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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / October 2006Using 4X4
When I am on gravel roads I usually don't use the 4x4 until I think I need it. I was travelling with another truck this weekend on some roads that went ranged from flattish gravel to fairly steep and rocky. I was still able to get up most of the hills in 2WD but a friend was using his 4X4 the whole time and in 4LO much of the time. His idea was that it was easier on the drivetrain to spread out the torque over both differentials and that it was easier on the engine and tranny in LO. Even a small amount of slippage puts shock and stress on the drivetrain when the wheel spins and then stops. All that makes sense to me, I think I have always tried to save the 4x4 for when I need it but maybe I haven't been thinking correctly about it. So, when do you guys put the truck in 4x4 and 4LO and why? Stephen N.--->and yes, it was hella fun. > When I am on gravel roads I usually don't use the 4x4 until I think I > need it. I was travelling with another truck this weekend on some roads [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Stephen N.--->and yes, it was hella fun. I use low range when pulling my boat out of the water or driving in soft sand or mud. No harm in using it or not. Better to not get stuck though. >I use low range when pulling my boat out of the water or driving in soft >sand or mud. No harm in using it or not. Better to not get stuck though. Been driving 4x4's for over 35 years and I always go as far as I can in 2wd and then when that fails I use 4x4 and proceed with caution. Also be aware of the fact that when you are in 4x4 you have very little skid control becuase wheel will all be turning as same speed even though they take different rolling radious paths in a skid and since they are force to the same speed the break traction with ground and with it your directional control. You are not hurting anything is 2wd hi unless you are having to slip clutch a lot or ride torque converter excessively to maintain motion. ----------------- TheSnoMan.com > Also be aware of the fact that when you are in 4x4 you have very > little skid control becuase wheel will all be turning as same speed > even though they take different rolling radious paths in a skid and That's not true unless you have front and rear locking differentials which most do not. >That's not true unless you have front and rear locking differentials >which most do not. You are in error. When you turn the wheels must assume different gorund paths of different lengths and when they are locked in 4x4 even with open diffs they cannot do so. Simply physics here. 4x4 is designed to be used on a loose surface so some slippage can occur. Some vehicals have come with fulltime 4x4 (I have a old Jeep with Quadratrac) that have a differentail between front and rear axle to negate this problem. Just put you 4x4 in 4x4 in a paved surface and start to ,ake a tight turn and see how quickly it binds up from this because there is no slippage to relieve torque bind from different rolling radius between axle and wheels. ----------------- TheSnoMan.com > When I am on gravel roads I usually don't use the 4x4 until I think I need > it. I was travelling with another truck this weekend on some roads that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > over both differentials and that it was easier on the engine and tranny in > LO. If you've got a central differential, that'll work. If not, it's quite the opposite, really. Regular old part-time 4WD (where you have a centrally locked differential) allows you to build up torque on one axle and send it to the other. This is called "windup" and of course it is caused by the difference in speeds in the front and rear end. This difference is inevitable. You've probably heard of it, where it everybody told you not to use 4WD on dry pavement (or you read it in the owner's manual) because you'll break something and blah blah blah. "Breaking something" is not caused by spreading torque out. It's caused by piling on lots of extra torque from someplace else. The someplace else is the buildup of opposing torques between one axle and the other. On gravels, of course, it doesn't make any difference. If both axles are spinning, then you can spread out the torque in centrally locked 4WD. That's the only time. I just keep it in 4X4 most of the time unless I know I can't get stuck then I use 2x2. > When I am on gravel roads I usually don't use the 4x4 until I think I need > it. I was travelling with another truck this weekend on some roads that [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Stephen N.--->and yes, it was hella fun. Which side do you balance on two wheels? >I just keep it in 4X4 most of the time unless I know I can't get stuck then >I use 2x2. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> >> Stephen N.--->and yes, it was hella fun. |
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