L Series FWD option?

Skinny_Dave · Post by **Skinny_Dave** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:20 pm

You'll have to pardon my ignorance here. I've just bought a 92 L-Series and I was curious to know if there's many out there that have a front-wheel-drive option. My original 1980 model could switch between FWD & 4WD, but my 92 will only do HI and LO.

I'm finding the constant 4WD is not so good when I'm city driving, especially doing tight turns in car parks etc. (I'm worried I'm going to break something when the diffs/axles lock up and start scrubbing the tyres).

I guess my question is... since some of the other models seem to have an option to disengage the rear diff (?)... is there anyway of converting it?

Dave

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:02 pm

Most L Series are dual range part-time 4wd, i.e. front drive until you lift the lever to engage the rear in 4 high or 4 low. In 4wd mode in part-time transmissions, the centre coupling is locked (not a differential), so yes, something probably will break if you make a habit of driving in 4wd on sealed roads. The owner's manual and warning label, if still in the car, will say this.

Some Ls had a full time 4wd transmission, but these are very rare, and won't show any signs of binding when on road.

When you say "my 92 will only do HI and LO", do you mean you can't get the lever down and the dashboard 4wd light to turn off? After driving on road in 4wd the shifter will often become stiff. Try dropping two (or more) wheels off onto the dirt to let them spin and thus unwind the stress in the driveline.

Dane.

Skinny_Dave · Post by **Skinny_Dave** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:57 am

GOD wrote: When you say "my 92 will only do HI and LO", do you mean you can't get the lever down and the dashboard 4wd light to turn off?
Dane.

Yes, I can select low range, neutral, and high range. I'm pretty sure the lever is traversing the full extent each way. The lights on the dash stay constantly on 4WD, and the "low" indicator illuminates when in low range (there is no high indicator).

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:52 am

Your VIN , minus the last few digits will help tell us if you have a factory AWD or fitted later or a normal selectable 4WD box stuck in 4WD thus put up for sale. Our first subie was like that when we took it for a test drive and got a bit warm. We unstuck the diff bind on the test drive and bought it immediately CHEAP, and the new thermostat fixed the bit warm thing. If you got a real AWD from factory it would indicate it somewhere surely.

Best way we find to unstick the binding diffs is on wet grass at low speed once you have introduced a a need to slip. Womder if you really got AWD but the diff binding would not be there on your turns. The switches for the lights indicating function can become inoperative due to many things

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:08 pm

nah sounds to me like you have a standard 4x4 dual range gearbox and just can't get it into FWD for some reason. Perhaps the FWD sticker has come off. FWD is when the lever is all the way down. You may need to drive onto some loose gravel before it will go in more easily. Your car's manual in the glove box will have more details if you still have it.

There is a slim chance you have an AWD box with Hi and Lo, however these are pretty rare these days and a previous owner of your car would have had to swap it in there specifically, they only came with some imports and RX Turbo sedans.
If it is one of those, then they have selectable centre diff lock too (vacuum operated). Maybe it's just set to locked mode and you need to unlock it.

Remember your VIN indication won't mean anything if the gearbox has been swapped.

I still think my first idea is more likely tho.

thatsgoodsquishy · Post by **thatsgoodsquishy** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:26 pm

Skinny_Dave wrote:Yes, I can select low range, neutral, and high range. I'm pretty sure the lever is traversing the full extent each way. The lights on the dash stay constantly on 4WD, and the "low" indicator illuminates when in low range (there is no high indicator).

There isnt a proper neutral position on subies, at least not that ive ever seen. If you have three positions it will be LO 4WD, HIGH 4WD and FWD. With a stuffed switch meaning it shows 4wd all the time, thats my guess anyway.

You could try this, Leave it in first, jack the back up to get both rear wheels off the ground and with the lever all the way down the tail shaft should spin easily. If not something is wrong somewhere. Im assuming you have a standard L box here.

Skinny_Dave · Post by **Skinny_Dave** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:07 pm

Firstly, thanks for all the feedback, I'm starting to think I made an honest mistake when I didn't check this out before I bought the car.... although I still love the car.

Back to the selector. Yeah, whatever stickers were there, have long since worn off.

I took it on to gravel today and tried flicking through all the positions, no go on FWD. Interestingly, when it is in the neutral position, I get no drive (I can hear the drive shaft spinning in 1st and 2nd etc.), but when I roll and do a tight turn, I still get the diff locking up and "braking" the car, so it's a pretty weird kind of neutral. I have no idea how you push one of these off the road if it breaks down! There really doesn't seem to be any difficulty switching between the modes... I'm in a straight line and running on gravel and it clicks in easier than my 80 model did.

The user manual isn't much good, because it describes about 4 different types. One of them describes the "4WD duel-range model", with a "HI and LO" and "neutral position between these two".

The VIN is JF2AN5HROC64..... if that gives any clues?

I tried jacking up the rear of the car with the selector in the lowest position, but I'm not exactly sure what it's meant to do. The rear diff appears to be locked ie. both rear wheels are locked together and spin with the drive shaft... but I don't understand how the front wheels are connecting (yeah, I'm not very mechanical), but I assume this is all normal when the gearbox is in neutral. The drive selector moved pretty much the same with the rear of the vehicle jacked up.

Dave

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:40 pm

A lot of Leone sedans are FWD only, no rear diff or hi/lo.
Cheers
AP

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:47 pm

J = country of origin Japan
F = Fuji Heavy Industries
2 = 4wd passenger car
A = L Series
N = wagon
5 = 1800cc 4wd
H = year (my 93 has a J)
R = right hand drive
0 = dummy?
C = carburettor
Sure there isn't a letter missing here? E = dual range part time 4wd 5 speed manual
64xxxx = build number

Anyone got pics to identify a full time box?

Dane.

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:51 pm

And about that rear diff that appears to be locked - with the back end off the deck, spin one back wheel. If the opposite wheel spins the same way, the diff is locked

Dane.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:09 pm

Once bought a slippery diff that spun the other side wheel same direction. I onsold it as it was too wide for my car. New owner brought it back as he found it was not a slippery at all, it was broken inside, made no noises. Went back to the fly-by-nighter I bought it off, he'd flown.....

AWD L Series had AWD in the dash centre with all the door ajar warning lights.

If you are getting diffs binding or diff wind when turning, does it go awy with a bit of straight dirt road driving then allow the first turn before going stiff on you?

I do know of a gearbox expert that took a lot of time to unwind or unbind the two diffs on one of these. Circle work on a nearby grassy area? I'd like you to find you have a real constant 4WD or AWD box, but not sounding too promising.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:23 pm

I know what it is.....I rekon you have a busted front CV.

When you are in front wheel drive, you get no drive because all the drive is going to the easiest path - the broken CV. It just spins (probably the noise you can hear). This happens because the gearbox has an open front diff in it.

When you have 4x4 engaged the car is being driven by the rear wheels.

The chirping and binding would be when the front diff is engaging on the good front CV which can happen sometimes.

Test it by putting the car in front wheel drive (what you thought was neutral position), put the car in 1st gear (or any gear), release the clutch and listen for the spinning. Have a mate look under the car at the front driveshafts. If you've got a broken outer CV one driveshaft will be spinning. If you have a broken inner CV then the inner CV cup will be spinning.

something to try anyways.

Skinny_Dave · Post by **Skinny_Dave** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:55 pm

Took the car to the mechanic who "adjusted" the selector and everything is working normally now. For some reason it wasn't reaching the full throw. Fortunately no parts were required.

Now I can confirm the actual range of movement for the selector:

4WD LO -> NEUTRAL -> 4WD HI -> FWD

So it's a bit of a relief that I can actually drive it on the road now.

Thanks again everyone, for all your feedback.

Cheers,
Dave

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 1:34 am

Good to hear and also realise it is hard to diagnose remotely. Cost much for mechanics time?