4Lo how fast?

[Gizmokid2005]

Is he going to hurt anything running in 4Lo at 40mph? With regular maintenance almost certainly not. At a certain point the truck will just stop going faster and he'll be bouncing off the rev limiter due to the gear reduction, but it's not going to actually hurt anything by going that speed.

Is it smart to sit in 4Lo while just cruising down some dirt roads? Probably not "smart" - but not really stupid aside from using some extra fuel and running the revs higher.

Are the benefits to running 4Lo even when not needed? Yes. For instance out here in the SoCal/desert areas, running in 4Lo when you'd normally use/want 4wd instead of 4Hi can help keep the engine revs higher without needing to manually shift which will help with coolant circulation and help keep both engine and transmission temps lower when at/near/above 100°F temps.

You cannot switch in/out of 4Lo while in motion on purpose, as others have mentioned, due to the different gears being activated inside the transfer case, this is by design. Even if the ability was there to switch in/out on the fly, matching gearing to speed and engine RPMs could be catastrophic and a huge lift from the drive-train.

I almost never use 4Lo personally, only when on a steep enough grade that I want to be able to go slower than I can comfortably do in 1st gear in high-range or when going down a grade and I don't want to ride my brakes.

Ultimately if you want to run 4Lo on "low" traction surfaces (read not pavement/cement) - go for it, you're not really going to hurt anything other than your mileage and subsequently wallet. I know a lot of people who just put it in 4Lo as soon as we hit trails and run that way. I run 2wd until I need 4wd, it's how I keep my skills sharp and know what my truck is capable of and how to manage it in "non-standard" situations.

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[12Bravo20]

I'm old school. On all of my previous Ford 4x4 trucks and various Jeeps, they recommended never exceeding 25 MPH in 4 LO. I stick with that in the new Ranger too.

 

[mtbikernate]

I'm old school. On all of my previous Ford 4x4 trucks and various Jeeps, they recommended never exceeding 25 MPH in 4 LO. I stick with that in the new Ranger too.

yeah, I tend to stay around that, too.

 

[seanellaz]

I talked to a Taco driver and he's in 4Lo as soon as he hits the trails. Puts it in D and will drive it up to 40 mph!
Idk, I tend to use it sparingly only when needed. I can't see flying down a powerline road in 4Lo at 40 mph.
Is 4Lo made to be run all the time anytime you hit the dirt, and up to 40mph? I would think not. You're spinning them gears pretty damned fast at that speed and generating a lot of heat in the diff. Thoughts?

Manually shifting with the 10 speed auto (Sport Mode) , humping with a light overland trailer up and down a steep winding mountain grade on dirt, gravel and some bigger rocks, 4Lo was a blast! I doubt I topped 35mph but I was able to control ground speed, RPM, and boost very nicely. 3.5" BDS Lift with UCA's, BDS Intrusion Bars, 295/70/17 tires on 17*10 wheel with 12mm+ offset, Injen Intake and Flowmaster Cat back exhaust. Zoom Zoom.

 

[66F100]

yeah, 4lo use is REALLY rare for me. I haven't needed it in the Ranger yet, but I've used it in other vehicles.

one case where I made pretty extended use of 4lo was in Hawaii. I had rented a Jeep so I could visit locations that most rental car companies prohibit you from visiting. All of these locations required high clearance and true 4wd.

Driving down from the summit of Mauna Kea (where all the observatories are) is a really long gravel road that has a notable grade. The sort of thing where there are signs warning people about riding their brakes down (and heating them up). Drop it into 4lo, and just coast the whole way down. almost no brake input needed at all there.

another was a very steep (but paved) climb out of Waipio Valley. There's a creek ford at the bottom (doesn't require 4wd, but does require clearance), but the climb back up is where you need 4lo because it's so steep. even though it's paved, traction sucks to the point that they've grooved the pavement. 4lo makes it easy to just crawl up that road. it's straight, so no worries about binding.

I used it with some regularity when I worked for the USFS in southern Utah. no really gnarly off-roading (nothing a stock 4wd Ranger couldn't do), but traction in a few spots was difficult to come by (scree slopes, loose rocks, etc) and I'd use 4lo as necessary.

In fact, when I'm driving off road, I'll use 2wd until I need extra traction from 4wd.

100% agree with your assessment. I don't have a 4wd Ranger but I do alot of off roading at work and on the farm.
I use 4lo when I don't want to ride the brakes, need extra slow speed, and want to get a heavy load moving for a short distance.
I avoid 4wd until I need it. I find that experience is the best teacher. I plan my path and use momentum whenever possible.
I have found that the extra torque of 4lo often caused me to loose traction and made the tires not spin fast enough to clean out. Sometimes wheel speed is your friend.
I live in the east with mud, wet grass, creeks, rocks etc and have very little experience with Desert driving.

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