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4x4 question

2K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  TARM 
#1 ·
my truck has manual hubs so its a pain to lock and unlock them while im out and about...but i have a question about using 4x4

tonight it snowed and the side roads were kinda bad since it was the first snow of the year, but it was only a dusting and not really heavy snow

i was having a few traction problems and didnt like being in 2wd with all the torque these trucks have

but i heard not to use them when its dry out or hard packed pavement...

the issue is, the side roads had a light coat of now, but the freeway was clear for the most part

would i hurt my truck at all driving it in 4x4 on the freeway if theres nothing but just water and a little ice?

what about on the heavily trafficed corners that are wet instead of snow covered?

i go from ####ty country roads onto nice used main city roads in one trip, and wanna know if i can safely do that in 4x4 or if i have to pull over and unlock my hubs anytime im on "wet" roads?


im sure this has been covered...i tried to search but couldnt find anything
 
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#2 ·
You mean just keep your hubs locked in not the trans case? You can run with your hubs locked all year if you really want to, there is (or should be) fluid in your front diff so all its going to do is hurt your mileage a little and rob some power. In winter I try to unlock them as often as I can but I run on the interstate with the hubs locked sometimes, there is a difference between 4x4 locked in and just having your hubs locked though, I wouldnt keep the tcase locked all the time..
 
#4 ·
yep leave em locked in and just pull it in and out of 4x when needed.... and no going around a corner or for that matter a few miles won't grenade something
but it is much harder on the drivetrain in 4x4 than 2wd on dry pavement
so avoid it but don't worry about crossing dry patches

Shoot a (not so bright) friend of mine drove his truck 1000 miles in july in 4x4 because he forgot.... we had to put a couple u joints in it and I'm sure it took some life off of it

The main issue is that the driveline binds and the torque on it creats heat in moving parts..... this doesn't happen in 1/4 mile... it also unloads every time you hit some slick stuff so patchy is ok
 
#5 ·
can i go in and out of 4x4 while im moving or do i have to stop? i know i need to be in neutral for 4low, but can i drop it into 4hi while im driving? and back to 2hi?

and the main thing i was worried about, is i was pulling a tree stump out once by the road...so i was in the road in 4x4, but i had to reposition and while manuevering, it was binding really bad with the hubs locked...i dont want to tear anything up

with the hubs locked, and the tcase in 2hi, will i still be binding up? or is that only if its in 4hi/lo?
 
#7 ·
i know i need to be in neutral for 4low
Yeah, I know that's what the manual says, but after having 7 4X4's, 6 of them autos, I found you're better off throwing the the trans in park when going to the low side. Granted, my last two I've never tried it in neutral, but all the other autos would grind like hell when shifting with the trans in neutral. Unless all my trucks have had the same thing wrong with them, I plan on doing it like that. On a manual trans, just completely stop, hold clutch to the floor, and shift to the low side.
Try being a little lighter on the fuel if you're having trouble with a slight dusting of snow. ;)
 
#6 ·
You can switch it in and out of 2wd to 4wd HI while moving,but you should let of the acc. pedal,so it wont have a load on it or be in a bine.
 
#10 ·
ok thanks for the clarity

Yeah, I know that's what the manual says, but after having 7 4X4's, 6 of them autos, I found you're better off throwing the the trans in park when going to the low side. Granted, my last two I've never tried it in neutral, but all the other autos would grind like hell when shifting with the trans in neutral. Unless all my trucks have had the same thing wrong with them, I plan on doing it like that. On a manual trans, just completely stop, hold clutch to the floor, and shift to the low side.
Try being a little lighter on the fuel if you're having trouble with a slight dusting of snow. ;)
my truck wont go into low unless its in neutral...if its in park, it will not shift at all, no grinding or anything, it just physically will not go into low...in neutral it glides right in....and i wasnt slipping and sliding around, i was being easy on the gas...but the on ramp i took from my girls house is almost a 180* turn, and it was very slick...but with how light the snow was, im assuming i probably hit some ice...it wasnt bad though, just had me thinking ahead for later on in winter since i have a feeling its going to be a bad one

Tip: Check your oil in the diffs everytime you change your oil. And change the diff/trans/T-case fluid everytime you change your FF.
how do i check the oil in the diffs? i think i have an axel seal that is leaking a little bit, and my pumpkin is oily looking but no spots on the ground or anything
 
#8 ·
Only Ford has ran lockouts past 94. Everyone else is full time up to the diff. That said, I often leave my front locked in 2wd all winter and part of the spring.


Tip: Check your oil in the diffs everytime you change your oil. And change the diff/trans/T-case fluid everytime you change your FF.
 
#9 ·
Only Ford has ran lockouts past 94. Everyone else is full time up to the diff. That said, I often leave my front locked in 2wd all winter and part of the spring.


Tip: Check your oil in the diffs everytime you change your oil. And change the diff/trans/T-case fluid everytime you change your FF.
I thought they were running vacuum or electrical disconnects.
 
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