Leading on from engine dramas in high-kay 4WDs are the
problems that develop in our drivelines. Whether it’s a blown
diff or a cooked transmission, all these problems can seriously
quickly grind a trip to a halt and put a big dint in your budget.
Let’s talk high-kay drivelines for a moment.
MODERN DRIVELINE TOUGHNESS
How tough are modern automatic transmissions compared to older
style autos in 4WDs? How do they stand up to big kays? We put this
question to Rocket Rod from Wholesale Automatic Tranmissions.
“In the case of the big players they are brilliant,” Rod says.
“Manufacturers are improving year by year as technology advances
and more importantly the understanding of these advancements is
what has changed the most. Yes, some brands are better than others
with some models letting the fi nal product down a bit by cost cutting
on oil coolers and valve body calibrations etc that would otherwise
turn most transmissions into 400,000Km plus unit. It’s interesting to
note that the big players such as Toyota 200 Series Land Cruiser and
Nissan Y62 Patrol have the best chances of achieving longevity
simply because they put the effort into the extras that the
transmission needs to survive in Australia’s back yard but even
these along with most models can be improved greatly with
aftermarket products.”
OTHER DRIVELINE COMPONENTS
What about the rest of the driveline - have diffs, tailshafts, CV
shafts etc gotten stronger or weaker in modern 4WDs?
“I believe that tail shafts and universal joints have improved
greatly!” Rocket continues. “But sadly the IFS CV shafts have been
left well behind. It would seem that the weak link will always remain
exactly that. It is possible to improve these greatly but it just never
seems to happen unfortunately. As for the differential, well I think
that they are about as advanced as you are going to get and are as
good as they were two decades ago.”
HIGH MILEAGE DRIVELINE SECRETS
What is the secret to getting big kays out of your auto transmission
in terms of servicing and preventative maintenance?
“Simple!” says Rocket. “Regular servicing and yes, that
includes all so called “sealed transmissions”. Once every two years
or 40,000kms is a must have for all automatic transmissions and
remember that there are a number of automatic upgrades for most
make and models that will make a world of difference to reliability,
fuel economy and usability. For example, Nomad Valve Body, Oil
Cooler Kit, Temp Gauge and Lock-Up Kit just to name a few.”SIGNS OF AN AGING DRIVELINE
What are the symptoms of an aging driveline that may need serious
attention/money spent on it in the near future? Rodney lets us in on
how to crystal-ball it.
“Back lash and oil leaks are certainly the two that stand out in the
crowd but these along with shifting problems are all mostly taken
care of with regular servicing,” Rockey says. “What has changed
more than anything is that many people have stopped servicing their
transmissions and these are the transmissions that we see with the
problems more often than not. Take my advice, servicing is key to the
longevity of any automatic transmission and don’t listen to any
person of questionable moral fi bre who may have male genitals
stuck to their forehead that tells you otherwise!”HOW TO EXTEND THE
LIFE OF YOUR DRIVELINE
What tricks or rules should you live by to extend the life of your
driveline from transmission to diffs?
“Maintenance!” says Rocket. “Especially after big trips where you
have done water crossings or deep bog holes etc. This must include
transmission, differential, transfercase, brakes etc. They will all
need to be looked at and for god sake don’t forget the wheel
bearings, I don’t know how many times I have had to change wheel
bearings because of water crossings. And rule number one! Nothing
is truly sealed, nothing!”How do lighter-duty modern drivelines hold up to big kays?
DRIVELINE TOUGNESS
WWW.4WDACTION.COM.AU
Overall, driveline toughness has not
decreased amongst modern 4WDsModern auto gearboxes
are light-years ahead of
their old counterparts
in terms of reliability