I use 4-lo all the time on difficult/rock trails/obstacles. With our little v6's I don't even try it in 4-hi. It's so much easier to control wheel speed in 4-lo than revving up in 4hi.

 

prolly but we live in different regions, here its flat, and strait roads. and when it snows almost no one is on the roads.

 

I use 4WD hi as soon as I hit a dirt trail even if it is not required. I like to have as much traction as possible for control. When I get into the rougher stuff I switch to 4WD low because it is easier to drive slow in low. After I switch to low I will leave it in low even if I hit a stretch of relatively smooth trail. I will run it up to around 25 mph and I don't think that hurts anything. If I know the trail is going to be not so rough for a while and I will want to go faster than 25 mph, I switch it back to 4WD hi.

If it is raining hard or there is snow/slush on the road I put it in 4WD hi for better control. I keep in mind braking is not improved by having it in 4WD and drive accordingly.

 

i use 4 lo 100% of the time im on the trail.. now when im just plain rompin through mud holes im in 4 hi all the time

 

Zab, when u see a patch of snow on the road, instead of throwing it in 4x4hi, just take your foot off the gas. this will cause the truck to slow down at a slower rate, wont lock the wheels at all, and ull just coast safely over the patch of snow... heh. trust me, it works.

 

if goind higher speeds you def dont want to use 4lo 4 hi is for speed trail use,

 

I was just out four wheeling today and I had it in 4hi the entire time and I'd say 3/4 of the ppl on this forum would refuse to go up some of these trails barely big enough for my flareside (glorified atv trails). 45 degree angle up and down and some spots side to side. I thought the truck was gonna roll going into some of the ruts that my old 79 f150 carved up. You better be in some deep doo doo or need to be cautious, like hazzard mentioned to need to use 4lo. If you know nothing about off-roading or it just makes you feel better then use 4lo. Just hope you're still under warranty while out using 4lo all the time. And the Ford opinion on the 4hi issue is that they don't recommend it over 55mph but admit that it is safe to use up to 80 mph. I did some homework on that when I first bought my truck, I asked the dealer and did some research online.

 

i really don't pay attention to my speed offroad, i watch the tach and dummy gauges[mostly fuel and water temp] but i know the last time i went out, i was in 4lo, being winched up a slick, wet heavily leafed steep hill, with trees everywhere, and i had it in first [auto] and had that engine running at about 3000 rpm, then up to 5000 a few times to see if i did any better. I also tried lower rpms, nothing was working. But i have no clue what speed it was running, but nothing broke, everything checked out fine the monday after.
I've run the engine up all the way in 4lo and first, a few times in drive, more then a handful of times, but all 4 fours just spin, and throw mud everywhere.
Our transfer cases are built tough, but i know our CV's are not as tough

 

I like 4-low in second, its lower than first gear which I can wind up to almost 50mph....
and i can put it in 1st for engine braking on decents.. yes engine braking with an automatic.... of course this would be on say the hillsides in st.clair (by centralia)
if im creeping in mud 4-low so i dont have to rev the engine upto 2500 to overcome the mud. if I expect alot of wheel spin 4-high in mud.

the 2002 manual says dont SHIFT into or out of 4x4 above 55mph.. it says nothing about not using it above 55mph.

 

sure....

Yes but according to ford and my dealer it is safe to shift into 4hi up to 80mph. Zabeard said he threw it into 4hi @ 100mph. The proof is in the puddin.

 

There in-lies the problem. Why the **** would you need to shift into 4wd at any speed above 55mph? Hey why don't you go try to shift it into park going 100! Seewhat kind of pudding that makes.

4lo in mud is stupid. 4lo has alot more control over your vehicle and on obstacles. Being "afraid" or "cautious" is not why you use 4lo. 4hi puts a huge strain on the t-convertor and tranny (or clutch) where as 4l0 puts alot less strain on the engine and tranny.

4hi is for muddy/sloppy trails. If a trail does not require the use of 4lo, it is not worth driving IMO. 45* incline is nothing to brag about lol.

 

neither is having a 3.0 in a 4x4 =]

 

With 5.13's, a 6.25:1 low range, what do I need big power for? Big power = break ****. My 3.0 with my gearing will get me over anything I want it to.

Go look at all the UROC and similar rock crawling events and tell me how many of them have small 4 cylinder engines geared really low.

 

all of the yotas and ukies all come with 4 bangers..i guess i really never thought about that..just gear them suckers LOW...intrested..well i learned my thingy for the day

 

lol i was just breakin your *****, chill.

and when i'm paying 450$ a month for the next two years yet, feeling my truck is about to tip over is a big deal. sorry i don't have huge tires and travel your truck has. at stock it is a big deal.

 

You mean like this:




I still can't belive that kid did that run in his full-size. I thought it was a tight fit in my Ranger. .. And as it turned out he had to do some slight 'trail maintanence' to make it anyhow..



Your dealer told you so you know it's right uh? Every time I bring my truck in for service at my dealer he asks me how I swapped a manual t-case into a Ranger like that.. or compliments me on my 'sweet custom shifters'.. or gives me a hard time for running 'oversize aftermarket' tires!

Dealers barely know their asses from holes in the wall. Don't rely on them for all your info.
All except those equipped w/ 3.4L V6..

 

^ Ever make a dealer feel stupid as hell? Great times, they should know their cars better than the engine SIZE, transmission, color, and trim packages.

Topic:

I only had to use 4wd once this winter and that was in my hometown (the snow plows left at least 1.5 inch of snow on the roads). And I stop to put my truck into 4wd. But i still want an e-locker.

 

ya E-Lockers sound good, but my dad has pounded me to the ground to NOT touch the rear differential....

 

i have never used 4lo in my truck. to tell u the truth i have never been offroading (like through the woods and all).

 

get some mudders and let me kno how that works out. im hear to tell ya it doesnt work.

control is 1000x better in 4x4 in the snow/ice. braking is the same. jsut give yourself the right stopping distance and you will be fine.

ive stated it before and ill say it agian. id much rather be running in 4x4 if there is snow/ice on the roads than in 2wd. around here you would be a crazy fool not to have it in 4wd.

to me its not a tough decision. click it in 4wd and dont worry about it.

the drivetrian isnt gonna take a crap because you drove on the highway for a little while when it was dry.

 

I agree however when you are in rush hour traffic and you can barely see the road and everyone and their mother are hauling *** down the road, you use 4hi. I try to keep it around 60 but it depends on traffic. I use 4hi all the time when its getting slick on the highway, its the reason I bought a 4wd truck.

You go over the slightest bump in the road doing 65 and you rear end gets squirly, now do that in snow in 2wd and watch as you begin driving sideways into the guardrail.

 

i never use 4lo... or 4 hi for that matter

 

well, from a technical view as far as is it goes for 4hi at higher speeds look at the design of the 2000.5-up rangers... the front drivetrain is a live axle setup meaning in 2wd the entire front drivetrain (axle shaft, diff, and front driveshaft) is still spinning at the same speeds as the rear no matter how fast you are going. the ONLY thing in those trucks that makes a difference between 2wd and 4wd is the transfercase. the reason that its not advisable to use 4wd at higher speeds is because normally at higher speeds you are on pavement, and useing 4wd on pavement and trying to turn causes massive amounts of binding in the drivetrain as the front and rear axles try and go at different speeds and the t-case has them locked together and wont let them. If you are on a surface such as dirt or mud or deeper snow or ice it doesnt matter because the tires can slip some relieveing any binding that may occur. if you want to use 4wd on pavement and the highway all the time swap an AWD 4404 t-case in place of the selectable 1354 and have AWD and not worry about any binding ever.