4LO Shift Pattern

[Xwaz]

One thing that has always bugged my about my Ranger is the shift pattern in 4LO. When the truck is in 4LO and Drive, is shifts as if it's in sport mode. Holding the RPMs till around 3000 before shifting to the next gear, while in the rocks and steep climbs this is fine when you are just cruising down the trail and it's sitting at 2500rpm for no reason.
I Have tried all the different terrain modes trying to get it to shift normally in 4LO but haven't gotten anything to bring it down. It shifts unlike any other vehicle I have wheeled or owned. Being somewhere is the realm of 3 dozen different trucks and 4x4s.

Has anyone found this to be the case as well? Or found a setting that stops this stupid shifting.

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[Frenchy]

Most likely due to the logic that Ford programmed into the PCM. When in 4LO chances are you are in need of high torque hence the extra gear reduction. Now if you stick with 4HI I can promise you that for the most part you can do quite a bit as the Ranger is very capable!!

 

[Xwaz]

Most likely due to the logic that Ford programmed into the PCM. When in 4LO chances are you are in need of high torque hence the extra gear reduction. Now if you stick with 4HI I can promise you that for the most part you can do quite a bit as the Ranger is very capable!!

I have figured that out, it's just for most of the wheeling I do, it's easiest to engine brake in 4lo but it's annoying to stop and shift between hi and low for each obstacle.
Just weird how the Ranger is the only one programmed this way.

 

[Frenchy]

For engine braking I can totally understand. I agree that in 4 low in first gear the ranger does very well at crawl control to say the least. It's also possible that for decided to have that logic for the engine braking itself. If you haven't tried it already mud ruts in 4HI still does fairly well just not as well as 4LO.

 

[Xwaz]

For engine braking I can totally understand. I agree that in 4 low in first gear the ranger does very well at crawl control to say the least. It's also possible that for decided to have that logic for the engine braking itself. If you haven't tried it already mud ruts in 4HI still does fairly well just not as well as 4LO.

Yeh I have messed around with each more, I find the best being snow/grass/gravel in LO and just manually shifting. But when I did the White Rim and was just in a slow mildly rocky section climbing out, it would be nice to use lower gears with less stress instead of just first gear 4hi.
I am hoping one of the tuning companies will create one that just adds the normal shift patterns to 4Lo

 

[Frenchy]

Assuming you are still stock(tune) Livernois actually does pretty well. I use the tow tune, have 33's and for the most part have no issue. Once i got used to how 4LO acts I decided that only certain areas/terrains require it. The shift pattern is still the same in 4LO but with the added boost of power and efficiency I feel it is just fine.

 

[Xwaz]

Assuming you are still stock(tune) Livernois actually does pretty well. I use the tow tune, have 33's and for the most part have no issue. Once i got used to how 4LO acts I decided that only certain areas/terrains require it. The shift pattern is still the same in 4LO but with the added boost of power and efficiency I feel it is just fine.

Good to know, I will probably just learn to live with it but coming from Jeeps, Toyotas, and especially some manual trans vehicles, it just is so weird to me.

 

[Frenchy]

Good to know, I will probably just learn to live with it but coming from Jeeps, Toyotas, and especially some manual trans vehicles, it just is so weird to me.

I can understand that. My old 1992 Pathfinder would do what it felt like and it was an old school automatic. Put simple it went to the next year unless you pulled it bad a notch or two

 

[Xwaz]

I can understand that. My old 1992 Pathfinder would do what it felt like and it was an old school automatic. Put simple it went to the next year unless you pulled it bad a notch or two

Yeah, my current second truck is a single cab Tacoma with a 4cyl 5speed 4wd. In the shortest wheelbase possible and the manual off road is great for control 99% of the time. But rock gardens can be fun without a regear or double cases.
The shifting in 4LO is probably my only actual complaint with my Ranger.

 

[RoadBoss]

I agree with this. Especially if you're on some steep bumpy sections, and then come to a flat and smooth section where you can get up some more speed, but you don't want to stop and shift into 4HI just to go back to low range again in a minute. it definitely seems to sit in gear a bit higher than I'd like.
I've just been trying to get in the habit of using manual mode in low range, as sometimes on slow sections it also seems to try and shift into the next gear when I'm trying to crawl up a hill at slow speed.

 

[BlackRanger01]

Would think its cuz thats where most torque would be at 2.5k RPM

 

[Xwaz]

Would think its cuz thats where most torque would be at 2.5k RPM

That is true, these Motor peak at 3k rpm. However with how low the gears in the trans are, plus low plus 3.73 axle gears. There isn't a need for peak torque at all times.

 

[Xwaz]

I agree with this. Especially if you're on some steep bumpy sections, and then come to a flat and smooth section where you can get up some more speed, but you don't want to stop and shift into 4HI just to go back to low range again in a minute. it definitely seems to sit in gear a bit higher than I'd like.
I've just been trying to get in the habit of using manual mode in low range, as sometimes on slow sections it also seems to try and shift into the next gear when I'm trying to crawl up a hill at slow speed.

Cause like you know most of the trails here on the front range are just bumpy rutted and usually only have one or two major obstacles so driving around the trail at 2500 rpm just makes you look like a bit of a dork.

 

[Frenchy]

That is true, these Motor peak at 3k rpm. However with how low the gears in the trans are, plus low plus 3.73 axle gears. There isn't a need for peak torque at all times.

That is true but also remember that unless at full boost you are not at peak torque either. And depending on the tire size the 3.73 might not be enough. How big of a tire would that matter? Bigger than a 33 inch tire. I have a 33 and to say the least it is on the fine line of a re gear.

 

[Xwaz]

That is true but also remember that unless at full boost you are not at peak torque either. And depending on the tire size the 3.73 might not be enough. How big of a tire would that matter? Bigger than a 33 inch tire. I have a 33 and to say the least it is on the fine line of a re gear.

Right so in 4lo at 2500 rpm it's really isn't making any more torque than a non turbo 2.3 would.
As far as gears, off road I don't think a regear is needed until 35s at least. If you are just in drive the truck actually starts in second and that still plenty low for 33s and even 34s. On road gears might help the trans hold 10th or 9th up small grades, or bring back a slight amount of fuel economy from the bigger tires.
I deal with building 4wd vehicles every day and it's the best midsize to not have to gear power and transmission wise.
I feel that once more gear sets become available we will see an issue of people over gearing their trucks and causing issues of gear bouncing on the highway.

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