4Lo how fast?

Jms81661

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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?
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scubasteve278

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Take this with a grain of salt, but ive always used 4LO in situations that 4high just wouldnt cut it, a good example is the most recent time i shifted from 4HI to 4LO, was driving up a very very steep gravel/shale road when backing back down due to loss of traction just wasnt an option. Also times when you are already stuck and need the advantage of the gear ratio. Similar to trying to bike up a hill in gear 10, or trying to bike up in gear 1. I also use 4LO in deep snow if i know my speed wont be going over 20km/h or so. I would NEVER use 4LO to drive gravel service or powerline roads unless it turned into a slow going/ very low traction/ rock crawling situation
 
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Jms81661

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Take this with a grain of salt, but ive always used 4LO in situations that 4high just wouldnt cut it, a good example is the most recent time i shifted from 4HI to 4LO, was driving up a very very steep gravel/shale road when backing back down due to loss of traction just wasnt an option. Also times when you are already stuck and need the advantage of the gear ratio. Similar to trying to bike up a hill in gear 10, or trying to bike up in gear 1. I also use 4LO in deep snow if i know my speed wont be going over 20km/h or so. I would NEVER use 4LO to drive gravel service or powerline roads unless it turned into a slow going/ very low traction/ rock crawling situation
Agreed on all points. I just want to be there when he starts shedding gears all over the trail?
 

Jon Olivier

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Agreed on all points. I just want to be there when he starts shedding gears all over the trail?
Make sure you have some tow straps in your Ranger to get him back home. :)
 
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Jms81661

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Make sure you have some tow straps in your Ranger to get him back home. :)
F'k him! If he's that stupid he deserves to walk! I shall throw a bottle of water in his general direction as I drive by.?
 


jss81258

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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?
Just to point out that the diff (differential(s)) aren't going to see anything different. Likewise the engine and transmission won't see much difference, assuming you aren't dogging the truck. The gear reduction is in the transfer case.

I hardly ever use 4Lo. Usually where the road is really rough or steep.
 

mtbikernate

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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.
 

myothercarizahearse

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

ditto and it's great the ranger can shift while moving. you see a bad spot coming up and click into 4WD. I feel too many people rely on 4WD and have no actual skills at driving off road. hence, 4LO on gravel or dirt roads. I remember to olden days when 4WD was rare on trucks and 2WD no locker still got you places
 
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Jms81661

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Just to point out that the diff (differential(s)) aren't going to see anything different. Likewise the engine and transmission won't see much difference, assuming you aren't dogging the truck. The gear reduction is in the transfer case.

I hardly ever use 4Lo. Usually where the road is really rough or steep.
Transfercase/diff, tomatoe tomato. ?
Just to point out that the diff (differential(s)) aren't going to see anything different. Likewise the engine and transmission won't see much difference, assuming you aren't dogging the truck. The gear reduction is in the transfer case.

I hardly ever use 4Lo. Usually where the road is really rough or steep.
Transfercase/Diff...tomatoe tomato.?
 

Cabose-1

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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?
Agree with you.
 

sklnbnz

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In the beginning, I would use 4H as soon as I hit the dirt then 4L when I saw something that I thought was going to be "harder". Fast Forward to now.... 2WD most always, 4H when things start to get more challenging or I feel the added traction would be helpful and 4L only once in a blue moon. (Steep/loose/sketchy descent or incline). Lockers only when absolutely necessary as well.
 

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I guess I am in the minority here. I use 4Lo quite a bit. I ran Webster Pass a couple weeks ago and was in 4Lo from basically the trailhead. Could I have done it in 2wd/4hi? Sure, but there was enough of a climb that I felt like it would have been more stressful to keep the engine revved high enough to make the climb than to just kick it 4Lo. I wouldn't use it on forest service roads, but I do use it quite a bit.
 
 



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