Please school me on 4wd! 1st 4wd Truck

Sup guys, So i have always been into lowered cars (slammed everything from civic's, integra, 300C, and a CTS-V). Decided to get a truck since I'm a family guy now. Made a mistake of getting an 03 DC 4cyl 2wd(honestly it was a great truck, just not 4wd). Traded her in 11 months later and bought an 04 DC V6 4WD. Couldn't be happier!!!

Sooo here are the noob ?'s

1- When shifting into 4wd, should i be in neutral or park
2- When shifting out of 4wd should i be in neutral or park
3- Whats the fastest I should be going in 4lo
4- Whats the slowest/fastest i can go in 4hi
5- can i come to a complete stop in 4hi? Im assuming i can since i cant just shift to 4lo while slowing down

sorry if these are stupid questions, I would hate to ruin my new truck for some stupid noob mistake

Thanks for the help gentlemen

 

The truck is supposed to be shift on the fly, which means that you can shift into/out of whenever. I try to be at a complete stop unless i realize that i am sinking and, oh well. I am usually in 4hi UNLESS i am crawling out of a hole or am towing something in mud or sand. As long as I am under 10 mph, i stay in 4L.

 

Modern electronic transfer cases can shift on the fly. The 4WD light will flash while the system is transitioning. It's not a bad idea to come to a complete stop and put it in neutral, but it's not a requirement.

You'll know it. The engine will rev very high. You can go all the way into top gear in 4lo, but there's really no point.

Dead stop. 4hi will be your most used 4wd mode. 4lo is only needed for extremely slow crawling and pulling, steep hills, etc....

All of your answers are in the owner's manual.

Most important, do not engage 4wd on dry pavement.
The truck is 4wd, not AWD, there is no differential that isolates the front and rear axles. 4wd on dry pavement will cause binding if you make any turns.

The manual indicates the need to run in 4wd for something like 10 miles per month, but it is important to do this on a dirt road, or in snow... and most owners do not follow this and don't seem to be reporting problems.

 

well that was fast! thats why i love TW! lol..thanks guys!! makes perfect sense! I didnt realize I could shift while in motion, i would rather be at a complete stop, but its nice to know i could do it if i am getting stuck and slowly moving

Again, thank you guys!!!

 

really? sun has never got into my eyes so i have never had to pull it down..JK

haha, i saw that but doesn't really get into detail. It doesnt get into speeds etc. I know i could have googled but I trust TW more than google!

 

According to my manual it says that I can shift into 4wd at anytime & any speed below 60-65mph..... I'll be damned before I go to 4x mode at 60mph+, especially with the lever (no push button)

 

in red

 

4WD on the fly.... I will often take my foot off the gas to remove the 'torque' from the driveline. It'll engage/disengage faster.

The fastest I've gone is about 35mph. It's not 'how fast' you can go, it's about how HIGH the engine will be revving. I don't use 4lo at all. I will often use it in winter with tons of snow on the ground on the back roads just to use it.... cuz, if you don't use it....it might not work when you need it.

The fastest I've gone is 60mph in 4hi. This is generally on the highway in an extreme downpour. Again - I do this in pouring rain on my way to work just to engage the system once a month or so. The highway is a straight shot (no turns) and I disengage it as soon as I get on the offramp.

Yes, you can come to a complete stop in any 4wd mode.

Make note: DO not use 4wd on dry pavement . Avoid making TIGHT turns.

You might notice - when you're making a turn while in 4WD....the truck might not want to move or it might buck & jerk. DO NOT FORCE IT . You'll want to straighten the wheels and disengage 4wd before making the turn. If you're having a hard time disengaging it - rock the truck back-n-forth slightly.

 

Hope you don't mind if I follow up with a question. It's Friday and I've already checked mentally checked out this week but I do believe the card in my visor advises not to exceed speeds over 62mph in 4hi, is that right?

 

Another noob with 4WD here, ( I am talking about myself, not dissing OP )

So u CAN drive on 4hi when is raining cats and dogs on pavement roads?

 

No, there is still too much traction and the drivetrain will bind when you try to turn. Keep 4wd for off-road or snow/ice conditions.

 

My owner's manual says to drive ten miles in 4 hi once a month. I wonder how many people actually do it.

 

Answers in red. Read your owner's manual!

 

I do it.... In rainy conditions on the highway usually at 60mph depending on traffic and how much water is pooled up on the road (hydro planing) - then I'll go slower. I always disengage when entering the offramp.

 

Soooo accidentally forgot to take it out of 4 wheel when I got back on pavement.. I was making a U-Turn and I heard a really weird sound So I immediately stopped, realized I was in 4hi and switched it out. Drove perfectly fine after that. How can I know If I screwed anything up??

 

Yes.... Straight roads and I would keep it under 60mph.

But remember - use 2wd when there are turns involved. I never use 4wd (in the rain) on back country 2 lane roads where there's a lot of soft turns involved.

Using 4wd on the highway in downpours can overall be safer than in 2wd.
If you haven't noticed yet how tail happy any 2wd truck can be in the rain. These trucks ( with composite beds) have less weight in the rear than trucks with steal beds. Being in 4wd in downpours ( straight driving) can help prevent fish tailing. But ultimately, SLOW DOWN. I like having peace of mind in those types of conditions using 4wd.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!

 

The best part.... You noticed it right away and fixed the problem.

It's happens to everyone. You're probably just fine.

Continue to be AWARE of your trucks noises, feelings, sounds, taking notice to these things EARLY prevents issues in the long run.

 

If you turn it back on and it acts weird or anything like that then you know its screwed up otherwise you should be OK as long as you don't do that ever again

 

Anytime after using 4WD, before going back into 2WD, it's not a bad idea to back up about 10 feet or so before you take it out of 4WD. This will undo any drivetrain bindup in the driveline. Old trucks, new trucks, it's not a bad idea to do regardless.

A lot of times my old parts don't like to come out of 4WD unless I do this.

 

absolutly not. there is zero reason to use it unless there is a foot of water in the road. and dirt and debris is floating in your way. even then I wouldn't use it untill the tires actually started to spin and break traction.

4wd is used only for LOW TRACTION situations. pavement, even when covered in water still has plenty of traction