Why Does My 4 Wheel Drive Not Work Right?

[@chuckpowell1538]

Wow.. such a simple explanation. Thanks for that. I have had 2 TJs and did it wrong on both. Explains why I have a shifting problem right now.

[@Scottsmusiccave]

Great video, I'm a newbie and wasn't sure what "part time" meant and by the sounds of it I kind of thought it meant " leave it in 4H, because it only works when you need it or part of the time". I've never done that, but I'm sure it's been confusing to others also.

[@Tanglerwr]

The actual problem with part time 4WD (on high traction surfaces) is two things. One, in a turn, the U-joints on each front wheel causes the wheel to accelerate and decelerate EVEN WITH A CONSTANT AXLE SPEED. That's just the nature of a u-joint. In a rear wheel drive vehicle, the two u-joints, one on each end of the drive shaft, are 'phased' 90° to each other to cancel the acceleration/deceleration effect of the u-joint. Since the front wheels have only one u-joint each you get the acceleration/deceleration on the wheel which causes the hopping. NOTICE YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS EFFECT ON FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS BECAUSE THEY USE CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINTS. Know why they're called constant velocity? Because they are NOT u-joints and do not have the acceleration/deceleration problem. However there is a steering geometry issue on all cars, even 2wd rear drive cars and that is the error in steering between the front tires. If you turn a rear wheel drive car very sharply on dry asphalt, you will get scuffing and hopping. It's because the center-lines of the front wheels don't line up to the same point - essentially they're turning at different radii and that causes scuffing. If the steering linkage could be designed to properly align the wheels in a sharp turn, the scuffing and hopping would be eliminated. Unfortunately the Akerman steering is what most cars use and it is far from perfect, hence wheel scuffing and hopping.. The second reason for wheel hop in part time 4wd (high traction surfaces) is caused by any difference in rear and front wheel speeds. E.g. there is no problem with 2wd front wheel drive cars. There is no problem with AWD cars because of the third differential between the front and rear axles. However, since a part time 4wd drive does not have the third differential, even very slight differences in front and rear wheel speeds can build up a lot torque in the drive train and either cause tire scuffing and wheel hop. Absolutely great vids though!

[@Terry-7]

Very good explanation. Clear, concise and to the point. I better understand what was happening. Thanks for the video, it really helped me and probably saved me from making an expensive mistake.

[@ClayBradshaw80751]

This was extremely informative, thank you! I thought something was wrong with my truck, now I know it was ME!

[@steveclark2076]

I like the way his beard grows till about 2:20 then he comes back clean shaved. It then grows again through the end. :)

[@lateron-dt3rj]

did you notice his beard growing in the video?

[@bleepinjeep]

It does grow rather fast!

[@mattblack6345]

you pulled that off perfectly. How long did it take to make this video?

[@pilgrimhere652]

Many times I go out to find a mechanic to get fooled ,because not knowing what your explaining , My pick up did that , Now I know it wont do it on mud, Thank up.👍

[@johng-nd6wm]

my dad recently bought a jeep and to test the 4x4 system the sales man told us to drive it in a tight circle and feel for that popping. and that that is how you know that you 4 wheel drive and/or all wheel drive is working.

[@johng-nd6wm]

bleepinjeep it doesn't seem damaged, and note it is part time 4x4 like the first drawing (2H, 4H, N, 4L). also my Chevy blazer does it too, you think its broke too?

[@ebutuoy8272]

This had me stumped at first but i realized that if i go by the colors that the TC shifter shows i'm fine. 2WD is in green same as 4FullTime whereas 4PartTime and 4LO is in white which are the bad ones when on high grip surfaces. I think PT and FT should have been swapped around to make it more logical.

[@SkodzGaming]

Scooby i remember because part time means occasionally when offroad or snow storms and full time means you can use it all the time

[@pcmann2004]

Thank you, still trying to find out why it would come out of 4 wheel drive into two wheel after using it to get out of things. It would be nice for a high detail video if possible about this topic.

[@pcmann2004]

How difficult is it to diagnosis

[@pcmann2004]

Ok

[@OverlandingJoy]

Great information. I'm restoring a 2001 XJ and just had a reconditioned front drive shaft installed. Seems when I put it in 4H and then back to 2H it stays ingaged until I stop and put it in reverse and then back in drive. Any ideas?

[@officialWWM]

That’s normal.

[@philstat100]

Thank You for the great video and information. Maybe You can help me, I have a 3001 jeep grand cherokee laredo with quadra-trac. The front right wheel does not pull in in the all wheel drive and the 4 wheel drive. Any ideas? Again Thank You.

[@briantoscano1967]

My jeep won’t go out of part time 4 wheel. I can put the shifter to 2wd but it doesn’t change. The light still says part time and all four wheels are lit up. Any ideas?

[@bodiddly5114]

Probably need to adjust your linkage.

[@coreyhostetter7862]

Did you ever figure out why it is always in part time? I have the same problem thanks

[@dfgbPRINCE9678hg]

i don't drive a jeep but i still watch your vids i love them :D

[@daddub1]

Hey does the 88 jeep xj gave on the fly 4 wheel drive? Or do you have to be stopped and in neutral to get in and out of 4 high.

[@bleepinjeep]

Stop in neutral for low range. Slow speed for high.

[@wildbill23c]

I believe under 55mph, but really if you are able to drive highway speeds in 2WD you shouldn't be needing 4WD in the first place.

[@Daniel_BDB]

Lol i just bought a 91 jeep xj and its my first jeep. I was testing the 4x4 in the parking lot and even with going pretty straight it was jerking and stuff. Well now ik why

[@RepublicanJesusthe2nd]

So driving in heavy rain is a no-go in part time 4 wheel drive? A couple weeks ago I spun my Cherokee driving a lil too fast around a loop ramp.I didn't hit anything but I put it in 4H for the rest of the trip.I was watching rally racing the night before.

[@pollux8430]

My 98 Cherokee 4x4 is stuck. Its hard to turn and drive it bouns when i try to drive it. What do you think its?

[@tracytoovey5914]

I'm having the same issue someone explain please!

[@MattHumanPizza]

lol at the beard no beard. Thanks for this, the more you know

[@pancakepunch1011]

i have select trac in a 2000 wj grand Cherokee. the question is, it was snowing today and it was hit n miss on the road, not solid snow. i had it in 4 full time and it was jerking and lunging in a tight turn. is it in 4 full or is it in 4 part time and its not going in the right spot in the TC. thanks for any help!

[@geraldkeys2540]

2000 Jeep GCL hard to disengage 4wd, when I changed the front drive shaft with a new replacement the problem went away.

[@joshb9364]

LOL!!! The beard gag had me crackin up! Good job bringing the funny Matt! Hey speaking of T-cases... May I suggest a video? I recently read a few write-ups on swapping out the planetary gear set of a NV242J with that of one from a 242C... this offers a SIX gear set, instead of the OEM three.... obviously this is a massive upgrade, and I think the swap even gives the opportunity to run a wider chain, like what is found in the 242 T-cases of the Hummer's. In any case... keep up the great work Matt!

[@joshb9364]

bleepinjeep I think the 6 planetary gear upgrade can work on the 231's as well. Kind of turns it into a super 231. I'll look into it a little more and shoot you some reading material. See if it's something you'd want to get into or not.

[@chicagocesar100]

So, is the popping normal or the transfer case is already damaged?

[@nelsonenaccion4x424]

My freind i have an wrangler tj 2003 i need to replaced the steering stabilizer any recomendation brend and model thanks I love you videos great my freind im very happy whit people like you take time for do 4x4 videos

[@bleepinjeep]

rough country, rubicon express, moog,

[@danphillips6167]

I've got a 2006 wrangler 4-weel drive has worked fine. Yesterday I tried using it and there is a grinding noise and it keeps popping out of 4-wheel drive. I live in the woods,snowing like hell need my 4-wheel drive. Can you help me or direct me to the proper video. Thank you

[@joshedwards9949]

My shift linkage is pretty much done for. The bushings are worn out and shifting in to 4 lo is a pain. Should I try to repair the stock linkage or upgrade to the Novak cable shifter?

[@joshedwards9949]

bleepinjeep You have any pictures or a description on how you have it zip tied? I really just want to do minimal work to get it shifting properly.

[@gparktc2010]

Hahaha! Hilarious and informative.....Well done!

[@xboxgamingironeagle7772]

Matt Help!!! I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee and I just had a Rubicon 3.5 super ride package with transfer case drop and my 2-4-4 part time lever won't move to 2wheel high! what should I do?

[@xsilentzeptikx4744]

So question.. my fwd low is messed up but my fwd high seems to be fine. Is it possible for my 4 low to be bad but not my 4 high? I want to go mudding soon but I dont want my 4 high to mess up anything..

[@robertj4454]

93 xj command trac, NP 231, Dana 30 & 35. In four wheel drive only my left rear and right front wheels turn. The other spin free. Anyone know why. Thank you.

[@mortarblues5476]

BleepinJeep, I came from TecTip and my issue is when I shift to 4wd (instructed by the manual) but in my specific jeep, I have to shut off my engine in neutral then shift to 4wdHI. Anyways when I do shift, the gears, it won't engage and makes loose grinding gear noises? (even when the sensor of 4wd turns on)? I'm afraid I'll blow my transfer case if I try it again without any mechanical advice.

[@masterdebater5098]

THE Manual states that IF you linger in Neutral on the 4x4 shifter and cant get an engagement to happen to then shut the vehicle off wait for the spinning parts to stop then make the desired shift. That scenario is only because you lingered in neutral while parts where moving. You should be able to stop the vehicle or slow down below 3mph and briskly cross the transfer cases Neutral point ( which is only used for towing purposes) into 4wd full time or 4wd low. Shifting to 4wd part time or 4wd full time and back to 2wd can be done on the move at speeds up to 70mph or stopped or even with the vehicle off.

[@silverado6zero]

I'm new to 4wd, I got a 01 XJ which I accidentally shifted to 4h while parked and instead of neutral I had it in reverse gear. I then realized that I wasn't in neutral and shifted it back to 2wd then to park. Could damage happen to the TC by that stupid move? The 4wd seems to be working good, just concerned. Awesome videos very helpful :)

[@bleepinjeep]

no, they are pretty stout. You can shift into 4h even while driving. It's just 4L that you should be stopped in Neutral. At least i'm pretty sure thats the process for the np231 and most vehicles.

[@cfr9438]

I have an 02 wrangler, I can shift into 4H not a problem. The issue is 4L, it will not stay in or it just grinds. I've tried it easy as well as basically slamming it in . Suggestions?

[@cfr9438]

C'mon man !

[@wildbill23c]

Slow down to 2-3mph, shift transmission to neutral, or push in the clutch if you have a manual transmission, shift the transfer case firmly through neutral into 4lo. do the same thing to go back to 4hi or 2wd.

[@MeatPoweredBoneSuit]

I love the videos! i think i've watched at least half of them. i'm not sure if you can give me any tips.. but i have a zj with the np249 tcase, when i accelerate i get popping coming what feels like the transfer case. when i'm in 4 low it's way worse... is that a stretched out chain in my tcase that's jumping?

[@bleepinjeep]

joshua pavao sounds like it could be... I do have a SYE video and another transfer case video either of which will help you change the chain.

[@MeatPoweredBoneSuit]

awesome! thanks, i'll have to check them out now! Also, excellent headliner video too! :)

[@adroc9101]

Matt, I really appreciate all your helpful videos. Yes, I am a noobie to Jeeps, so please excuse this silly question. @bleepinjeep - One thing I haven’t found on this video or any other, yet - is: do I have to have the vehicle’s transmission in neutral when switching 2WD to 4WD? And if it is NOT necessary to put transmission into neutral - can I switch from 2WD to 4WD while driving / moving?

[@adroc9101]

I’m not getting any response from you guys or anyone else but I saw a comment where someone else asked almost the same question and your answer works for my query.

[@richjames5309]

Thanks man, you always help!

[@shelltech83]

but.. but.. I dont think that's right. the front tire and rear tire go the same distance when turning.. on cars the wheels on the inside of the turn go less distance so you need a differential, but on 4x4 cars differentials allows torque to take the path of lease resistance so in 4x4 the differential locks.. or Did i misunderstand something?

[@bleepinjeep]

shelltech83 Yes you have. Think of a bike with the front tire rotated 90°. you can roll the front of the bike around in a circle around the rear tires without the rear tire ever moving. And no, 4x4 has nothing to do with locking differentials, in most vehicles lockers are add ons.

[@sturoc0]

Jeep should have labeled the Part Time as 4A as in 4All or maybe 4LK as in locked. Part Time is really not a good label.I can see how someone at Jeep may have thought "well Part Time is when you only need it in 4WD for a short time" but what is a short time ? I've had to drive up to1-2 hours in deep snow in P/T !

[@tamramays9448]

On mine you have 3 options. All time 4 wheel drive neutral or low. It's a 2001which should I keep it in?

[@wildbill23c]

4all time. you could put it in neutral if you want but you won't go anywhere, and low range is only used for very slow offroad driving mostly. 4 all time is the normal every day driving mode.

[@iamthewulf]

So i just replaced my 242 [blown] with another 242 and linkage should all be right but with the lever all the way back it wont go into low. Is there something i should be looking at?

[@wildbill23c]

You need to adjust the linkage.

[@coreyhostetter7862]

My girlfriend has a liberty and it keeps going in and out of part time. The light keeps coming up but we don’t know how to turn it off. Now it is doing exactly what you said popping and clicking and doesn’t want to go around corners so what is the cause most likely?

[@bleepinjeep]

Sounds like its stuck in 4wd.

[@SkodzGaming]

So full time 4wd is jeeps version of awd? Is it the same as any awd or better?

[@wildbill23c]

Far better than any AWD system. the Jeep's full time 4WD gives you a 48% front to 52% rear torque split so its always in 4WD unlike an AWD vehicle which is in front wheel drive usually all the time until a wheel slippage is detected then the computer/sensors decide when to send power to the rear axle which is usually after you are stuck or have already lost control and momentum, and it then disengages after the wheel slip is no longer detected.

[@natel3570]

My jeep will buck around when making sharp turns when it isn't in 4wd. Can you give me an idea of why this may be happening?

[@phs420sailor]

bleepinjeep what i do after coming out of 4x4 is put it in stop, and reverse maybe 5ft or so, to make sure 4x4 is actually disengaged (01 xj)

[@wildbill23c]

Could be bad u-joints or a bad cv axle depending on which jeep you have...the front axle doesn't have a disconnect its live all the time so a bad u-joint or cv joint can cause those issues regardless of being in 4WD or not.

[@electrofranko]

I am new to jeep I installed a 231 transfer case on my jeep however I am unable to get it to go in 2H I have to go under the jeep and move the lever manually. I followed the instruction in the manual, nothing seems to work. Can you assist me.

[@bleepinjeep]

looks like you probably just need to adjust the shifter mechanism under the jeep. there is a rail and a bolt that needs to be at the correct length.

[@electrofranko]

Just saw your video on the Novak's 4wd cable shifter. I am getting that cable, thanks a lot.

[@wildbill23c]

Still won't do you any good if you don't adjust it properly. All you need to do is crawl under the vehicle and adjust the linkage, no need for that overpriced cable kit.

[@DjLucasStable]

on my zj i have the awd tc and it says if i am towing or in slipery conditions to use 4 lo should i do this or not because i can tow fine in 4 att is it ok to tow in 4 lo i dont know i dont think it is but i want ur opinion

[@wildbill23c]

Ugg, there's no reason you should be towing in 4Lo unless its like pulling a trailer up a very slippery hill at a couple miles per hour, 4WD low range is for extremely slow speeds usually for offroad applications like rock crawling. just leave the transfer case lever in 4 all time while you are towing.

[@icemule]

Not sure why folks don't understand what he is saying. Think of it this way....... O...o Now imagine the small "o" inside the big "O". The small "o" is the track of your inside tires and the big "O" is the track of your outside tires as you go around in a circle OR a turn. On dry pavement this is BAD as there is NO slippage from the road surface, BUT in snow, heavy rain, mud, etc. the OUTSIDE tire(s) get "slippage from the road environment. Draw a big circle with a small circle inside it if you need a visual aid. Now in 2 wheel drive just 1 tire spins, unless you have positraction often referred to as "2 paws on the ground" But let's stay focused on most vehicles. So as you go around a corner in 2 wheel drive the 1 tire only spins alleviating the problem you have in 4 wheel drive as only that one tire is doing the work. Hope this helps in some small way.

[@luiszepeda475]

Hey man! Do you know how to shift from 4H to 4L?

[@JonesNate]

If something breaks, what's the most likely thing to break in an XJ?

[@michaelf.1891]

But wait...I have the 242 transfer case, i can be driving in a straight line with it in part time 4wd and it still makes the popping noise, why is that?

[@jmagana924]

Good video sir.

[@PEEKINEXR]

i would like to know the workings of a fulltime np 203 t case but cant find much info. oh and its not in a jeep . had one went back to a real truck

[@wildbill23c]

Its a full time transfer case with full time modes in both high and low range, as well as locked (part time) modes in high and low range, no 2WD option. Its chain driven and they're great for wasting fuel LOL. They're a pretty heavy duty transfer case, not nearly as heavy duty as the NP205 which is gear driven, but the NP203's work quite well.

[@balor7]

Well done.

[@4ace07]

Really helpful man. Thanks!

[@footballhonkie]

I have the same Exact jeep as you and mine sometimes Hessitates when i go to lock it in fourwheeldrive

[@footballhonkie]

Sometimes when i put it in fourwheel drive it will act as if it's in Neutral

[@footballhonkie]

Sounds Great, Appreciate the help man. Keep those video's coming ! You are Simply The Best !

[@d46512]

Hey beardman, not bad but you left some questions unanswered, like: What does "part time" mean, and why does it lock my front and rear together full time?

[@masterdebater5098]

4wd part time is the same as traditional 4wd High as in chain locked front and rear driveshafts in 1:1 ratio. In 4wd full time the transfer case is allowed to slip front to rear like and LSD allowing a variable ratio front to rear differential there fore the fulltime version can be driven on the pavement at all times and not break parts or skip tires and hop around like tradition 4wd high does on the road when turning.

[@teenelson3655]

my jeep grand Cherokee 2 wheel drive works sometimes... what's wrong with it?

[@nitroevaderbx]

that was clever. did you grow a beard twice for this or did you skip around when filming the parts?

[@DrSayre]

Thank you for this video! It cleared a lot of things up for somebody who had a Grand Cherokee (4wd full time) going to a Wrangler with just part time haha. Next question... if we have done something that caused some popping noise, how can we tell if we broke something or not?

[@wildbill23c]

If the 4WD is still functioning you haven't broke anything. You would hear a lot of banging and clanking noises if you broke something, and whatever it is that broke won't be cheap LOL. Just remember not to use a part time 4WD equipped vehicle in 4WD on pavement even if its wet most times its not slick enough without causing binding.

[@gabbi47karason]

I can never remember, the 242 is fulltime? and 231 is part time?

[@bleepinjeep]

www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/transfer-cases/np242

[@gabbi47karason]

Sweet thanks, For those scimming through here, my hunch was correct.

[@wildbill23c]

242 is Selec-Trac (gives you 2WD, 4WD Part Time, 4WD Full Time, Neutral, 4Lo) 231 is Command-Trac (gives you 2WD, 4WD Part Time, Neutral, 4Lo) 247 is Quadra-Trac (full time, no transfer case shift lever) 249 is Quadra-Trac (full time with low range and neutral) The 247 is also used for the Quadra-Drive system but has limited slip front and rear differentials in the older models newer versions only have rear limited slip and are now using a 245 transfer case.

[@anselford762]

now i need a hat 🤣

[@FlamEffect]

yup.. there ya go

[@julianbell90]

Part time - front wheels and rear wheels are locked together Full time- front and rear wheels are not locked together does that sound backwards to anyone else?

[@l337pwnage]

It makes sense if you think of it from the point of view of the history of how transfer cases were developed. But when you have, basically, both a full-time and a part-time transfer case all rolled into one, it gets confusing. They should have labeled it as if it was a full-time case with a 2wd option, which most accurately describes what it really is.

[@wildbill23c]

Nope, sounds right and logical to me, that's how the selec-trac system works.

[@wackpackxj]

Is that a long sleeve bleepin beer?

[@RDCards]

lmao ur hair tho!!!! :) made my day

[@dochibana3166]

went a go in 4 low it said part time but my 4 tires wont spin only one in the back and one in the front spin

[@mikeglamrc]

man, yer beard grows fast.

[@southbay281]

Nice vid. My 4 wheel drive still does not work.

[@dkhill27]

Nice video. Wish I could grow 2 beards in 4 min 3 seconds lol. I think you need to call guniess book of world records for fastest beard growth lol

[@DustyRobertson]

did you just grow a beard through the course of this video ????

[@Razorfish]

I understand all that and adhere by the rules but still can't imagine making a u-turn on pavement in part-time would be worse than the abuse of rock crawling. Still I'm not going to try it.

[@namibgtv6]

Razorfish the problem with making sharp turns in 4part time on solid ground with good traction is the excessive amount of torque stress caused by binding throughout the driveline as some wheels are forced to spin faster (cover greater distance in same time) than others. The whole driveline torques up, and given enough torque, unless a wheel skips, the weakest link will break, in most cases with these tcases its the chain that stretches/snaps. With crawling the entire driveline is subjected to considerably more abuse than normal, but in most cases not enough continuous torque is placed on the entire driveline to cause sudden failure, as traction is lost often in 1 or more wheels at a time, unloading most of the torque, unless of course you have lockers installed, but thats a whole different story..

[@dontspillthemilk6516]

I honestly forgot why I ended up here. The year is 1967.

[@AngelsTravelUnravel]

Ummm snow? Snow is on pavement and where not suppose to use it for snow?

[@motherfudger6664]

Snow is slippery?

[@MARZ1911]

My 4x4 fulltime does not work...2wd, part time and low work fine..

[@Quentyn73]

You have to either dumb it down ot explain the tech specs on detail

[@alegua5522]

I think a have a problem in my Laredo. So, when I use my 4x4 full and change for 2wd its get stuck on 4x4 part-time. Someone can help here?

[@keventirrell2733]

I have the same issue

[@tracytoovey5914]

Same issue please someone help!!!

[@jeffdunham3732]

magic beard

[@charliedee9276]

Take the switch plate off next time you paint the wall.

[@dascoentertainment]

so..the wheel scoot is a normal thing on dry pavement....nothing wrong then?

[@bleepinjeep]

+Dean Scholl don't use 4x4 on pavement, something will go wrong

[@libertybarker7401]

ALL WHEEL DRIVE full 4x4 all time no choice. only 4 high or 4 low. 99 jw has no front engagement. WHY? CHOICE 1 TRANS. CHOICE 2 TRANSFERR. no noise no nothing. only 1 rear wheel spins. been told its an electrical problem.it steers AROUND fine. LIKE A 2X4. no good mechanic within 890 miles. so i need to figger the problem myself. but i m too old to fix . wheelchair and worse. only a military pension. need to get in/out my muddy drive.

[@brand635]

The first time I watched this video I did not notice the beard at all. I had to see someone make a comment about it before I noticed!

[@dascoentertainment]

no pops ..no clicking...just tire scoot..

[@awolgina]

In my jeep it's called 4h & 4l so I'm guessing 4l is PT? 4l is 30 mph or less, 4h is over 30 mph. For snow & icy roads, you can be in 4L or PT on pavement if it's patchy. I'm a newbie but so far the above is my understanding?