[CompGuru]

Well it finally rained here in Vegas long enough for me to try out my 4wd hi. It went in perfect and worked great. My only problem is that when I braked at low speeds the wheels locked up 2 times (one was bad enough to turn me sideways). I was slowing down using only the brakes and had the clutch in and was going about 15-20mph. I also noticed that the brakes hardly worked while the 4wd hi was in use.

Any suggestions or comments on what happened? Does anyone think that there is something wrong with my brakes? Thanks. Dustin

[Mr.Crowley]

what kinda shape are your tires in?Its more common for people to ask how to lock up the brakes on a cj..Could just be that you have execptionaly good breaks,alot of oil on road''fresh rain is very slick with oil'' or mis adjusted rear breaks..

in 4 hi theres alot of added weight being turned by the engine..Its not really recomended to use 4x4 on rain wet roads in a cj..Its not that type of vehicle..

[CompGuru]

The tires are 30" and have less than 5k miles on them. You say that it isn't wise to use 4wd hi during the rain? Should I not use 4wd at all during the rain? I was told by a few friends in California that using 4wd hi during the rain would be better than just using the rwd. I'm new at all of this so please help! Thanks.

Dustin

[Mr.Crowley]

Originally Posted by CompGuru

The tires are 30" and have less than 5k miles on them. You say that it isn't wise to use 4wd hi during the rain? Should I not use 4wd at all during the rain? I was told by a few friends in California that using 4wd hi during the rain would be better than just using the rwd. I'm new at all of this so please help! Thanks.

Dustin

I shouldnt say shouldnt use..I geuss that people do use 4 hi in rain,but I have never..With an open differential in the front it couldnt really hurt..Down side is that youll burn more gas,and the front dive train usually takes a beating going above 30 mph if any parts are worn out..Just get used to the quirks of a cj and drive carefully..Get it mechanicly sound and you shouldnt have any problems in 2 wheel drive..

[CompGuru]

OK. It felt fine when I was driving it other than making some klunking noises after I first put it into 4wd (it went away after a half a mile). By the way does anyone know what 2wd Hi would be used for? Thanks .

[T18A]

----------

[slacker92104]

Originally Posted by CompGuru

OK. It felt fine when I was driving it other than making some klunking noises after I first put it into 4wd (it went away after a half a mile). By the way does anyone know what 2wd Hi would be used for? Thanks .

2hi is just your normal 2 wheel drive. Generally you only want to put it in 4hi off road. If you use 4hi on pavement, you will damage the transfer case. I wouldn't even use it on rainy roads. The wheels need to be able to turn at different speeds relative to each other. When in 4 wheel drive, the transfer case prevents this. The reason it is ok off road is because the loose soil will allow the tires to slip a little, and prevent the binding that will happen on pavement.

[CompGuru]

OK well good thing I only used it for 26 miles. So stock transfer cases are a no no for pavement of any kind. Are there any aftermarket transfer cases that could be used in wet conditions on pavement? I have issues with losing my rear end in the rain on turns and feel that some type of 4wd would combat this (am I wrong?).

[79cj7reny]

I would chalk it up to being one of the quirks of a short wheel based vehicle that has decent torque. Also, some tires excel on wet pavement while other are just o.k. Might look into that, too. You could sell your tires to help with the cost of different ones.

[Mike Romain]

Originally Posted by CompGuru

Any suggestions or comments on what happened? Does anyone think that there is something wrong with my brakes? Thanks. Dustin

As others have noted, you shouldn't really use 4x4 in rain, if your rear end slips out, then I would suspect you are running too hard of tires, too much air. This can force the tire tread into a U shape that will pick up water under the edges and lift off easy. Or you are just going too fast...

At 28 psi my tires only have 1/2" or so on the edges not touching the road, at 35 psi, I have 2" of air space under the tire tread edges.

Brakes.... Well, the owners manual for my 86 CJ7 says to stay 'off' the brakes when in 4x4, you are supposed to use the gears to slow down. A CJ7 will slow down amazingly fast in 4x4 with the gears and have steering control.

The other really good 'gotcha' is when you hit the brakes in 4x4, it locks up all 'four' wheels so you can go sideways faster than you can blink.

In two wheel drive, only the front tires lock up because you have a combination valve designed to keep the back wheels from locking. This means you only lose the steering control when you hit the brakes in say snow or dirt. When the transfer case also locks the rear wheels to the fronts, then 'all' the wheels lock up. This has an effect like locking the emergency brake when going forward. The rear wants to swap ends.

[papaimp]

In my experience (1987 Pathfinder), using 4wd in the rain doesn't help retain control nearly as much as added weight in the rear trunk. Slowing down for curves should help greatly, as well as using the proper tires for the conditions (all-seasons).
My CJ7 hasn't given me a bit of problem yet, and I only use 4wd when I park in a snow/ice covered section, and don't have the traction to get out.

Tore out the front universal joints in my '79 Cherokee driving it in 4wd on wet pavement. Weakest link, and all that. That clunk noise you got was the drivetrain loading/unloading, and trying to break itself. If the tires didn't slip, something else would.

[John Strenk]

Originally Posted by Mike Romain

....
The other really good 'gotcha' is when you hit the brakes in 4x4, it locks up all 'four' wheels so you can go sideways faster than you can blink.

In two wheel drive, only the front tires lock up because you have a combination valve designed to keep the back wheels from locking. This means you only lose the steering control when you hit the brakes in say snow or dirt. When the transfer case also locks the rear wheels to the fronts, then 'all' the wheels lock up. This has an effect like locking the emergency brake when going forward. The rear wants to swap ends.

Good point!

[jeepdaddy2000]

Originally Posted by CompGuru

I have issues with losing my rear end in the rain on turns and feel that some type of 4wd would combat this (am I wrong?).

I have a bit of concern with this statement. It is important the understand that CJ's are not Honda's when it comes to handling. This is especially true with a rig that isn't in stock form. Brakes, lifts, engines, traction diffs, etc...all combine to destroy what little initial on road handling the Jeep might have had to start with. If you are having brake problems (rear locking up) then you need to pop the drums and inspect your brake hardware.

[gosupes]

Originally Posted by CompGuru

The tires are 30" and have less than 5k miles on them. You say that it isn't wise to use 4wd hi during the rain? Should I not use 4wd at all during the rain? I was told by a few friends in California that using 4wd hi during the rain would be better than just using the rwd. I'm new at all of this so please help! Thanks.

Dustin

As someone who has lived in a state for 30 years with more than it's share of rainy days and wet roads, leave it in 2WD as the others have said. The only time I engage the t-case on the street is when it snows.

[SuB8HaVeN]

You may have some garbage in your brake lines (old fluid may have chunks or rust caught in them). My brakes have been doing that here and there. At times if you get on the brakes the right front will lock up like a b*tch, but if you just release and hit the brakes again it's fine. I need to bleed all the old fluid out, it's on my list.

But yeh, I definitely refuse to drive my CJ on pavement in 4x4. The only time I do so is when I'm yanking my boat out of the water when I put it in 4LO just to save the clutch.