Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="BigJ" data-source="post: 348511" data-attributes="member: 62">You're mostly on the right track.  I think you're confusing locking axle (half) shafts together vs engaging those shafts to the wheels so they can drive them.Locking the half shafts together is done at the differential.  You basically do something to the diff that stops allowing it to variably apply power to either shaft, and instead apply 50% of the incoming power to each side, all the time.  Engaging the shafts so they can drive is usually done at the hub.  This is what the IWE does.  It ties the wheel to the shaft so that the wheel is no longer free spinning.  In 2wd systems, the wheels are permanently locked to the shafts of the drive axle.  No need for (un)locking hubs.  This is how the rear of our trucks are set up.When you go into 4x4 two things happen, and both affect the front:  1) the IWE's engage tying the front wheels into the front axle's shafts, and 2) the transfer case starts sending power to those shafts.  In older/manual hubbed systems, before engaging 4wd at the transfer case you'd have to do #1 yourself; you'd get out and manually lock the hubs to the wheels.Two different systems that do two different things.  Hope that makes sense.</blockquote>