[austtill]

hi guys i am going four wheeling this weekend for the first time ever with my jeep.i tried to put it in 4 wheel low and all it would do is grind the gears am i doing something wrong or do i just force it in it seems to go in all others fine.and do i come to a dead stop and then put it in or not.thanks

[ratmonkey]

coast at 3-5mph, put transmission in N, yank back hard, put into D and go.

[-cAcHe-]

while the JEEP is turned on put it in Nuetral, then put it into 4LO....make sure it is in there good..then but it in reverse..go back a little then your in.

[austtill]

ok so if i do it while it is moving 3 to 5 it wont tear things up .i noticed when it was grinding going in the tranny wouldnt let me go anywhere is that normal thanks

[-cAcHe-]

I personally do it standing still and in nuetral...i dont like doing it while im driving unless it has an electric switch.

[JeepForever]

The key is to have the shifter in Neutral. Give the 4WD shifter a good yank toward you until it clicks into place. If the '97 is like my '94, you'll have the first click be 4WD (part-time), and the next click be 4WD LOW. If it's tough to shift, try working it back & forth (try spraying some WD40 into the shifter lever housing).

REMEMBER, only use the 4WD Part-time in mud or slick conditions, and 4WD LOW for really slick or steep conditions, at slow speeds.

[-cAcHe-]

I think he has the 249 case..and only has 4HI N 4LO.

[Tiggerrrrr]

odds are good that you wont even need to put in 4LO. I haven't needed it yet. I dont wheel that hard though.

[98zjdave]

Like most of the above posters stated, I also do it in neutral, and at a stop. Just go directly down in one hard motion, if it wont go, DONT force it in. The grinding you here is because you arent all the way in the gear. Mine does that from time to time. Have fun and make sure your 4wd unlocks from 4LO before hopping back on the roads. Sometimes it takes from 2ft up to a minute to pop out of 4LO, Youll know when it does!

Also, if your wheeling a grand cherokee and dont have any recovery points yet, do not get stuck. There are not many spots on the GC to get yourself unstuck with, Ask me how I know.

[austtill]

ok so do it while it is in neutral and give it a hard tug.yes it is my first time doing it so i hope i dont get stuck.it has 4wheel hi part time 4 wheel whatever that is and 4 wheel lo .it is a jeep ralley for cancer and i am going to take my two boys. i just hopei dont embarress myself. oh well its just for fun anyway

[SnowLeopard]

A stock ZJ can do a lot more than people think. It's not an Escalade. I only have been stuck once, and that was in a blizzard where I was just daft not to bring a shovel. I got out without a tow, also. It was just...not a fun experience. You should be all right, but I'm definitely getting myself some tow hooks.

4-low, you'll know when you need it. But with better tires you'll probably not need it as often. My rear tires are wearing down so traction is less. I'll graduate to 31's when they are worn completely. That should help.

Good luck and have fun. That's the point, right? It's why we have these Jeeps in the first place.

[Mickey_D]

For almost all parts of wheeling, you'll be able to leave it in 4Hi. 4Lo is only required for REALLY steep rock crawling. And by steep, I mean more than 50% of your body weight is on the seat back rather than the seat cushion.

Mine is a 95 and I shift mine at a stand still. Come to a stop, shift the transmission into neutral, then in one quick fluid motion move the transfer case into 4Lo. Same thing out of 4Lo. Come to a stop, put transmission in neutral and one quick motion all the way forward.

I think if this is your first time wheeling, you're going to be pleasantly surprised at how well your Jeep does. I know I was. Mind you mine has the limited slip D35 in the rear which makes ALL the difference.

[ZJ_Papa]

Originally Posted by cAcHe96

I think he has the 249 case..and only has 4HI N 4LO.

Nope 242 is in the 97 4pt, ft and lo

[austtill]

thanks guys for all the help i hope it is fun.my 5 year old son has autism and he just loves my jeep so hopefully he and my other son will have a blast.

[ratmonkey]

Originally Posted by ZJ_Papa

Nope 242 is in the 97 4pt, ft and lo

np242 was an OPTION with all i6 grand cherokees.