So the first time I had broken my diff it was not entirely my fault.

But... the next time it might be. As I am planning to do the "gray" wire mod on
my 4Runner I don't want to break it again for a stupid reason.

I have heard of guys who do this with their 4Rs but they are highly modded.
I need to know if I can lock the diff in 2 wheel drive without breaking anything
because it is only a center locker.
Or if I should play it save and only use this in 4hi and 4lo. It may not matter if
I do the VTRAC VSC off anyway.

Need some input here.

 

So, did you add an E-locked rear axle when your first one broke?
There is nothing wrong with locking the rear diff in 2WD depending on the conditions, speed, and driver.

 

Do you mean that you can lock your center diff?

Unless you added an e-locker to the rear axle, the only way you can lock the center diff is in 4wd (it locks the driveshafts together ex. the front and rear driveshaft have to spin the same speed vs. they can move different speeds if unlocked)

 

I must be wrong because I thought an elocker was as in electronic.

Mine is and its a center differential lock so all the wheels have to spin together.

I was confused because there are guys who have the same year 4runner who do this
in 2wd but they may or may not have swapped.

 

Generally , the E-Locker is used to describe the electric rear differential locker found on the 96-00 Models. The grey wire mod is used to be able to lock your rear differential locker in any range. This wire is grey in tacomas and blue/red in 4Runners.

What you have is just a centre diff lock...Nothing really that "special" and is pretty common. This is found on 99-00 Limiteds, and 01-02.
The only benefit is allowing you to be in either 4wd where your front and rear is "locked" to where you are in a AWD type of mode.
So unless you are doing something with the VSC and TRAC, which is referred to as the Andy mod, then you have me confused.

 

Yes that is what I'm very likely to be doing.

Sorry for the confusion it was just that I have seen some guys on other websites with 4Rs who do this in 2wd and that had me confused so I wanted someone else's opinion. because they didn't say they had swapped anything and yet they still use the center diff button (at least) in 2wd

 

they prolly have the rear differential e-locker which would make it possible without breaking anything opposed to the one you have which locks it all together at the transfer case so basically im thinking you wouldnt be able to use that if you just wanted one end locked up

 

Thats what I was thinking.

Also when Im going around town and stuff in 2wd, do I have to be careful not to push the button? or will it not do any thing like it already does in 2 and 4hi?

I wanted to know just in case I accidentally press it since I wouldn't have a need for it in 2 wheel anyway

 

Just to clarify, a center diff lock will not make all your wheels spin together. It just locks the transfer case and makes it regular 4WD. When it's unlocked, you get AWD (this is the feature of having the center diff lock).

It just makes the front and rear axles turn at the same speed, but the power will still go to the tire with the least resistance on each axle, that's where front and rear diff lockers com in. Only they will lock both tires on a single axle together.

Toyota is dumb for calling their selectable transfer case a "diff lock" because it just confuses people. People don't think of their transfer case as a diff, but that's what Toyota is calling it in this case.

 

Finally I have a proper explanation of what it really does.

Toyota is dumb for that. Before I was starting to get scared that both the front weren't
spinning when I had finally gotten it stuck for the first time. second time I broke it.

Funny story actually, guy in 10 inch lift cj with a 350 and HUGE swampers gets stuck in
6 inches of snow trying to get me out for 40 minutes. same reason is it wouldn't
spin the tire that would do the most good.

 

A cj? don't they normally have e-lockers all the way around? friend of mine has a rubicon that does. just wondering. good luck on the mods man, and sorry for the thread jack, I seem to be good at that. Just a kid tryin to learn as much as I can.

 

The center diff allows the front axle and the rear axle to spin at different speeds. This will keep the drivetrain from binding. This will also only give you one wheel drive if you are in a very slippery condition. If you are wheeling and need 4 wheel drive then lock the center diff. This will give equal power to the front driveshaft. Unlocked you will be open rear diff, open front diff and open center diff allowing a lot to slip and spin independently.

Toyota calls it a center diff lock because it locks the center/transfer case differential. Yes there is a differential in the transfer case.

 

It was like a 70's one. It had manual hubs up front but the guy tried to explain to me that he could only do it while moving.

My friend did it all the time in his old tacoma.

And last I checked its hard to lock your front while driving.

 

I had a 70s CJ with manual hubs. You get out and lock them. Then you pull the lever to put it in 4wd. Done!