Questions about the J shifter on a 98 SR5 manual

[Rushthezeppelin]

I bought my truck about a month ago without an owners manual and with part of the visor card missing and I want to make sure I have the details of how to operate it and just overall how it operates. It's pretty clear on the card how you shift into 4lo but going from 2hi to 4hi can I just throw the J shifter down while moving? If so what's the max speed? Do I need to push in the clutch while doing so? Do I need to be in Neutral even while doing so? I've been playing it probably too safe so far and only shifting into 4hi the same way as 4lo.

My other question is how exactly does this particular setup work. Is 4hi open in the center and 4lo locked in the center (no center diff lock button on the dash with mine). Or is it always locked or always open no matter if in hi or lo? If it's open in hi does this essentially act like the awd button on the MM Tcases? Also is this system purely mechanical or actuated either electronically or with vacuum?

Just want to make sure I'm all squared away on these details with white stuff hitting the ground right now.

 

[brillo_76]

I bought my truck about a month ago without an owners manual and with part of the visor card missing and I want to make sure I have the details of how to operate it and just overall how it operates. It's pretty clear on the card how you shift into 4lo but going from 2hi to 4hi can I just throw the J shifter down while moving? If so what's the max speed? Do I need to push in the clutch while doing so? Do I need to be in Neutral even while doing so? I've been playing it probably too safe so far and only shifting into 4hi the same way as 4lo.



My other question is how exactly does this particular setup work. Is 4hi open in the center and 4lo locked in the center (no center diff lock button on the dash with mine). Or is it always locked or always open no matter if in hi or lo? If it's open in hi does this essentially act like the awd button on the MM Tcases? Also is this system purely mechanical or actuated either electronically or with vacuum?



Just want to make sure I'm all squared away on these details with white stuff hitting the ground right now.

J shift are manual 4 wd locked. They are not awd so 2hi to 4hi no issues. So you can't be driving around in 4hi on dry not wet or slippery surfaces. As they will bind being 4wd.

The 4lo it's best to be completely stopped to shift into it as it is locked too. The same roles apply to it.

If you can't get the transfer to shift back out you most likely have it in a slight bind and backing up can help with that.

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[sportscarfan]

I have a '97 5-speed SR5. Yes, you can shift 2hi-->4hi or the other way while moving. I do usually push in the clutch just to give everything the best chance of sync. and I'm fairly deliberate with the shift to 4hi.

As far as I understand the rest of your question....The transfer case does not have a diff. like an AWD automatic has. It's an "old school" 4wd setup where the t-case just sends power to the front. Brillo's comment about NOT driving on dry pavement in 4wd is valid. Not recommended because there is no center diff.

That said, with good tires (winter rating), in 4wd these 4runners are great in snowy road conditions.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

I have a '97 5-speed SR5. Yes, you can shift 2hi-->4hi or the other way while moving. I do usually push in the clutch just to give everything the best chance of sync. and I'm fairly deliberate with the shift to 4hi.

As far as I understand the rest of your question....The transfer case does not have a diff. like an AWD automatic has. It's an "old school" 4wd setup where the t-case just sends power to the front. Brillo's comment about NOT driving on dry pavement in 4wd is valid. Not recommended because there is no center diff.

That said, with good tires (winter rating), in 4wd these 4runners are great in snowy road conditions.

Okay so this is making more sense. I guess you really only have a center diff on the models that have the I shifter with hi and lo (with the 4wd button) and a center diff lock button. This would explain why the other day I was driving (thankfully less than 2 miles) after I had forgotten to take it out of 4hi the previous night when it snowed. Went to take a uturn on a residential street and it was binding on me.

What is the max speed for shifting into 4h and what is the max speed you should be running in 4h? Not that I would be going that fast if things get slick enough for me to engage it but good to know what the limit is so I don't push too close.

Also I don't think I got a clear answer on whether this system is purely mechanical in which case I don't have to worry much about electronic actuators (I guess the only thing associated with this system is the indicator light if it's mechanical?).

Crazy how many different configurations you can have with the 3rd gens with 4wd.

 

[Pyral]

Everything up to the front axle is mechanical in the stock configuration. But the autolocking hubs in the front rely of a vacuum system that can and often does fail (this will stop 4wd light from coming on). The VF2A is a standard chain driven transfer case otherwise.

Only the VF3A (first used in limiteds, then in all 4wd 4runners) that has a 4wd button has a center diff.

 

[brillo_76]

It's all mechanical 4wd with a vacuum controlled actuator that takes the place of the manual locking hubs.

Idk if I say the vacuum controlled actuator on the front diff isn't stable . They seem to last an extremely long time. Rarely have issues with them and that system is really cheap to fix compared to the electric controlled actuator when it craps the bed in the [01 and 02]

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[Rushthezeppelin]

What do the auto locking hubs do? So they simply disconnect from the diff and thus the front driveshaft and this is why the front driveshaft doesn't spin in 4wd? I did actually have the 4wd light not come on for me last night when I needed it. I wasn't fishtailing though which I assumed meant I was in 4wd.

 

[pluton]

From my 97 owners manual:
With A.D.D.
To shift from “H2” to “H4”, reduce your speed to less than 80 km/h (50 mph) and move the front drive control lever. You need not depress the clutch pedal.


Also, FYI: The USA market versions of these vehicles (96-99?) do not feature auto-locking, manual-locking, or locking hubs of any kind: The hubs are are always locked. The front axle drive engage/disengage happens inside the front diff by electric/vacuum combo action. Some have chosen to retrofit manual locking hubs from a Tacoma.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I've only ever shifted into 4lo when stopped. But then again I've only used 4lo about 3 times. I don't find it all that useful except when in sand or when going up very steep climbs.

 

[brillo_76]

Its best to just completely stop to shift into 4 lo as that is what I have down for over 30 years in all Toyota's with a J shift transfer. I even stop when shifting my 2009 Tocuma into 4lo via the knob.

As I don't think it it will even shift in if you don't. As you are going into neutral before going into 4LO (unless you want to grind some gears in the process)

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Yeah I never really had questions about 4lo (other than if it was locked). I fully understand the need to stop when you are making a very large gear ratio jump like that.

I did actually try to shift into 4hi while moving yesterday and was getting a lot of resistance with or without the clutch in at pretty low speeds (I did find a thread on here that seemed to point towards my particular tcase shouldn't be shifted into 4hi faster than 30 and I shouldn't drive faster than 50). Did not want to force it in. She still shifts fine into 4hi and 4lo when stopped though. Tried google searching this one but came up empty handed. Is there actually supposed to be a lot of resistance and I should just slam her in?

 

[brillo_76]

She still shifts fine into 4hi and 4lo when stopped though. Tried google searching this one but came up empty handed. Is there actually supposed to be a lot of resistance and I should just slam her in?

Well what happens when you force a manual into gear or try to downshift and its not synchronized yet. You ran a chance chipping a tooth and jacking it up. Never force a transfer case to shift. They should shift in and out freely if everything is well.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Yeah I never really had questions about 4lo (other than if it was locked). I fully understand the need to stop when you are making a very large gear ratio jump like that.

I did actually try to shift into 4hi while moving yesterday and was getting a lot of resistance with or without the clutch in at pretty low speeds (I did find a thread on here that seemed to point towards my particular tcase shouldn't be shifted into 4hi faster than 30 and I shouldn't drive faster than 50). Did not want to force it in. She still shifts fine into 4hi and 4lo when stopped though. Tried google searching this one but came up empty handed. Is there actually supposed to be a lot of resistance and I should just slam her in?

Are your tires evenly worn front to back?


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[Rushthezeppelin]

Are your tires evenly worn front to back?


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Not quite perfectly (I actually need to rotate them) but they are very close. Tried it again today while wheeling and later in a parking lot and it worked fine at like 10mph. I don't know if I was just being a pansy about a little bit of resistance or if the cold weather had something to do with it. Seems to be all good now, no funny noises or anything. Nice and smooth just a little more resistance than doing it while stopped which is I think where I was hesitant.

I did also find out in my research that the system isn't 100% mechanical either, there is the ADD on the front diff that is vacuum actuated on my year. I guess that's one other question I have, what is the purpose of the ADD if it only disconnects one of the stub axles and not both? How is it that just disconnecting one stops the front driveshaft from spinning? Is it just the spider gears and not the ring gear spinning at that point in the diff? Just trying to conceptualize how this works in my mechanically inclined brain.

 

[brillo_76]

I used the search sticky for the answer.

The Add system just eliminates the need for the manual hubs.

site:toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/ how does the add work




Question about A.D.D. System

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[St Runner]

Interesting to read you don't need to clutch when shifting into 4Hi. I have always used the clutch but it is more out of physical habit when grabbing a gearshift.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

I used the search sticky for the answer.

The Add system just eliminates the need for the manual hubs.

site:toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/ how does the add work




Question about A.D.D. System

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That's what I needed, now the whole system makes perfect sense. Thanks again guys I would say this is everything I wanted to know. Hopefully this helps someone else down the road with the same questions I had.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Interesting to read you don't need to clutch when shifting into 4Hi. I have always used the clutch but it is more out of physical habit when grabbing a gearshift.

Technically you don't even need to depress the clutch with a manual transmission and you can do what is called floating gears. Just requires rev matching (which is what I assume is similar to what happens anyway when connecting a front and rear driveshaft). Truckers do this all the time but they also have tiny jumps between gears so it's much easier to pull off in this context. I do have a buddy who used to have a 5speed though and he was helping me diagnose some issues and one thing he came to was that I could have issues with synchros as he did (turns out that wasn't the case thankfully), he floated his gears for a period of time till he got the synchros fixed up. Definitely not recommended on a 5 speed transmission though.

 

[phattyduck]

I did actually try to shift into 4hi while moving yesterday and was getting a lot of resistance with or without the clutch in at pretty low speeds (I did find a thread on here that seemed to point towards my particular tcase shouldn't be shifted into 4hi faster than 30 and I shouldn't drive faster than 50). Did not want to force it in. She still shifts fine into 4hi and 4lo when stopped though. Tried google searching this one but came up empty handed. Is there actually supposed to be a lot of resistance and I should just slam her in?

If you know how a MT works, you'll understand this:

(for the j-shift cases)
The 2H->4H shift has a syncro that brings the front prop shaft up to speed with the rear prop shaft. The resistance you feel is the synchro working. Don't try to 'overpower' it, but don't be afraid to shift with a bit of 'authority' to get it to work. Slower speeds/stopped will be better for the TC, but it isn't necessary. Toyota spec'd it to work up to 50mph INTO 4WD. You can shift out of 4WD at any speed.

The HI->LO shift is a completely unsynchronized and clutchless shift from 1:1 to 1:2.73. This is like shifting a MT from 1st to 3rd or so - with no clutch. Obviously, this needs to happen when stopped. Keep in mind internal parts of the trans can be spinning (in either the auto or manual) when stopped, so shift form HI to LO with 'authority' too - that will keep the grinds away.

-Charlie

 

[sportscarfan]

...
What is the max speed for shifting into 4h and what is the max speed you should be running in 4h? Not that I would be going that fast if things get slick enough for me to engage it but good to know what the limit is so I don't push too close.
...

I have engaged 4hi at near highway speed and easily run 60mph on snowpack in a Colorado blizzard with good winter tires, no problem. In 4wd, mine feels very planted.