4Lo how fast?

jss81258

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Potatoe, potato then??
The point I was trying to make is that the Ranger doesn’t have a center differential. It has a transfer case. The two are very different. And not everyone knows this.

To be clear, I really don’t care what you choose to call it.
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RoadBoss

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I use 4 low all the time. 4 hi as soon as I hit the dirt - don't usually NEED it, but if you need to make an emergency maneuver to avoid an animal or someone driving on the wrong side of the road, it's a hell of a lot safer to have it in 4wd. I use it really any time I'm not on pavement.

4low gets turned on any time the road starts to get even slightly bump or steep. If it will in any way make the engine less stressed or the truck more controllable, I'm in 4 low, and I'll leave it in 4 low until the speed is consistently up above 30mph again, which means smooth, graded, flat roads. This usually means I'm getting close to pavement anyway.

I drive 30mph in 4 low all the time, the only thing is you'll want to manually shift, because it likes to sit in lower gears when you're in low range. It's much better to do this than to have to stop - neutral - shift into 4 low, any time the trail gets a little more difficult. And you're really not going to damage anything by just using low range.
 

JACKSMYDOG

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I generally only use low range for an immediate purpose and back to high afterward. Deep mud, water crossings, tall steps or anything with higher risk of damage or danger. Once clear, back to 4 high until the next obstacle if needed.
 

Jrel209

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I always thought the manual said if u pass a certain mph it will automatically switch to 4hi
 

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I always thought the manual said if u pass a certain mph it will automatically switch to 4hi
it's mechanically impossible to switch between low and high range while moving.
 


Jrel209

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it's mechanically impossible to switch between low and high range while moving.
interesting, never knew that this is my first owned 4x4. Ive used 4Hi and that one you’re able to switch to from 2wd on the fly. Why is it different for 4hi to 4lo?
 
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VAMike

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interesting, never knew that this is my first owned 4x4. Ive used 4Hi and that one you’re able to switch to from 2wd on the fly. Why is it different for 4hi to 4lo?
The front wheels have a mechanism to connect/disconnect them from the transfer case. The rear wheels do not. To go from 2wd to 4wd you just need to engage the front wheels; the gearing in the transfer case is the same for 2wd and 4hi. To go from 4hi to 4lo you need to switch to a different set of gears in the transfer case, and since there's no way to disconnect the rear wheels you need to stop the vehicle entirely so you can engage the new gears while they're speed matched (stopped). You also need to be in neutral so the motor side of the transfer case is stopped. In theory you could design a transfer case with clutches and synchronizers to do that gear change on the fly just like you change gears in the transmission, but for the application 4lo is designed for there's no real problem with stopping before changing gears so why add a bunch of complexity and cost? On the up side it's all electronic now and the truck won't do anything until it's safe. :)

addendum: "2wd" is really "2hi". You could shift the transfer case to low without engaging the front wheels for "2lo", but there's no real use case for that so they don't bother to put it on the selector knob. (If you're in low range you're probably in a situation where you'd spin the rear wheels in 2lo anyway.)
 
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Megawatt

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I absolutely use 4lo often. This all depends on the type of surface your on and speed your going.

At minimum everyone should know how to get into 4lo. One day your going to try to get somewhere (past an obstacle) in 4hi and you will need to be in 4 lo.

For the most part I don’t go fast in 4lo. Never over 30, usually under 25 mph.

Get familiar with the downhill decent mode and how to manage the cruising speed limit. This also works in reverse gear if you ever need it.

Understand that disengaging the rear locker takes time to disengage because it’s electronic and not a air system. Sometimes it can require you to unload the drivetrain for it to really unlock. The indicator can be off but you may still be locked up. This can save stress if you turn off locker and quickly jump on paved roadway thinking your unlocked button really are not. You should know what a locked rear end sounds like when driving it.

These machines are very capable but some aspects can be complicated. When your on a steep rocky hill is not the time to figure out how to use your tools.
 

NOVA_Ranger

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If my truck is in 4Lo I am probably doing some dumb/crazy stuff...climbing an insanely steep hill or creeping through some really rough terrain. I use the hell out of my truck off-road on a regular basis and 4Hi (TC off, sport mode, rear end locked) is fine 99% of the time.
 

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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?
I'm seriously doubting that he is in 4LO the whole time. The engine must be screaming at 40 mph
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