Low Range 2 Wheel Drive
THIS MODIFICATION HAS BEEN TRIALLED ON SEVERAL VEHICLES; SOME HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE WIRING BEING DIFFERENT ON THEIR PARTICULAR VERSION & OTHERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. YOU WILL NEED TO ENSURE YOUR VEHICLES WIRING IS THE SAME AS THE CIRCUIT DIAGRAMS BEFORE COMMENCING.
YOU MAY VOID YOUR WARRANTY IF PROBLEMS ARISE FROM GETTING IT WRONG.
THE OWNERS, MANAGEMENT, MODERATORS & MEMBERS OF NEWTRITON.NET TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR ISSUES ARISING FROM ATTEMPTING THIS MODIFICATION ON ANY VEHICLE.
ONLY TRY THIS IF YOU ARE COMPETENT WITH MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL WORKINGS.ATTEMPT THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!The original Low Range 2WD mod was done on a 2009 ML GLX. (No Super Select & No Diff Locks)
It has since been done on MN & Super Select models by others.
IF YOU HAVE AN SS MODEL DO NOT USE ORIGINAL MOD!! as others have found out it will blow a fuse as the violet wire switches to ground on centre diff lock switch.
IF YOU HAVE AN AUTO FRONT LOCKER THIS MOD IS NOT POSSIBLE.
This mod was first trialled in mid 2012, since that time I have not used it often but has been very handy when needed. I have had no problems occur in the time it has been fitted.
It was my decision to originally post this in the Platinum Members area from for various reasons, but I feel it is now the right time to bring it to the general area. There is more posts describing some of the testing & problems found in the original thread for those that would like to support the forum by becoming a subscriber.
See here for detailsI hope this will spark some interest & get some new minds thinking about how this type of mod could be worked to the newer models without the diff actuator, either electrically or by mechanical means.
It has been finetuned over the last 2 years by some other members to suit the different variations of the Triton. This can be found in the Platinum Members area. It is up to the original poster to make the decision whether to make the information available to all members.
OK, now down to business..
Why bother you may ask
. - Mainly because I could,
& secondly have you ever tried to back a trailer up a hill on sealed surface & need it to go slow but not wanted to ride the clutch.
With this mod there is no wind-up
& for those that blow CV’s on a regular basis it could help being able to turn off the front drive leaving the rear in low range to move it to flatter ground for repairs.
I’m sure there are other uses too.
How it works-
As you may know, the front actuator is activated by a vacuum system & is really just an automatic locking hub.
2WD has the vacuum applied full time & 4wd cuts the vacuum to the actuator. (This is why you should not tow or free-roll without the motor running)
I was initially looking at the vacuum system to change the way the actuator worked but there are 2 vac hoses & solenoids & this complicated things, so I decided on an electrical solution.
By tracing the wires on a workshop manual I was able to work out what all the switches on the gearbox/transfer case & diff do & where the 4WD control box is located. From there it was a case of adding a switch to the system to add power to the vac solenoids while in 4WD, this then applies vacuum to the actuator releasing the locking mechanism.
I used the original power circuit to run the solenoids as that way the correct fuse is still in effect.
As I expected when I flick the switch in 4WD I get the dash light flashing because it thinks there is a circuit fault. This is a good warning light as it reminds you that you are only in 2WD.
The control box is situated above the passengers foot-well & the violet wire is the one going to power the solenoids. The white/black is the power wire & is active with ignition on.
My switch is located on the plastic panel in front of the 4WD lever. It is very inconspicuous there & is positioned so that when down the system is normal. Unless the vehicle was in 4WD you would think that it did nothing as there is nothing to indicate what it does. It is very unlikely to be knocked upward to activate the circuit.
One thing I do know is that it should not be used on long distance or high speed driving as the actuator only dis-engages one axle from the drive & leaves one free running. This means the diff would be working overtime when in 4WD as the transfer case would still be sending drive up front.
4x4 circuit 2.pdf
4x4 solenoid valve.pdf
4x4 vacuum plumbing.pdf
DESCRIPTION OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION 4x4 Vacuum System.pdf
Transmission Wiring Harness.pdf
Transmission Wiring.pdf
Those that are serious about this mod please contact me via PM for the PDF files, as the links are not working
The connector C27 is the one at the 4wd control box
C29 & C30 are the lower 2 connectors behind the passenger kick panel (C29 is the bottom one)
Circuit diagrams -click for full pic
how to do it...
splice power from the black/white wire on pin 3
solder to output side of a SPDT switch
cut violet wire on pin 7
solder output side to the centre pin of the switch
solder the controller unit side to the other output pin on the switch.
The theory....
when the switch is in position 1 the violet wire conducts as normal
when the switch is in position 2 the controller is isolated from any current flowing from the white/black input back to the violet controller output.
At the same time power from the white/black is fed to the solenoid side of the violet wire.
I hope this clears up some of the mystery.
For those of you with the earlier diff actuator models with super select or diff lock that find this useful information, the fix for you can be found in the Platinum Lounge along with a few other little gems