I pulled a couple people out of a Snow drift today, and when i tried with the first guy, i put it in 4-Lo.. and nothing i just dug in..this was before i had any tension on the tow rope....with tension it was worse... i took it out of 4-Lo and yanked him right out....

I noticed the first time i wheeled, up and slightly muddy wet incline, in 4-Lo i just about burried myself... swapped to 4-Hi and drove right out...

why is this?

 

You're overpowering it then. It's all about throttle and gears really. Put/start the vehicle in a higher gear so you don't produce so much torque. Gear selection is 4 low is just as important as 4 high -- it's just different. I've been experimenting and in 4 lo I can break the wheels loose with too much throttle really easily. Shift my automatic to "2" (which is actually 3rd gear, go figure) and it's much harder to break it loose.

 

4 low sends more torque to the wheels but reduces wheel speed. So in 4 low you will break the tires loose a lot easier. For mud you need wheel speed so you would have to have it in high range. Same goes for snow.

 

Too much torque to the wheels, its like tripling the HP to the wheels and they spin.
Something you might try is using 2 gear instead of 1st it will cut back on the torque. Or on an auto don't use drive drop it down to the 2 it will decrease the torque available.

In my 76 Bronco I used to put in in 4lo and smoke all four tires. haha till I broke a shaft. Also with posi in front and back and gear transfer case I had to jack up front wheels to Undo lock outs. haha With all gear on the old bronc ya didn't lock it in on dry pavement.
MaxB

 

So when is 4Lo a good thing in an offroad situation? rock crawling?

 

Yes, and steep hill climbing and so forth. Valuable for me anyway since I have a 3.0 and it's short of real torque.

 

4lo is great for crawling like mentioned but i also find 4lo great for when you just need that little bit of extra power. or the dang thing just boggs out. pulling people out and you can get good bite 4lo is nice.

i know the 4.0 does not create a whole lot of power until the rpms are up, sometimes you cant do this with 4hi, use 4lo

 

Ok thanks guys, i'm surprised i didnt know this. Its my first 4WD truck.

 

I've been wheeling and came up to where the trail gets very steep. I slowly start going up it but I hit the rev limiter in 4 high (I think it's around 3k rpm?). I then have to switch it into 4 low. In 4 low I have enough torqure to get up that portion of the trail. Out here in the desert we have a lot of rocks and when I want to go very slow over really rocky off camber tearrain I use 4 low and 1st gear. It helps me so the truck goes very slow and I have plenty of control. I also like to when going down steep hills. I don't have to use the breaks as much. I'm in 4 low more than 4 high on some trails, it all depends on what trail I'm wheeling.

 

I was pulling everyone out in pismo in my friends dodge 3500 cummins dually, running in 4 low and 2nd gear (its a manual). That thing has soooooo much torque, i'd just let off the clutch and pull em out.

 

I have to pop it into 4low all the time when im goign aroudn powerline roads out here.. some places ar ejust too steep and rocky for 4high to get you anywhere.. the wheels dont spin.. its just our 4.0's dont have enough power to continue carrying the weight up the hill.. so you gotta back down it, pop it into 4low, and crawl up in first.. works everytime

 

damn, i've hit the 2hi throttle cutoff in 4lo/5th gear baja'in through corn fields
i don't have a tuner either...haha


seriously though, with my 4.10's and 33's there are a few mountain trails that my ranger actually dogs out completely part way up the trail in freakin first gear with a running start in 4hi!!!! and i've got jba headers, spec stage 2 clutch, full exhaust, intake, reloped cams, run 93 octane 10%methanol 24/7.

foot to the floor and the hill is just so steep, even with 100% traction, the rpms will drop under 500 rpms and the motor dogs out....dead....period. then you gotta coast to the bottom and stick it in 4lo to get up it.

i can't wait to get my truck back and try those trails with the 4.56's and the aussie up front. traction was never a problem but power was, i'm interested to see how it handles power with that locker in the front diff though.

 

Yep.. thats one reason why sometime in the later future.. I wouldnt mind dropping in a v8 once I have the knowledge needed to do it.. same gas mileage, but a hell of alot more power to it. ******* out an engine isnt fun.. especially if you got a long way to go till you can put it into 4low properly... on those steep hills you cant just stop and ptu it in sadly..

That, or a supercharger.. but honestly, I woudl ratehr just v8 the truck

 

ya i find that it does, take a couple weekend ago for instance.. was tryin to ****** out this 77 f250, that was dead (dead weight) put it in 4hi.. gunned it.. nothing happened... dropped it in 4lo gave it some gas just completly buried myself, needless to say i didnt get him out

 

your right foot got ahead of itself. I ran into the 4hi problem pulling my boat off the lawn when it slid off the planks the tires were on. 4hi just didnt wanna move it. 4 lo in 1st and it pulled it right out... and hell, that boat is 10,000lbs all by itself... dragged it thru almost a foot of mud for about 6ft too.... Frickin ranger has some *****.

 

I wish my lawn had about a foot of mud. lol