Low range two wheel drive

npca-joel · Post by **npca-joel** » Tue Aug 22, 2000 1:01 am

I sometimes tow a heavy water tank for orchard spraying. I'd like to do it in 2wd low range. In Jeeps there is a way to alter the shift levers to do it. Can it be done in my 69 Nissan? How?Alex?? Thanks in advance!

npca-gary · Post by **npca-gary** » Tue Aug 22, 2000 11:54 pm

I guess I would like to know why you don't want to use 4WD ?? With the problems I have had finding axle shafts I wouldn't want to put the extra strain on the rear axle. If you insist, what is wrong with simply not engaging the front hubs, assuming you have Warn Hubs on your patrol. Gary

npca-joel · Post by **npca-joel** » Wed Aug 23, 2000 1:07 am

Regarding putting the transfer case into low range four wheel drive, I can do that for dirt but part of the climb is on a concrete driveway (steep). Also, I am under the impression that low range with hubs disconnected was not an option. In my previous Jeeps I was told that.

npca-roc8man · Post by **npca-roc8man** » Wed Aug 23, 2000 9:43 pm

If your driveway is straight up, then 4 wheel low is fine. You just can't use it on non-slippery surfaces while turning. As far as 2 wheel low, the Patrol came with separate levers so you could use 2 low. Jeeps manufactured using the Dana 20, Dana 300 and latest NP231 cases don't recommend using 2 low because the front axle is not that strong. The Patrol front axle is the same as the rear if I remember correctly so it is not a problem. I would recommend trying 4 low first since it shares the load on the entire drivetrain instead of just the front. David

npca-gary · Post by **npca-gary** » Thu Aug 24, 2000 10:12 pm

Joel: I have driven in 4wd about a mile on pavement. I thought I would never get the transfer case back into 2wd. There is a teriffic strain in the transfer case. This pressure can easliy be eliminated simply by disengaging the hubs. I have had a similiar situation with my travel trailer and a steep driveway. Every time I backed it into it's parking place, I thought I was going to cook the auto-trans in my Bronco. I started going to 4wd and low range, but not locking the front hubs. Problem solved. Even Ford said it was not going to hurt anything. The only thing happening up front with the hub disengaged is that the differential is being turned but not the wheels. (Driving around this way will cost you gas mileage but no harm anything else) Try it you'll like it.

npca-j. mattison · Post by **npca-j. mattison** » Fri Aug 25, 2000 9:17 am

I agree I do this all the time.

npca-aussie · Post by **npca-aussie** » Tue Aug 29, 2000 11:21 pm

You have no doubt by now found that you can not put the tranfer into low range without first selecting 4 wheel drive. As long as your vehicle is equiped with free wheeling hubs it wont hurt running it in 4 low with the hubs un-locked. If your truck has not got free wheel hubs it would be a good idea to get them as transmission wind up will destroy tour tranny. The Duck.