yes...I just posted it, it's no urban legend, there is a wheel speed difference between front and rear as well as side to side, this has to be compensated for....people with FT 4x4 and the military vehicles have a stick (or equivelent to select 4x or 2x......and if you say you drive around locked up in 4x4 turning and everything, you must be talking about locked hubs only, but Not with 4x engaged completely

 

Military vehicles and the full time 4wd vehicles have different transfer cases then our trucks do (part time 4wd). The full time ones have a type of differential in them that allows the front and rear shafts to turn at different speeds. If you really wanna get technical, trucks like the Humvee have a viscous coupling differential (liquid clutch) that allows the shafts to spin different speeds at low rpm, but lock up at higher rpms.

Just because no one has a specific example of one breaking due to this, doesnt mean it cant happen. There's a lot of twisting force on the drive shaft when you do this and things can break. Hopefully the first thing to go would be one of the u-joints rather then the t-case.

 

I drive in 4x4 every winter and drive on dry pavement. No damage.
Exactly what did YOU break when you did it? How did you determine that it was from being in 4x4? Why did it not happen to my Ford Tempo that was 4x4, or my Aerostar that was 4x4? Nether of those had a stick to unselect 4x4. How about the Mercury Mountaineer 4x4's ? No stick, no button.
now... I will agree that I don't drive on pavement in 4 low but high isn't a problem. Turning SHARP will cause some binding from the ujoints but can be relieved by just not turning as sharp.

 

Re-read the part of the different transfer case. Our trucks lock the front and rear shafts together, those vehicles allow them to spin at different speeds. Thats why they dont have binding issues and we do.


EDIT: Here's a link to a good example. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/four-wheel-drive2.htm

 

I believe jeep was the original domestic vehicle to pioneer this...it is NOT in wide-spread use as far as trucks go, therefore it is a very good idea to familiarize yourself with your particular application and go from there

 

Exactly. Different vehicles use different setups.

 

Hummmm... I missed the part where you said what broke when you tried to drive on pavement. And yes ...just because it has never happened doesn't mean it can't. However.. just because in theory it can happen doesn't mean it will.
And I realize you will never let a little thing like facts influence you so I'll quit.

 

Okay it is not hard to under stand how a transfer case works on the previous page redford said the old transfer cases are different then the new ones that are in the trucks now is wrong it depends what type of 4wheel drive system you have. I will explain:

Traditional 4x4 like most trucks when in 4x4 HI or 4x4 LO the torque split to front and rear is 50/50.

In All Wheel Drive systems not Full time 4x4 they are not the same like the newer SUV's like the Edge or Escape the torque split in the transfercase can vary and most are front wheel drive then the rear axle engages to assist in traction just the oposite of traditional 4x4's. The torque split in these vehicles can vary most are 70/30 front/rear and the transfer cases are engaged all the time.

But Jeep like in the Cherokee or Liberty they can be both just depends on what mode you want and they still a 2 speed transfercase. When the t-case is not engaged they are All wheel drive and the split is 70/30 but when in 4x4 HI or LO the split is 50/50. Jeep calls this system selec-trac and is a very good system.


So you can drive with your hubs locked aka Full Time 4x4 it dont matter you just dont wanna drive with 4x4 HI or LO engaged on dry pavement for a long time your drivetrain will eventually bind and break something because the transfercase does NOT allow for any slippage in the drivetrain like an All Wheel Drive system does.

 

I did. The world didn't implode and nothing broke.

 

We're not talking about turning at some point. We are talking about driving in a straight line with the hubs locked and in 4wd. Stop trying to change the subject.