Just wondering

 

I know on the F150 you can engage 4high up to 55 mph... Not sure if its the same for the Ranger...

 

You can engage and disengage 4wd Hi and any speed. Lo is the one you have to stop for.

 

As far as the speed you can go AFTER engaging -- there's really no limit in theory, but in practice consider the following:

1. The lack of "differentiation" in speed between the front and rear wheels can cause traction loss during cornering. This can lead to dramatic transitions from understeer to oversteer during high speed maneuvering which could cause a loss of control.

2. Differences in front/rear tire diameter cause a lot of stress in the drivetrain and slip on the tire/road interface. Faster in this case means higher frequency shock loads as force builds up and releases, and increased tire wear. You can end up with quite a bit of vibration during 4WD high speed street use.

Those are the main considerations I do believe.

Those things don't apply to what is popularly known these days as "all wheel drive" because the vast majority of those systems have center differentials of some sort to allow all 4 wheels to turn at different speeds if required.

 

 

 

i use 4 high all the time on the street when its wet and i need to get to speed quick. on a wet freeway on rap i went up to 70 with no problem.

 

if you need 4wd in the rain you shouldnt be driving.

 

i agree.. if you cant get through rain, how the hell do you get through mudd, and if you dont go through mud, then why the hell do you own a 4x4?

 

4wd on pavement, why would you want to and can't you break something?

 

Yes, that was part of the point of my post.

 

alrighty thanks guys

 

99% of the time i don't need it but when its dumping rain in seattle and you have to go from a stop on an up hill grade and get into 50mph trafic it helps. i can actualy use the power my engine has and not waste time burning my tires. with out it theres no way i would make it into traffic in some places. i have 4x4 i might as well use it.

 

its the same with my ranger and its even harder for me on wet hills cuz my truck is stick, i would have used 4x4 when i spinning on the hill during a green light and only going 2kp/h but my shifter motor was out so i had to drop it in second and go from there.

 

^^^ exactly

 

It's why AWD is so popular. My wife's Escape is awesome in the rain. It sticks to the road like gold digger to a sugar daddy...

4WD is harmless in the straightaway for short distances and you'll see the main argument is against high speed use, extended street use, and the terrible and even dangerous handling characteristics that can result.

 

i second the AWD escapes my mom has one and on any thing but ice you cant get the thing to slip a wheel.

as for pavement, my 4x4 use is limited to 500 ft max just for quick launches into traffic. i worry to much to use it more for the exact reasons you listed. but god it helps getting a quick start.

 

im not stupid enough to use my 4wd on the road its useless unless theres ice on the road and can't keep the truck on the road

 

I don't think this thread really went in this direction but to answer the question from the title.

I have gone 50 in 4 high. That is on a gravel road/driveway.

 

the manual says 55 for 4 hi and no speed limit on 4-lo is listed but i imagine its 55 or less.

most offroad books say you should avoid 4wd over 25 mph to prevent excessive wear of tires and other driveline components .i generaly follow this rule of thumb but sometimes i go faster. It should only be used on low traction surfaces that will allow the tires to easily scrub.dry pavement is bad but in a straight line for a short time seems ok.

if your having really bad problems like that in the rain you need some good a/t tires with sipping and atleast 10.5 inches wide . locker or l/s outback. some weight in the bedtoo .... I have 250 pounds in the bed, trac lock ,and 265/75/16 toyo a/t and its hard to break the tires loose even in the rain. the same setup with stock tires i could burn out at any time in first gear either going fast or slow .... part of no spinning now is i lost alot of torque with the bigger tires . but even the cornering traction is improved dramaticaly in the rain . some traction bars may also improve your launch into freeway traffic .

 

ive said it before but you can disengage and engage in 4wd at 100mph or less. dont believe me? i tried it and i have a member that was ridding with me when i did it.


there is 100% no reason why it would not work at any speed. let off the throttle and it will go in. i would not recommend running it like that for long on sticky surface, but you can do it.

i have ran 75/80 and been in and out of 4wd high several times. I like white knuckle driving. ask anyone that follows me or rides with me

 

I've gone 90 on a snowy road in my old '95 f150 and my ranger. Smart? No. Fun? Yes!

 

I'm also one of those idiot loser non-drivers who also occasionally engages 4WD during a heavy rain storm. I understand that I must be a fool to think that 4WD is for anything except 'wheelin and snowstorms, and I realize that trying to drive more safely is never a good thing. But I've learned to live with these shortcomings in my character.

FWIW: My neighbor's '99 Edge's transfer case literally blew up (inside at least) on account of him driving on the highway for long distances with it stuck in 4WD. He ended up needing a new TC and had to replacel both driveshafts. (I suppose that means the diffs are a lot stronger than the TC drive gears, because AFAIK the diffs seem to be OK). I'm not sure if it was caused by "axle wind up" or whatever, but that's what happened.

 

actually aren't the transfer cases in our trucks chain driven......i would like to think that the gears in the diffs were stronger than a chain...

 

if your tires can slip 4WD in a Ranger will not be hurt
straight line driving also keeps all the parts meshing well
my owners manual indicates 4WD may be switched on at up to 80MPH
I have freequently switched between 2WD and 4WD on the highway in snowstorms at speeds over 55 MPH
no problems or ill effects
I would not use 4WD for tight turn manuvering unless there were snow, mud or wet grass on a hill involved