The manuals, unlike the automatics, are full time 4WD. Basically, the manuals are stuck in 4Hi all the time. From there they can go into 4Lo or neutral. This is also part of the reason the Autos have better gas mileage.

 

Yes they are "full time 4Wd" but more like AWD so there is no fear of binding on dry pavement. Not to get into the specfics but it will operate similar to any AWD vehicle but can access 4-Lo when necessary.

 

ic is there any advantage to having full time 4WD, besides for eating gas? Also why didnt toyota just call it AWD? wats the difference? Sry i am confused...i always thought fulltime 4WD ment AWD....

 

Read this thread.....all questions answered.........

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...at-difference-between-awd-full-time-4wd-part-time-4wd.html?highlight=awd+vs+fwd

 

I hate it... I can't drive auto. I just can't. I have a great deal of trouble getting an auto to do what I want, so I went MT. I don't need 4WD all the time, nor do I need the crappy gas mileage as a result. Plus now I have a center diff which is just one more thing for me to change the oil in. I want manual locking front hubs and a good solid driveshaft.

I'm going to go drive my pickup...

 

I hate it... I can't drive auto. I just can't. I have a great deal of trouble getting an auto to do what I want, so I went MT. I don't need 4WD all the time, nor do I need the crappy gas mileage as a result. Plus now I have a center diff which is just one more thing for me to change the oil in. I want manual locking front hubs and a good solid driveshaft.

I'm going to go drive my pickup...[/Q

The differential is a torsen unit in the transfer case. It is NOT a seperate case. The traction on pavement and rain/snowy roads is far superior to part time 4wd. The torsen diff. is a very nice diff.(no clutches to wear out like subarus and other cheap awd vehicles) These were actually developed for the rear diff. in formula 1 cars to give a non-binding/non-chattering limited slip that can handle lots of torque and HP without worring about failure. Really, there is nothing more simple in design and there is nothing that works better for torque splitting. I think the cost of the torsen is why the man and auto trans option is a very small difference in charge. If you like manual trans. it is the way to go. Most of the worlds finest super cars that have AWD use torsen diff. Think Porsche, Bugatti, aston martin, Mercedes, etc. It is definitely a very awesome piece of engineering.

 

It would be nice if you could switch it. But i must say i love the traction and handeling in slick streets. While others are spinning tires you just launch!!

 

Another advantage is the fact that there is no thinking involved. Up here, we get partially covered roads that go from clear to drifting snow quickly and back to clear so you really can't drive in 4WD and there is no point in shifting. The full time 4WD makes that easier....

FYI - I went with the Auto....Wife can't drive standard and I need a designated driver from time to time....lol..just kidding...kind of.

 

I agree with you gnwhite. I tried to lose traction the rain the other night and VSC didn't even kick in. I was amazed.

 

the traction on wet surfaces is insane.

you can bolt off from stop lights at full speed in the rain without worrying about wheel spin, and corner without wondering if the rear end will get a little slippy.

 

the manual 4X4 is set up for all time 4 wheel drive. You can also shift it from AWD into 4 hi or 4 lo. In the automatic you can only shift into 4 hi and 4 lo from 2hi. First off you probably don't want to go speeding down the highway in 4hi also it is designed for wet or loose conditions not dry pavement. You will notice this if you put it into 4 hi and try to turn a U turn, or any turn on dry pavement for that matter. You might damage the transmission if you keep it in 4 hi on dry pavement or at high speeds.

 

Thank you... i am doing this all wrong :flamed:

 

The last manual I had was a 1992 YJ and I loved wheeling the manual tranny. So I got the manual now in the FJ and its fun to drive. Actually feel like I am driving again. The clutch is sweet. My wife even drove it the other day and the last manual she drove was the old YJ and she did good. For me the added bonus and also the negative(MPG) was the full time 4WD. Now we need some snow in NJ to really play with it

 

I love the Manual tranny. At first I wondered about my purchase people were whining about more moving parts etc...
After reading All-Pro's post about what it takes to regear the front and rear diffs I am absolutely sure I made the right decision. From what I understand when it comes time to regear the diffs, the autos are going to have to get the front diff from a manual to regear $$$.

"One last thing - there is a case break on the front differential. This means there are 2 different cases, or differential offsets: one that fits 3.73 and down, and the other that fits 3.91 and up. So if you have an Automatic FJ with 3.73 gears and want to go to a 3.91, 4.56 or 4.88 ratio, you need an open diff from a stick shift wth the factory 3.91, or you can change to an aftermarket diff like an ARB and get yourself some extra traction at the same time."-Rockrawler