Traction Four Wheel Drive vs. Front Wheel Assist

[arrabil]

I shouldn't worry about overworking my "front wheel assist" drivetrain?

Its pretty stout. I'd be concerned that I'm ballasted according to the manual for using the loader at full capacity and not turning sharp in 4wd on hard surfaces.

 

[TheFlatlander]

Man this conversation is getting almost getting ridicules. Your tractor is four wheel drive! You have open carriers both front and rear, (with a rear locker option), These will allow slippage on both the front axel and rear axel to slip on the non-traction side, Just as a non optioned pick-up or other 4X4 STV or other vehicle designed for the road.Now with that said it is open carrier front and rear, until you engage the rear diff lock and it is still four wheel drive where the rear will be locked and the front will be allowed to slip on the non traction side.

With out engaging lockers, If you have even traction on all tires it will pull evenly on all four tires, regardless of limted slip or lockers. Limited slip and lockers just make a better four wheel drive for when the traction is not even. Something to think about, with absolute four wheel drive such as spool or lockers front and rear engages would be definitely 100% four wheel drive! But you better plan on going straight only, as steering won't happen. (FYI-front posi is very hard steering also.) That's why they make the front carrier an open carrier.

Now everybody can crack a cold one and sit back and relax knowing thet they bought the best tractor available to them....

 

[RobertN]

That's why my buddies have broken their Jeeps on Rubicon and Barret Lake trails. Lockers front and rear, bound up on the rocks and something had to go...

These tractors are 4WD, but to take that literally, they would be running lockers.

Something to think about, with absolute four wheel drive such as spool or lockers front and rear engages would be definitely 100% four wheel drive! But you better plan on going straight only, as steering won't happen. (FYI-front posi is very hard steering also.) That's why they make the front carrier an open carrier.

 

[dennisgw]

Thank you for the succinct answer.

 

[grizzjeeper]

4wd = the ability for any four wheels to drive with having all 4 wheels drive with equal traction or resistance.

Adding a locker ENHANCES 4wd by overcoming traction bias

Open diffs, most 4wd vehichles have this, this is really to protect the drivetrain on hard surfaces.

FWA Front wheel assist actually was a term years ago with a front drive unit that AUTOMATICALLY kicked in when rear wheels slipped. Ford and NH used this terminology for a short term then added an actual lever because people like to shift levers

True 4wd man made term describing axles with lockers or spools front and rear.

Limited slip = in between torque biasing between open and locked. Example is a clutch pack that creates resistance to wheel that is slipping. Doesnt work for beans if torque biasing is 100 to 0.

Tire size has nothing to do with any equation here.

 

[funwithahoe]

4wd = the ability for any four wheels to drive with having all 4 wheels drive with equal traction or resistance.

Adding a locker ENHANCES 4wd by overcoming traction bias

Open diffs, most 4wd vehichles have this, this is really to protect the drivetrain on hard surfaces.

FWA Front wheel assist actually was a term years ago with a front drive unit that AUTOMATICALLY kicked in when rear wheels slipped. Ford and NH used this terminology for a short term then added an actual lever because people like to shift levers

True 4wd man made term describing axles with lockers or spools front and rear.

Limited slip = in between torque biasing between open and locked. Example is a clutch pack that creates resistance to wheel that is slipping. Doesnt work for beans if torque biasing is 100 to 0.

Tire size has nothing to do with any equation here.

Yeah the tire size myth is a new one to me too.

Not sure what good it is to have power to all four wheel as long as non has more traction than the other.

Also when I lifted the front end of my L3750 in 4WD (with the FEL) only one wheel would turn while in the air.

Nontheless, 4WD is a term that men will fight about for all eternity and really women have a good reason to laugh at for this.

Again there is a massive need for an engineering group to properly define the terms.

 

[funwithahoe]

To the OP probably one of the biggest reasons to take your tractor in and out of 4WD is tire wear - Even if the tractor can handle it there is unnessary strain caused by the fron and rear tires being forced to turn at the same rate while turning whenever they need to turn at different rates. Something has to give and hopefully it is the tire against the ground. If you have the FEL full and are on pavement you can imagine there are some pretty good forces there.