These trucks actually have an open front differential, but yes, they still bind up in 4x4 on dry pavement.
These trucks actually have an open front differential, but yes, they still bind up in 4x4 on dry pavemen
The presence of an open front differential has NOTHING to do with driveline bind in a part-time 4x4 system, and that’s the key point being missed here.
The binding occurs because there is NO CENTER DIFF between the front and rear axles. In 4H, the transfer case mechanically locks the front and rear driveshafts together, forcing them to rotate at the same average speed. When you turn on high-traction surfaces, the front and rear axles must rotate at different speeds due to different turning radii - and there’s nowhere for that speed difference to be absorbed. That’s what causes wind-up.
An open front diff only allows left vs right wheel speed difference on the front axle. It does nothing to relieve the speed mismatch between the front axle and rear axle. So whether the front diff is open or locked is irrelevant to the binding issue.
As for the steering feedback: yes, solid-axle trucks with U-joint front shafts (not CVs) will transmit torque variation during steering, which is why you feel jerking or kickback - but that’s only a symptom, not the root cause. The root cause is torsional wind-up from a locked front/rear driveline on a high-traction surface.
That’s also why:
Loose surfaces (snow, dirt, wet pavement) reduce the problem - tire slip relieves wind-up
Full-time 4WD or AWD systems with a center differential don’t have this issue (there are many variations of late, some that don't have a center diff, but rather a clutch of some type...)
Locking hubs disengaged = no bind, even in 4H
So yes, most of these trucks have an open front differential - but that does not prevent binding, and it’s not what determines whether 4WD can be safely used on dry pavement. The deciding factor is the absence of a center diff in a part-time system...
