Do I have intelligent 4wd or no?

[DoraAExplorer]

Locked 4wd sucks for anything other than a 8k pound CCLB SuperDuty, explorer is too light. Sand mode seems the most aggressive but pretty sure the transfer case is just a viscous with no clutches or locking coupler. So hard to find info on the transfer case or front axle disconnect. I will say the first time in bad weather my butt was puckered up hard in the explorer. Haven’t heard an ABS unit run this much since my 1993 accord or 1994 probe GT, two of the most horrible winter cars ever. Now the other guy at my work running an explorer XLT on 20s worked at Subaru and owned many says the Explorer is a beast. Glad it’s a company car, I ditch it and hit a tree I’ll get a ST next time.

LOL, this is wrong on so many levels. The Ford FX4 package includes 4L and 4A this locks both front and rear diffs together giving 100 percent traction. I owned a Subaru Forester with X Mode and it had Bridgestone crappy tires and it would hold on any type of slippery road regardless of tires. The ability to lock the diffs front and rear either from a viscous LSD or Torsen LSD will always provide better traction than open diffs being under the control of brake vectoring. The Explorer would be vastly superior with actual LSDs in the rear and with the AWD setup for the front as well.

It doesn't make for confidence inspiring AWD setups. I could spend all day talking about Subaru and their AWD as it is a benchmark system when combined with its boxer engines makes for a formidable setup. Granted you only need the system when you need the system and what usually is less than a week of these conditions for us made no sense to get the AWD Explorer. At least Ford could add the options to the Explorer line up which would raise the price which is probably why Ford hasn't put the technology into the Explorer. I would be happy with a LSD rear instead of a brake setup which combined with the tires provides inferior traction.

 

[BJB94]

Locked center diff with a vehicle that is as close to 50/50 as the explorer is and it will not turn. This isent a Subaru with the majority of its weight over the front wheels. We can argue all day my first Subaru was a XT turbo with a RS trans with high low open center diff with locking center diff and LSD rear. My SuperDuty with the diesel has more weight over the front wheels so yes it will turn when in 4wd. I will still take the RWD based explorer for driving experience over any front wheel based platform.

 

[DoraAExplorer]

Locked center diff with a vehicle that is as close to 50/50 as the explorer is and it will not turn. This isent a Subaru with the majority of its weight over the front wheels. We can argue all day my first Subaru was a XT turbo with a RS trans with high low open center diff with locking center diff and LSD rear. My SuperDuty with the diesel has more weight over the front wheels so yes it will turn when in 4wd. I will still take the RWD based explorer for driving experience over any front wheel based platform.

Subaru is not front wheel biased in the DCCD unit STI, maybe one of the few that are not. It is a 40/60 split when placed in "-" mode bias plus you can lock the differential up front to back in another mode. It is one of the most advanced commercially available AWD system on the market. I agree the RWD Explorer has an excellent driving experience which is why we all own them. However, it could benefit from the RWD pumpkin having a locking viscous or torsen LSD in it, which would not be much more of an add on instead of using a brake based coupling system in various driving modes which doesn't really do much.

 

[Rick]

From personal experience, every vehicle I have driven on the ice with a locking differential has pulled the rear of the vehicle towards the ditch due to road crown.

 

[Flashflood]

LOL, this is wrong on so many levels. The Ford FX4 package includes 4L and 4A this locks both front and rear diffs together giving 100 percent traction. I owned a Subaru Forester with X Mode and it had Bridgestone crappy tires and it would hold on any type of slippery road regardless of tires. The ability to lock the diffs front and rear either from a viscous LSD or Torsen LSD will always provide better traction than open diffs being under the control of brake vectoring. The Explorer would be vastly superior with actual LSDs in the rear and with the AWD setup for the front as well.

It doesn't make for confidence inspiring AWD setups. I could spend all day talking about Subaru and their AWD as it is a benchmark system when combined with its boxer engines makes for a formidable setup. Granted you only need the system when you need the system and what usually is less than a week of these conditions for us made no sense to get the AWD Explorer. At least Ford could add the options to the Explorer line up which would raise the price which is probably why Ford hasn't put the technology into the Explorer. I would be happy with a LSD rear instead of a brake setup which combined with the tires provides inferior traction.

Fx4 don't have 4A dude plus that's way they switched it back to rear wheel drive cause they where having so many problems with the front wheel drives

 

[DoraAExplorer]

Fx4 don't have 4A dude plus that's way they switched it back to rear wheel drive cause they where having so many problems with the front wheel drives

My 2018 F150 Fx4 packed truck has 4A, 4H, and 4L

If I am not mistaken the Ranger FX4 packed trucks has this too.

 

[Flashflood]

My 2018 F150 Fx4 packed truck has 4A, 4H, and 4L

If I am not mistaken the Ranger FX4 packed trucks has this too.

No rangers only have 2h 4hi 4l I know this for a fact because my parents fully loaded ranger only has that with the terrain select maybe your mistaking it for the limited slip kicking in like I did with my 2nd gen

 

[DoraAExplorer]

No rangers only have 2h 4hi 4l I know this for a fact because my parents fully loaded ranger only has that with the terrain select maybe your mistaking it for the limited slip kicking in like I did with my 2nd gen

So it is only on 2017+ F150 with Lariat packages or above. I figured that maybe the Ranger would have it as well.

The new Bronco is slatted to have the "4A" mode as well.

 

[Flashflood]

No rangers only have 2h 4hi 4l I know this for a fact because my parents fully loaded ranger only has that with the terrain select

So it is only on 2017+ F150 with Lariat packages or above. I figured that maybe the Ranger would have it as well. Hope the new Bronco will have all those modes as well.

I hope so to but... from what the sema show showed it looks like there doing the terrain select like the sport and explorer. sorry didn't mean to be that way

 

[he11lish]

So it is only on 2017+ F150 with Lariat packages or above. I figured that maybe the Ranger would have it as well.

The new Bronco is slatted to have the "4A" mode as well.

Yep! It’s only Lariat+ that gets the more advanced transfer case and honestly it works great - I have a 2020 with 4A...

the only thing is with our truck, we can lock in H to avoid certain driving situations and the Explorer people can’t

 

[Flashflood]

Yep! It’s only Lariat+ that gets the more advanced transfer case and honestly it works great - I have a 2020 with 4A...

the only thing is with our truck, we can lock in H to avoid certain driving situations and the Explorer people can’t

Eh I hope it actually has a transfer case lol I don't call the terrain select a transfer case lol. Mine too but I'm old. But oh god please no I just looked at one it's like the excursion with 2hi 4a 4hi 4l omg no make it like the 2nd gens that I can least handle

 

[Pnewby]

I am extremely impressed by the handling of my 20 Aviator in Ky winter weather. We had 1/2 inch of ice, 2inches of sleet, 3 inches of snow followed by more sleet and another 1/4 inch of ice. I’m running the stock Firestone Eagle A/W tires. Using Slippery mode on plowed roads and Deep mode On unplowed roads I had zero problems going anywhere including drifted sleet. The up and downshift points along with the increased road clearance were especially helpful. All I had to do was remember that the drive modes don’t help braking distances.

 

[DoraAExplorer]

I am extremely impressed by the handling of my 20 Aviator in Ky winter weather. We had 1/2 inch of ice, 2inches of sleet, 3 inches of snow followed by more sleet and another 1/4 inch of ice. I’m running the stock Firestone Eagle A/W tires. Using Slippery mode on plowed roads and Deep mode On unplowed roads I had zero problems going anywhere including drifted sleet. The up and downshift points along with the increased road clearance were especially helpful. All I had to do was remember that the drive modes don’t help braking distances.

Do Aviators have limited slip differentials on the rear drive train? I could not find the answer when I looked.

 

[peterk9]

I am extremely impressed by the handling of my 20 Aviator in Ky winter weather. We had 1/2 inch of ice, 2inches of sleet, 3 inches of snow followed by more sleet and another 1/4 inch of ice. I’m running the stock Firestone Eagle A/W tires. Using Slippery mode on plowed roads and Deep mode On unplowed roads I had zero problems going anywhere including drifted sleet. The up and downshift points along with the increased road clearance were especially helpful. All I had to do was remember that the drive modes don’t help braking distances.

Strange they would put All-Weather tires on for Kentucky. Mine came with Michelin Primacy All-Seasons.

Peter

 

[he11lish]

Strange they would put All-Weather tires on for Kentucky. Mine came with Michelin Primacy All-Seasons.

Peter

Something is strange - these are supposed to come out of factory either with Goodyears or Michelins...

 

[Pnewby]

Strange they would put All-Weather tires on for Kentucky. Mine came with Michelin Primacy All-Seasons.

Peter

Oops! I meant to say Goodyear. Not many Firestone on Ford products these days and even less Firestone Eagles.