Just to add on a few points to an earlier article I wrote about the purpose of free wheeling hubs and my thoughts on them.
Lock and Go
Setting any manual or automatic free wheeling hub to “LOCK” enables the proactive use of the four-wheel drive system.
- Ensures the front axle bits and pieces receive adequate lubrication all of the time.
- When exiting a sealed road to unsealed, shifting into H4 can be done “on the fly”.
- When responding to an emergency situation, whether harsh or hostile, prevents having to get out of the vehicle to lock the hubs, and then engage H4 or L4. (Which is especially important when operating up-armoured vehicles fitted with free wheeling hubs!)
- May circumvent someone jumping in the vehicle and carjacking it while you’re outside locking the hubs! (Yes, this has happened).
Understanding your 4wd system, and how to use it proactively, is a significant step towards defensive driving for harsh and hostile environments.
When it comes to 4wd operation; IF YOU DONT KNOW, DONT GO.
