Need HELP engaging Series II A in 4WD

[PattyG]

I have a 1969 Series II A Rover that my husband always drove. My husband died in March and I am driving in snow. What is the sequence of engaging 4WD ( I forgot). I have ARB air locks switch with a compressor switch and the wheels have no levers to turn/lock. There is a round keyhole? on the wheel. Should I look for a round key to turn/lock the wheels or does the ARB switch with the compressor switch do that? Do I put main gear in neutral then push down on yellow knob then flip the switches? What is the sequence?

[LaneRover]

I have a 1969 Series II A Rover that my husband always drove. My husband died in March and I am driving in snow. What is the sequence of engaging 4WD ( I forgot). I have ARB air locks switch with a compressor switch and the wheels have no levers to turn/lock. There is a round keyhole? on the wheel. Should I look for a round key to turn/lock the wheels or does the ARB switch with the compressor switch do that? Do I put main gear in neutral then push down on yellow knob then flip the switches? What is the sequence?

Pressing the yellow knob down puts you into 4 wheel drive.

You can press it in while moving but not when the front and rear wheels are rotating at different speeds. Only do it while driving straight and no wheel slippage. Or you can do it while stopped too.

To get it out of 4 wheel drive you need to take the red lever and pull it back and then push it forward, do this while stopped.

To get 4 wheel low just pull the red lever all the way back.

[PattyG]

Thank you, but what do I do to lock the wheels? Do I flip the ARB and compressor switches before/after I press the yellow knob? And do I leave them on when I'm in 4WD?
He added the ARB system recently and I never got the chance to use it.

[Nium]

The ARB air locker is to lock the differential out so that both the left and right side wheels spin at the same rate regardless if one slips in mud or something like that. It is not necessary for 4wd drive and is usually only used when off-roading for extra grip.

What did you mean by...

There is a round keyhole? on the wheel

are you refering to the steering wheel?

[PattyG]

There are 4 regular (normal looking lug nuts) and the fifth lug nut has a round indentation (1/2 inch diameter) with grooves. The wheel is a five spoke arrangement with the Land Rover symbol in the middle. He use to get out of the rig to lock the wheels before going into 4WD. I was wondering if this round indentation in the lug nut had something to do with locking the wheels for 4WD. It sounds like I don't have to worry about the ARB/Compressor or fiddling with the wheels if I'm just in regular 4WD. Correct?

[badvibes]

There are 4 regular (normal looking lug nuts) and the fifth lug nut has a round indentation (1/2 inch diameter) with grooves. The wheel is a five spoke arrangement with the Land Rover symbol in the middle.

This sounds like a security type lug nut. It keeps someone from stealing your wheels. The different lug nut has a "key" which fits the pattern you see on one side and has a "hex" pattern on the other that a lug wrench fits. You need the key to remove the lug nut to change the tire if you were to have a flat. It has nothing to do with "locking" the wheels for 4 wheel drive.

The front wheels, if they have free wheeling hubs, will have a dial or knob that you turn to engage or lock the wheels. Do you see the words "lock" or "free" anywhere on the front wheel where the axle or hubs are? Are you able to take a picture and post it to show what your truck has? Lots of people here are willing to help if we can figure out what you're dealing with.


EDIT: And yes you're correct, you don't have to use the ARB system just to use 4 wheel drive.

Jeff

[SafeAirOne]

There are 4 regular (normal looking lug nuts) and the fifth lug nut has a round indentation (1/2 inch diameter) with grooves.

Are you referring to the actual lug nut that holds the wheel rim onto the vehicle? If so, it may be a security lug that prevents people from stealing the rims/tires using an ordinary lug wrench. It looks like a variant of this and requires a special mating socket to remove the nut:

He use to get out of the rig to lock the wheels before going into 4WD.

If that is the case, I suspect that you may have locking hubs and what you refer to are not the lug nuts that hold the tires/wheels on the truck, but rather the bolts that hold the smaller axle cap on the hub, located in the center of the wheel. There were many different versions of these and I think there was a variety that required the driver to turn what looked like a hex-headed bit to engage and disengage them. I am, admittedly, not familiar with the different styles of locking hubs, other than the 2 common ones.

EDIT--I see Jeff is a fast typer...

[badvibes]

EDIT--I see Jeff is a fast typer...

2 blazing fast fingers.....

[Nium]

You may have free wheel hubs on the front axle. If so you will need to set them to the "Lock" position before engaging 4wd. Here's a link to some common ones that were fit to Land Rovers...

http://www.pangolin4x4.com/pangolin4x4/reference/lib/fwh/fwh.html

If you could post a picture of the front wheels, or see if the centers match any on that web site, then would be able to tell you for sure if they are or not free wheel hubs and how to set them to the locked position if they are free wheel hubs.

[scott]

patty

if you could post a pic of your front hubs we could tell if you have free wheeling hubs that need to be locked. or maybe others could post pics of hub examples and explain 'em


mine are like these and you just turn in the direction of the 2 for freewheeling in the direction of the 4 to lock 'em in

[SafeAirOne]

Ahh... This is the locking hub I was thinking of--The one that required a wrench to operate. It's an MAP/Fairey locking hub:



Are these what you are referring to?

Other varieties of locking hubs, which must be engaged before using 4 wheel drive are:

Dualmatic locking hubs:


Warn Hubs:


Selectro Locking Hubs:


And Fairey hubs:


Do any of these look like what you are refrring to?

EDIT: Again, fast typing, Scott this time...

[scott]

[/QUOTE]...EDIT: Again, fast typing, Scott this time...[/QUOTE]

not as fast as nium

[SafeAirOne]

not as fast as nium

Yeah..that post got past me. I see I stole images from somebody who stole them from Ike's site.

[PattyG]

I googled wheels and found that the indentation on the lug nut is for security. We did have the dual-matic type of wheels where he would have to disengage the levers and rotate 90 degrees. He must have replaced those with this ARB air locker system? Does that sound right to you? I looked at the link below and my wheels don't match any of those examples. I took pictures and will post them as soon as I figure out how to do so.

[badvibes]

I googled wheels and found that the indentation on the lug nut is for security. We did have the dual-matic type of wheels where he would have to disengage the levers and rotate 90 degrees. He must have replaced those with this ARB air locker system? No. The ARB functions inside the differential on the axle. The ARB "locks" the axle shafts together so that basically both wheels on that axle receive power the same. The most common type of differential is referred to as an "open" diff. This type of diff is the most friendly, it works well on pavement where one wheel needs to spin faster than the other when driving a curve, like turning a corner. The outside wheel needs to cover a longer radius and needs to spin faster than the inside tire. An open diff allows this to happen. When an axle is locked at the differential, like when an ARB is engaged, both tires get the same power and spin at the same rate basically. Off pavement this ensures that both tires get power even when one tire may not be in contact with the ground, like a tire may be lifted when negotiating rough terrain. This keeps you moving hopefully in rough terrain. This is how things work when power is applied to the axle when it is locked. It's a little different if power is not being applied. But this may give you an idea what the ARB does.

Does that sound right to you? I looked at the link below and my wheels don't match any of those examples. You may not have free wheeling hubs. Your husband may have changed them at some time. Maybe when he added the ARB, but that would have been an option not a requirement. Some people prefer free wheeling hubs and some prefer "drive flanges" the non free wheeling type. Both have advantages and disadvantages, it's really a matter of personal preference and your particular application/use. Dualmatic hubs are probably the least popular hubs, I have them on my truck. The little levers are a pain to use and get broken easily off road. Your husband may have changed them out to not have to deal with their inconvenience.

I took pictures and will post them as soon as I figure out how to do so. That would give us a better chance to figure out exactly what you have. As for posting pics an easy way is to download the pic at TinyPic.com and then use the "insert image" button on the tool bar (above) when you post. Even I can do it.

Jeff