Okay, so I really hate that I have a 4x4 that I can almost never use acording to FORD...

I love the feel and control of driving in 4wd but what the hell is a part time transfer case?? The Tech at ford Told me if I wanted to drive in 4WD all the time I would need to swap the transfer-case, axels, ECU, PCM, Trans, and Rear Diff from a ford Explorer sport trac to do that....
That sucks.. Is there anything else I can do?? At that point I will just pay off the Ranger, get it back to stock, trade it in and get a WRX...

Also, since I have a 2002 3.0 Edge... Where are the grease points?? When I do an oil change how do I lubricate the chasis??

 

the "part time" you talk of is whenever you turn it on.


when you have power to all four at all times, thats not 4wd, thats awd.

you bought a truck, not a rally car, and I hope you dont drive in 4x4 on much but loose surfaces...

why dont you trade in for a WRX? you act like your truck is a sports car anyway...

 

Definition of part time is that you have a choice.

1. You can go into 4hi if you don't believe you have good traction. Why the heck do you need 4WD the whole summer driving on paved roads?

2. You get better gas mileage because you can be in 2WD.

3. Having a 4low choice is awesome, it's sortof like a granny gear. An AWD wouldn't have that.

As to buying a WRX? well, you could do that, but it's a seperate type of vehicle. If you use a truck because of the truckbed, you won't find the use of hte WRX. But they are usually pretty damn fast!

Oh also, I see this all the time in the winter. These people with their AWD cars theink they're the **** and decide to act like trucks. They try to park in a foot of snow and get stuck. It doesn't matter that they have 4WD, the snow is too deep and they have low bodies.

But if you feel you have the need, they have better MPG too.

Aaron

 

seriously SUPERGILDO... What is your issue???

I don't know exactly how you meant for that to come out, but that’s pretty di@k.

Let me explain something to you, I know what AWD/4WD is... I am aware that AWD is all four wheels receiving power equally and 4wd split of power from front and rear.

My question is what catastrophic damage does it cause the transfer case if you drive in 4WD on regular roads??

As far as the sports car comment goes, I don't know where you get off thinking that by reading a few Internet posts and watching a movie of me doing a burnout that a lot of truck owners do; you earn the right to break down the social aspects of my life and characterize me.. You know nothing about me.. Yes I do enjoy spending more time on the pavement then I do on the trails, but I was under the impression that this was a melting pot of RANGER "OWNERS" not Ranger OFF-ROADERS.. To each their own... If you have a problem with me then that’s fine.. I don't know you and therefore I am not going to assume anything about you.. I have no qualms with anyone here including you... I wouldn’t pass judgment on anyone because of the questions they ask or their personality.. All I ask is that favor be returned...

 

Let me explain something to you, I know what AWD/4WD is... I am aware that AWD is all four wheels receiving power equally and 4wd split of power from front and rear.

No, that's not AWD to 4WD. AWD is a lack of the power of 4WD and no choice. 4WD is the choice to choose 2WD or 4hi and 4lo.

As to Gildo's comments, he was jus one of those guys who ragged on about the burnout, so of course he's gonna be whiney.

As to the catastrophic damage this is what happens.

If you are going to shift the transfer case into 4WD mode on the pavement, make sure you have some slippage. Yes, the tires must be able to "slip" sometimes. If you do not get slippage, you will get what is called "wind-up." Wind-up is the condition where the front end drivetrain pushes against the rear end drivetrain right about in the middle, or the transfer case. The gear train in the transfer case gets bound up and can cause the rig to come to a stop like someone was holding the vehicle back with a tow rope. Worst case is the transfer case could break or you could twist a drive shaft. Usually, though, the rig will start to slow down for no apparent cause. The remedy is to shift into reverse and back up for a short distance (safely) and "un-wind" the gear case then shift out of 4WD mode.

Aaron

 

calm down, its the internet, ts easy to mis interperet.


basically im saying this. 4x4 on pavement is a BAD idea. Using 4x4 for on pavement traction ideas is not smart. thats not what its made for. I dont care what you use your truck for, but you insult the truck for not measuring up. Im sayng if thats your MO with a vehicle buy the WRX. my roomate has one, theyre great.


no need to get mad or sad, i have nothing against you, im just pointing out the obvious about what youre posting...

 

im not whiney, im just shooting straight. If you want i wont respond to any more of your posts, but youre gonna hear the same thing. im just putting it out there. sorry if you cant handle the truth...

 

Wait.. I thought that AWD was and even distrobution of power between all four wheels... And that 4WD was a split, usualy more power to one set of wheels when the 4WD mode was enagauged.. True in an AWD car you can't turn the 4WD off, but at the same time what is differant about them that they don't have the same problem with "wind-up".. I would imagine an AWD vehicle be it truck or car would have a transfer case right???

I only ask cause it is growing more apparent that what I thought about AWD vs 4WD is completely wrong.. And for that matter, unless your towing or plowing why would anyone ever need 4WD "Low"???

 

wthout getting the pictures or illustrations to help explain the rest of yuor question yet, 4Low is what I use for when Im wheeling. When you dont have enough oomph in high gear, 4 low will reduce the gear ratio and give you more low end. good for the rocks and whatnot...

 

heres a quick little reference...



http://auto.howstuffworks.com/framed...s/drivesys.htm

 

Okay, so in that case 4low should more then likely be used only when you absolutely need it cause if it lowers the gear ratio it sounds as though it would overheat the transmission quite easily..

If that is the case, then can 4wd high put stress on the T/X or is it built to handle the load???

4 the record... I only use 4wd High for ocasional city driving when it rains like hell or snows, or there is the posibilty of ice..... Maybe once in a while I will turn it on at night when I am just cruising arround and want to stick a few corners harder then I should..... but if you think I ment drive it at highway speeds or everyday i didn't mean that at all.... I guess looking at it I can see where that would be implied... I just wanted to know if driving in heavy rain, snow, or the very rare sport drives was okay for the transfer case...

 

the rain and snow are okay but the sport drives are not!! I hate soundin like a dick but thats just not what its made for. and although I dont care if you wheel or not, I implore you to not use 4x4 for "sport driving". even if you dont do highway speeds.

4x4 should be ONLY USED WHEN TRACTION IS QUESTIONABLE BASED ON THE TERRAIN. IE the rain and snow you speak of, dirt roads, muddy roads, etc.


4 Low makes the engine rev MUCH higher because of the low low ratio. which can cause prblems for many things if used at to high of a speed.


I think you need to get a better understanding of yourtruck, for your trucks sake. I would hate for you to screw something up because someone just never told you that it wasnt good. I realize an understanding of your truck doesnt come overnight, but be careful with it, its not a WRX. they are made differently for different purposes and when you force it things brake.

If your truck is your "racing" vehicle or whatever, take the necessary precautions for it. John moorehead hasnt been on in a while, but next time hes on, look for him. he knws a ton about making the ranger fun to drive. he drives in autocross events all the time...

if this doesnt appeal to you then by all means upgrade to the WRX. they ARE great cars that may better suit you. I love my ranger, id never trade it, but i dont want to be a speed demon and hug coners unless they are covered in rocks...

 

Listen I really apreciate the info... I honestly had NO idea that you couldn't use 4x4 on pavement even if you aren't going @ highway speeds. .

Now, you said that rain, snow, dirt, or loose sand / gravel is okay for 4x4.. So in that respect the roads that I am talking about are pavement, but if I use the 4x4 on rainy wet pavement thats okay?? I go up and down a lot of hills and when they are rainy I sometimes have a hard time in 4x2 so I use 4x4H to get arround... (This and snow are mainly what I use it for, though I think now they will be the only time I use it...)

 

Well depends really. What do you mean you're having a hard time? Like, when it's raining in Juneau, it rains hardcore. But I never feel like Its bad enough to be losing control. If you're talking about downhill, then that's all your brakes doing the work. If you're going up really steep hills in the rain and havin problems, altho that doesn't make complete sense, then yes use 4hi to get up there. Just when you get to the top, stop, go into reverse, back up 5 feet, go to 2wd and continue. You can use it sortof, it's just not good. AWD is just 2WD until your tires start spinning and then you hafta regain traction. 4WD gives you that traction, even if you don't need it.

Aaron

 

Pretty much, if you think you're gonna slip then you can go into 4hi. But if you look outside and the afternoon shower is going, don't switch into 4hi. I myself? I use 4WD probably 30 times throught the winter here in Alaska, and I usually use it to do a lil bit of offroading. Otherwise when I'm on the highway im in 2WD and will pull over and switch if the conditions are bad enough.

And most imporantly, in the winter driving slow is better than having 4WD because I've seen 10 cars crash along the same stretch of highway, 4wd and not, because they thought they could go fast.

Aaron

 

Oh heh I don't want to be a postwhore but do this...


Reach into your glove compartment.
Open the black case with your vehicle manual in it
Read the damn 4WD manual! I totally remembered it tells all this ****.

Aaron

 

Well no one has said the real difference b/t an AWD and 4WD xfer-case.

AWD transfer case has a DIFFERENTIAL. Since when you turn, all 4 tires are turning on a different radius and all need to turn at different speeds. So you need a differential in the xfer-case to allow this "differentiation" in speed b/t the front and rear tires. Think of it as an open diff in your rear end, if it was locked and you turned the inside tire (or the tire turning on the smallest radius) is going to keep up the same speed as the outside tire (turning on the larger radius) and will "bark" or squeal all through-out the turn.

4WD xfer-case does not have a differential, so when you are on pavement or a high traction surface and you turn, all 4 wheels still need to turn on a different radius, but, the xfer-case does not allow any "differential" in speeds b/t the front and rear driveshafts, so the drivetrain essentially "binds up". With this bind up you can break chains, or even crack the case.

If you have to ask what 4-lo is for, please go buy a 2 wheel drive.

 

Thats really interesting,

I think the best setup would be a transfer case with a locking differential and a 4lo option. So you could unlock the center diff and use 4hi when you think you need it, and then lock it up for off-roading and when in 4lo. But somehow I doubt they make one

 

Transfer cases don't have differentials. They spin the front and rear driveshafts at the same speed. The differentials are located on the axles, and they allow the wheels to turn at different speeds.

 

Look at a Range Rover.... They have the type of setup your talking about.

For what it's worth, here is my opinion of AWD vs. 4WD from arguments between friends...

4WD has a transfer case that is either ON or OFF, no inbetween. And when it's on, both driveshafts will ALWAYS turn at the same speed (wheel speed then is deturmined by the differentials open/locked/LS).

AWD has a transfer case that is does not always turn the driveshafts at the same speed. The transfer case is either electrally selectable, ECU selectable, or may have viscous clutch (like a WRX). In the Sport Trac, it is an ECU selectable transfer case when in "part-time" mode. If the ABS sensors determine wheel slip, it will lock the transfer case. Otherwise, it's primarily in 2wd (at least that the way the '00 explorers are).

Hope that helps some...

 

Im suprised nobody said anything on this. It is almost always the other way around. WRX I know for sure is not a 50/50 power ratio front to back and it has been my experience that most AWD are weighted more in the back and most 4x4s use 50/50.

 

now, someone explain my f150's np203 to me!!! lol

 

Lil Asian men are stuffed inside your truck and do all the grunt work..Don't talk about it, proprietory Ford tech information

Aaron

 

AWD transfercases HAVE DIFFERENTIALS. HOW THE **** ELSE CAN THE 2 DRIVESHAFTS SPIN AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS!?! Go search google and read about the system before you put down someones correct response.

 

EDIT: quoted from offroaders.com

NP 203
Type: Chain-driven, cast-iron
Low-range ratio: 2.00:1
Weight (lbs.): 165
Lubricant: 10W-30/10W-40
Length (in.): 21.5
Width (in.): 19.0
Height (in.): 15.0
Used by: Ford, Chevy, and Dodge in all 1971-80 full-size vehicles. Use depended on the year, model, engine, and transmission. It is suitable for V-8 power in trucks with GVWRs of up to 10,000 pounds.
The NP 203 is a "full-time" transfer case; it has a set of differential gears which allow for full-time operation; the differential action can be manually locked out. Kits are available to eliminate the action and convert the 'case to part-time. An NP 203 can be distinguished from a part-time NP 205 by its single-piece rear output housing and shift rail coming out the side of the case.