4x4 mode on pavement in mixed winter conditions

The Pacific Northwest got an arctic blast for Christmas, freezing temperatures and snow.
I was travelling to see relatives over the holidays, the highways and urban roads were a mixed bag of snow, ice, compacted snow, wet and bone dry.
Highway traffic rarely got above 80km/h (55mph), and was relieved to see in the manual there weren't any warnings about driving that rate in 4x4 mode, and switching between 2WD and 4WD seemed acceptable as well.
However on the dry patches I did wonder if I was doing harm to my drivetrain.
I hesitated to continue switching and left it in 4x4, as out of nowhere snowy/icy patches would appear.

It made me wonder, how do you members on the rest of the continent approach these mixed conditions, as these conditions are more likely to persist throughout winter?

 

I usually just switch it back and forth as in frequently as possible, and defenitly turn it to 2x4 on dry turns. I’d love to hear other peoples reasoning too though

 

If my tires are in good condition I usually leave it in 2wd and turn off traction control in mixed conditions

 

I use 4wd a lot in MN. If I'm on a highway going straight I don't worry about it. Once I have to do tight turns I start to think about turning it off if the pavement is dry. You can feel it start to bind if the turn is too tight. That's when I turn it off or look for a line that keeps at least one tire in some slush or snow.

 

Ok. First the 4wd system won't disintegrate if its run on a dry road. It isn't made from eggshells.

Easy 90* turns won't harm the system. Hard turns with the steering on the lock will cause binding and possible some wheel hop or skid.

Based on the Owner's Manual, you can shift into 4WD (high) from 2WD up to 60 mph. I assume shifting from 4WD (high) to 2WD has the same limit.

So, suggest to engage 4WD (high) on those types of roads. Go easy on hard 90* corners like in a parking lot, probably best to drop into 2WD. Normal city streets......I'd leave it in 4WD on snow pack.

To me, it doesn't make sense to shift in and out of 4WD on patchy road conditions.

FWIW, 4WD on snow pack or ice is marginally better than 2WD.

 

Exactly what I do. I learned it from a friend who has lived all his life in Des Moines where the winters are regularly snowy.

I've got a friend who just leaves it in 4-HI in his truck because his memory sucks and when you ride with him, you can hear the driveline just crying for mercy as he takes sharp turns on mostly dry pavement because all the snow melted already.

 

I got caught in a mixed snow/ice storm on I-95N Maine in 1989 and left my Blazer in 4H for over five hours. (except for an occasional 2H "check" to see if I could make progress in that mode.... (The answer was "no: unless I was looking to take a ride in the median or worse.) I stopped the "tests" early on as I thought it was just asking for trouble. No ill effects.

 

You almost never have a catastrophic failure while in 4X4 on pavement. But you are still doing damage anytime you're in 4X4 where traction is good. The damage is cumulative and will show up later when parts wear out prematurely. I've had to pay to have transfer cases rebuilt from using 4X4 in high traction situations.

You get X number of miles in 4X4 on high traction surfaces before you break something, use them wisely. Everybody who has ever had a 4X4 has forgotten to shift out of 4X4 or for whatever reason used it some in high traction situations. But making a habit of it and doing it on a regular basis is going to get expensive for someone. It may be the next owner.

I use 4X4 sparingly and as needed. If you have decent tires you should be able to go most places in snow just fine in 4X2. I use 4X4 to get started if the road surface is slick, and to get up inclines. Otherwise, even in deep snow it isn't really needed. It doesn't help much on ice or with cornering, in fact it could make things worse. And does very little to help you stop. The only place it helps stop you is when going down a steep hill in low range 1st gear and you're going slow enough to not use brakes.

I drove roughly 100 miles a few years ago from a few miles east of Glenwood Springs to Denver and over several mountain passes in a snow storm. Only time I shifted to 4X4 was when I had to stop for a few minutes to allow an accident to be cleared. I needed 4X4 to get moving after stopping on an incline.

 

All conditions are different

Ambient air temperatures are a big factor

tires and weight .

Most times I pull it into 4High to start moving then shift into 2 wd about 25 miles per hour.

I avoid interstates most times even more so in bad weather.

If things are that bad in a personal vehicle i stay home. In the company truck you want me to go where even though the state is shutdown not a problem.