Sorry Rookie 4x4 Question Please Answer

[PrinceYota]

I have an completely stock Automatic 2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5. I'm new to Off-Roading and went over a ditched and only one wheel in the front was spinning and one in the back was spinning. Is this normal?

 

[Doc2012]

Yes. You don't have lockers, therefore the power is going to be transferred to the wheels with less traction. If you have lockers, if forces the wheels to spin at the same time.

 

[audiness]

"lockers" can be a confusing term thrown around a lot on here. What is meant is differential lockes, or locking differentials. Depending on what year you truck is it may have been available with a center differential lock, and a rear differential lock.

 

[Doc2012]

I never understood why Toyota calls is a center locking DIFFERENTIAL. It's a transfer case, not a differential.

If I'm missing something, please educate me.

 

[rideexileex]

I never understood why Toyota calls is a center locking DIFFERENTIAL. It's a transfer case, not a differential.

If I'm missing something, please educate me.

AWD makes it a 'differential', meaning the front and rear can have different torques / non 50-50 power.

A true 4x4 transfer case has no differential in it

 

[GhostRing]

I believe this is correct:
That Transfer Case is capable of sending power to the front or rear as needed.
Similar to an Axle Differential, only not side-to-side.
Locking this type of transfer case sends 50/50 power front/back no matter what.

 

[white_n_slow]

I have an completely stock Automatic 2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5. I'm new to Off-Roading and went over a ditched and only one wheel in the front was spinning and one in the back was spinning. Is this normal?

To give you a rookie answer: yes, this is normal.

Your 4runner has open differentials front and rear. Pretty much any run-of-the-mill vehicle will have an open differential (or two: one front and one rear if the vehicle is 4wd). What the differential does, is it allows both tires to spin at different rates of speed. This is necessary to drive around a corner (the outboard tire needs to travel a farther distance in the same time as the inboard tire). That's why they call it a differential - it allows the tires to spin at "different" rates.

The side effect of an open differential is that the torque will take the path of least resistance as it travels through your drivetrain. So if one tire has less traction than the other, all the torque will go to the tire with less traction. That tire will spin and the other one will just sit there not turning.

This is why people who are into more advanced off-roading often install locking differentials. This "locks" both tires together so that they will both spin at the same rate, even if one tire has no traction at all.

Some 4runners came with a locking rear differential from the factory. None came with a front locking differential. However there are aftermarket lockers available front and rear.

 

[Doc2012]

AWD makes it a 'differential', meaning the front and rear can have different torques / non 50-50 power.

A true 4x4 transfer case has no differential in it

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