Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

4WD
Chapter Outline
This chapter explains a 4WD (4 Wheel Drive).

• Description
• Outline of Center Differential and Transfer
• Precautions When Towing

Let’s study the 4WD

(4 Wheel Drive).
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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Description What is 4WD?

4WD is the abbreviation for 4-Wheel Drive and drives all
four tires using transfer, etc.
There are two types of 4WD, full-time 4WD and part-time
4WD. 4WD vehicles can also be classified into those
based on FF (Front-engine, Front-wheel-drive) and those
based on FR (Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive). Further-
more, 4WD vehicles can also be classified into those for
driving off-road and those for driving on-road.
Part-time 4WD
Smooth cornering cannot be achieved. 1. Operation of differential
The vehicle uses the differential to absorb the rota-
Front differential tional difference during cornering.
Center differential
With full-time 4WD, there is a center differential in
(absorbs rotational speed difference addition to the front differential and the rear differential
between front and rear wheels)
in order to absorb the rotational difference between
Rear differential the front and rear wheels.
Providing three different differentials makes smooth
driving possible by ensuring the equal transmission of
power to all four wheels, even during cornering - this
is the major advantage of full-time 4WD.

When part-time 4WD vehicles, which do not have a

differential to absorb the rotational difference between
the front and rear wheels, turn sharply in the 4WD
Full-time 4WD
Smooth cornering can be achieved. mode, the tight corner braking phenomenon occurs
and smooth cornering becomes impossible.
For this reason, with part-time 4WD, switching
between 2WD and 4WD in response to driving condi-
tions becomes necessary.

2. Tires and installing tire chains

All four tires mounted on a 4WD vehicle must be of the
same size and type.

If the front and rear tires are of different diameters, the

center differential will have to operate at all times,
even on a straight, level road. And if the diameters of
the left and right tires are different, the front or rear dif-
ferential will have to operate at all times (depending
on whether the tires that are of different sizes are in
the front or rear).
Same size

Full-time 4WD offers outstanding drive-through perfor-

mance on rough and snowy roads, but in some cases,
it is necessary to install tire chains. At such times, the
Model name Tires on which to mount chains
following point should be considered.
• When a 4WD vehicle is based on an FF model, tire
Base model is FF model Front chains should be mounted on the front tires.
• When the 4WD vehicle is based on an FR model, the
tire chains should be mounted on the rear tires.
Base model is FR model Rear
If a mistake is made, the tire chains could hit the body
and damage it, so exercise caution at all times.

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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Types of 4WD
4WD can be classified into the following types according
Part-time to differences in the drive type and control.
2WD Transfer 4WD

Transmission

Full-time
FF based FR based

Transfer
Transfer
4WD
Center
differential
Center
Transaxle differential

V-flex full-time
Normal driving One drive wheel idles
Viscous
coupling Viscous
Transfer coupling

Transaxle

Part-time 4WD
1. Part-time 4WD
With this type of 4WD system, the driver switches
2WD between 2WD and 4WD in accordance with road con-
ditions by the transfer.
Ordinarily, the vehicle is driven in 2WD, and 4WD is
Transfer used for rough roads and snowy roads, etc.
However, because the part-time 4WD system has the
Engine front and rear drive trains connected directly together,
Transmission the tight corner braking phenomenon occurs during
cornering, and the vehicle cannot be turned smoothly.
For this reason, it is necessary to switch from 4WD to
2WD when driving on ordinary roads.

4WD

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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

2. Full-time 4WD
Full-time 4WD The vehicle which can be used at all times under all
FF based 4WD
road conditions and driving conditions, from ordinary
roads to rough roads to low coefficient-of-friction
roads, is full-time 4WD.
Also, the full-time 4WD vehicles are equipped with the
center differential.
Transfer
Engine

Center differential
Transaxle

FR based 4WD

Transfer
Center differential

Engine

Transmission

3. V-Flex full-time 4WD

V-flex full-time 4WD
V-Flex full-time 4WD system enables the vehicle to
operate practically in the 2WD mode during normal
Normal driving
travel when there is almost no rotational difference
between the front and rear wheels.
When a rotational difference is created between the
Viscous coupling front and rear wheels, such as during cornering or
Engine
Transfer driving on a snowy road, this system transmits the
drive force to the rear wheels.
Thus, it ensures stable maneuverability while driving
Transaxle in various roads and driving conditions.

One drive wheel idles

Viscous coupling

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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Advantages of 4WD
Gripping Gripping capability used to propel vehicle A vehicle must be capable of driving on various types of
capability Surplus gripping capability which
can be used to maintain vehicle’s roads, not only rough roads or snowy roads, but also on
straight-line stability roads that surface characteristics change due to chang-
ing weather conditions.
2WD (FWD) 4WD

100 100 The best way to drive on rough roads is with a vehicle
50 50 25 25 where all four wheels transmit power. In this respect,
4WD vehicles have several outstanding advantages over
FF, FR or MR (Mid ship-engine, Rear-wheel-drive) 2WD
vehicles.
1. Cornering stability
Since power is transmitted equally by all four tires
25 25 instead of by only two, the load on each tire is reduced
and the tires' cornering force can be effectively uti-
lized, providing excellent stable cornering.
2. Straight-line stability
With 4WD, since the amount of surplus grip provided
Total by each tire is increased, external turbulence has no
: Driving wheels effect on the vehicle. Thus stable straight-line stability
is achieved.
3. Starting and acceleration performance
2WD 4WD The amount of tire grip with 4WD is approximately
double that of 2WD vehicles, so even if the vehicle is
equipped with a high-output engine, the tires do not
spin when the vehicle starts off or during acceleration.
This greatly improves starting and acceleration perfor-
mance.
4. Hill-climbing performance
Since the available power is approximately double
that of a 2WD vehicle, a 4WD vehicle can climb hills
that a 2WD vehicle is incapable of climbing.
5. Driving on snowy/rough roads
In 4WD, since all four wheels are transmitting power,
the power applied to the road can be double that pro-
vided by 2WD vehicles on snowy roads, and drive-
through performance on roads with low coefficients of
friction (µ) is outstanding.

Greater power is needed when driving on sandy,

muddy, or extremely rough roads. Since all four
wheels are transmitting power with 4WD, the front and
rear wheels help each other, and high drive-through
performance is realized.
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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Disadvantages of 4WD
Difference between turning radius of front and rear wheels 1. Tight corner braking phenomenon
When the propeller shaft between the front and rear
axles is connected directly, the differences between
the rotations of the front and rear axles cannot be
Front wheels - travel further distance absorbed.
Rear wheels - travel shorter distance This causes undue force to be brought to bear on the
drive train. On roads with low coefficients of friction
Difference in rotational (µ), if any of the tires slips, the difference between the
speed between front and
rear axle shafts rotations of the front and rear axles can be absorbed,
but on roads with high coefficients of friction (µ), such
Undue force applied to drive train as dry paved roads, it is difficult for slipping to occur,
creating a condition very similar to braking.
Tight corner braking phenomenon
This is called the "tight corner braking phenomenon".
(similar to when brakes are applied)
2. Weight is increased
Front
Direct
connection
The number of parts increases, so the weight
differential increases.
Rear
differential
3. Cost is increased
The more complex construction and the increased
number of parts result in an increases in the cost of
Difference Difference
the vehicle.
between between left
front and and right 4. Construction is complex
rear wheels wheels
A transfer and propeller shaft, differential, etc., are
required in order to distribute power to the front and
rear wheels, making the construction complex.
5. Sources of vibration and noise increase
The increase in the number of rotating parts (transfer,
propeller shaft, etc.) causes an increase in the num-
ber of possible sources of vibration and noise.
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Outline of Center Differential and Transfer Types of Transfer

For 4WD vehicles, the passage with
1. FF based
full-time 4WD which power is transmitted from the
Center differential engine to the tires differs for FF based
Engine Transfer 4WD vehicles and FR based 4WD vehi-
cles.
Rear differential On the left are simple illustrations of the
Transaxle Front differential
power transmission paths for the differ-
ent types.
2. FR based
full-time 4WD 1. FF based full-time 4WD
Transfer
Rear differential
In this type, the power is transmitted
Front differential from the transaxle to the center dif-
ferential and to the front differential
Engine
Center differential and rear differential. The center dif-
Transmission ferential and front differential are
contained within the transfer.
3. FR based
part-time 4WD
Transfer
2. FR based full-time 4WD
Rear differential In this type, the power is transmitted
Front differential
from the transmission to the center
Engine
differential and to the front differential
and rear differential.
Transmission
3. FR based part-time 4WD
In this type, when the transfer is not
connected, the power is transmitted
from the transmission to the rear dif-
ferential. When the transfer is con-
nected, the power is transmitted to
the front and rear differential.
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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Types of Center Differential Gear

Bevel gear type
The center differential serves the role of
absorbing any rotational difference gen-
erated between the front and rear
wheels during cornering. The following
types of gears are used for absorbing
Center the rotational difference.
differential
1. Bevel gear type
Planetary gear type
The bevel gear type center differen-
tial distributes the torque to the front
and rear in the ratio 1:1.
2. Planetary gear type
The bevel gear type center differen-
tial distributes the torque to the front
and rear in the ratio 1:1, but the plan-
etary gear type can vary the distribu-
tion of ratio.
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Types of Center Differential Limit

1. Mechanical locking type 2. Torque sensing type Control Mechanism
from
Transmission
Idler high &
low clutch sleeve Planetary gear Center differential When attempting to get out of deep
Low speed Transfer snow or escape from a mud-hole, it is
High speed drive
idler gear idler gear
gear necessary to limit the differential action
High speed of the center differential.
to Rear
output gear differential There are the following types of center
to Front to Rear
from Transmission Transfer
differential limit control mechanisms.
to Front driven
Front drive
clutch sleeve Low speed
differential gear 1. Mechanical locking type
No.1 high &
output gear
Switching between "FREE" and
low clutch sleeve
"LOCK" is accomplished manually.
3. Viscous coupling type 4. Hydraulic multi-plate clutch type 2. Torque sensing type
Center differential Center differential
drive gear Transfer drive gear It generates a limited-differential
drive gear
from
Trans-
Intermediate
shaft
from
Intermediate Transfer
torque in proportion to the drive
Trans-
mission mission shaft drive
gear
torque, and instantly changes the
to to
to
front and rear torque distribution in
Front Front to
left right Front Front
right
order to restrain the slippage of the
left
front and rear wheels.
Center differential Transfer
ring gear Transfer
driven gear
Center differential
ring gear
driven 3. Viscous coupling type
No.2 intermediate shaft gear
Transaxle
Transaxle
mode select
mode select to Rear Limitation of differential operation
sleeve
sleeve depends on difference in rotational
speeds between front and rear
wheels.
4. Hydraulic multi-plate clutch type
Differential is limited by hydraulic
pressure being applied to multiple
disc clutch.
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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)

Precautions When Towing Precautions When Towing

1. Use one of the methods shown A, B
Condition
Parking
T/M shift
Transfer
shift lever Center diff. or C to tow the vehicle.
lever position lock (control Center diff.
brake position switch)
Towing method (HF2A only) 2. If there is trouble with the chassis
A. Flat bed truck and drive train, use method A (flat
M/T :
bed truck) or method B (wheel lift
B. Wheel lift type truck
Any
position "H" "OFF" Normal
type truck)
from Front Applied
position or driving
A/T :
"P" range
"AUTO" condition 3. Recommended methods: A or B
from Rear Emergency method: C
NOTICE:
C. Towing with cable or rope
M/T :
Neutral "N"
• Observe the following precautions
Released "OFF"
A/T : position when towing a vehicle with an auto-
"N" range
matic transmission using emergency
D. Sling type with dolly M/T :
Any method C:
position "OFF"
Applied "H"
position
or • Maximum towing speed 30 km/h
A/T : "AUTO"
"P" range (18 mph)
E. Sling type M/T :
• Maximum towing distance 80 km/h
Released
Neutral "N"
"OFF"
(50 miles)
A/T : position
"N" range • In some models, the towing methods
F. shown D or E are can be used.
However, in many models, the towing
methods shown D or E will damage
the bumper, engine under cover, sus-
pension lower arm bushing, the air
conditioning condenser, etc. during
towing, so do not use them.
• The towing method shown F is dan-
gerous, so never use it.
If a vehicle is towed like this, there is
a danger of the drive train heating up
and being damaged, or of the front
wheels slipping off the dolly.
Never tow a 4WD vehicle using a
method that does not allow the lifted-
up wheels to rotate.
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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)
Exercise

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Diagnosis Technicain - Manual Transaxle 4WD(4 Wheel Drive)
Question- 1
From the following illustrations, select the power transmission of FR based full-time 4WD.

1. 2.

Center differential Center differential

3. 4.

Viscous coupling

1 2 3 4

Question- 2
The following statements pertain to the differences between 4WD and 2WD. Select the statement that is True.

1. The vehicle weight of 4WD and 2WD is the same on the same models.

2. 4WD vehicle is superior to climb the steep slope comparing with 2WD vehicle.

3. V-Flex full-time 4WD is 4WD at all times, but it becomes 2WD if necessary.

4. The tire chain is put on the drive wheels for 2WD vehicles while it is right to put the tire chain on either
front or rear wheels for 4WD vehicles.

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