Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

I see the front hubs on the trol can be "locked" and when I asked Fanie about this when I bought it, he mentioned he generally left them in the unlock or is it the auto position?

How do these work in auto? do they "sense" the wheel spin and do they lock up on demand? and if so when would the lock position be selected?

My previous Nissan bakkie had manual locking hubs.

In auto mode, they lock when you engage 4wd.

The lock position is an overide in case the auto hubs don't work AFAIK.

In Auto mode the hubs engage drive to the front wheels automatically when the front sideshafts are powered (i.e. when 4H or 4L is engaged). Unlike with a torque-on-demand system, they do not sense wheel slip, but rather engage positively. This means that wind-up will be created in 4H or 4L when cornering on a high-grip surface, also unlike with a torque-on-demand system.

When the drive direction changes, such as when reversing after driving forward, the autohubs disengage and then re-engage in the new drive direction. This can also happen during more demanding off-highway work if the front wheels experience torque reversals. This can make the hubs disengage and then re-engage violently, creating damaging impact loads. Under more severe conditions it is therefore better to manually lock the wheel hubs using the wheel spanner. I always do this, unless the terrain is easy (e.g. glorified dirt road )

P.S. Then again, so many terrains are easy in a Patrol

Thanks Guy's What would you do in sand - Lock them anyway? Fanie nmentioned he did the desert up to Walvis and I can't remember if he said he locked it or not - he did mention he left it normally in Auto.

OK then if slippery will lock them as well.

If in doubt, lock them. It is not really more hassle than with manual hub locks and with the hubs locked you minimize the likelihood of damaging the auto hub locks due to shock loads.