Can anybody tell me if an 02 discovery is all time 4wd or does the front wheels need to be engaged first before the rear engages??

The reason I'm asking is I lost a u-joint on the front drive line this weekend and to make an emergency repair to get home I figured I could take off the entire driveline and just use the rear, and I did, but as I went to drive away there was nothing. Does that mean I have a broken transfer case to the rear wheels or is it by design?

 

You will have to take off the front drive shaft and LOCK the CDL, if you have the CDL. If you don't have a CDL idk what to do.

 

Not so sure as to what a CDL is, can you enlighten me?

 

It won't do it by design. You would have to lock the transfer case, which tou can't do on an 02. Unless somebody happened to install an earliertransfer caseI think your stuck.

 

The CDL is the center locking differential.
The transfer case is a third differential, with out it locked it will send power to the driveshaft with the least resistance.
No front driveshaft means no resistance so all the power goes there. With no driveshaft hooked up no go.

These trucks are full time four wheel drive. The nature of four wheel drive sends equal power to both front and rear axles as long as both axles are on equal ground.
Physics dictates where the power goes, and the power goes to the axle with the least amount of resistance.

 

Well I already have a new driveline on the way but I guess what my question is about is once I get it installed am I running just on the front wheels (and causing further damage) or is that only by design? Some guy at a local 4X shop told me the front wheels needed to be engaged first so I thought I'd ask some LR pros here.

 

Thanks Spike555 you answered my question!

 

Once the new front driveshaft is in you will be back to full time four wheel drive.
There is n othing wrong with your t-case.