How do I use 4WD and not destroy my truck?

I have a center diff lock button from a 3rd gen sitting on my shelf, I might as well complete the swap, right?

 

Oh now you're just obligated to do so!

One of those "while you're in there" kind of things ya know?

 

So when I'm coming up to a highway stop where Hwy patrol is enforcing 4WD / Chain requirements due to snow conditions but the snow is apparent on the road yet because the elevation is still climbing, you're saying damage is being done simply because the road is not loose?

 

Do you put it in 4wd in front of them? They usually just ask me if I have chains... 4wd with chains = head on up, 2wd with chains = pull over and put them on if mandatory. I don't put it in 4wd until I need to...

But what are the chances of chain control while the road is dry? Wet pavement is fine to drive 4wd on, provided you aren't making sharp enough turns to cause the binding.

You're not doing any damage to the truck driving in 4wd on pavement...

 

Its too easy to overthink this. I drove the entire stretch of 395 from Tahoe back down to southern CA in 4hi a few winters ago because there were areas with heavy snow, some with light, and some stretches that were clear. Few hundred miles total, 4hi the entire time until we got near the desert and it cleared up completely. Nothing blew up then or since.

 

I think this means if you are going to be driving at 25 mph. If you are in 4 lo its usually off road and you are crawling. If you are going over 25 mph for an extended period of time choose 4 hi. If youa re cruising at 25 mph in 4lo you would likely be in 3rd gear at a pretty decent rpm. If you are going to switch into 4 lo from 4 hi, I'm pretty sure you need to be stationary. I sometimes have to move my truck a little forward or backward to get it to engage, but I have a stick shift. I would not shift from 4 hi to 4 lo while driving. 2 wd to 4 hi is okay (at least on my truck), but 4 hi to 4 lo is a no no while moving.

 

I think he literally means if you are swtiching from 2wd to 4wd hi, do you have to do it while the truck is under 25mph. the answer is no. No part of his question led me to believe he was talking about optimal T-Case gear selection given a continuous speed

 

Not to mention getting up to speed on M&M trail, most of us were 4HI just because.

Sean kicking up dirt like a MF'er

 

Yeah, i switch to 4 hi while moving plenty of times. Will probably do it today since we are having crazy rain and the roads here are trash.

I always feel like I'm destroying my clutch starting off in 4 hi, although its probably just me.

 

Not to mention those trails there in Moab were all grippy rock, some were entirely rock with a lot of turns. 4lo the entire time for me (almost always in 4lo on trails with the 5 speed), never blew anything up. Just that stupid bump stop that kept falling off lol.

 

That's why I'm almost always in 4lo while off-road with the manual trans. All that extra torque helps to keep from burning up the clutch when start/stopping in the dirt, hills, slow crawling obstacles, etc. Very easy to smoke the clutch into oblivion if you're in 4hi in those situations. If on a very steep mountain/dirt incline it will be impossible unless in 4low.

 

If it isn't sunny with no wet conditions and the road isn't 100% dry then you can use 4wd. If it's sunny with 100% dry pavement then don't use it.

You can however use 4wd in dry conditions if you're just going straight, if you wanted to cycle the TC/diff or whatever.

 

Facts.

 

Yeah you make total sense.

 

there was a thread on here a few years ago, guy in a brand new 3rd gen went off-road and completely destroyed his clutch in one outing. Couldn't understand why the dealer wouldn't replace it because he figured it was faulty. Posted a video of one of the trails he did, was going up a steep, rocky hill in 4hi and you could see the cloud of burnt clutch smoke under his truck every time he was crawling over something or starting from a dead stop. Was painful to watch

 

Now if only I knew how to turn off my 4x4

 

80s series are in 4x4 beast mode even when they're not in 4wd

 

Should be fun when I go meet up with @Tour991 (if schedule permits)

I know Steph ain't gonna want to run any trails in her condition so maybe I'll see about checking out a snowed in scenic route?

 

I don't even have a 4x4 knob

 

I pull a trailer off road so I'm basically always in 4 lo. I made the mistake once in Mammoth. I was on pavement, but tried to just get up a hill from a steep stop sign and the truck wouldn't budge. Had to do 4 lo, just to get moving. Ever since then I'm super paranoid and usually only use 4 hi when I'm moving. So far its held up though.