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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / December 2005Newbie 4x4 Advice Please?
Hi. I just took possession of a nice 1995 Ford F-250 4WD. I'm new to 4WD...can anyone give me tips as how to use it? I've heard not to make turns with it engaged. Would it hurt anything just to engage it and drive a mile or two to check things out? Also...What maintenance is required? I plan to take it to a mechanic...but I would like to have some resources available to me in an effort to educate myself. Maybe some webs links? Thanks, Chuck Do you have manual or automatic hubs? : Hi. : [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] : : Thanks, Chuck I would not engage it on a dry road, even for testing. A dirt or gravel road would be a good choice. You can make turns with 4WD engaged, it's just not a good idea to do it on dry pavement. Sharp turns, such as while parking, can also cause binding in the drive train and should be avoided. Only engage 4WD on surfaces which will allow the front wheels to slip - snow, ice, sand, gravel, mud, etc. Also, avoid the mistake of many new 4x4 owners - Four wheel drive will help you to GO, but it will not help you STOP! There is a false sense of security when you can get moving in low-traction conditions. Ice is ice. Newton's laws apply. > Hi. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thanks, Chuck I would like to provide a different opinion to your last paragraph. Your statement would be true if all four wheels always had equal braking. But, that doesn't happen in real life. Assume you are going down slope on a icy road and approaching a stop sign. You would want all four wheel to provide equal braking to distribute the braking force to all four wheels. Now, imagine if just one wheel locked up (which does happen). Then the braking would be on just 3 wheels increasing the braking requirement for the 3 wheels by 33%. This process continues until nothing works. When in 4WD, no single wheel locks by itself. All four wheels always provide some braking. All four wheels turn together. If one locks up, they all lock up. I live in the mountains where 4WD braking is the only hope at one intersection. It is not just a matter of watching my speed. Gravity is pushing the vehicle. Of course common sense must apply and 4WD does not insure no problem. The point is that 4WD braking is superior to non-4WD braking on ice/snow. : I would not engage it on a dry road, even for testing. A dirt or gravel road : would be a good choice. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] : > : > Thanks, Chuck Point taken - technically, 4 wheel drive can provide braking advantages in certain situations - if you have experience to back you up and you pay attention to conditions. This does not help the "I'm invincible" 4x4 driver who thinks that because they can get up to 70 by stomping on the go-pedal on a snow-covered roadway, they can just as easily stop or turn. As the OP is a self-proclaimed newbie, I offer this overconfidence as a common pitfall. In my million plus miles of driving, the majority of stupid and avoidable winter accidents I have seen (at least since the SUV craze started) involved 4x4's. Those with 2wd went slowly because they had to. Many with 4wd went fast because they *could*, and I've seen too many pay the price. > I would like to provide a different opinion to your last paragraph. > [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > : > > : > Thanks, Chuck You are absolutely right. And, I understand your caution. We see your point every winter with what we call the ''flat lander's'' from the valley below. Every weekend all we here is sirens caused by visitors on the icy roads. Many of them SUV's trying to show how invincible they are and trying to justify their 4WD. : Point taken - technically, 4 wheel drive can provide braking advantages in : certain situations - if you have experience to back you up and you pay [quoted text clipped - 70 lines] : > : > : > : > Thanks, Chuck If you have a fully locking front and rear differential anlong with the transfer dase in a for lock position (not with a viscous coupler) only then if one wheel stops all 4 will stop. Proven by many goverment and aftermarket agencies that 4 wheel antilock brake systems are far superior to even professionals on non antilock systems. In a fully locked 4WD system you can't have abs > : > I would like to provide a different opinion to your last paragraph. > : > [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > : > : > > : > : > Thanks, Chuck >I would not engage it on a dry road, even for testing. A dirt or gravel road >would be a good choice. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >when you can get moving in low-traction conditions. Ice is ice. Newton's >laws apply. Also watch out for understeer in corners with the front wheels driving.. > Hi. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I've heard not to make turns with it engaged. Would it hurt anything just > to engage it and drive a mile or two to check things out? It comes down to 4WD does not equal AWD. 4WD should never be driven on surfaces with good traction since the drivetrain will not allow all 4 wheels to rotate at different speeds at the same time. So any imbalance in wheel size, tire pressure, turning, etc will cause torque in one wheel that must now slip to release the stress in that axle. On snowy, slushy conditions it's no problem since the wheels are always pawing at the snow. But the better the traction, and the tighter the turns, the more 4WD mode puts a beating on the drivetrain. I'm also a 4wd newbie, but last week I drove it in 4wd for a couple of trips. One trip I left it in 4wd the whole way, and on the others I simply locked the hubs and kept a hand near the 4wd button. Definitely I'll only do it when there is not pavement showing, and you have to keep your speed down since 4wd does not improve stopping distance or stupid drivers around you. Plus my gas mileage when from 12mpg to 8mpg when going from 2wd to 4wd. Dave
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