I was given a 1990 jeep wrangler with no manual, how do you work the 4 wheel drive? it is an auto mack?

Question

I was given a 1990 wrangler jeep, it had no manual and I do not know how to make the 4-wheel drive work need help..can some one explain it to me.

Answer 1

There's a short lever on the floor that says 2Hi - 4Hi - N - 4LO. This is the transfer case lever. When it's in the 2H position (All the way forward), you are in two wheel drive. The rear tires are getting power. You can pull the lever at any time to 4H (recommended that it's under 55MPH) as it's a shift on the fly system. You are now in 4 wheel drive. More about this later.

Do not rely on the N or neutral position for towing or anything. The spacing between the gears are fairly tight and may rub.

To engage the 4LO you might only have to pull the lever all the way back with a slight lean to the right. Be sure that you are COMPLETLY stopped and the transmission (auto or manual) is in neutral. You are now in low gear 4 wheel drive. The output RPM of the engine is reduced by a ratio of 2.72:1. I'll explain uses for this later. If you can't slip it into 4LO the gearing is a bit tight and will need some help. Put it in 4HI and roll forward slowly (under 5MPH). Put the transmission into neutral while rolling and then shift to 4LO. You might have to do a similar thing to get out of 4LO. The more you use 4LO the easier it will shift.

In either of the 4 wheel drive modes a light on your dash will light up (4WD). If it doesn't you are not in 4WD and there is a problem.

2Hi is the most economical mode. Use this for everyday driving.

4Hi is for regular speed driving on slippery surfaces. This is VERY impoortant. The transfer case is not differentiated, this means the rear wheels turn the same speed as the front wheels. While this may sound like the way things should be, when you go around a turn your outside wheels turn faster than your inside wheels, and your front wheels travel a shorter distance than the rear wheels. The result is one or two wheels will try to "catch up" to the rest of the truck in the form of slipping or hopping. If you try to maneuver in a parking lot at low speed on dry pavement in 4WD, the steering wheel is going to wobble and the Jeep will lurch a bit. THIS IS NORMAL. This is why you should be on a slippeery surface. It gives the tires a chance to slip without over stressing.

Friendly tip: If you have to make a 90 degree turn in an icy intersection, let go of the gas before turning the wheel and coast through. The drivetrain in under less load and the tires won't skip.

4LO is for pure offroad grunt. This is for those situations where you need all the power from the engine without the wheel spin as it gives the tires a chance to bite into whatever you in. Also great for towing a friend out of trouble. If you have a manual transmission and the engine won't start but it does crank, put it into 4LO and first gear and crank away. The Jeep will roll at about 1/2MPH for as long as you have battery power or untill the starter melts. Obviously this if only for emergencys.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

There are switches in the hubs. You stop turn the switches to lock. push in the clutch and move the small stick shift to 4wheel high or low depending on how fast you'll be going. Usually 4x4high is what your looking for. Take off slow to let the transfer case and hubs engage. To tell if it's working make a tight turn and you should feel the difference when the front axle is locked. It won't feel like it's steering correctly.Down't do thie tight turn on dry pavement.Do it in dirt or gravel. You should never be in 4x4 mode on dry pavement!go to this site and you'll find your info. http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/brandnew4x4wdrivers/

Answer 3

get a manual

Answer 4

See my other answer to your other question.