4 wheel drive question

[Josef86]

I had some one ask me this and I'm not sure. What is the max speed you can saftly shift in or out of 4wdhi and 2wd?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I never had any problems switching at up to 65mph. As the front drive is always up to speed I doubt it really matters.

 

[mrboyle]

I wouldn't recomend switching into 4wd at any speed over 45mph. You may be able to shift in at any speed, but for your own saftey it is much wiser to do it at a lower speed (and DO NOT try to shift into 4wd if the rear tires are spinning). You can shift out at any speed.

 

[gijoecam]

Does anyone ever crack their owner's manual anymore??

Page 136 of your owner's manual states,
"Shifting from 2wd (2wd high) to 4x4 high (4wd high)
Move the 4wd control to the 4x4 HIGH position.
--At temperatures below 0*C (32*F), shifts should not be performed above 72 km/h (45 mph). Do not shift into 4x4high with the rear wheels slipping.

Shifting from 4x4high to 2wd high
Move the 4wd control to 2wd at any forward speed.
--You DO NOT need to operate the vehicle in reverse to disengage the 4wd system."

Now, keep in mind, the above-stated rules do NOT apply to all second-gen Explorers, just the '01 Sports.

-Joe

 

[Josef86]

I wish when I bought mine in came with the owners manual. My personal thoughts were if you need to be in 4 wheel drive for any reason (snow for example) you should not be going faster then 45 anyway. How many cars do you see upside down in a ditch because they were driving to fast.....

 

[gijoecam]

You can download an owner's manual from www.motorcraft.com---> technical resources---> owner guides ---> select your year, make, and model, and it'll open a PDF file. Save that PDF file to your PC and you can print it or refer to it as necessary.

There are plenty of other times you may need 4wd at higher speeds... as mentioned above, those speeds aren't uncommon off-road.

-Joe