Testing 4wd

[Driver+Passengers]

Starting from here...

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 52#p155852

... can someone check my thinking and/or expand on all this?


My understanding is that with three wheels on the ground and one front wheel jacked up off the ground, trying to turn that front wheel will tell you whether the VC is working. There are three scenarios in my head at the minute...

1. If it's been cooked and is locked up, then the wheel should not turn at all. If this is the case, you're running with permanent 4wd and this puts excess strain... where?

2. If it's working normally, then a 90 degree turn with the rated torque should take 30s.

3. If it's drained (or if the chain is broken??) then it's going to turn quite happily.


Presumably this has been discussed before - DemonAV's diagram/post has been referenced a few times. But looking to better understand it all before I go and jack up a wheel.

Should you warm the drive train by taking the van out and up to temperature first, or even is it worth doing the test both cold and warm??


Any help appreciated...

[westonwarrior]

not sure on a bongo but on a landt freelander it had a viscus coupling like the bongo
and the test was just as you subscribed but the was rear wheels as the lock ups and fronts as perm drive

Another way to test if its not locked up would be to mark eiter side of the vc with chalk so they line up and after a drive check again and if they dont then its not locked.

"castleing" of the tyres were a sign of a locked vc

[Northern Bongolow]

Starting from here...

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 52#p155852

... can someone check my thinking and/or expand on all this?


My understanding is that with three wheels on the ground and one front wheel jacked up off the ground, trying to turn that front wheel will tell you whether the VC is working. There are three scenarios in my head at the minute...

1. If it's been cooked and is locked up, then the wheel should not turn at all. If this is the case, you're running with permanent 4wd and this puts excess strain... where? the transfer box, you will notice this when turning out of a road junction as the front wheels will be going further than the rears,this will feel very odd.

2. If it's working normally, then a 90 degree turn with the rated torque should take above 30s. if you force the turn in under 30 s it should lock as the transfer box is reacting to the sheer

3. If it's drained (or if the chain is broken??) then it's going to turn quite happily.


Presumably this has been discussed before - DemonAV's diagram/post has been referenced a few times. But looking to better understand it all before I go and jack up a wheel.

Should you warm the drive train by taking the van out and up to temperature first, or even is it worth doing the test both cold and warm??
for a more acurate test i would go for warm. look on the net for how to test a vc, this shows hanging a 5ltr bottle of oil on a long bar, the weight of the bottle should take the bar down, if it just falls its kaput, or if it takes 30s plus its ok.

Any help appreciated...

[Simon Jones]

How about a snowy car park ? I tested my Volvo XC70 on Friday night in a empty car park in about 5 inches of snow. I knew the 4WD works anyway as I got up some pretty steep hills over the past few days where most of the 2WD cars where sliding backwards.