bought another explorer...

[jayhawkexplorer]

I got a few responses there! In my comment above, I meant using 4x4 HI was dangerous in situations when the road is dry or maybe only slick with rain. By all means, in the snow that's what its for. A lot of people just don't understand when it really should or should not be used.

 

[96limitedX]

I got a few responses there! In my comment above, I meant using 4x4 HI was dangerous in situations when the road is dry or maybe only slick with rain. By all means, in the snow that's what its for. A lot of people just don't understand when it really should or should not be used.

why would it be "unsafe" to use in rain? now i dont use it on the highway in the rain. but i do use it in the summer when its raining and i need to pull out onto the road. or when i'm taking off from a stop light and i dont want the rearend to break loose.

btw here is what i'm talking about with the snow coverd highways and 4x4

 

[briwayjones]

why would it be "unsafe" to use in rain?

It's not as long your on mud. There is still way too much traction to use it on the pavement in the rain.

 

[CDW6212R]

4WD is fine in all conditions, when the front wheels are straight. If the wheels are turned much at all, then there needs to be a slick enough surface so that one end can very easily spin the tires(snow, mud, gravel, air). Regards,

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

why would it be "unsafe" to use in rain? now i dont use it on the highway in the rain. but i do use it in the summer when its raining and i need to pull out onto the road. or when i'm taking off from a stop light and i dont want the rearend to break loose.

btw here is what i'm talking about with the snow coverd highways and 4x4

Its all personal preference, I guess, but I've been in plenty of similar situations at home in Wisconsin (not as much snow as Alaska, I realize) and on a road in as good of shape as the one in your pic, I wouldn't use 4WD HI. That road is essentially dry and turning the wheels when they're locked in 4WD HI could be dangerous, not to mention tearing up your transfer case. The road in that picture would be easily traversed in any car with decent all-season tires.

 

[Mbrooks420]

On the road in the picture I'd be in 2wd. When I say snow covered Highways I mean 4-8 inches. If thats a snowy main road where you live your road crews must be much more efficient than ours.

 

[Ritsui]

I try not to put it in 4wd if there's any pavement showing at all. Rain (without mud) certainly doesn't require 4wd and even packed snow barely needs it.

About the only time I use 4wd on the highway is before the plows get to us.

 

[hostile413]

i didnt realize how much people are diffrent when it comes to using 4 wheel drive..i mainly use mine for snow or mud...or lol pulling little tree stumps out...and yes, i know a explorer isnt meant to do that, but it does a great job at it..lol

 

[410Fortune]

I run my 4x4 on wet roads at times, especially when some of those wet spots might be ice.

It is FINE to run 4x4 in good traction conditions when you are not making sharp turns.

I have never had a t case issue in my 88 and I have been using the 4x4 for 10+ years.

4x4 doesnt like sharp turns, the highway luckily doesnt have any sharp turns.
4x4 in wet conditions is FINE.

 

[96limitedX]

Its all personal preference, I guess, but I've been in plenty of similar situations at home in Wisconsin (not as much snow as Alaska, I realize) and on a road in as good of shape as the one in your pic, I wouldn't use 4WD HI. That road is essentially dry and turning the wheels when they're locked in 4WD HI could be dangerous, not to mention tearing up your transfer case. The road in that picture would be easily traversed in any car with decent all-season tires.

its all personal pref really. but that highway pictured...it has nothing on it for ice melting. so it has a nice layer of ice on it. making getting stop/going..ect ect interesting to say the least. they keep them plowed pretty well. but they are ice rinks..all of them.

we had a guy the other day going down the highway in a dodge pickup. a newer 4x4..he thought it looked dry enouhg to put it in 2wd. as he came around a curve he hit the gas(as he had slowed down for the curve). his truck spun around and went thru the ditch and hit a oncoming car. lucky no one was killed. the truck hit a grand-am with its rear bumper at 55-60mph. the car was toatled. if he would have reached down and fliped his 4x4 switch..it would not have happened.

going down the highway your not causing any "damage" to your t-case. only time you "can" hurt it is if you are turning real sharp on dry pavement causing it to "bind up" otherwise its fine to run in 4x4 and i do it all the time. from october to april my truck is in 4x4. due to the fact there is allways a slick spot somwhere and its not worth the little extra gas you save or what not. that guy the other day almost killed somone cause he was to stupid to put it in 4x4. he even said on the news he wont be doing that anymore.

i think part of it is...here they dont put anything out to melt the ice/snow on our roads. they just plow it and thats it. so they are all glare ice with snow ontop of that. i personaly really like that fact. but i see you guys are used to having semi-dry roads. ours are packed ice/snow. like so..

you just cant live here with a 2wd..it just wont work. hell i have a hard time getting going somtimes with 4x4 and studds.

 

[96limitedX]

410...i also use 4x4 in the rain not as often on the highway. but in town in the rain i allways use it. as i spin out alot at stop lights and pulling out onto roads i spin out. so i just flip the little switch and problem gone.

 

[Mbrooks420]

There's no gaurantee that 4wd would have kept him from wrecking. Maybe if he's a dumbass, and stomped on it. I drive a whole lot in icy/inclement weather and when it gets real bad 4wd doesn't keep you on the road.

 

[410Fortune]

No it sure does not! hahaha but it can help get you back on it! it can also help pull you out of a slide if you let off the brake and hit the gas!

I rolled my AWD on the ice last year, personally I like my 50/50 split 4x4 better. That AWD takes some getting used to IMO.

Here in CO they use Mag Chloride, which melts the snow great, but the stuff itself can be quite slick when its warmer out and it gets all over everything....I wish they would have stuck with gravel/salt personally. this mag chlo is like liquid salt finding its way into every crack.....

I would actually prefer they left them alone and we got snow packed roads instead of metled snow during the day and black ice at night...

 

[96limitedX]

There's no gaurantee that 4wd would have kept him from wrecking. Maybe if he's a dumbass, and stomped on it. I drive a whole lot in icy/inclement weather and when it gets real bad 4wd doesn't keep you on the road.

there is a MUCH MUCH better chance nothing would have happend. i saw exactly how it happend. he hit the gas coming out of the corner and the rear just broke loose and he went for a nice ride. with the front tires pulling there is a much greater chance nothing would have happend. its just not a smart thing to do when you have 4x4 but choose not to use it when its clearly very slick. IMO if there is even a chance in hell it could be slick. better to be safe then sorry.

410, i really like the fact they dont put anything more then alittle gravel down at intersections. it stays nice and packed and you allways know its glare ice. there is no wondering about it.

 

[Green98XLT]

I think many people have the misconception of using 4x4 only when it's really snowy or muddy. It all actuality you can use it on dry pavement with no problems as long as you aren't making sharp turns. I was always taught to engage the 4WD at least once a month or so to keep everything lubed and in working order. It's the guys that never use it that have problems, I never could figure out why so many are afraid to use their damn 4WD.

I flip my Ex in 4Hi once a month and drive it a bit and with 118k miles it has never had a problem with the transfer case/transmission or anything else for that matter. Nor have I ever had a transfer case shift motor go bad

 

[hostile413]

after having the 97 sport with control trac 4x4 for a bit now, i can honestly say that in my opinion, i like my awd drive better. now when i played in the mud with control trac, i like having the option of 4 hi and 4 lo, dont get me wrong, my awd does a great job in the mud. we just got a little snow yesterday and i played in both of the explorers, and the control trac was fun to play in. i had to really get on it to get it to slid sideways, my awd drive sticks to the road pretty good, but with the gas pedal mashed to the floor, she can slid too