4x4 novice please educate me

[bikerboy4lif]

Driving in 4x4 on dry pavement will do damage when you turn. Because the front wheels are going a different speed the rear wheels, when you turn. And because there is no differentional in the transfer case, something will bind. And doing that alot will damage u joints, hubs, axle shafts and tires. You really don't need 4x4 if your are goin like above 30 mph anyway on the highway. So just turn it off if it looks dry. 4x4 won't help you stop or steer any better, at high speed.

 

[MattPersman]

thanks bud, I went over to howstuffworks.com and read up on 4wd and it doesn't give much reason other than its bad for it and causes excess wear.

I felt that binding last weekend, pulled in to a parking lot that must have been clear enough and when I turned into a spot it was like the truck was gonna jump off the ground, didn't feel too good.

guess I will only turn the 4wd on when I REALLY need it

thanks

 

[rayko]

I use my 4WD according to road conditions. I use my judgement as to when the truck feels squirrly in the snow.
If the snow is deep, on a major highway(before plowing), I use the 4WD. I'm not going very fast when the conditions do not warrant it.

There is nothing I enjoy more than driving in adverse conditions. But I do know the limits of my vehicle and do use common sense..............

 

[Ray Lobato]

Need to clear some things up

I think we need to clear some things up here before we go any further.
The Transfer case motor doesn't do anything until you change from 4Hi to 4lo. During normal 2wd driving and during 4hi that transfercase motor is in the hi position. the transfercase motor has 3 positions hi, neutral and lo.
The neutral position is only used for towing and is an option from Ford. The transfercase motor is normally in the hi position. It will shift to the lo position when the lo button is pressed, The truck must be in neutral and you must be stepping on the break when the button is pressed. If not then it will not engage the lo position.
The shift motor does not put you into 4wd. That is accomplished by a solenoid on the front of the transfercase that engages some clutches in the transfercase, that will cause the front drive shaft to turn.
under normal 2wd the front drive shaft does not move. when in 4wd the front drive shaft will move, causing the auto hubs to engage. In most cases for 4wd not working, it is a failur of the auto hubs to engage. You can tell this by having some one walk and watch the driveshaft turn while in 4wd. if you drive shaft turns but your wheels don't the you auto hubs are shot and you should replace them, with manuals, because they are cheaper and stronger than the auto hubs.
If you are in 4wd and they notice that the drive shaft is not turning, then there is a problem with the solenoid or the clutches in the transfercase. Sometimes you can beat it into submission by banging on the transfercase with a RUBBER MALLET by the soleniod. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
I hope this clears a few things up.

 

[rapdes]

The main reason you should not use 4WD on dry pavement is for when you are turning. When you go around a corner the front and rear wheels turn at a slightly different speed. When the transfer case is locked in you've locked the front and rear wheels together and they WILL turn at the same rate. If you engage your 4WD and try to make a tight turn VERY SLOWLY on dry pavement you will feel the drive train tighten up until there is no more slack and then either the front or rear wheel will skid free. I do not recommend you do this because it puts a great strain on the drivetrain though.
There are some vehicles that have what is called full time 4WD as opposed to the part time 4WD that the explorer has. My Dodge Durango has this option, basically what is does in this mode is there is a differential in the transfer case that will allow some slippage so you can turn. This then lets you drive in 4WD on any surface type. But since there is a differential between the front and rear wheels it is not as good in 4WD as the part time mode.

 

[Hollowpoint]

Ok guys now I have a question because all these answer have got me confused. Here is my problem:
Went to check my driveline before a big trip that I have planned. I noticed I was getting poor gas mileage for about a month now and thought it might be that my auto hubs are stuck in the locked position. I have a 98 Sport. It has Auto, 4hi and 4lo on a dial. Now when I jacked up the front of the truck and turned a tire (with one tire still on the ground), everything turned. Wheel, axle, driveshaft. Is this normal. I was under the impression that the front drivetrain doesn't turn when in auto. Am I mistaken? Should I take the truck in and have it looked at?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[slag]

4x4 won't help you stop or steer any better, at high speed.

Untrue. When in 4wd, the front wheels will most definitely help you steer better by pulling you in the direction you need to go. People also say 4wd is no better than front or rear wheel drive on ice, but thats also incorrect. Every little bit of traction you can get will help you move. If you have 4 wheels trying to get traction and someone else only has 2, you will be better prepared in icy conditions.

 

[bobbm1]

Ok guys now I have a question because all these answer have got me confused. Here is my problem:
Went to check my driveline before a big trip that I have planned. I noticed I was getting poor gas mileage for about a month now and thought it might be that my auto hubs are stuck in the locked position. I have a 98 Sport. It has Auto, 4hi and 4lo on a dial. Now when I jacked up the front of the truck and turned a tire (with one tire still on the ground), everything turned. Wheel, axle, driveshaft. Is this normal. I was under the impression that the front drivetrain doesn't turn when in auto. Am I mistaken? Should I take the truck in and have it looked at?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I believe that most of the discussion in this thread has been about Gen 1 Explorers..Pre 96 I think...If your selector has Auto, 4hi and 4lo That would be control trac and the hubs are locked all the time so yes the driveshaft would turn.

 

[ccanuk]

because the front wheels spin slightly faster than the rear tires, this is to help you climb over obsticals, the rear pushing you forward, the fronts doing the climbing... on dry pavement all wheels are forced to spin at the same speed where in mud the fronts can slip a little.

the above as I know it, is the difference between AWD and 4WD, AWD all wheels spin at exactly the same speed

anyone have any comments on this, this is what I was taught when I was on my Cross Country/Extreme conditions Driving course with the military

 

[Hollowpoint]

Thanks a million bobbm1. That really helps me out. I think I might just do a tune up one her and see if that helps. Just saved me a trip to the dealer.