

 

For all intents and purposes, that is correct.

 

The hub just connects the axle to the wheel. By unlocking the hub the wheels are able to spin freely from the rest of the drive train. Since in 2wd there is no reason to be turning the rest of the 4wd drive train, you will get better mileage and less wear and tear.

 

so my particular truck has locking diff and will better pull me out of mud/snow? as long as the hubs are locked in and 4x4 is engaged with the gearshift

 

You have a factory rear locker?

 

yes. as far as i know. i havent had it long.