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For owners ... how is the awd??

thegame81

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Is it similar to the grand cherokees? Someone was telling me the awd doesn't work that great on the wranglers. Probably talking out their ass but figured asking the owners is the best feedback I can get.

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GATORB8

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The Full Time cases aren't AWD, they are Automatic 4wd Hi. No center differential.

Runs in 2wd until slippage is sensed, then shifts to normal 4hi.
 
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thegame81

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The Full Time cases aren't AWD, they are Automatic 4wd Hi. No center differential.

Runs in 2wd until slippage is sensed, then shifts to normal 4hi.
Ok and how would you say it performed? Does it do a good job at creating traction? How is it in the rain?

The way you describe it seems the same was my gtr was. Not that they are in anyway really comparable lol
 

N75

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The Full Time cases aren't AWD, they are Automatic 4wd Hi. No center differential.

Runs in 2wd until slippage is sensed, then shifts to normal 4hi.
Not sure that's entirely true. From what I understand, it's a wet clutch pack than can progressively shift up to 50% torque to the front wheels. Basically like a backwards Haldex that you have the option of locking into 4-Hi.

I have it on my Willys for extra wet grip on the mud terrains (I don't do heavy off-roading) and here's my feedback:
- Yes it works, and is very smooth/seamless
- You can feel the drivetrain loss with it engaged, acceleration is slower
- Steering and general highway tracking feels better engaged (2dr Willys wanders less even on dry, straight highway)
- Mine vibrates the Jeep at a stop in gear and in 4-auto or 4-hi - if you're sitting at a light vibrating, and put it back into 2-hi, the vibration goes away. Not sure if a feature or an issue :)
 

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When turning, the front wheels as a pair travel at a different speed than the rear. My observation is when the case is locked - 4wd PT - there is tire slippage. When it is in 4wd auto, the slippage goes away in the same turns. Therefore, I would expect the auto to be better in winter or slippery conditions. I have it and I like it. The only argument against is perceived durability - that nobody thus far has been able to show here, unless I've missed it - and cost. Otherwise, choose either mode with the shifter.
 

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4WD Auto is not AWD. Do not equate the two. They operate differently.

AWD distributes power to all 4 wheels even if they are spinning at different speeds (which happens in every turn or curve in the road). AWD is superior to 4WD in slick on-road conditions.

4WD Auto is 2WD until the rear tires slip, then 4WD HI is quickly and seamlessly engaged. It returns to 2WD as soon as the rear tires stop slipping. 4WD Auto exists to mitigate how 4WD HI can cause the driver to lose control in higher speed turns & curves in slick on-road conditions and skid off the road. 4WD is far superior to AWD in off-road conditions, which is why the JL doesn't have AWD.
 

Reinen

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The only argument against is perceived durability - that nobody thus far has been able to show here, unless I've missed it - and cost. Otherwise, choose either mode with the shifter.
The durability issue is an off-road thing. 4WD Auto has CV joints on the front axle instead of U joints. CV joints are stronger than U joints, however they require rubber boots to keep dirt out of the joint or they will get destroyed quickly. Those boots can be torn by branches/roots on the trail. CV joints are also near impossible to repair or jerry-rig on the trail whereas U joints can be repaired or rigged to limp along. For those reasons most find U joints preferable on an off-road vehicle.
 
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4WD Auto is not AWD. Do not equate the two. They operate differently.

AWD distributes power to all 4 wheels even if they are spinning at different speeds (which happens in every turn or curve in the road). AWD is superior to 4WD in slick on-road conditions.

4WD Auto is 2WD until the rear tires slip, then 4WD HI is quickly and seamlessly engaged. It returns to 2WD as soon as the rear tires stop slipping. 4WD Auto exists to mitigate how 4WD HI can cause the driver to lose control in higher speed turns & curves in slick on-road conditions and skid off the road. 4WD is far superior to AWD in off-road conditions, which is why the JL doesn't have AWD.
So would you say on road in say a snow storm an audi with awd would be far superior to a JL in 4 hi or 4 auto?
 

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So would you say on road in say a snow storm an audi with awd would be far superior to a JL in 4 hi or 4 auto?
Yeap. For daily road driving, at speed. The audi makes your life as a driver a bit easier.

Now if we are talking about a big storm with several inches of snow on the road, where you would travel at really slow speeds. The wrangler is better as it is much less likely to get stuck and has better traction on deep snow.

But on ice/sleet just a bit of snow or packed snow. The audi can let you drive safer at faster speeds.

It however boils down to the driver and how careful you are when driving.

Id personally choose a 4 door JL with 4auto and snow tires over the audi.
 

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So would you say on road in say a snow storm an audi with awd would be far superior to a JL in 4 hi or 4 auto?
If clearance, vehicle weight, and tire tread/compound were removed from consideration, I'd say yes.

When we were living in Chicago, our 4matic benz performed great in light snow, but we still preferred to take my F-150 when it got heavy.
 

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The durability issue is an off-road thing. 4WD Auto has CV joints on the front axle instead of U joints. CV joints are stronger than U joints, however they require rubber boots to keep dirt out of the joint or they will get destroyed quickly. Those boots can be torn by branches/roots on the trail. CV joints are also near impossible to repair or jerry-rig on the trail whereas U joints can be repaired or rigged to limp along. For those reasons most find U joints preferable on an off-road vehicle.
Understood, that's the speculation I've heard - but there are no branches growing on the legal, established trails I visit in CO, Utah. I've also torn many a CV boot - it didn't disable the vehicle, not even close, it just means you need to fix it soon - takes many more miles before water and debrise get in there and things start making bad noises. Worst case - that axle gets destroyed - I still don't see it preventing you from driving the vehicle.
 

Reinen

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So would you say on road in say a snow storm an audi with awd would be far superior to a JL in 4 hi or 4 auto?
This isn't really an Audi vs Jeep thing, it's AWD vs 4WD (Auto or HI).

On-road in severe winter conditions, generally AWD is superior to 4WD. But it really depends on exactly what you're talking about. Tires play a major role in it, but assuming the tires are equal...

4WD is far less likely to get outright stuck. Especially in deep snow (> 6") or any off-road conditions.
An AWD vehicle can take turns faster with more control in lighter snow (< 6").

A vehicle driven in 4WD HI is susceptible to losing control in higher speed turns and skidding off the road. This is why 4WD Auto exists. It's 4WD during acceleration only and 2WD when 4WD will force tires to skid in turns. Much better than 4WD HI but not as good as AWD in winter conditions. It's a common misconception that 4WD is great in snow. It actually isn't, every turn in 4WD is a controlled skid. That's great on dirt and gravel but it's exactly what you don't want on slick roads.

So if you want an unstoppable tank that will get you there slowly but surely, get a Jeep. If you want a quicker car that might get stuck if things really get bad, get the AWD.

For the record, I live in a very snowy area with steep curvy roads. I have a JL Rubicon and an AWD SUV. Each of them can be better than the other depending on conditions.
 
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Reinen

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Understood, that's the speculation I've heard - but there are no branches growing on the legal, established trails I visit in CO, Utah. I've also torn many a CV boot - it didn't disable the vehicle, not even close, it just means you need to fix it soon - takes many more miles before water and debrise get in there and things start making bad noises. Worst case - that axle gets destroyed - I still don't see it preventing you from driving the vehicle.
I'm in the same boat in UT. How often do you check your CV boot for tears? Most discover torn CV boots through symptoms, not by identifying the cause. If you do any rock crawling, you can count on breaking a joint eventually. A broken U Joint is much easier and cheaper to deal with.
 

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I'm confused here, never had to deal with AWD or full time 4WD.
With the 392...is it full time full wheel drive or does it only put power to the front wheels under certain circumstances?
Is 4H the default mode?
 

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I'm confused here, never had to deal with AWD or full time 4WD.
With the 392...is it full time full wheel drive or does it only put power to the front wheels under certain circumstances?
Is 4H the default mode?
4Auto is default, I believe it's the same Rock-Trac FT case (MP3022 4:1) with 2 hi left off the selection.
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