4x4 mode on a Delica

[jessef]

So you can go back and forth from 2H to 4H without having to unlock the hubs and without running the risk of breaking something? I assume that you need to come to a stop each time though, just like the chain example?

Yes to both.

If you have the stock auto hubs, then it's just the 4x4 shifter you need to use and you can switch between both 2H/4H with the 'wheel lock' hub light still on.

It just means that the hubs are engaged = cv/axles are turning with the wheel but because the transfer case is in 2H, the front driveshaft does not turn = no strain on driveline.

Just make sure that you do the backup/wheel lock light hub-unlock down the road. It's good to engage/disengage the auto hubs every once in a while (at least once a month) to move the grease around inside.

If you have flanges then you're hubs are permanently locked. These come on some Delica's but shouldn't. They are meant for Gen II Delica/Pajero's.

If you have manual hubs (Aisin/Superwinch/Mitsu) then you can leave them either locked or unlocked when switching between 2H and 4H/4L.

It's the transfer case that doesn't like to be engaged on hard surfaces for long.

Hubs are a non-issue.

[Muzzy]

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

[The Pinkfingers]

So you can go back and forth from 2H to 4H without having to unlock the hubs and without running the risk of breaking something? I assume that you need to come to a stop each time though, just like the chain example?

Yes to both.

Not quite. Technically, no you don't. According to Mitsubishi (this info from Japanoid) you can actually shift between 2wd and 4wd on the fly under 80 km/h. I would still come to a full stop myself, but Mitsubishi says you don't have to (again, according to Japanoid).

[jessef]

So you can go back and forth from 2H to 4H without having to unlock the hubs and without running the risk of breaking something? I assume that you need to come to a stop each time though, just like the chain example?

Yes to both.

Not quite. Technically, no you don't. According to Mitsubishi (this info from Japanoid) you can actually shift between 2wd and 4wd on the fly under 80 km/h. I would still come to a full stop myself, but Mitsubishi says you don't have to (again, according to Japanoid).

I know. It's a gray area.

I've shifted doing about 55km/h from 2H to 4H and the sounds weren't too pleasing.

Stopping to switch is a better option but shifting 'on the fly' is there if needed.

[Green1]

I routinely switch back and forth on the fly, and sometimes well over that 80kph mark, no noises at all...

the times it will grind are as follows (ie avoid switching when one of these is the case!):
- when your wheels aren't locked. NEVER shift on the fly unless the wheel lock light is lit!
- when you are in a corner, only shift when travelling straight line.
- when your wheels are spinning or sliding, if you've lost traction ease off the gas before shifting

basically as long as all 4 wheels are turning at the same speed and your hubs are locked you can shift on the fly.

If you are getting nasty noises shifting on the fly I would say something is wrong!

[Fishtank]

I routinely switch back and forth on the fly, and sometimes well over that 80kph mark, no noises at all...

the times it will grind are as follows (ie avoid switching when one of these is the case!):
- when your wheels aren't locked. NEVER shift on the fly unless the wheel lock light is lit!
- when you are in a corner, only shift when travelling straight line.
- when your wheels are spinning or sliding, if you've lost traction ease off the gas before shifting

basically as long as all 4 wheels are turning at the same speed and your hubs are locked you can shift on the fly.

If you are getting nasty noises shifting on the fly I would say something is wrong!

Double up on what Green is saying.

[konadog]

X3. Haven't had much need to do the on the fly shifting between 2 and 4 high yet, but I have tested it out and had no problem and no ugly noises or resistance. With snow in the forecast I plan on leaving the hubs locked and switching back and forth between 2 and 4 high as required - on the fly...

[marsgal42]

I shifted on the fly last winter without any mechanical issues, just a minor wiring issue that made the indicator lights act strangely. I expect no issues of any kind this winter.

With the ugly weather forecast I locked Gumdrop's hubs before I parked up tonight. I will probably need 4WD next time i drive (Saturday).

Remember what you're doing, use common sense and you'll be fine.

...laura

[FalcoColumbarius]

When I am on a forest main I average around 80 to 90 KPH (so I don't become a hood ornament on any number of big trucks). I will be in 4high when I am doing this and she dances, especially in the corners. Other drivers that I have met have said the same thing, that 4high is a great way to stay out of the ditches in the corners. I have yet to experience any issues with the transfer case. I would think (with advice from my mechanic) that if you keep everything greased then why would your T/C explode? Having seen a number of vids of Dakar racers who are apparently in 4WD (by the way the front wheels kick up the dirt) and doing what appears to be at least 120+ KPH... Not all of the race is in the desert and not all of the desert is soft sand. Considering that Mitsubishi has done quite well in these races with the Pajero, which has the same basic drive train as the Delica third generation (L-300) ~ why would the T/C burst?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Pajero
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delica

Falco

[konadog]

I think the concern is shifting on the fly, or at least on the fly at high speed, not so much the speed once shifted into 4 high. That, and shifting on the fly without first locking the auto hubs (wreck the hubs?), as well as having the hubs locked and the 4x4 engaged on a grippy surface (for sure wreck the TC). On the fly shifting in and out of 4 high is fine if the hubs are locked and the surface is not grippy. How fast? - up 80kmh I guess, though the need to shift will way more commonly arise at much slower speeds. For city driving in the winter leave the hubs locked and for the cleared main roads stay in 2 high. If you turn on to an unplowed or ice covered side road, simply push the TC stick forward to engage the 4 high as the tires roll on to the slippery surface. Perhaps some of the confusion comes from the fact that if you want to go into 4 LOW then you MUST stop, shift the tranny into neutral, shift the TC stick into 4LOW and then shift back into gear and proceed

[jessef]

I would think (with advice from my mechanic) that if you keep everything greased then why would your T/C explode? Having seen a number of vids of Dakar racers who are apparently in 4WD (by the way the front wheels kick up the dirt) and doing what appears to be at least 120+ KPH... Not all of the race is in the desert and not all of the desert is soft sand. Considering that Mitsubishi has done quite well in these races with the Pajero, which has the same basic drive train as the Delica third generation (L-300) ~ why would the T/C burst?

Transfer case gears can explode if it's engaged while driving on the road = normal concrete road.

Fact. It's also mentioned in the Pajero/Delica owner's manual. Japanese but the cartoons spell it out. Don't drive in 4x4 on the road in normal/dry conditions.

2nd Generation Pajero/Delica/Montero's can have the transfer case engaged on all surfaces. That's because Mitsubishi redesigned the transfercase and included a viscous coupling which transfers the torque between front/rear preventing the strain that a locked differential would on the drivetrain.

[marsgal42]

Our Delicas are not Paris-Dakar rally cars.

For fun I drove up to Cypress Bowl this afternoon to exercise Gumdrop's 4WD. I did some test skids in the parking lot and tried some power slides. In 4WD nothing happened. In 2WD Gumdrop started to wave her backside around, but nothing more. Gumdrop is no Monaro, and I'm no Stig.

I pulled in to the picnic area on the way down. No snowplows had been anywhere near there, though a lot of the snow was packed down by other vehicles. On compact snow I couldn't even spin the tires in 4WD. And this is just with all-season tires, not snow tires.

Winter? Bring it on!

...laura

[nvanadm]

One thing I don't understand, and if someone could clarify that would be great (this is my first 4WD vehicle), is how do you keep the wheel lock on? A few people have said that they lock the hubs for the winter and just switch between 2H and 4H whenever they want.

So, last night I locked the hubs by putting it into 4H moving forward slowly and as soon as the "wheel lock" light came on I stopped, but it in "Park", and then put it back to 2H and drove off. The wheel lock light was on the whole way home. But when I drove off this morning the light was off. AND, if at anytime you need to go into reverse in 2H won't the hubs unlock??

How do you keep the wheels locked?

And how do you know if they are locked if there may be a lighting/wiring issue?

[konadog]

With auto hubs, yes, they will unlock if you reverse in 2 high - Did you do a 2 high back in or out of your driveway? You only need to roll back a meter or so to unlock them. No need to put it in park to switch in and out of 4 high either, just the hubs locked and a non-grippy track to run on and you can do it while motoring. I can keep Hazel's hubs locked in 2 high reverse 'cause I have to lock and unlock them by hand - there are real advantages to the manual hubs...

[jrman]

You can switch form 4H to 2H without stopping or without changing gears - just lay off the gas - move the transfer case selector shifter forward or back as needed - make sure you are off the gas, and probably good to not be heavily decelerating either (ie, engine braking) - or at excessive speed - but other than that - you should be ok to move form 4H to 2H on the fly once the hubs are locked in. I was doing this all last night on Nvan hills in the snow depending on surface conditions for the road which changed from very good on main roads to terrible on the side roads.

Changing to 4L is totally different. That requires coming to a complete stop, moving the transfer case shifter forward, to the right, and forward again, then putting the vehicle back into gear and progressing forward!

Good luck.
SS