Which is better, Part time or Full time?

[AdventurerSport]

Fulltime 4wd RULES! If you need a 4x4, why would you NOT want it to work fulltime?? If you don't need fulltime 4wd, you probably don't NEED 4wd, you just think that you want it...:P

JS

I agree 110% :)

JS

[Gordon Maney]

I agree 110% :)

JS

You know, maybe the only way you will convert these skeptics for sure is by doing an article for the magazine on the relative merits of part time and full time four wheel drive...

















i wonder if he is getting the hint......

[MoparNorm]

You agree with What? Yourself? Do you realize that you're agreeing with your own post, or are you trying to be funny? :P

JS

Ha!Ha!
I was wondering the same thing but didn't have time to ask....= )

[mr_dodge]

Not obvious to me, yet

Well, I have a '93 Grand Cherokee that is Full Time. I like it a lot, though I wasn't prepared to. Having had a CJ5, it is really nice to not get out to play with the hubs. We have an uphill dirt road that gets pretty ugly when the rains come to the desert.

I'm just buying an 84 Ram 250 4X4 ... what type does it have? I think I remember the lever having 2, 4HI and 4Lo.

Sorry for the uninformed question ... lots to learn!

Thanks,

Rod in Tucson

[MoparNorm]

If the transfer case has 2WD as an option, you have a part time case, but with CAD or automatic axle disconnects.
As far as I know, only the NP203 and NP242 have the full time mode. And only the 242 allows the driver to choose between full time and part time AND 2WD. To know for sure you can look at the rear of the case for the NP model number tag.

[AdventurerSport]

Dodge trucks came equipped with NP203 fulltime t-cases from the factory for model years 1975-1979, and Ramcharger and Trailduster SUVs in '74 model year as well (SUVs 74-79).

Most early 80s models have NP208, parttime t-case.

NP203 has Lo-Loc, Lo, Neural, Hi, Hi-Loc selection on the lever
Most parttime t-cases have 2Hi, 4Hi, Neutral, 4Lo

:)

JS

[74w300uteline]

leaning towards fulltime

Some persuasive arguments for full time have me thinking about giving up trying to find 73 w 200 running gear for the 73 d 100. Would fulltime be easier to find? Would the cab& bed graft be more complex because of the few year difference between 73 and 76/77?

[MoparNorm]

Just about any running gear after 1975, until 1993, is desirable and will bolt right in. In 1975 Dodge made disc brakes standard......= ) In 1994 the new Ram swapped sides with the front differential....= (

[waynebo]

part time by a mile,,better gas mileage and less wear on t-case and front axle and front drive shaft,,tires too..also no annoying steering wheel kick back when turning,,and fun to shoot rooster tail on old dirt roads,,can't do that with full time..if the weather is bad lock in the hubs and use 4x4 as needed,,,who want 6-9 mpg with fulltime,,thats what i get with my m880,,sucks,,,wayne p.s= going to make it part time

[MoparNorm]

You've posted the same thing 3 times now, so we get it, but it doesn't change the vote total.
Why don't you give us some more information such as what transfer case you have and what year is your truck?
1)I don't think you're talking about a true Full Time system, there is only the "annoying steering wheel kick back" in a Part Time rig driven on a hard surface, NOT in a Full Time rig, unless your truck has the MileMarker conversion to Part Time, then it does indeed suck.
2) As stated by others in the preceding posts, fuel economy and wear differences are negligible, I say that "shooting rooster tails" is your main reason that you are seeing crummy fuel economy, not the transfer case. Driving habits, gear ratio, tire size, tire inflation, air filter and general vehicle maintenance determine fuel economy much more than the drive train.
3) There are a multitude of reasons to have 4WD besides the weather.
I'd be willing to bet that when you go to convert the transfer case, you'll find you already have Part Time.

[AdventurerSport]

You've posted the same thing 3 times now, so we get it, but it doesn't change the vote total.
Why don't you give us some more information such as what transfer case you have and what year is your truck?
1)I don't think you're talking about a true Full Time system, there is only the "annoying steering wheel kick back" in a Part Time rig driven on a hard surface, NOT in a Full Time rig, unless your truck has the MileMarker conversion to Part Time, then it does indeed suck.
2) As stated by others in the preceding posts, fuel economy and wear differences are negligible, I say that "shooting rooster tails" is your main reason that you are seeing crummy fuel economy, not the transfer case. Driving habits, gear ratio, tire size, tire inflation, air filter and general vehicle maintenance determine fuel economy much more than the drive train.
3) There are a multitude of reasons to have 4WD besides the weather.
I'd be willing to bet that when you go to convert the transfer case, you'll find you already have Part Time.

I agree 120%! :) "annoying steering wheel kick back" has never occurred on any of my fulltime trucks..? :P Thanks Norm! :)

[Gordon Maney]

part time by a mile,,better gas mileage and less wear on t-case and front axle and front drive shaft,,tires too..also no annoying steering wheel kick back when turning,,and fun to shoot rooster tail on old dirt roads,,can't do that with full time..if the weather is bad lock in the hubs and use 4x4 as needed,,,who want 6-9 mpg with fulltime,,thats what i get with my m880,,sucks,,,wayne p.s= going to make it part time

what do you mean by steering wheel kickback? I do know that any of the [what I call] later trucks with open knuckles and cross and roller joints will have bad behavior on tractive surfaces. Lots of bucking and lurching. I like my W300 much better than my 2001 truck for that reason. The Trachta joints are not really constant velocity, but they are close and much better mannered.

Also, your email address is bad, I can't reach you.

Write to me at b1pw1948@earthlink.net

[yogibare143]

I'm all for Full Time. Put Mile Marker conversion in my first 77 Power wagon in 1988 and it made no difference in mileage. Had 360, 435 Trans and 355 gears. Had to replace rear bearing twice even running it in Hi Loc once a week. We get really bad Ice storms here in Oklahoma and Lock hubs were iced over when needed. Broke one trying to chip ice out. Took conversion back out when I put 440 in truck in 1990 and never looked back.

[AdventurerSport]

I'm all for Full Time. Put Mile Marker conversion in my first 77 Power wagon in 1988 and it made no difference in mileage. Had 360, 435 Trans and 355 gears. Had to replace rear bearing twice even running it in Hi Loc once a week. We get really bad Ice storms here in Oklahoma and Lock hubs were iced over when needed. Broke one trying to chip ice out. Took conversion back out when I put 440 in truck in 1990 and never looked back.

Thank you for your honesty and real world experience in this matter. :)

Now, tell us more about your truck..pics? :)

JS

[mr_dodge]

I think I'm sold on full-time ... which type does a 1990 have?

Thanks for the replies,

Rod in Tucson