what happens when you just lock the front dif.

[norcal pinz]

what happens when you only pull the front wheel locker lever and you dont engage the 4WD ?? i always pull my levers in and out in order from 123, 321. just wondering if it will damage anything ?? im thinking it will still be hard to steer but wont have power to the front ??
Also has anyone ever had it in 4WD and only the front lockers locked is there an advantage to this has anyone driven around like that ??

[undysworld]

im thinking it will still be hard to steer but wont have power to the front ??

Yup. I can't think of any reason to do it.

Advantage of being in 4x4 w/ rear unlocked is that on steep downhills, the rear would tend not to slide sideways. The diff. would allow one tire to keep rolling, I think.

[audiocontr]

Sand.

[David Dunn]

With only the front locked, you are more likely to overtorque the front drivetrain..With this in mind, 716/18s were engineered with a front locker lockout that will not let the front lock engage without the rear locked, and automatically disengaged if the rear lock was disengaged (they also engage the front drive when low range is selected). The exceptions weren't worth the possible stresses and damages to the drivetrain.

[norcal pinz]

One more Question for you guys , what about just having the rear locker engaged only, and not in 4WD ? say in the mud to swing the rear of the truck around in a tight turn. will having just the rear locked do damage to anything ??

[4x4Pinz]

locking the front or the rear in separately from the 4wd will not have any ill effects (assuming running gear in good condition) as long as you are not on solid surfaces, ie. blacktop, concrete, solid rock....
Locking just the rear in is no different than having a locking differential in a 2wd truck. You just have to know that when they are locked and you make a turn, one wheel must spin faster than the other or something has to give.
If you pay attention to how the truck responds when engaging lockers in different configurations in controlled environments, you can then apply what you learn when out on the trail and need a little maneuvering ability. The 712 has some very definite times when locker combinations make things just way too easy but few practice them. I have shown a few how to turn their 712 around stuff that most 4x's have to three point while the 712 just rolls through. Another great feature of the pinz and the ability to control the lockers independent of each other.