Crazy 8s

oops... np242.

FIFY.....Cruiser....

Reading through threads about how to shift the transfer case got me to thinking about when it is appropriate to actually use 4wd.

Obviously, when in the rough 4WD can have some benefits, or in snow and/sleet or other crappy road conditions.

When on dry road, would there be any benefit to using the 4wd fulltime? Maybe it may be a little less fuel efficient, but all the parts in the front are moving anyway so it can be too bad on gas...

Everything is flat in Phoenix and I want to use the 4wd!!!!!

Mountaindog

i wish i had that TC , benefits would be having 4wd to use 24/7 like having an AWD i guess you could say.

XJwonders

It ll pretty much be awd

black label

All you would be doing is using more gas, wearing your front tires out faster. I'm guessing it would be slower as well as you have more driveline power loss in 4wd than 2wd.

So yeah, there is no benefit in using it on dry pavement. Really just negative effects.

Fred/N0AZZ

Lot of unneeded wear and tear on drivetrain that you will pay dearly for down the road and everyday in gas and tires, but those are the cheap items.

If you want to use the 4wd just go to the mountains for snow or find some of the trails in the desert around there to use it.

Grip

Go a little out of phoenix and hit some trails in the desert. 4wd on sunny paved roads is pointless.

SteveMongr

Hold the horses!
Allow me to share what I have learned while researching and using the 242 transfer case.
Benefits of using 4 Full-Time on dry pavement would be;
Mountainous driving, engine braking would apply to all 4 tires (less tire wear!).

Power-split, distributing power front and back, significantly reduces the load to the rear driveline (less load= longer service life). Will not wear out front driveline prematurely either.

Hotdogging, if you would like to go hot rod around town or drive it on a go-kart track, the added performance is noticeable.

According to the 1996 Owners Manual, there is no loss of fuel economy when using 4 Full-Time.

There are members here that live in the North and leave it in Full-Time all winter.

Downside could be the drive chain needing replacement in 100K miles instead of 150K.

Crazy 8s

Since all the parts in the front drive section are always moving anyway, all the friction resistance associated with 4wd is happening while in 2wd too. There should only be a slight decrease in MPG if any. There may be a bit more wear in the front from it being under torque more often, but any torque in front would be relieving the back section.

I don't know this from experience though. I can feel a bit of difference in handling onthe street, a bit of pull around corners.

Is the belt being worked in 4HI? I thought that was for 4LO...

SteveMongr

Chain 'drives' front output shaft of TC in all 4WD modes.
Turns freely with front driveshaft when in 2WD.
Always turning (unless front driveshaft is removed).

chpalmer

I have driven my 99 in full time for the last 100,000+ miles. Gas milage did not suffer at all when I started doing this.

Since all of our other vehicles are AWD I can say it's a very similar experience.

I live in the Pacific NW so lots of wet stuff.

cruiser54

Not even noticeable in Full Time. Just as quick, handles corners well with no difference in "feel"

Only fuel mileage is a factor, if at all. Grand Cherokees had a full Full Time system. They wouldn't have done that if it reduced their CAFE numbers......

There are plenty of AWD vehicles out there that get good mileage and drive seamlessly.

I particularly like using Full Time on dirt roads, rain and snow.

fjack1588

My 99 GC Ltd with Quadratrac was suffering from failure of front drive shaft (particularly it had an aftermarket rebuild of end on transfer case that was gone and maybe the CV was going too as there was an awful racket finally and lots of noise turning the steering wheel when parking) so rather than repair it I just had it removed. Most all my driving here in Puerto Vallarta is street driving anyway. Drives great w/ rear wheels only. But I was expecting to see a big improvement in gas mileage. Hmm, any more info on this. In AWD was a real guzzler the last two years since I bought it. It is going to be hard to judge the gas mileage as the LEDs on the odometer are bad so I cannot measure the miles.